The film "The Price of Fur" about the situation of animals on Russian fur farms has been released in Russia.

On December 5, the public organization Voices for Animals released the documentary "The Price of Fur", showing the conditions of animal husbandry and slaughter on nine fur farms in Russia. The film was voiced by actress Sofia Shutkina.

"Today, there are many ethical alternatives available to us that are not inferior in quality to animal fur, which means there is no need to cause anyone suffering. Our choice is the engine of change," Shutkina said.

The film presents materials from farms in the Tver, Leningrad, Moscow, Kirov and Rostov regions, including farms cooperating with major brands. The purpose of the film is to highlight the harsh conditions, environmental damage and economic problems of the industry, which in Russia has decreased by 10 times since 1990.

"Our distant ancestors had no choice: to escape from the cold, they had to get their own skins. There is no such need in the modern world. Despite this, hundreds of thousands of living creatures are still being tortured and killed on animal farms," said Dinara Ageeva, chairman of the public organization Voices for Animals.

According to the organization, 1.1 million minks, foxes and arctic foxes were killed in the country in 2023. VTSIOM polls show that the majority of Russians do not use fur products or are ready to give them up.

On December 2, Poland, one of the largest fur producers, imposed a ban on fur farms. Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Belgium, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, France, Italy, Israel, Estonia, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania have also taken similar measures over the past decade. The ban is currently being discussed at the EU level.

Thus, restrictions or total bans are already in effect in 25 jurisdictions, and in a number of other countries, relevant initiatives are under consideration.

Earlier, on January 6, it became known that Russians began to switch from natural fur coats to artificial ones. According to data from the fiscal data operator OFD Platform, at the end of 2023, sales of products made of eco-materials increased by 12% compared to the same period in 2022. While the demand for natural fur products shows a more modest trend — only +3% over the year. Sheepskin has become the most popular natural fur — the share of products made from it in the sales structure in 2023 increased by 4 percentage points compared to a year earlier, to 61%.

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