Of all the pets, the cats are perhaps the most popular. They love them not only for their practical use in capturing rodents, in our time this is almost not relevant.
They know how to create an inexplicable positive attitude, the owners of these animals often smile. In the character of cats there are many primordially human features: they love freedom, are very independent and intelligent. There are many cases where cats saved their owners from troubles and troubles.
In gratitude for love and devotion in many cities, sculptures and monuments were erected to them. Let us dwell on the description of some. It is noteworthy that many sculptures of cats (photo later in the article) have real prototypes. But first things first.
Ancient cat images
Our distant ancestors not only loved, but sometimes deified cats.
For example, in the culture of ancient Egypt, there are often images of everyday scenes in which cats are present. The Egyptians revered them, in Egyptian culture they are sacred animals. It was forbidden to take them out of the country, and the death penalty awaited the killing of the animal of the guilty. A cat was the main one in the house if she died, her body was embalmed and buried with all honors, and the whole family was in mourning for a long time.
Goddess Bast was portrayed as a woman with a cat's head. She was considered the keeper of the hearth and love, the goddess of fertility, motherhood.
In the zoological garden of the Egyptian city of Memphis, there is a sculpture of an ancient Egyptian goddess with several cats at her feet.
A small realistic sculpture of a cat was considered an amulet from all evil, guarded and preserved the house of the Egyptian. Animal figures were in every house.
In tourist forums, there are often reports of a sculpture of an Egyptian cat. Many are interested in whether it is possible to bring it as a souvenir from travel. It is believed that such a cat brings good luck to the house. So, a figure with a tail raised up means prosperity, optimism, a cat with kittens protects mothers and acts as a home amulet, and a figurine of several cats symbolizes mutual love and friendship.
Wayward Frenchwoman
In France, in the ancient city of Bordeaux, there is an interesting bas-relief, the age of which historians estimate at least two thousand years. On it is carved a girl holding a cat in her arms. The image looks pretty dynamic, it seems that the animal is not quite comfortable and is trying with all its might to break free.
Colorful cats of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is rightly called the "cat" capital. There are several dozen sculptures and monuments to cats.
The very first of those discovered in Russia is considered to be a monument to an experimental cat, installed on Vasilievsky Island. This idea belongs to academician A. D. Nozdrachev, who thus decided to express his gratitude to the numerous laboratory animals who gave their lives for the benefit of science. A meter-long granite cat was created by the famous sculptor Anatoly Gordeevich Dema. Murka proudly sits on a stone pedestal in the courtyard of the university.
The city remembers and honors the memory of cats who, during the difficult time of the siege of Leningrad during World War II, literally saved the remains of food in warehouses from rodents that had bred. In gratitude, the famous Petersburg sculptor Vladimir Petrovichev made two small realistic bronze sculptures.
"Settled" in the old city center and the cat Elisha with the cat Vasilisa. Elisha is importantly settled on a high ledge and examines from there strolling passers-by. And on the building opposite, on the second floor, a graceful cat Vasilisa peered dreamily into the sky.
These cat sculptures in St. Petersburg attract many. There is a funny belief that if you drop a coin to the eaves of Elisha or to the corner of Vasilisa's pedestal, you can catch luck by the tail. There are many who want to check whether this is true or not.
Funny pet figures
Sculptures and monuments to cats are not only serious. There are a lot of cute funny statues of these animals in our country.
At the entrance to a meat processing plant in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk (Kemerovo region), a statue of a funny talking cat is installed. On a stone stand a realistic fat cat fell apart, in the teeth of which an appetizing bunch of sausages. Its author, the sculptor Oleg Kislitsky, managed to accurately depict a plenty of a full cat. If you touch one of the sausages, you will hear a funny phrase that "The best fish is sausage."
In the center of Yoshkar-Ola, on the bench opposite the building of the State University, there is a sassy Yoshkin cat. The big bronze cat smirks slyly, and next to it on the bronze newspaper are the remains of the fish. Local students before the session come to scratch his nose. It is believed that this guarantees a good mark in the exam.
Among the sculptures of cats, it is worth noting the Cat Alabrys in the center of Kazan. His name is also the Cat of Kazan. A rather well-fed kotofey imposingly sat on a ottoman in the center of the arbor, on the roof of which there is a small spire in the form of a mouse with a ball. The arbor rests on four pillars, so a funny barbel lying on its back can be examined from all sides.
Alabrys cat is considered to be a collective image of all Kazan cat-mousetraps. There is a historical legend that the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, admiring the hunting abilities of Kazan cats, ordered to bring several dozen fluffy predators to protect the Hermitage exhibits from rodents. And in our time, the descendants of Kazan cats catch mice on the territory of the St. Petersburg Museum.
A place where cats whisper
In Peterhof near the Red Lake there is a small well-groomed square. This place is loved by guests and residents of the city because multi-colored cats made of granite are installed near the benches on pedestals. There are three sculptures of cats in total, they sit in different poses and are distinguished by color.
People come to this square not only to relax and enjoy the sculptures. It is believed that these cats can fulfill wishes. You just need to whisper about the most intimate figure in the ear. Each cat needs to be asked for different things. The white cat "helps" in family matters, the red cat adds courage and self-confidence, and the black cat sculpture is asked for protection from ill-wishers.
Day and night, the scientist cat …
One of the most popular sculptural compositions was the Scientist Cat with a book in one paw and chain links in another.
Among the cat sculptures in St. Petersburg, a colorful cat with glasses stands out reading a book in a cozy public garden. He sits under a large oak tree, from which hangs not a golden, of course, but a solid forged chain. On the page of the book that the wise beast reads, there is an inscription "Happiness is where you are!". There is a belief that if you rub his cat round glasses, a desire must be fulfilled. But there is one caveat: desire should relate to the acquisition of knowledge.
Another cat scientist freely located under a sprawling oak tree on the promenade of the city of Gelendzhik. He is dressed in a robe worn by scientists, in his paw he holds an open book. It is always crowded, tourists like to be photographed next to an educated cat.
There is a sculpture of a reading learned cat in Orenburg. Moreover, he sits under the same oak tree, under which, according to legend, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin rested in 1833.
Monuments of love and devotion
In the very center of Kiev, opposite the Golden Gate, there is a bronze sculpture of the Persian cat Panteleimon. This monument had a real prototype. In the restaurant nearby there was a universal favorite - the Persian cat Panteleimon, surprisingly affectionate and welcoming. Many customers considered it a peculiar visiting card of the restaurant. But the irreparable happened - during the fire Panteleimon died, suffocating in smoke.
In memory of his beloved friend, the restaurant's regulars ordered a bronze sculpture of Panteleimon and presented it to the owners. There are always many tourists around the monument; it has become one of the sights of the center of Kiev.
The sculpture of a cat in the city of Ples depicts an ordinary pet, which from the pedestal looks thoughtfully at the flowing water. The history of the creation of this monument is sad: the cat Mukha was the darling of the family of the local artist, Vitaliy Panchenko. She died in a fight with a dog, protecting her offspring. In memory of his beloved, the artist created a concrete statue of the Fly, which now meets fishermen walking with a catch. The sculpture of a cat in Ples became a symbol of the boundless attachment of people to their pets.
In Tyumen, where the locals treat animals very well, there is a real avenue of Siberian cats. On it in various poses more than ten figures of cats and kittens. Some climb onto a pole, others peacefully sleep on a bench. All of them are painted with a special golden paint, which shines brightly in the rays of the setting sun.
There is a sculpture of a cat in the city of Yaroslavl, which cannot be passed by without stroking or scratching it behind the ear. A life-size bronze cat seems to be walking along the street along the fence, squinting at passers-by. Such a nice city attraction, although it does not carry any architectural value, is guaranteed to cheer you up.
Those who meet sailors
In 2012, an unusual monument appeared on the pier in Kronstadt: friendly cat and dog meet returning sailors on the Winter Pier. According to the authors, the monument symbolizes maritime friendship.
The animal statues are carved from solid wood and painted with bronze paint. Hemp ropes, from which stands for animals are twisted, were dried throughout the year so that the material would not deteriorate from the effects of bad weather.
On the neck of a wooden sculpture of a cat, a medal with the inscription “I want everything at once” was not deprived of the dog either, the medal “For faithful service” was cut on her chest. Passengers descending the ramp throw money into the piggy bank with the inscription "To feed the ship Cat and Dog", and the funny animals sitting next to them "watch" this process.
Not only in Russia
In the UK, in the small town of Ciffe, there is an old distillery. There lived a cat named Tauser, who became famous for her ability to catch rodents, which were always numerous in the barley barns of the enterprise.
The cat was in the habit of bringing the tails of the caught mice to people, so the workers were able to fairly accurately calculate the number of mice caught. The Tauser cat has lived for more than twenty years and during this time has caught 28, 899 rodents. This indicator was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. In addition, the grateful owners of the plant erected a monument to the cat. A full-size cat sits on a stone pedestal. On a bronze tablet indicates her record achievement.
And in Rome there is a street named after a cat - Via della Gatta. On the facade of one of the buildings lurks a marble statue of a cat. She was found during excavations of the ancient temple of Isis, and the city leadership decided to make it a local decoration. Among the inhabitants, the legend of the treasure is popular, the path to which is indicated by the mysterious look of the ancient statue.
In the capital of Australia, Sydney, there is a monument to the black and white ship cat Trum, who was the first of his domestic relatives to fall on the land of Australia. It is said that a spoiled ship pet once jumped overboard a warship. To the surprise of the team, he did not drown, but swam vigorously to the shore. So he became the first Australian cat.
Very popular with tourists is the monument to the Raval cat, which on thick legs is sneaking along the street of Barcelona. The author is a famous sculptor Fernando Botero. Today, this sculpture is considered the largest monument to a cat in the world - its length is 7 meters and its weight exceeds two tons.
Characters of books and films
In Regensburg, there is an amazing stone sculpture of a cat, which residents of the city confidently consider a monument to the Cheshire Cat. Although it is still not clear what this sculpture really symbolizes, but his toothy smile is very reminiscent of the character of Lewis Carroll.
In Moscow, in one of the quiet courtyards of the Maryina Grove, you can see a sculptural composition depicting the characters of Mikhail Bulgakov - Koroviev and the cat Hippo. An inseparable couple, made of artificial marble, sits on a bench and talks slowly about something.
Recently, a monument was erected in Voronezh to the cute character of the cartoon "Kitten from Lizyukova Street". The monument is located on this street. Now the funny cat Vasily and the crow sitting on the tree delight the local kids.
Monuments to breeds of cats
Residents of some countries love and value their cats so much that they erect monuments to their breeds. For example, in Turkey, a composition dedicated to unique cats of the Turkish Van breed was posted on Lake Van. These are beautiful fluffy cats with multi-colored eyes and unusual points on the head. In Turkey, a legend is told that the first such pair of cats came down to earth from Noah's Ark. In gratitude for the fact that they well caught mice that bred on the ark, Allah touched the cat and on the fur appeared crimson spots. Residents of Turkey sincerely believe that cats of this breed bring good luck and happiness.
Singaporeans also value the uniqueness of their cats. A bronze sculpture of a cat with two playing kittens lurks on the support of the Caven Bridge. It is noteworthy that often next to bronze cats real cats often bask in the sun. Residents of the city even leave there bowls with food for homeless animals. This sculptural composition is considered one of the mascots of Singapore.
