October 06, 2021

Not All Eco-Heroes Wear Capes


Not All Eco-Heroes Wear Capes
Unsurprisingly, Khokhulya also faces a lot of cyberbullying.  Nature Minstry of Kaluga Oblast, Youtube

In a scruffy costume that has been described by one Twitter user as "so bad that is is even better," the Kaluga region's mascot name, Khokhulya, has captured the hearts (and nightmares) of many on the internet.

From as far back as 2019, Khokhulya, who is meant to resemble an endangered Russian desman, has been working for the Kaluga region as an "eco-hero." His duties include giving YouTube lectures about the environment and attending events in the region as a spokesperson. 

Khokhulya's (albeit unsettling) presence in the Kaluga region's environmental activism scene has been undisputed until recently. He worked only alongside his partner Kapa, a mascot shaped like a single drop of water, but they were both equals in the fight to promote environmentalism.

That is until recently, when a new and fancier mascot by the name of Losyash, an elk in a camouflage suit, was seen on the official Kaluga Region social media, taking the primary role in events. This sparked public speculation that some sort of change of power struggle took place or that Khokhulya had been silently dethroned.

The region's ministry actually responded to these conspiracy theories in a press release stating that all three of the region's mascots are equally representative of the region's environmental needs in their own unique ways and that there is no leader among them. 

All this media attention actually encouraged the rodent (who had been absent from Instagram for almost a year) to make a step back into the public light. And he came back with a flurry, posting memes and creating his very own TikTok account. Fittingly, his first TikTok was a reel he created with the three other regional mascots to the tune of the "Friends" theme song, putting an end to any rumors of rivalry among them once and for all. 

Given the large amount of forest fires and pollution that continue to take place in Siberia every year, we know that Khokhulya is the eco-hero that Kaluga needs. But is he is the one that Kaluga deserves? Many internet users say "yes!" While he might be sort of creepy, like our biscuit-headed friend from Tula, it also seems like creepy-yet-endearing mascots are a bit of a Russian tradition.

To add to the fact, if you look up what a Russian desman looks like, you'll be surprised by how well they actually nailed its representation in the costume. They are not naturally very attractive creatures, to put it kindly. 

 

You Might Also Like

Fire in the Forest
  • September 01, 2019

Fire in the Forest

In the public mind, Russian forests have always been an unlimited resource. Not any longer.
Biscuithead Sweet-Talks on Safety
  • August 23, 2021

Biscuithead Sweet-Talks on Safety

In Russia, mascots only get better. Imagine a child cracking a smile not JUST for a man bungling in a hot costume, but for a role model who looks like a beloved teatime treat…
An Olympic Reintroduction
  • July 19, 2021

An Olympic Reintroduction

Everyone is excited for the long-awaited Games this summer, especially the Russian Olympic Committee, who is taking the opportunity to reintroduce us to their two new(-ish) Olympic mascots.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955