Russian police are investigating a bizarre circus show featuring a monkey in a Nazi costume and goats wearing sports crosses, according to a report on Wednesday.
The animals were captured on camera parading around Udmurtia’s state circus in Izhevsk, with traders dressed in Soviet uniforms last week, according to the UK Sun.
Wild footage shows goats in red swastika caps, head it next to a monkey wearing a formal black Nazi uniform.
The performance – seen by children and commissioned by the Russian Orthodox Church – potentially violates a Russian law banning the display of Nazi symbols, the outlet reported.
Local police and prosecutors are investigating whether the performance glorifies Adolf Hitler or Nazi culture.
But the church said artists simply used animal actors to depict the country̵
“The construction of teachers wearing Soviet military uniforms with animals wearing Nazi symbols was not only used as a picture of victory over fascism,” a church representative told the outlet. “[It depicts] worldwide condemnation of the ideals of Nazi Germany. ”
The circus added that no one involved in the action is actually bananas for the Third Reich.
“Trainers in the form of soldiers from the Red Army [were] hunting trained animals wearing Nazi symbols, ”said the circus representative.
Last year, Vladimir Putin signed an exemption that allows swastikas to be worn in performances if they portray Nazis negatively.
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