Deputies discussed the idea of ​​banning the use of animals in circuses

State Duma deputies, industry experts and experts argued on Wednesday about the humane treatment of circus animals. During the discussion, organized by the faction “A Just Russia – For Truth” (SRZP), arguments were made both in favor of a complete ban on the use of animals in the circus, and in support of the industry. The prohibitive measures were promoted by the leader of the New People (NL) party, Alexey Nechaev, who previously initiated the corresponding bill, and animal rights activists. Representatives of United Russia, SRZP, relevant departments and luminaries of Russian training spoke from opposing positions.

The topic of cruelty to circus animals became trending along with a video in which the famous trainer Edgard Zapashny “works” with a tiger using a rod and a fire hose. These shots gave rise to both a discussion and an NL bill on a complete ban on the use of animals in circuses. “Animal defenders are turning to us en masse after the incident with the beating of tigers in the Moscow circus, and this is only a small percentage of what is actually happening behind the scenes,” explained Alexey Nechaev. Mr. Zapashny himself explained that he stopped a fight between predators using harsh methods.

“Similar occasions are arising again and, I am sure, will arise where we are talking about the fact that we are cruel to our smaller brothers,” the first deputy head of the SRZP faction Dmitry Gusev opened the round table, admitting that there are different opinions in the Duma on this matter opinions. The first one was presented by Mr. Nechaev. “Times change, in this sense, any art also changes,” he began philosophically, assuring that “circuses without animals are a world tradition,” and humanism is “not some kind of machinations, but a global trend.” “We see that people vote against such violence against animals with their rubles: in the 90s, every tenth person went to the circus, now this is two out of a hundred,” the NL leader emphasized. And he expressed confidence that Russian artists will be able to do without animals: “This is a new image of Russia, and a stick in the hand of a trainer does not really suit this image.”

Having completed his speech, Alexey Nechaev left the event without hearing a dozen arguments against his position. Thus, United Russia deputy Timofey Bazhenov emphasized that the circus is an ancient art, comparable in importance to rock painting, and “radical animal rights activists” are still in the minority: “If we hypothetically assume that the State Duma will immediately lose its brain, this (ban.— “Kommersant”) will happen, animals will die, and folk artists will be left without work. This cannot be allowed under any circumstances!” Member of the same party was supported by deputy Nikolai Valuev: “These are living beings, but by banning their visit to our children, we will not only kill an entire industry, but will also further alienate children from understanding what nature is in general.” He also suggested that the ultimate goal of animal rights activists is not just a ban on the use of circus animals, but also the abandonment of animal husbandry in general: “Huge international organizations with their money are working for this.”

Edgard Zapashny, of course, focused on defeating the NL theses. He said that circuses are the second type of children’s leisure in the Russian Federation after zoos, and recalled that performances with animals are not prohibited, for example, in Italy, the USA and Germany, “despite the fact that the Greens are one of the strongest parties in the Bundestag.” “Is there even one uncivilized country among these countries?” — the trainer asked a very risky question. In the digital age, he believes, shocking videos would be on the agenda every day, “if there was hell going on behind the scenes”: “I think there’s hype behind it all.” “The circus is a locomotive on which zoo radicals travel to the future and earn political points for themselves,” Askold Zapashny supported his brother.

The arguments of the tamers were shared by Dmitry Kuklachev (Kuklachev’s Cat Theater), the head of the Russian State Circus Sergei Biryukov, the deputy artistic director of “Grandfather Durov’s Corner” Igor Bazarov and many others. “Why did you decide that animals are happy without training? – asked, for example, zoologist Os Harutyunyan. – Animals get high from training, but during Covid they wasted away without attention, without visitors! We should help animals, not interfere with people who look after them as if they were their own children.”

Opponents of animal spectacles, despite being in a clear minority, did not lose heart. “Animals are kept in conditions that do not correspond to their biological characteristics, incidents of cruelty to them are inevitable, the circus has created all the conditions for this! – insisted ecologist Sofya Belyaeva. – There is no money to modernize circuses, there is no security, there is no support from the population, there is no supervision, there is no order. Why should our children look at this, at man’s dominance over nature?” Animal rights activist Sergei Starikov insisted that the question is not “compliance with maintenance standards,” but whether a structure where animals are exploited for entertainment can even exist “in the modern world”: “The tradition is very ancient, but we must move forward.” .

“Judging by the way colleagues from different factions and the majority of participants spoke, I am sure that the idea (of a ban.— “Kommersant”) will not pass in the State Duma,” Dmitry Gusev summed up the discussion, at the same time being glad that the idea of ​​an “animal ombudsman” he put forward was supported by both sides. Animal rights activists reminded Kommersant that the next thematic event was already announced by Alexey Nechaev. There, apparently, they expect to be in the majority.

Grigory Leiba