"Grisha lives here, he'll have company." A family from Babruysk sheltered five swans in their yard that were in trouble
For over a year, an unusual pet lived in the yard of Babruysk residents Lyubov Iosifovna and Aleksey Nikolaevich Shushlyanikov — a swan named Grisha. Now, the swan flock has increased fivefold, writes magilev.by.
The swan Grisha came to the family after poachers shot a swan family near the agro-town of Ivanovka, leaving two swans in the reeds. Concerned people reported this to environmentalists.
This swan had an injured wing and paw. Veterinarian Grigory Belyagov operated on him and decided to rehome him to "good hands" for the rehabilitation period. Lyubov Iosifovna and Aleksey Nikolaevich were issued all necessary documents by the relevant authorities, as taking wild animals from nature is only allowed in special cases.
However, Grisha the swan's health could not be fully restored, so he still lives with this family today. Moreover, there are now five swans in the Shushlyanikovs' yard!
"I thought, Grisha lives here, he'll have company"
"On December 29, 2025, vet doctor Grigory Belyagov called me and said: 'Help is needed.' Naturally, I got scared and asked: 'Who is it this time - a crocodile?!'", Lyubov Iosifovna says with a laugh. "He hastened to reassure me: 'No, no, a female swan.' It turned out this bird was brought from Zhlobin; her paws and wings were severely frostbitten, and she needed temporary shelter as the frosts were starting. Naturally, I couldn't refuse. I thought, 'Grisha lives here, he'll have company.'"
That day, Grisha was walking around so sad and bored. I told him: "You don't know what a surprise awaits you tonight!" And then our female swan arrives, all hissing and wild. When Grisha saw her, he spread his wings and stretched his neck, as if to say, "Look what a guy I am!" And she walked proudly, and the name Glafira immediately stuck to her.
"He followed her all evening, courting her. And when it was time for Grisha to go into his house for the night, he accompanied Glafira, showed her where to go, and talked in his own language. In the morning, my husband and I went to see how they were doing, wondering if Grisha had pecked at the guest during the night. But they both emerged happy and proud. And from that moment on, he hasn't left her side."
At the time Glafira arrived at the Shushlyanikov family, she was a year and a half old.
Plus Yusha, Vanyusha, and Malyshka
The next day, December 30, the Shushlyanikovs received another call from the veterinarian. Lyubov Iosifovna, already ready for anything, asked, "Who is it this time?!" The answer no longer surprised her much: "Two swans." It turned out that two swans at the Cherapichny quarry had their wing feathers damaged as a result of freezing to the ice. That's how two more swans appeared here — a boy and a girl, named Yusha and Vanyusha. The names were chosen by voting on TikTok, where Lyubov Iosifovna posts videos about her unusual pets. The new family members were seven months old at that time.
"Grisha and Glafira pecked at them a little at first, but quickly accepted them," says Lyubov Iosifovna. "That's how our family formed: mom, dad, and two adopted children (laughs)."
On January 10, Aleksey Nikolaevich took their dog to the vet for a vaccination, called his wife, and informed her that another bird needed help. In Myshkovichi, on the Alla River, a 6-month-old female swan was left with a damaged wing, its paw frozen in the ice, resulting in a complex fracture. And again, Lyubov Iosifovna couldn't refuse. That's how Malyshka appeared in their lives. The bird was weak; on the third day, she couldn't stand on her injured paw at all.
"At first, Malyshka ate nothing; we forced pills on her," the interlocutor says about her pet. "For about two weeks, the swan lived in the kitchen, then she was moved to the veranda, and a few days ago, she was released outside separately from the other birds so that no one would hurt her. Gradually, Malyshka felt better, but, unfortunately, she still limps on one paw."
According to the vet, surgery is unavoidable. A plate is needed for the operation, which costs 560 rubles. Our heroes themselves cannot afford such a sum, so Lyubov Iosifovna opened an account to collect funds for Malyshka's operation.
"We give them oats, barley, wheat, compound feed, vegetables"
While with her first pet, Grisha the swan, Lyubov Iosifovna initially didn't know how to behave correctly, what to feed him, or how to keep him, now she no longer has such problems.
"The first few days, our new pets didn't eat anything; in any case, they were stressed," she says. "Then we put a basin of food and two buckets of warm water for them. Grisha ate, Glafira started eating watching him, and then the other birds followed. Now everyone eats perfectly. We give them oats, barley, wheat, compound feed, vegetables — carrots, apples, beets. And once every two weeks, acquaintances bring a bag of cabbage scraps; the birds eat them with pleasure."
The Shushlyanikovs buy food for the graceful birds with their own money. In January, they bought 100 kg each of barley, oats, and wheat from a private seller, paying 170 rubles; this amount of grain lasted for a month and a half. They also bought compound feed, corn, and seeds. They use straw for bedding.
At night, the swans sleep in the shed, and during the day, they play in the yard. During severe frosts, they were not let out into the yard. Earlier, the Shushlyanikovs had made a pond for Grisha in the yard, measuring 3 by 4 meters. With the increase in the swan family, it became too small, so the pond will be enlarged in the spring.
"If Glafira leaves us, it will, of course, be stressful for Grisha"
The future fate of all the swans is still unknown.
"Nyusha and Vanyusha only have damaged feathers; overall, they are healthy birds, and we very much hope that they will soon fly back to their natural habitat," says the interviewee. "And it's not that it's hard for me to keep them: where there's one swan, there are three. But these are still wild birds; they should live free, in water, and create their own families. Grisha, it seems, will stay with us forever because he can't fly. Glafira is still a question mark. She often goes onto a high snowdrift and tries to fly. If she leaves us, it will, of course, be stressful for Grisha. Malyshka definitely won't fly because her wing is damaged. I hope that after the operation, she will at least be able to walk normally."
Given the mutual affection between Grisha and Glafira, it's logical to assume that they might have cygnets. Lyubov Iosifovna was explained: once a swan pair forms, in March-April, the birds begin to build a nest and lay eggs, which they then incubate for 35-38 days. The pair seems to have formed, so if Glasha doesn't fly away soon, there might be an addition to the family closer to summer!
"Everyone moves aside for Grisha, even the important roosters"
Lyubov Iosifovna and Aleksey Nikolaevich are great animal lovers. In addition to swans, they have four dogs (Shurik the mongrel, Toy Terriers Botsman and Denny, Gustav – a husky-laika mix, Aiza – a German Shepherd-Alabai mix), two cats, and parrots. Almost all their pets were rescued by our heroes when they were sick and weak, and nursed back to health. They also have chickens and ducks on the farm. All the animals get along well with each other, with only occasional minor issues.
"Periodically, Grisha spreads his wings and, with an important look, patrols the territory, putting things in order," Lyubov Iosifovna laughs. "Everyone moves aside for him, even the important roosters. When our new swans arrived, Shurik barked and lunged at them, but little Denny protected the birds. We scolded Shurik a few times, he thought long and hard, and then decided: 'Why should I get my tail smacked again,' and now they get along fine."
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