The furry fandom is a subculture interested in fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human characteristics and personalities such as human intelligence, the ability to speak, walking on two legs, wearing clothes, etc. Although the tradition of endowing animals with human characteristics can be traced back to fairy tales, the furry fandom as part of the modern pop culture emerged in the 1980s. The world’s first standalone furry convention was held in the late 1980s in the United States.
The first semi-official gathering of Russian furries (members of the furry fandom) was held on February 26, 1999. It was a birthday party of Ukiwa, one of the oldest members of the Russian furry fandom. The next convention occurred on January 2–3, 2000. It featured 8 attendees and an animal trainer with a lioness named Molly and a young leopard named Kesha.
The first full-fledged convention took place from January 4–7, 2001, attracting 23 furries. It was named RusCon. The event was renamed to Rusfurrence in 2004 and got its current name in 2015. Rusfurrence 2006 was the first convention to feature fursuiters from abroad, Basil Lion and SimpleWolf (both came from Ukraine).
Rusfurence is a traditional hotel-based convention, it has been held at the Zvenigorodskiy boarding house since 2012. The event’s program is similar to that of other furry conventions, it features workshops and seminars, talks and discussions, games and tournaments, parties, a fursuit show and contest, an art show, a dancing competition, and more.
Like many other furry conventions around the world, Rusfurence hosts a charity auction that sells works donated by artists and craftsmen. All proceedings are donated to an animal rights organization. There are other ways to participate. For example, attendees can simply donate money, become a volunteer, or even adopt a god from the shelter.
Each edition of Rusfurence has a new theme chosen by the organizers. Past themes include The Wild West, The Soviet Union, Chicago Mafia, and Wonderland.
Photo by Ольга Лис
