Russia eyes banning animal impersonation

The viral trend spreading among Russian youth is seen as ‘destructive’ by the State Duma Education Committee

A law on prohibiting the promotion of 'destructive ideology' in Russia is currently in the works, the deputy chair of the State Duma Education Committee, Yana Lantratova, said on Saturday in an interview with RIA Novosti. The ban would encompass quadrobics, which is rapidly gaining ground among young people.

Quadrobics is a subculture revolving around the impersonation of animals. Teenagers who call themselves quadrobers role-play as horses, cats, dogs and other animals by moving on all four limbs and imitating specific sounds, while wearing masks and costumes.

The subculture has recently seen explosive growth thanks to viral videos on TikTok and YouTube, and is believed to have been invented by Japanese sprint runner Kenichi Ito. In 2015, Ito set the Guinness record for running on all fours for 100 meters.

“I am developing a bill to ban the propaganda of destructive ideology, including quadrobics,” Lantratova told the news agency, adding that “a quadrober is not an outlaw, but a victim.”

The lawmaker called for legal penalties against those who make “movements of the kind popular and attractive,” emphasizing that “there are the whole communities that are not as innocent as it seems at first sight.”

Quadrobics has become a highly controversial issue for the country’s lawmakers in recent months. Earlier this week, State Duma Deputy Sergey Kolunov asked Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova to introduce administrative and criminal penalties against the parents of quadrobers.

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In September, a member of the Federation Council, Natalia Kosikhina, called for banning the movement in Russia, saying that “such forms of subculture not only mentally bludgeon, but lead to very tragic consequences.” At the same time, the lawmaker said sports and educational activities should be made attractive to teenagers.

According to psychologists, quadrobics is an easy and accessible way for children to escape reality, in particular during puberty. Earlier this year, psychotherapist Antonina Perekrestova told RBK that the movement is mostly joined by teenagers lacking attention and support from their parents and teachers. She stressed that quadrobers commonly have problems communicating with peers and need to be involved in activities that facilitate their intellectual and physical development in order to avoid problems with social skills in the future.