In all countries of the world, including Russia, monuments are erected not only to famous people who contributed to politics, art and other spheres of life, but also sculptures are erected in honor of our smaller brothers. Some of them have a symbolic meaning, others are dedicated to real or literary characters, and some depict a generalized image of one or another representative of the fauna. Let's get acquainted with the most famous animal monuments, find out what monuments to animals exist today. Let's look at foreign countries first, and then Russia.
The most famous animal monuments in the world: Hachiko sculpture in Tokyo (Japan)
The history of this dog of the Akita Inu breed is known to almost everyone. She so impressed and captivated not only the inhabitants of Japan, but the whole world, that about a devoted four-legged pet, as many as 2 feature films were shot: "The History of Hachiko" (1987) and a remake with the participation of Richard Gere "Hachiko -the most faithful friend" (2009).
The dog lived in the first half of the 20th century in Tokyo. Every day he saw off and met his master, a university professor, from work. But one day he did not return: the man had a heart attack, and he died. However, the faithful four-legged friend continued to come to the station every day and wait for his owner until late at night, not losing hope that he would someday see him again. And so the dog did for many years - until his death.
The monument to Hachiko was made during the life of his prototype and installed at the Shibuya railway station. It symbolizes the true devotion and unconditional love that our four-legged pets are capable of.
Monument to Skye Terrier Bobby in Edinburgh (UK)
Another heartbreaking 19th-century tale of canine fidelity has found its way into granite. Bobby the dog lived with a policeman named John Gray for 2 years. He was so attached to this man and loved him so much that after the death of the owner he settled in the Greyfriars cemetery, where he was buried. Throughout his dog life, which lasted 14 years, Bobby almost did not leave the place of the former owner's last resting place, leaving only for food, which he received from a local restaurant, but then returned again. The monument to the animal in Edinburgh became a symbol of this selfless loy alty.
Sculptures of Laika B alto in the USA
When asked which animal2 monuments were erected, you can confidently answer - the famous dog B alto. She became famous for helping to save the city of Nome in Alaska from diphtheria, the epidemic of which broke out in the winter of 1925. Residents ran out of vaccine, and hundreds of infected children needed urgent help. Then Dr. Curtis Welch on the radio asked to bring a new batch of serum. The vaccine was available in Anchorage, but it was over 1,500 kilometers from Nome. Part of the journey was covered by train, but from the railway station the city could only be reached by dog sled.
Gunnar Kaasen, a resident of Norway, volunteered to help - he had a team of Siberian huskies, led by the dog B alto. However, when they set off on the road, a strong snowstorm began and visibility dropped significantly, and there was also a 50-degree frost. But, trusting in the instinct of an experienced dog leader, they managed to overcome a distance of almost 90 km and bring a life-saving vaccine to already desperate citizens. And the dog-hero was subsequently absolutely deservedly dedicated as many as 2 monuments: one adorns the Central Park of New York, the second was erected by the grateful inhabitants of Nome.
Besides dogs, what other animals are monuments to?
Formidable bull from Wall Street (USA)
Located between State Street and Broadway, this aggressive, ferocious, rushing beast symbolizes a broker who is ready to do anything to win and get the coveted jackpot. It was in honor of the gamblers of the money world that the monument was erected. The expression "take the bull by the horns" has in this case alsodirect and figurative meanings. It is believed that if you touch this or another part of the bronze body of an animal, then you will have good luck and success in financial affairs. Therefore, the statue is very popular among stock players and tourists.
Florentine boar (Italy)
This bronze beast is not at all evil, but very peaceful, not for nothing that the locals affectionately call it "our pig". In addition, he is able to fulfill wishes - at least, the Florentines themselves and the guests of the city think so, who will not miss the opportunity not only to act against his background, but also to stroke the animal’s metal patch, and then throw a coin into a half-opened mouth, believing that that the wish will surely come true!
This beast has a legend dating back to the 16th century. According to legend, once a very aggressive wild boar appeared in the city, which made a terrible and loud roar. Frightened residents hid in their homes, afraid to go out into the streets. Everyone was seized with fear, except for one little boy, who was not afraid of an angry animal. The child approached him and stroked the animal muzzle. After that, the boar left the city forever. But its bronze counterpart is firmly established in Florentine soil.
Sculptural Ensemble "Make Way for the Ducks" in Boston (USA)
The characters of the children's story of the same name by Robert McCloskey migrated from the book pages to the American street. The plot of a literary work is simple: mother duck with herlooking for a home with numerous cubs, wandering along busy city roads. Finally, the family finds shelter in Central Park, where their sculptures are now located.
Interestingly, Russia also has a copy of this monument. It is located in the Moscow square, not far from the Novodevichy Convent. Duck figurines were presented to Raisa Gorbacheva in 1991 by Barbara Bush - this is how they acquired Russian citizenship.
Sculpture "The Bremen Town Musicians" (Germany)
The images of the famous "quartet" from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm received not only a cartoon, but also a sculptural embodiment. The animal monument is located in the city of Bremen next to the city hall. He is rather unusual. Bronze "musicians" stand on top of each other: a dog - on a donkey, a cat - on a dog, and a rooster crowns the composition. The originality of the sculpture lies in the fact that there is a well not far from it. If you throw a coin at it, you will hear the voice of one of the Bremen town musicians: crowing, barking, bleating or meowing.
German Hanging Rhino (in Potsdam)
In Germany, there is another interesting monument to an animal that carries a very important animal protection message. It represents a rhinoceros suspended high on iron cables. Moreover, the monument is dedicated to the white rhinoceros, a species that is on the verge of extinction, therefore it is especially valuable, but because of this it is too attractive for poachers. The Italian sculptor Stefano Bombardieri managed to convey not only the appearance, but also the emotional state of the captured animal: its sad andthe depressed look cannot but cause regret and sympathy.
Raval cat in Barcelona (Spain)
The statue has an impressive weight (2 tons) and its size is also impressive (length - 6 meters, height - 2). This is one of the main attractions not only of Raval Avenue, on which it stands, but of the whole of Catalonia. The monument to the animal was erected in 1987 as a token of gratitude to the cats who saved the city from rats, which helped prevent plague and other dangerous diseases.
Sculptural composition dedicated to animals that died in the war (UK)
This grandiose monument is located in the heart of the English capital - Hyde Park. It is a reminder of those animals whose lives were claimed by various wars and armed conflicts of all times. Here you can see horses, dogs, camels, elephants and even pigeons and fireflies. The monument, which was unveiled in 2004, was made by sculptor David Backhouse, based on the book Animals at War by writer Jilly Cooper. The plinth is engraved with the phrase "They had no choice".
Horse sculptures
Many monuments have been erected to this beautiful and graceful animal. For example, the largest single monument is located in the city of Bissingen (Germany). It is located on the square where horse markets are held every year.
And the most impressive and large-scale sculptural picture of horses settled in American Texas. This isfamous fountain "Mustangs". The horses running on the water symbolize the tireless, constantly striving forward spirit of the inhabitants of the state. Moreover, the size of these metal horses exceeds their natural 1.5 times.
Monuments to animals in Russia
In our country, too, there are many sculptural images from the world of fauna. For example, several monuments were made in honor of the heroes of popular works.
"Scientist cat" Pushkin in Gelendzhik
This is the same resident of Lukomorye from Pushkin's poem "Ruslan and Lyudmila". True, he is depicted in stone not "walking along the chain", but sitting in a raincoat and with a book in one hand, while the other is clenched into a fist and raised up. If you rub it, as local students believe, it will bring the desired score on the exam. The statue adorns the embankment of one of the famous Krasnodar resort towns.
White Bim Black Ear - city of Voronezh
Which of us in childhood did not cry, reading a story or watching a film about the tragic fate of the good Beam, who by fate turned out to be homeless. Such a famous dog could not but have his steel double. It happened in 1998 in Voronezh. A monument to the animal was erected on the square in front of the local Puppet Theatre. A sitting dog looks into the distance with hope and longing, waiting for its owner. The statue is life-size.
"Chizhik-Pyzhik" in St. Petersburg
The monument to the character of the well-known funny song is located,of course, on the Fontanka, next to the Imperial School of Law. Although the sculpture is depicted in the form of a bird, it is believed that students of this educational institution were jokingly called "chizhik-pyzhik". They received an unusual nickname for their motley shape, similar to the color of a siskin. What other animals are monuments erected in our country? Steel sculptures have real-life prototypes.
Sculpture "Sympathy" in Moscow
The monument to the animal (photo above) is located at the entrance to the Mendeleevskaya metro station and is a metal copy of a dog named Boy who lived there a few years ago and was loved by almost all metro workers. Unfortunately, the dog was killed, but her memory continues to live on in the sculpture, which is dedicated, as the inscription says, to "humane treatment of homeless animals".
We have already familiarized ourselves with the English monument, created in honor of the victims of armed clashes. In Russia, too, there are monuments to animals of war. For example, this one.
Monument dedicated to the cats of besieged Leningrad
The northern capital experienced a terrible famine during the Great Patriotic War. All animals disappeared from the streets of Leningrad, and then from houses, including, of course, cats - people had to survive somehow. Because of this, rats, which were carriers of dangerous diseases, bred in huge numbers in the city.
In 1943, when the blockade was broken, severalcat trains. As a result, after a few months, the city was completely cleared of rats.
Grateful citizens of St. Petersburg appreciated the contribution of the mustachioed mousers to the victory, on Composers Street in the courtyard of house number 4 they erected a monument "In memory of the cats of besieged Leningrad" - these are the words engraved on a metal plate, which is part of the composition. The monument itself is a figure of a cat sitting on a chair. Next to her is a floor lamp. Although the sculpture belongs to small forms, it has great historical significance.
Original animal monuments
In our country there are quite unusual animal sculptures. For example, in Novosibirsk, in Akademgorodok, there is a monument to a mouse that knits a DNA thread. The rodent is depicted wearing glasses and holding knitting needles, with which he creates the genetic canvas. So scientists appreciated the contribution of these animals to the development of science.
Yekaterinburg has taken a very creative approach to the problem of dog breeders who do not clean up waste after their walking pets, dedicating a monument to a dog that does it himself with a shovel and a broom, standing on its hind legs. By the way, the appearance of this monument led to positive changes in the minds of the owners, who became more responsible and clean.
In Rostov-on-Don, there are also many similar sculptural structures. There, for example, there is a monument to the reader, which is embodied in the images of a young man sitting on a bench and reading a newspaper, as well as his faithful four-legged friend, wholocated at the feet of a man and looks with interest at the paper sheets in the hands of his master. There is also a sculpture dedicated to Rostov veterinarians. A bearded man, sitting on a bench, lovingly strokes a foal that is in front of him. In 2016, Rostov-on-Don was replenished with another original monument called "Plumber with a cat". A guy with a water wrench in his hand strokes a cat warming up on a radiator.
We talked about only a small part of the monuments to animals in Russia and in the world. Of course, there are many more such sculptures, and their number continues to increase. And this suggests that people recognize the significance and valuable qualities of their four-legged counterparts.
