Supermodel, actress, and comedian, Eugenia Kuzmina who has marched the runway, appeared on prestigious magazine covers, fulfilled campaigns for prominent brands, and starred in various films and TV shows while traveling the globe shares a deep fondness for animals. “I love all living beings, there’s not one type I would choose over the other. Since my dad who is a scientist taught me about ecology and the ecosystem, I also teach my kids to respect bugs and insects. To raise awareness about the polluted environment, I have partnered with @fromthehearttribe, a hands-on non-profit organization that focuses on collecting trash and plastics and providing compassion to animals that share our environment,” she proclaims.
As a child, Eugenia who was born and raised in Moscow, Russia loved spending time outdoors surrounded by nature. “We never got to have a dog or any pets except fish because we grew up quite poor and my dad traveled a lot for his work. Yet, in a way, I’m glad got to have witness first-hand how animals are free creatures running around free while we played in the wilderness,” she relays. Currently, Eugenia has a Miniature Pinscher named Logan who provides unconditional love to her family. Her daughter adopted four birds during the pandemic, rides horses, and dreams of becoming a veterinarian someday.
Quite contrary to her glamorous side, Eugenia developed an affection for wolves and has supported various wolf sanctuaries. Being out in the wild surrounded by this species adds a new flavor to her life. “A few years ago, I was approached to participate in a hands-on charity event to help a wolf sanctuary. We built a protective wolf space from rattlesnakes and they educated me about how wise these wolves are with pack’s behavior that indicates their high intelligence. If an Alpha Wolf is sick he will step down to give his rank to a stronger one. Wolves are very loyal and family-oriented creatures who have lived among us for the past centuries,” she narrates.
Eugenia expands her compassion and care for the wolves by patronizing various farm sanctuaries. One of them is located in Los Angeles, wherein their role is to protect the destructive effects of animal agriculture on animals, the environment, social justice, and public health through rescue, providing education, and advocacy. “They celebrate Thanksgiving with live turkeys and allows us to adopt this animal every year,” she states. “You can find their information here: https://linktr.ee/farmsanctuary,” she adds.
Eugenia has deeply acquainted herself with the wolves and discovered they are wise and magical creatures who teach us about the importance of perseverance, acceptance, communication, and work hard, play hard mentality. “Wolves are nurturing creatures who practice respect and loyalty and possess inner strength,” she imparts. Due to climate change and lack of natural resources, wolves emerge into inhabited areas and unless they find a wolf sanctuary within twenty-four hours, the wolves are slain. “The only way we can converse with wolves is by connecting with them and understanding how they communicate. Wolves should be protected and need to be out in the wild. I especially respect and support Tonya Littlewolf’s work and the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, a non-profit volunteer educational organization she has established to protect and preserve the wolves.
Spending ample time with the wolves has allowed Eugenia to distinguish them from other animals. “Aside from their wisdom, loyalty, and being family-oriented, wolves are playful and caring. They are both leaders and followers who can stand on their own and are not afraid to howl. Wolves are wild, untamed mystical creatures who are protective and exude strong instincts which are better than humans who feel that instincts can defy logic. My favorite book is ‘Women who run with Wolves,’ by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, a Jungian analyst, author, and poet,” she informs.
Eugenia believes that every creature on the planet including wolves shares the same value and is a significant part of our ecosystem that’s interconnected. Aside from appearing in several magazines with the wolves, Eugenia has engaged in photoshoots with them at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary and for her friend and jewelry designer @marcbellayoriginal. “We are not the gods of the universe, just a part of it as humans. Animals operate on pure instinct, a sense which some humans fail to accept believing that it’s not rational,” she acknowledges.
With the stereotype beliefs about wolves equating to fear and danger, Eugenia hopes that people would be more curious, open-minded, and also educate themselves about this species. “There are many ways to connect with wolves like volunteering in a local wolf sanctuary, protecting wolves from the cities so they don’t seek food in populated areas, and preventing them from being put down. Wolves need our support on the planet,” she voices out.
Legends have described wolves to be synonymous with spirituality. Through the tales, wolves were always connected to humans. Eugenia is a firm believer that every story has a moral lesson that served to connect us. Humans and wolves play a certain archetype, and each story can teach future generations about life through experience with wolves. “Wolves are featured in stories and fairytales around the world and have held a special place in almost all Native American tribes. They were admired for their strength and powers of endurance and taught the tribes many skills. The tribes learned from the wolves how to share, cooperate, look after their younger siblings, and have pride in who they are. The wolves showed the native people how to navigate the forest carefully and quietly. The wolves follow a path of harmony, eliminating negativity. The wolf was chosen by the Great One to teach the human people how to live amicably with their families. The wolf’s purpose is to teach the truth for the humans to survive,” she describes.
As of today, the wolf’s range is limited to Alaska, Canada, the upper Midwest, and Yellowstone National Park with an estimated three thousand wild wolves on Earth. Yet, hunters lurk around these places pursuing their prey. “I feel very sad about any kind of hunting when we have actually evolved past the survival society of a hunter/gatherer. There are so many ways to thrive on food that’s naturally available to us which supports, balances, and improves our ecosystem. Hunting for pleasure is one of the biggest indicators of cruelty to the planet, others, and to yourself,” she laments.
Eugenia concludes this interview with a plea. “Wolf lovers need to band together and do all we can to help them since TIME IS RUNNING OUT! With curiosity, education, and compassion, we can help preserve the wolves from being extinct. Proper management procedures must be put into action. Please have an open heart when it comes to other creatures. We are on this planet for a very limited amount of time and our best message and action would be to leave it a better place than before. By living courageously and faithfully, we experience the wonder of being alive, where everything is possible.”
As this species play an instrumental role in our lives and ecosystem, Eugenia’s love and passion for wolves extend to a higher level which involves protecting, preserving, and being a part of their lives. She has been demonstrative in defining a wolf’s purpose and making the environment a better place for them. She bridges the gap between humans and wolves to lay the foundations of compassion, love, and humanity. Eugenia Kuzmina radiates a kindred spirit.