Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Farmer Threatens to Burn Animals Alive in Putin Complaint Letter

A farmer in Russia's Far East has described burning her business to the ground as her “only way out” in a letter condeming the Kremlin's agriculture policy, the EAOMedia.ru news website reported Monday.

Writing to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Galina Kiselyova, owner of the Raddevsky cow farm in the country's Jewish Autonomous District, said that a lack of government support was “forcing her to burn the entire cowshed filled with livestock.”

“We have 610 cattle and 250 of them are expected to calve in the winter,” Kiselyova wrote. “It means we will have to sell at least 150 cows because there won't be enough space. But it is almost impossible to sell cattle at the moment: we've barely sold 50 bulls,” she said.

Kiselyova also said that it was difficult to sell meat and that local authorities provided no assistance to local farmers. Burning the livestock was the farm's “only way out,” she said.

The Raddevsky farm is struggling to pay fines — in February Russia’s agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor imposed a fine of 230,000 rubles ($3,500) on the farm for violating veterinary rules, EAOMedia.ru reported. Kiselyova said that she was “tired of the lawlessness of the officials” and “groundless fines,” the local Birbidzhan Star newspaper reported.

District officials told the Newsru.com news website that Raddevsky received 3,6 million rubles ($55,400) in government aid in 2015, and that a federal support program was still in place.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more