

According to Kazhinskiy’s later report, translated in the 1960s by the U.S.

In the 1920s, though, Kazhinskiy wanted only to see if Durov could psychically communicate simple ideas to his dogs. would eventually become quite interested in telepathy, but “it appears that the main reason… is that the results might be of great military significance.” As Kazhinskiy noted in his 1962 report on his work, the U.S. This line of research would come to have more importance than most investigations of psychic phenomena: In the decades that followed, it would lead into a Cold War battle to obtain unconventional weapons, during which both sides tried to enhance military parapsychological capabilities and, most famously, America experimented with “ men who stared at goats” in order to try to stop their hearts. Over the course of about two years, Durov and Kazhinskiy would conduct close to 1,300 experiments testing telepathic commands on dogs. Under the Soviet government, Durov’s home had become a center for research on animal psychology, and that day, after the head of the delegation kissed Durov in greeting and made introductions, everyone agreed-Kazhinskiy would come work in Durov’s lab. He wanted to unlock the mysteries of what he called “biological radio communications,” and Durov and dogs seemed like the perfect candidates for the animal experiments he wanted to conduct. Over time, Durov became known for his ability to communicate with trained animals by “mental suggestion,” which was exactly what interested Kazhinskiy. At first, he had been a trapeze artist and clown, but as the years passed, his act began to focus on animals-dogs, monkeys, ducks, geese, goats, guinea pigs, bears, lions. Durov was almost 60, and he’d spent most of his life in the circus.

Durov, Russia’s most famous animal trainer. Three years after he started to study telepathy, on August 20, 1922, Bernard Bernardovich Kazhinskiy arrived as part of a four-man delegation at the labs of Vladimir L.
