Monument to a kitten from the street Lizyukova - the first such in Russia

Since childhood, many of us remember a touching cartoon kitten from Voronezh, a force of magic that pleased in a distant Africa. But not everyone knows that in this Russian city there is a monument to a kitten from Lizyukov Street - the first monument in the country to the cartoon character. This is probably not the most famous of the heroes of Soviet cartoons, but everyone knows exactly the address of the kitten Vasily. Probably because the grateful residents of the city have raised funds to embody the painted tailed "countryman" in a steel monument.

Cartoon about the kitten

The story of a kitten dreaming to return from sultry Africa to his native Voronezh, was invented by writer Vitaly Zlotnikov. The script was offered to the studio "Soyuzmultfilm", where he became interested in the creator of the immortal "Well, wait!" Vyacheslav Kotenochkin.

In 1988, the audience saw the cartoon "Kitten from the street Lizyukova" - a monument to the perestroika era. Cooperatives, emigration - signs of time, which draws the attention of an adult viewer. And the children just sympathize with the misadventures of a mustached hero who did not find happiness among the African sands, and happily returned home, to his native city.

Monument to a kitten from Lizyukova street: from idea to project

For the idea of creating a monument, I'd like to thank the editors of two newspapers: the local branch of Komsomolskaya Pravda and Molodoy Kommunar, as well as the head of the Kominternovsky district administration. They announced a competition for the best project, the winner of which was a local schoolgirl Irina Pivovarova, whose drawing was taken as a basis by professional sculptors.

And the current view of the monument to a kitten from the street Lizyukova in Voronezh acquired after the completion of the Elsa Park project and Ivan Dikunov. The protagonist of the cartoon with his friend the black are sitting on the branches of the tree, the kitten is telling about something emotionally to the winged companion. Probably, the moment is seized when Vasily asks to turn him into such a beast that "everyone was afraid".

How to create a monument

The family of sculptors Dikunovs, father and son undertook the idea in metal, and eight people worked on the monument. It took more than six months to complete the task. The material was chosen to be light and strong duralumin. For brightness, "winged metal" was covered with silver paint. And the stability of the structure was ensured by pouring inside the "tree" five buckets of cement.

The monument to the kitten from Lizyukov Street was officially opened on December 5, 2003. There was a small incident: on the opening day, the kitten suddenly had a "mustache" detached. The ceremony had to be postponed for two hours, while the newly attached parts were securely fixed on the muzzle of the "honorable Voronezh".

Address of a monument to a kitten from Lizyukova Street

Where can there be a famous kitten, if not on the street repeatedly mentioned in the cartoon? The place for the monument was found in a crowded place, opposite the cinema "Mir", where always, especially on weekends, they can admire both the Voronezh residents and the guests of the city.

By the way, a little about the street. It bears the name of Major-General Alexander Ilyich Lizyukov, Hero of the Soviet Union, who participated in the liberation of Voronezh. There is a street in the largest microdistrict "Severny" and is its main thoroughfare. Therefore, a monument to a kitten from the street Lizyukova in Voronezh is always in front of many townspeople.

Plans for reconstruction

Despite all the advantages dural was not an ideal material for the monument. Over the years, from the temperature, rain and snow in the metal, cracks appeared. A lot of damage is caused to sculpture and lovers of souvenirs: the kitten regularly breaks off the mustache and tail.

Therefore, in 2010, a monument to a kitten from the street Lizyukova decided to reconstruct. The renovated monument was to become stable both to the bad weather and to the intrigues of the vandals. Local authorities made an estimate: at that time the reconstruction would cost 800 thousand rubles. It should be noted that for the construction of the monument money was collected by the townspeople, and to the local budget it did not cost a penny. It was supposed, that for the updated sculpture the means will be given by sponsors. Unfortunately, in the city there were not those who would help to breathe new life into the somewhat decrepit monument "Kitten from Lizyukov Street". Voronezh, the address along the street, whose name was never heard outside the city, became known throughout the country thanks to the touching Vasily. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to show more respect for the "famous countryman."

What other animated characters are immortalized in sculpture

The first monument to the hero of the cartoon is the sculpture of the sailor Papaya, established in 1937 in Crystal City (Texas, USA). The money was collected by farmers who grew spinach (this vegetable was the source of the fantastic power of the cartoon character).

In the stone immortalized Jemovy boy, the hero of the Japanese animated series. The monument stands in the city of Funabashi.

As mentioned above, a monument to a kitten from Lizyukova Street is the first such monument in Russia. But today is far from the only one. The initiative of Voronezh was supported in many cities.

A whole group of monuments was built in the Moscow region of Ramenskoye. There are heroes "Well, wait," and "Winnie the Pooh," and "Cheburashki," and a series of cartoons about the village of Prostokvashino. In Penza there is a monument "Hedgehog in the fog". A Tomsk Wolf - the character of the cartoon "Once upon a time, the Dog" even knows how to speak and sing.

And in Voronezh itself, not only the kitten from the street Lizyukova is immortalized. The monument is also installed to another animal, though the hero is not a cartoon, but a book and a feature film. This is the famous White Bim Black ear - a symbol of friendship and devotion.