MONKEY BUSINESS

Russian Prosecutors Investigating Circus After Nazi Monkey Performance

The Russian Orthodox Church, which commissioned the performance, said President Putin had granted it an exception to use Nazi symbols.

Russian prosecutors are investigating a circus that had a monkey perform while wearing a Nazi outfit, the BBC reported Wednesday. The circus, Udmurtia Circus, said the show was meant to demonstrate “the spurning and the global condemnation of the ideals of Nazi Germany.” The performance also featured goats wearing Nazi flags emblazoned with swastikas, according to the BBC. The Russian Orthodox Church, which commissioned the performance, said President Vladmir Putin had granted it an exception to use Nazi symbols, provided that they “create a negative attitude to Nazi ideology,” according to the BBC. “Images of the animals are taken out of context,” Elena Krasnova, a spokesperson for the circus, told the BBC. “There is nothing unusual about such ironic or grotesque characters being used in circus performances.”