Category Archive: Animals

Red carnations for the hero dog. First launched into space dog Laika monument. sculptor Pavel Medvedev

First launched into space dog Laika monument

Installed in front of the building of the Institute of Military Medicine (Moscow), the dog Laika monument stands on the Petrovsko-Razumovskaya alley in the area of ​​the Dynamo stadium. It was here in 1957. Laika was trained to fly into space, knowing that she would not return to the Earth. The author of the monument – sculptor Pavel Medvedev, and the concept itself belongs to the famous artist Sergey Pakhomov. The monument appeared here just the day before the Day of Cosmonautics, April 11, 2008.
The two-meter-high monument is a space rocket transforming into the palm, on which Laika stands proudly (real life size). The poem on the pedestal reads:

Simple Russian mongrel,
She had a great honor.
From the heavy life of a stray dog
To crawl triumphantly into space.
But great Laika did not know.
After all, it is difficult for a dog to understand.
That life has become her feat
And no one can take away her fame.
She flew over the planet.
By sacrificing herrself honestly.
And for the sake of science burned,
Staying forever a star.
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Sculptural composition in Donetsk. Behind the symbolic Bear monuments

Behind the symbolic Bear monuments
Chosen as the animal symbol of Russia, the bear is truly the king of the forest. Although brown bear appears to be capable only of roaring, in fact, this is an intelligent beast. Having no equal in strength in the northern latitudes, the bear was worshiped by ancient Rusichs. They made multiple totems in the form of a bear and believed that such a guard would necessarily protect them from enemies, and would give strength in battle. In Russia and there was a cult of the bear.
Meanwhile, the cutest image of bear quite recently has become a famous character of the cartoon “Masha and Bear”.
Sculptures of Masha and the Bear are available in several regions of Russia and other countries. In particular, Sterlitamak (Bashkortostan), Kemerovo and Tashtagol (Kemerovo Region), Volgograd, Elani and Surovikin (Volgograd Region), Kuznetsk (Penza Region), Emanzhelinsk (Chelyabinsk Region), Vileyka (Minsk region, Byelorussia), and Bryansk (Bryansk region). Besides, in other cities featured here – Blagoveshchensk, Donetsk, Perm, Yevpatoria, and Sochi.
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Impressive sculptures of roosters created by British sculptor. James Doran-Webb driftwood animal sculpture

James Doran-Webb driftwood animal sculpture

Born in 1967, Doran-Webb is a British sculptor living in the Philippines. James spent his early childhood in Devon. Meanwhile, his parents, art historians and antique researchers, travelled a lot and took James with them. Accordingly, he spent his teenage years in various cities getting acquainted with the antiques restoration and, in particular, with art. In addition, he had to change cities and schools during his traveling. Basel, Switzerland, Italy, the US and France… Having returned to London he entered The Courtold Institute to study art. However, very soon he had started his own antiques business selling items at Portobello Market.
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Sterlitamak, Russia. Work by sculptor Valentin Mikhailovich Rechikov, St. Petersburg. Mythological bird Sirin monuments

Mythological bird Sirin monuments

The sculpture of the mythological bird Sirin appeared in the Russian city of Sterlitamak in 2015. According to the Slavic and, in particular Russian mythology, Sirin is a wonderful bird of paradise, possessing a charming voice. In medieval Russian legends, sometimes it flies to earth and sings prophetic songs about the coming bliss, but sometimes these songs can prove harmful to a person – you can lose your mind. Therefore, in some legends, Sirin acquires a negative value, so that it even begins to be considered a dark bird, a messenger of the underworld. The Sirin bird is afraid of loud sounds, so to scare it off, people ring bells, shoot guns, and blow trumpets.
The author of the sculpture is Valentin Mikhailovich Rechikov, St. Petersburg. Born in 1954 in the village of Volovo, Moscow Region – Meshchera on the river Pra. He graduated from the Higher Art and Industrial School of VI Mukhina in 1991. Participant of more than 100 exhibitions and more than 10 symposia on stone, wood in Russia and abroad.
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The creation of the German animal sculptor Richard Freese, bronze Deer. Originally installed in the Rominsten forest, after the Great Patriotic War it appeared in Russia. The history of deer sculpture in Smolensk

The history of deer sculpture in Smolensk is quite interesting. In 1909, during the hunt in the Rominsten forest, the German Kaiser Wilhelm II killed a deer. The animal made a very strong impression on him, and he decided to install a statue of a deer in his castle. For many years the monument adorned the courtyard of the hunting castle in East Prussia, but in 1944 the statue mysteriously disappeared. In 1945, the sculpture, found by Soviet soldiers at the dacha of Goering, moved to Smolensk.
By the way, one deer horn weighs 200 kg. Meanwhile, residents and visitors of the city of Smolensk have a fun tradition – to rub the genitals of a deer to attract good luck.

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Fairy-tale square in Krasnoyarsk with a sculptural composition depicting the main heroes of Russian folk tale. Ivan Tsarevich and Gray Wolf monuments

Ivan Tsarevich and Gray Wolf monuments
Russian folk tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” – loved by both children and adults. The main heroes of the fairy tale – Ivan Tsarevich – the youngest son of King Berendey, who went in search of the mysterious Firebird for King Berendey. And of course, the Gray Wolf – Ivan’s faithful friend and assistant in his quest to obtain the Firebird for the King. The most important thing is that the wolf protects him from all the dangers that meet him on his way.
Meanwhile, children get acquainted with this fairy tale by both – reading the book (in the version of AN Tolstoy), and watching cartoons. In addition, there are films based on this story. The heroes of this fairy tale, embodied in monuments and sculptural compositions, decorate the parks and streets of Russia and Ukraine.
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Sochi. Poem character Tsokotukha the Fly monuments

Poem character Tsokotukha the Fly monuments

Mukha-Tsokotukha, Tsokotukha The Fly,
Gilded belly.
The fly walked in the field,
The fly found a coin,
Off she went to the market
And bought a samovar.
(poem by Korney Chukovsky)

Monuments to the main character of children’s poem “Mukha-Tsokotukha” written by Soviet Russian poet Korney Chukovsky are in several cities of Russia. One of them appeared in 2011 in the southern city of Russia – Sochi. The many figured monument consists of a pumpkin with seeds, and cut out of it piece turned into a cosy bench. As for the Fly, its figure decorates the bench. Besides, in the foot of the Fly is a coin, which, according to the poem, she found. Authors of installed in 2011 in Sochi monument are Vyacheslav Zvonov and Alexander Butaev. And the author of legendary Fly – Akop Khalafyan.
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