During the Great Patriotic War, dogs rescued about 700,000 wounded. 5,000 cats cleaned the city of rat hordes during the blockade of Leningrad. Even camels helped the Soviet soldiers in the battle with the enemy: carrying wagons and field kitchen, as well as heavy weapons. That is why our smaller brothers deserved to be commemorated.
So, sculptures of animals that make people think about some global things...
They had no choice. Monument "Animals at War"
Sculptor David Beckhouse was so shocked by the number of animals killed in two world wars (15,000 postal pigeons, 8 million horses (during the First World War)) that he created a memorial. And he dedicated it to the memory of those animals that "served and died in the British and Allied forces in wars and conflicts at all times".
The main components of the monument are the dominant wall with bas-reliefs and a small gap between its two halves. On the one hand, two bronze mules go to the gap in the wall, on the other hand - a horse and a dog. And on the wall, you can see data on the number of dead animals and their images (postal pigeons, dogs, camels, horses, elephants, mules, ox, cows, cats) and a symbolic inscription: "They had no choice. The memorial, worth £1.4 million, was opened with money from private investors.
Khatiko is the most loyal friend
Perhaps there is no one in the world who does not know the story of Hachiko, a devoted four-legged friend who has been waiting for his master for seven years. The monument to the most loyal dog is erected in Tokyo on Shibuya Square. It is one of the most favorite places for tourists.
And this story began in 1923 when a professor named Hidsaeburo Ueno was given a puppy breed of Akita. The dog was named Hachiko. The dog became so attached to his master that he never left him. Every day he walked the professor to Shibuya Station, where Hidsaeburo Ueno was on his way to work.
And then one day, the professor's heart stopped. Of course, Hachiko did not understand what had happened. And in the rain, and in the snow, and in any weather, he also continued to come to Shibuya station and wait for the master, but he did not appear. This lasted for seven years. The station staff fed the faithful Khatiko, sincerely pitied him. One day, an article about a devoted friend was published in a local newspaper. And the architect was so imbued with this story that on April 21, 1934, a monument to Hachiko was unveiled in Japan. A year later, on April 8, 1935, the heart of a four-faced friend stopped. The story of Hachiko, which became a symbol of selfless love and loyalty, was screened twice - in 1976 and 2009. The films have left no one indifferent.
Sculptures of animals can fulfill desires!
Probably in every city, there are sculptures of animals in which people make wishes. In Florence, a bronze boar performs this function. It is believed that if you rub it by the nose, all your dreams will come true, and you will definitely return to this fabulous Italian city again. The basis of this version is the following legend. Once upon a time, Florence was scared of wild boar. And then one day, a little boy just stroked him on the snout. The boar "melted" from such tenderness and went back, freeing the locals from their presence. Since then, everyone who is not lazy trying to win over the Florentine boar, stroking it on the nose.
By the way, the history of the bronze animal dates back to 1612, when Cosimo Medici ordered the sculptor Pietro Tacca to create a boar sculpture. It is said that the marble sculpture presented to Medici's ancestor by Pope Pius during his visit to Rome in 1560 was used as the basis. And for the scarecrow effect, the sculptor was sent a scarecrow of a real slain wild boar. In 1633 the bronze sculpture of the animal was ready. But by that time Ferdinand the second came to power, who decided to turn the boar into a fountain.
In 1640, a special pool was made for the animal, which was cast anew in 1897. Then the sculpture was reworked several times, it was disturbed by vandals. In 2002, the Florentine boar lost its head because some idiot decided to ride it. But fortunately, in 2005 the sculpture got a new life.
A kitten from Lizyukov Street
This year's 30th anniversary marks the cartoon "Kitten from Lizyukov Street. And 15 years old will be the monument, depicting two characters of this cartoon - Cat Vasily and Raven. By the way, this is the only monument in the world, located at the place of registration.
Cartoon "Kitten from Lizukov Street," tells the story of the adventures of Cat Vasily, who is truly in love with his city, so loved by the audience that his characters decided to immortalize in bronze. The idea of such a monument came to journalist Valery Maltsev when he was driving in the same compartment as the director of the cartoon Vyacheslav Kitenochkin.