The Moscow Animal Rights Center, or VITA (Latin for "life"), is working hard to abolish Russia's love of fur by educating people on humane and fashionable alternatives. VITA does not hide the atrocities involved in fur farming, and shares footage of the brutality on these farms with the media and the public at their protests and gatherings.

Fur products are popular in Russia, but many people are not fully aware of the cruelty that comes with manufacturing them. Animals that are raised for fur are kept in horrid conditions, only to be slaughtered in atrocious ways.

Most fur in Europe comes from China, which is the world's largest supplier of fur products. Animal welfare laws do not exist in China, so treatment of animals raised for their fur and their subsequent slaughter is not regulated. In a recent HSI report, Russia was noted as being one of three main importers of Chinese fur. Russia also has its own fur farms.

Fighting the Fur Industry

VITA has taken this issue head on in the past year, with the help of funding and support from Humane Society International. VITA held several protests and events aimed at educating the public about the cold-blooded fur business, including a successful demonstration against an art exhibit featuring fur—sponsored by local furriers and hosted by the Pushkin Arts Museum in Moscow—and several other displays to correspond with numerous pro-fur events. All events were covered by local media.

"Media is our bridge to people," writes Tanya Maroueva, VITA's public relations director. "Russia is the land of furs. The only way to change this is to keep peacefully confronting people with the bloody truth behind fur production."

Throughout the last months of 2005, VITA worked closely with the Russian media on eight television programs and three radio shows about the cruelties of the fur industry both in Russia and worldwide. "This is a major success for the Russian animal rights movement," said Maroueva.

Organizing for Animals

VITA also works closely with the Fur Free Alliance, a global network of more than 35 animal protection organizations. In 2005, VITA promoted the annual Design against Fur campaign and organized the competition in Russia and several ex-Soviet states. VITA also awarded the 155 participants from Russia, Georgia and several other ex-Soviet republics with specially-made VITA and FFA scarves.

For the 2006 Design Against Fur competition, VITA had a record 299 submissions from all over the region, including Estonia, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan.

On Sept. 13, 2005, VITA and five other local groups organized a five-day exhibition and competition called "Stars Protect Animals" in Moscow. Hundreds of children participated by creating their own art works representing animal welfare and the environment, which was then put on display to the public.

In February 2006, VITA staged a rally in conjunction with the first International Day of Protest against the Chinese fur industry. They sent an open letter to the Chinese Embassy in Moscow clearly voicing their point of view and appealing for the establishment of animal welfare laws in China.

VITA has continued its anti-fur work in Russia throughout 2006, working with the media at every chance. The group endorses humane education to get the message across to people who may not be aware of the rampant animal abuse that occurs all over the world.

VITA hopes that by effectively spreading the message through campaigns, protests and educational events, people will think twice about buying that fur coat or using products that endorse animal experimentation. Humane Society International is pleased to support VITA.