Yuri Kuklachev is a Soviet and Russian circus performer, carpet clown, cat trainer, radio host, and writer; People's Artist of the RSFSR (1986), laureate of the Lenin Komsomol Prize (1980). Founder and permanent artistic director of the Moscow Cat Theatre. He was born on April 12, 1949, in the village of Podrezkovo, Khimki District, Moscow Oblast, USSR.
In May 2017, he was entered into the database of the Myrotvorets website for illegally visiting Russian-occupied Crimea, propagandizing war, Russian fascism and Nazism, publicly supporting Russian aggression and killings of Ukrainian citizens, and other violations.
In June 2019, in an interview with KP-Crimea, the artist spoke about the changes in Crimea following annexation by the Russian Federation:
When Crimea became Ukrainian, I was unbearably sad. It was painful to watch when all the assets ended up ruined later. But now this is the fourth time we are travelling to Crimea, and it simply amazes me how quickly everything is changing, everything is being done.. previously in Crimea there was stagnation, but now a period of stormy, dynamic development has arrived... many residents of the peninsula are patriots who are not going to leave and invest their money in the development of foreign countries. Crimea is a fabulous place! What Spain, Italy, we have everything here!
Yuri Kuklachev's Stance on the War in Ukraine
In March 2024, in an interview with "MK" following the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, Kuklachev accused the West of supplying Ukraine with long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory and called for bombing Western countries:
We must speak to them even more harshly, show no mercy. They are planning to provide long-range missiles? Those who supply them are criminals. That means they must be bombed as well. Why wait? In European cities everyone sits well-fed, drinking champagne. When they understand that our missile can arrive from Siberia, they will realize that we are not pups that can be gunned down.
On April 15, 2025, in Liliya Abramova's show "Frankly Speaking with Tatarka," Kuklachev recounted his performances in occupied Ukrainian cities: Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk:
The fact is that a cat is an assistant to soldiers. If there are no cats, rats will appear. They will start eating food supplies and biting the wounded. So a cat is needed even on the front line... You see, the spirit of the Russian person is an immense power. No one will ever be able to defeat Russia. People have always tried to divide Russia. But today Russia can give the world renewal. Many are already beginning to understand this.
On April 18, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the NSDC decision to impose personal sanctions against Yuri Kuklachev. The sanctions include asset freezing, revocation of state awards, a ban on media distribution within the territory of Ukraine, and other restrictions. Kuklachev's son, who performs alongside his father, reacted to this news:
This is wonderful news. Both I and my father received it with enthusiasm, in high spirits. This shows that we are doing everything right, this shows that our words, our actions are genuinely leading to victory. We are waging a tremendous cultural, motivational fight, this is our SMO, though not through missiles and artillery shells, but through words and support for those boys who are currently on the frontline. This is a remarkable event, fantastic. I believe that we are very close to victory
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