A man was detained at Patriarch’s Pond for paddleboarding in a swan costume.

A man was detained at Patriarch Ponds in Moscow after he paddled on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) dressed as a swan. This was reported by PointBreak, a SUP manufacturer, on their Telegram channel.

The man paddled towards a stage by the water and displayed a slogan on his T-shirt reading: “The pond is for swans, not for sluts.” The company stated that the aim of the protest was to support waterfowl, who are “restricted in their territory and constantly disturbed by people walking by.” A PointBreak representative said: “We’re all moving on the same water.”

Police took the “swan” to the Presnensky district police station, Moscow activists told OVD-Info. The man was written up for petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and sent for a medical examination. He is being kept at the police station overnight. The hearing for the administrative case will take place on Monday.

8 September The Presnensky District Court of Moscow fined the man detained at Patriarch Ponds 1,000 roubles (about US$11). This was reported to OVD-Info by a representative of PointBreak.

The man was found guilty under the petty hooliganism article. After his detention, he was held for two nights at the Presnensky district police station. In the end, police returned his wings and his SUP board.