In Novosibirsk, the prosecutor's office began checking for banners with orangutans by May 9.

The Novosibirsk Regional Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the situation with Victory Day banners featuring an orangutan from the local zoo that appeared on the streets of Novosibirsk. This was announced on Friday, May 8, by representatives of the department.

"We are starting to check the current situation," they said in an interview with TASS.

Photos of street posters with the animal published online caused outrage among users. Izvestia has seen some angry comments under similar publications. So, people point out the impropriety of using a picture of an orangutan to congratulate on May 9, and also ask rhetorical questions about the purpose for which such a banner was created.

Andrey Shilov, director of the zoo where the orangutan lives, explained in a conversation with Izvestia that the animal was placed on the image as a sign of remembrance of the rescue of representatives of the fauna during the Great Patriotic War (WWII). He recalled that Novosibirsk hosted many animals at that time, which made it possible to preserve dozens of their species.

"We had banners of five animals, which at the Novosibirsk Zoo embody the power and fortitude that is inherent in veterans, war veterans," explained Shilov.

On April 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the creation of a commission to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War. Speaking at the Union State Forum "Great Heritage — a Common Future," he called the main task of a potential union the consolidation of public and political forces aimed at protecting historical truth. The Russian leader proposed to involve the leading experts and historians of the two countries in such work. According to Putin, the lessons of the Second World War will always be remembered in Russia, Belarus, and other countries.