Russian Animal Rights Orgy

The museum where the orgy took place.

Not safe for work; not safe for the home; not safe at all: here’s a link I’m hesitant to pass on. Via the great Doug Henwood, a blog account, complete with very graphic photos, of an animal rights rally and orgy that took place at a Russian Biology Museum. While making love on the floor of the museum, the activists chanted slogans about the need for Russia to save its bear population. Apparently the orgy was influenced by pagan Slavic ideas about the intimate connection between human sexuality and the health of Mother Earth. The signs that the activists are holding up read something to effect that “Screw to save our bears.” A very interesting glimpse of Russia at this current moment.  Fair warning: if you’re at all squeamish about sexual matters, don’t look.

Interesting sidelight: the Russian word for bear (“Medved”) is part of the name of the new leader, Medvedev.

POST SCRIPT:

An animal rights orgy or a political protest? I got an e-mail from a Russian-born friend saying that I was naive to take this blog account at face value. It wasn’t an animal rights protest but rather a performance art event designed to mock the new Russian president Medvedev (Putin’s hand-picked successor). Medvedev’s name, as I noted above, is Russian for bear and his political party uses the bear as an emblem. My friend was rightly critical of this performance art group, saying that their prank distracts attention from Russia’s many real problems, including an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian regime.