Russian authorities launch inquiry after Victory Day poster featuring orangutan sparks controversy

The regional prosecutor’s office for Russia’s Novosibirsk region has launched an inquiry into a Victory Day holiday banner displayed in the city featuring a photograph of an orangutan, according to state news agency TASS.

Initial reports indicated that the federal media regulator Roskomnadzor was also looking into the banner, though that detail was subsequently removed from state media coverage without explanation. Novosibirsk residents reportedly also filed complaints about the display.

The banner — which reads “Happy Victory Day!” — was put up by the Novosibirsk Zoo. Zoo director Andrey Shilo told TASS that staff had chosen to feature an orangutan as a way of expressing “gratitude from the animals for being saved” during wartime. “I think it’s actually the right choice. We’re a zoo — it makes sense that we’d use animal photos in our congratulatory banners,” he said.

According to Radio Svoboda, the Russian-language affiliated of US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the same gorilla was featured in the “election” for city’s official symbol when it was named Russia’s 2022 “New Year’s capital”. The competition ended in scandal after officials were found to have manipulated the vote to sway results in favour of animals from their respective zoos.

According to the independent outlet Podyom, the banner was removed later on Friday, with city authorities saying that many city residents had found it “inappropriate”.