Tatyana Arefyeva on the FiloSovia Museum of Owls and Eagle-Owls

How did the idea to create the FiloSovia Museum of Owls and Eagle-Owls come about?

The FiloSofia Museum of eagle-owls and owls opened in 2017 in Crimea, in the city of Feodosia. The private collection display and showcase exhibition were located at the 'Victoria' dacha — a local architectural monument. In 2019 the museum was moved to Zelenogradsk and the collection was supplemented with live birds. At the moment we have more than 3,000 exhibits. The museum houses birds of prey: owls, diurnal raptors, a white-tailed eagle, a raven, as well as raccoons and squirrels. Although our museum is dedicated to birds, there are other animals on the premises. Our museum-zoo operates under an official license that allows us to keep and raise birds of prey. The museum is housed in a modern yurt built in the traditions of Buryat-Mongolian structures while preserving the main forms and proportions. The yurt's roof is covered with one of the most environmentally friendly materials — felt made from sheep's wool. The decision to build a yurt to house the collection of owl and eagle-owl images was not accidental. We studied almost 15 centuries of falconry history and the profession of falconers and concluded that the symbol of those times, when people and birds lived side by side in harmony, is precisely the yurt — a common home where there is enough food and shelter for everyone. There is also a large aviary area on the museum grounds.

What is the museum's main mission?

We want to introduce people to these amazing and very secretive birds. Most people know very little about the owl family and are eager to learn about their anatomy, how they hunt, how they sleep, and how they live in natural conditions. In addition, we try to preserve the species diversity of these remarkable animals: our site houses rare birds listed in the Red Data Book of the Kaliningrad Region. It is important to note that all our birds were bred in captivity — in zoos and breeding centers. We do not take birds from the wild or accept them for rehabilitation; for medical treatment of our charges we consult accredited veterinary ornithologists who specialize in treating birds. People who raise birds, and owls in particular, are called falconers. In 2016 the art of falconry was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Falconers do not have formal schools — this knowledge is passed down from generation to generation, orally — so another important mission of our museum is to preserve this art.

Who takes care of the birds?

The birds are cared for by falconers. Another name for this profession is keeper. Their duties include feeding and daily care of the animals. The museum also employs staff who look after the art collection. All visitors note that our aviaries are clean because we carry out daily cleanings. We have a weekly sanitary day when we perform a thorough cleaning of the aviaries. The 'working' birds that interact with visitors are weighed daily and fed a diet as close as possible to what they would eat in the wild. Being a falconer is an art — not everyone is capable of caring for our smaller brothers. During the COVID lockdown and self-isolation, the zoo staff selflessly came to work daily to care for the animals.

A falconer interacting with a bird. Photo: official museum group on VKontakte

Can visitors interact with the birds?

An important nuance: birds must not be petted, as this damages their plumage, but limited interaction with the birds is possible. We have performing birds: ravens can play lotto, and barn owls during meat feedings can fly from hand to hand, interacting with guests. Eagle-owls fly from their perch to the falconer's hand. By the way, although the birds may look fluffy and light, they are actually quite heavy. Little owls hunt crickets and run along special tracks — sometimes we film the hunting process and post videos on our social media. Our website has a flight schedule that changes with the seasons. We try not to disturb the birds outside of scheduled times and do not allow visitors to feed them, as their diet is strictly regulated.

What tour programs does the museum offer?

We have many programs, all of which are in one way or another focused on real interaction with the birds: visitors are told about their characteristics and given recommendations for proper behavior toward predatory birds in home settings and in the wild. Most programs are conducted as tours that start in the yurt and continue in the aviary area. Programs are adapted for different age groups: preschoolers, teenagers and adults. We hold lecture-tea parties called 'Evenings in the Yurt,' during which we light a hearth in the center of the yurt and talk about a wide range of topics: from the sensory organs of owls to Red Data Book species. For children we run weekly master classes where we create various owl-themed crafts. Our birds molt, and we end up with a lot of 'natural' materials for crafts: for example, we make dreamcatchers using real owl feathers. The museum can also host birthday parties.

What are the museum's plans for the future?

We are not planning to relocate because we have a wonderful site — the aviary area is situated under tall, long-lived poplars that create a semblance of a forest ecosystem. In the near term we plan to expand the live part of the exhibition, as we have the opportunity to build new aviaries and to seek out new unusual species of owls not yet represented here. We also plan to expand the tour program: to run animal art master classes — painting portraits of live owls — and to organize birdwatching groups for observing birds and potential nesting sites. Birds are living increasingly close to people, so one of the museum's main goals is to pass on knowledge about these birds and teach people how to interact with them.

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