A Sverdlovsk deputy proposed throwing pumpkins into the river instead of Halloween.

Deputy of the Sverdlovsk Legislative Assembly Vyacheslav Wegner A United Russia member spoke out against the tradition of celebrating Halloween. He suggested that instead of "running with pumpkins," young people throw them into the river.

Wegner offered a theater ticket instead of Halloween.

"The pumpkin will rot, and the fish will have dinner with it. In exchange, we'll give you a theater ticket, for example. This is where Russian culture really lies. This is the Russian spirit, this is where you can smell Russia, not just running around with this pumpkin."- сказал Wegner.

Former Deputy Minister of Ecology of the Chelyabinsk Region, head of the expert bureau "Ecostandard-consulting" Vitaly Bezrukov commented deputy's initiative:

"If you dump tens, hundreds, or even thousands of pumpkins into a body of water, it will lead to biogenic pollution. Large amounts of organic matter will begin to rot, which will only worsen the river's condition.".

Bezrukov on the consequences for the river

According to Bezrukov, it's best to donate pumpkins to a zoo, a wildlife rescue center, or simply to the forest, where animals will eat them. You can also take the Halloween pumpkin to a game farm to help feed the area.

Read NeMoskva's collection of stories about how officials banned or renamed Halloween. HERE.