Фотограф Михаил Киракосян
Mikhail Kirakosyan - The Moscow Zoo: Lockdown

The Moscow Zoo: Lockdown

The pandemic has become a crucial challenge for all the world. Since COVID-19 arrived, people were subject to fear, lost their relatives, were isolated in their homes. Not only humans were influenced by the pandemic, but the animals also. This social photo project by the famous photographer Mikhail Kirakosyan was conceived to show how the lockdown is passed through by our brothers-in-mind of the Moscow Zoo.

The pictures taken in the Moscow Zoo in the times of the 2020 spring lockdown not only show the animals, but the staff of the metropolitan Zoo also, who even in the pandemic times stoically performed their most important duties to give the pets care, maintenance and love they daily require.

A photo project about animals and people

While working on the project, the author for several weeks tirelessly took pictures of the metropolitan Zoo, trying to feature the most he could: the pets, the staff, their mood, the Moscow Zoo ambiance.

So it happened, that the lockdown began in the early spring, the very time when some animals move to the open-air cages as the winter months have already passed, so the visitors absence is a real surprise for them, though not a stress.

During the pandemic animals, without the close attention of the visitors, behave more naturally, relaxed and individually, but still require care. The author, according to him, was delighted and carried away by the enthusiasm of the staff of the Moscow Zoo, who even in hard times never stopped performing their duties and went on giving the animals their love.

Where can one see the works?

The photo project, that was about to show how the animals live through the pandemic, has grown into something more. It has become a window on the big wide world, through which people were allowed to learn the inner life of the whole Zoo, how strongly tries the staff to provide their pets with everything required and does their best to let the animals be healthy, happy and fully satisfied.

The exhibition of the photographer's works has collected a lot of positive feedback, while multiple animal pictures of the project are presented at “Museum-online.moscow” portal.