Russian trainer and ardent “Z-patriot” Yuri Kuklachev, who suffered a heart attack in 2024, and his theater are no longer limited to the stages of concert halls. His team now conducts performances directly for the occupiers in the war zone on the territory of Ukraine - and the stage for the artists can be the back of a truck, a forest, or even an ordinary stump.

Kuklachov’s son Dmitry spoke about the current format of such “tours” in a commentary for Russian media. He said that for trips to the front, artists have to prepare the most compact program that can be quickly deployed almost anywhere.

According to Kuklachov, the “show” lasts about 40 minutes. It is specially made “compact, bright, but small”, because it is not necessary to perform in a theater environment.

And indeed, the touring paradise of the Z-patriots turned out to be quite specific. Putinists now perform in dugouts, right in the field, in halls, in the backs of trucks, in the forest and even on tree stumps. “Performances” have to be held in the rain, slush and dirt. That is, from beautiful theater stages with spotlights and chairs for spectators - to the format of “put the scenery on a stump and go”.

At the same time, the Kuklachov family has long made no secret of its support for Russian aggression. In July 2025, the Kuklachov Cat Theater accepted three cats who, according to Russian propaganda media, were allegedly “rescued” by the Russian military near the combat zone in Ukraine.

Animals were delivered to Moscow along with humanitarian aid, in boxes and on armored vehicles. The theater called them “front-line animals” and said that they had the opportunity to “become part of something bigger” - noise, screaming, loud music and punishment within the walls of the theater.

After the start of the full-scale invasion, Yuri Kuklachev himself made openly terrorist statements. In March 2024, after the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, he actually called on the Kremlin to strike Western countries.

The clown said that Europe and the United States need to be bombed if they supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. He was also terrified that Russians could allegedly be “shot like partridges” and turned into slaves by having chips implanted in their brains.

By the way, in April 2024, Yuri Kuklachev himself suffered a heart attack. He became ill right during the anniversary concert in Moscow, after which the artist was hospitalized and operated on at night. His son Dmitry then reported that his father’s condition was consistently grave, and doctors did not give prognoses.

Kuklachev later returned to public activity. And now his family talks about how artists go to perform for the Russian military in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

It’s interesting that Kuklachov’s tours in Ukraine were once completely different. In December 2011, he came to Kyiv with his Cat Theater. Then Ukrainian children were promised a “real cat fairy tale”: 35 cats, two trained poodles, bright music and performances in a normal concert hall..