Etymologically, the monument comes from the word “memory”. Humanity erects monuments to preserve information about a significant event in history. The first monuments can be considered the Egyptian pyramids, and structures bearing a memorial function appeared in ancient Rome. In addition to the memory of people and significant events in the twentieth century, they began to erect monuments to animals. Consider the most famous animal monuments that somehow amazed people or committed a heroic act.
1
Monument to border guards and service dogs
We will begin our excursion near the Ukrainian village of Legedzino, Cherkasy region, where in July 1941 500 border guards and 150 service dogs took their last fight.
The only hand-to-hand fight between people and dogs in world history. They served together, fought together, died together, and were buried in a mass grave.
The border guards and their loyal friends managed to stop the enemy’s advance for two days, and at the cost of their lives, they covered up the evacuation of civilians. In May 2003, a monument was erected in the village of Legedzino.
2
Hachiko
In Tokyo, there is a monument to a dog of the Akita Inu breed named Hachiko. It is a symbol of devotion and fidelity. The dog itself is buried in Aoyama cemetery in the Japanese capital.
In 1925, the owner of Hachiko suffered a stroke and the doctors could not save his life. The dog was only 18 months old and every day he went to the station to meet the owner. Spent the night at the doorstep of the professor’s house.
In 1932 they wrote about him in the newspapers, and the dog became famous. Many wanted to take him home, but Hachiko faithfully went to the station until his death in March 1935.
3
Laboratory Mouse Monument
In 2013, a monument to a small mouse was erected in the Akademgorodok of Novosibirsk. No animal has made a great contribution to the development of science, like this little gray creature.
In Russia, it was decided to note the contribution of the rodent to science. In 2012, the first stone was laid in honor of the 55th anniversary of the Novosibirsk Institute of Cytology and Genetics.
The monument came out pretty funny. The mouse sits on a pedestal with glasses, covered with a blanket. She has knitting needles in her hands with which she knits a double helix of DNA.
4
Monument to the Camels
In the pedestrian zone of Chelyabinsk on Kirovka Street, a bronze boy sits, and next to him are two camels. One lies peacefully, and the second drinks water.
When the Great Silk Road passed here and in memory of this, a monument was erected in the Russian city. In addition, the camel is a symbol of Chelyabinsk and is depicted on the city coat of arms.
In the US state of Arizona, there is also a monument to camels. These exotic animals were brought to the United States to use as pack vehicles in the Civil War. But the idea failed.
5
Sacrificial donkey
Photo: South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd.
This donkey was eaten by tigers, but saved the remaining animals of one of the zoos in China. It all happened in 2017.
The shareholders of the zoo decided that the business in which they invest their money does not bring enough profit. They came to the zoo, took a donkey and a goat to take them outside and sell them. At the exit, a fight ensued with guards, during which the donkey was pushed into the cage to the tigers.
The animal was instantly eaten by predators. The goat survived. A year later, zoo workers erected a monument to the donkey, on which is written a call for justice.
6
Monkey Killing Memorial
Eastonik photo: autumnallalong.com
Monuments to monkeys are in many cities of the world, but this one causes a feeling of shame for people. A memorial was erected in the American city of Jones Creek, Georgia.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, a railway accident occurred near the city. In the wagons circus animals were transported. The monkeys managed to escape from the cages, and they hid in the forest. Local farmers, fearing unusual animals, shot and killed all the monkeys who survived.
In the 1990s, one artist donated several stone sculptures of monkeys to the city in memory of those tragic events.
7
Greyfraers Bobby
In Edinburgh there is another symbol of fidelity, love and devotion of the dog to man. A cute dog with sad eyes sits on a round pedestal.
The name of this dog was Skye Terrier Greyfraers Bobby, and its owner was a policeman John Gray. In February 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis. The dog was very homesick and for 14 years lived on the grave of his master. The owner of the nearest restaurant sometimes fed him.
In 1867, Edinburgh was cleared of stray dogs, but Bobby took the municipality under his protection. Bobby died in 1872 and was buried at the gates of the cemetery, where his master lies.
8
Memorial to animals killed in the war
In London in 2004, a memorial appeared in memory of all the animals that served and died in wars of all time.
The sculptural composition was created on donations, and the idea of creation was born under the impression of Jilly Cooper's book “Animals in War”. Grateful mankind has raised over 1 million 400 thousand pounds to create.
One of the inscriptions of the memorial reads “They had no choice,” and a bas-relief of the Maria Dikin medal, which animals are awarded with, is made on the stele.
9
Sympathy
In 2017, an unusual sculpture appeared at the Moscow Mendeleevskaya metro station. Right on the pedestrian lies a cur, scratching his paw behind his ear.
The author of the composition, Alexander Tsigal, called it “Empathy”, and she calls for a humane attitude to homeless animals. This was the real story of a dog named Boy who lived in the underpass of a metro station.
In 2001, as a result of the conflict, the mistress of the Staffordshire Terrier Romanov stabbed the Boy with a knife. This caused a wide resonance in society, and then raised money to create a monument. TheBiggest encourages everyone to take care of homeless animals.
10
Mustang Fountain
Graceful animals cast in bronze rush along the Williams square of the American city of Irving. This is the largest sculptural composition of horses in the world.
Nine wild mustangs appeared in 1984. It turned out to be a real unfinished building, because the idea was born back in 1976. Casting figures in England. They were brought to the United States in 1981, and finally completed the layout of the sculptural composition in 1984.
Mustangs in the past were found in the uninhabited territories of Texas, and then the area was significantly reduced. In a reminder of the need to protect wild animals and erected this monument.
11
Give way to the ducklings
One of the most unusual sights of the Russian capital. In 1991, the sculptural composition “Road to Ducklings!” Appeared in the square of the Novodevichy Convent.
This is a copy donated by Barbara Bush to the residents of Moscow. The original composition was installed in American Boston in 1987. In 1941, the story of Robert McCloskey “The Way to the Ducklings!” Was published. The work liked the readers so much that they raised money to create sculptures of ducklings.
The composition itself consists of a mother duck and nine ducklings who proudly march after their mother.
12
Seagulls
This beautiful seabird is a symbol of the US state of Utah. Residents of Salt Lake Valley in memory of the events of 1848 erected a monument to a proud bird.
In 1847, grasshoppers destroyed almost the entire crop. Only a few remained, and members of the Mormon communities sowed the fields again. But the grasshoppers returned again, and hunger threatened the people. At this point, hundreds of seagulls flew into the fields and destroyed the pests.
People came by a miracle and, in gratitude, erected a monument to the seagulls on the Temple Square of the city.
13
Monument to Laika
Photo by: © Laika ac / flicr
In different cities of the world there are monuments to dogs-cosmonauts. In total, 50 dogs visited space, but Laika was the first.
In 1957, the dog went into space in a conical capsule of an artificial satellite. The flight was designed for seven days. In the compartment was everything you need. The supply of water, food. But Laika died from overheating just a few hours after taking off from Baikonur.
In 2008, a dog who saved the lives of hundreds of astronauts was erected a monument. Her brothers, Squirrel and Strelka, also visited outer space and safely returned to earth.
14
Cat Panteleimon
Cats and cats have long become an adornment of human life, and around the world there are hundreds of monuments to these cute animals. One of them appeared in the center of Kiev in 1998.
A cat named Panteleimon lived in the Pantagruel restaurant at the Golden Gate. The hosts and visitors affectionately called the Persian Pantyush. The animal died during the fire.
Around the sculpture a lot of legends arose. Some say that the cat saved people by warning about the fire, while others believe that this is a Bulgakov hippo cat. Both of them rub the bronze figure, begging for happiness.
15
Chizhik-Pyzhik
A small bird sits on a small pedestal above the Fontanka River opposite to the house at number 12/1. A lot of legends are connected with the monument that appeared in 1994.
According to one legend, the uniform of students at the Imperial College of Law strongly resembled the plumage of a small siskin. And they wore fawn hats. For this they were nicknamed "Siskin-Fawn."
By tradition, people try to get a coin on a pedestal, and when this succeeds, the desire will come true. For all the time, a small bird has been stolen already seven times.
16
Chimpanzee
The philosophical monument on Hainan reflects the essence of Darwin's theory of evolution.
A large chimpanzee sits on the labors of a great scientist, and in her hand is a human skull. With the free forelimb, the monkey props his chin in thought. The sculptor perfectly managed to convey the philosophical message. On the island itself there are many monkeys, and thousands of tourists come here to get acquainted with the monument, as well as look at our living relatives.
17
Macaque in Kharkov
In the Kharkov Zoo, three monkeys are sitting on a brick wall. Another monument reminiscent of the tragic events of World War II.
Makaki Desi, Rosie and Hector lived in a zoo, and escaped during the bombing of the city by Nazi troops. Throughout the occupation, macaques hid in the ruined city, and the inhabitants fed animals.
Despite hunger, people shared their food with poppies. Having survived the occupation, the monkeys returned to the zoo after the liberation of Kharkov in August 1943.
18
Wolf Pack
In the Canadian town of Raleigh there is a wolf pack monument. On the stones are bronze sculptures of freedom-loving predators.
At the top of the pedestal is a leader who lifted his head and howls. Two wolves are a little lower, and on the ground there is another wolf figure who has noticed the prey and is just about ready for a decisive jump.
Most likely, the author of an unusual sculptural composition was inspired by the work of Rudyard Kipling. Monuments to wolves are also in Russia, Belarus, Japan.
19
Bull
In 1989, a statue of an attacking bull appeared in New York's Bowling Green Park. Bronze sculpture immediately became a symbol of New York and Wall Street.
A huge bull, whose height is 3.4 meters, weighs 3,200 kg. The animal crouched on its hind legs and prepared to attack.
From the very first days, the attacking bull began to be popular. Thousands of tourists come to the statue daily to watch and touch a huge animal made of bronze.
20
Raval cat
On the Barcelona street of La Rambla del Raval, to the delight of local residents and thousands of tourists, a cute cat is walking. True, the cat is 2.5 meters tall, and it is 7 meters long from nose to tail.
He created the sculpture of Fernando Botero, and she appeared on the street of Barcelona in 1987. Since then, the huge cat was transferred several times until it finally settled on La Rambla del Raval.
Due to its impressive size, it is often called the Broiler cat, but in the guides it is listed as a Raval cat by the name of the street where it stands.
21
Wild boar
Every tourist who comes to Florence considers it his duty to find the boar statue. There is a legend that if you rub your nose into a bronze boar, throw a coin in your mouth and ask for a wish, it will certainly come true.
Connected with wild animals is another urban legend. In the distant XVI century, an angry wild boar appeared on city streets. He rushed around the city, terrifying residents. Everyone sat home in fear, and only one little boy went out to the beast, stroked his piglet and left the boar.
The sculptor Pietro Tacchi decided to perpetuate this beautiful legend in bronze. Since then, there has been a sculpture of a wild boar, which the Florentines call the “piglet”.
22
Balto
Another dog that, despite difficulties, saved the lives of hundreds of Alaskan children. In 1925, a diphtheria epidemic broke out on the peninsula, and it was impossible to deliver medicine by plane due to bad weather conditions.
It was decided to deliver the medicine by dog sledding. One of their teams was led by a dog named Balto. The selfless Siberian Husky delivered whey through a blizzard, which saved the lives of many people.
In 1925, the memory of this feat was decided to erect a monument to a brave dog. In US schools, the lessons still tell this story, and in 1995 they even shot an animated film.
23
Horse Yaryzh
Horse sculpture in Voronezh is considered one of the strangest monuments in the vastness of Russia. A giant horse with a rail in its mouth was installed in 2007 at the Yar Hotel.
By the name of the hotel it began to affectionately be called "Yaryzh". Not only the rail, but also clearly visible male genitals make the sculpture strange. And the horse has no tail.
The sculpture really glorified Voronezh, because for many the horse is surprising and just laughter. The sculptor, probably, wanted to convey the spirit of the era with his work, when only such muscular ones could break through in life.
Summarize
Statistics show that most of the monuments in the series of animals are installed in dogs. This is natural, because the dog was the first of the wild to live next to a person, becoming his faithful friend and helper. It is impossible within the framework of one article to tell about all the monuments to animals in the world, and therefore the editors of the site ask readers to share their impressions about the monuments taken away to our smaller brothers.
Article author: Valery Skiba