Monument to the kitten from Lizyukova Street
Monument to the Kitten from Lizyukov Street is a funny monument and a popular attraction of Voronezh, which is loved by both the residents of the city and tourists coming here. The monument is set in honor of the main character of the famous cartoon “Kitten from Lizyukov Street”, which was released in the USSR in 1988 and immediately became popular with the audience. The cartoon was filmed by the famous director Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Kotenochkin based on a script written by Voronezh-born Vitaly Markovich Zlotnikov.
Highlights
The animated film “Kitten from Lizyukov Street” tells about a funny kitten Vasily, who loved his native Voronezh very much. Transformed by a crow sorceress into a hippopotamus little kitten could not forget about his Voronezh past and hung signs with house numbers on Lizyukova Street in Africa. He missed his native places and constantly asked passers-by if they knew how to get to Voronezh. The cartoon ends with a funny song with music by Vladimir Miguli and lyrics by V. Zlotnikov, in which there is a phrase that “there is nowhere better than Voronezh.”
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The patriotic kitten was immediately loved by the residents of Voronezh, and it is not surprising that a separate monument was dedicated to him. And the place where the cheerful monument was to stand, of course, was chosen Lizyukova Street. The monument is made in the form of a metal tree, on the branches of which sit a great lover of Voronezh – kitten Vasily and his girlfriend – a crow-sorceress.
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Nowadays, the monument to the kitten from Lizyukov Street has become one of the iconic sights of Voronezh and a modern symbol of the ancient city. Its image decorates magnets, mugs and key chains, which can be bought in any Voronezh souvenir shop. Parents with children come to this monument, and tourists coming to Voronezh like to take pictures near the monument. Sometimes there are a lot of people, and in order to make a memorable photo, you have to stand in line.
.History of the monument
The initiative to create the monument belongs to Valery Maltsev, who then headed the editorial staff of the newspaper “Young Communard”. The chief editor liked the idea and it was supported by the administration of the Kominternovsky district of Voronezh, as well as journalists of “Komsomolskaya Pravda”. The city organized a sketch contest, and its winner was Irina Povarova, an 11th grade student from one of Voronezh’s schools.
.Of course, the idea proposed by the schoolgirl required professional work. Therefore, the project was handed over to famous artists Ivan Dikunov and Elza Pak, who have decorated the city with more than one expressive monument. Their sons Alexey and Maxim also participated in finalizing the project. Finally, in December 2003, the monument to the kitten from Lizyukov Street took its place. Curiously, in 2009, when Voronezh residents chose the symbol of their city, the monument to the kitten from Lizyukov Street took the second place, after the monument to Peter the Great.
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The residents of the city and tourists have a tradition – to fulfill wishes to stroke Vasily the kitten and touch his left foot. And especially impatient, eager to make their wish come true as soon as possible, stroke the cat’s heel. In addition, local do-gooders periodically paint the crow’s beak with lipstick, and its claws – nail polish.
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Unfortunately, not without vandalism. Wire whiskers on the monument of the kitten from Lizyukov Street and even his tail are occasionally broken, so they are restored in the workshop. Not so long ago, Voronezh authorities started talking about the need to replace the duralumin monument with an anti-vandal monument made of harder alloys.
.The street where the monument stands
Voronezh Street was built on the site of an old military airfield. It has a length of 3 kilometers. The street bears the name of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Ilyich Lizyukov. In 1942, the major-general was the commander of the 5th Tank Army, which counterattacked the Germans who were tearing towards Voronezh. The commander died during the battle on July 23, 1942 at the age of 42, and the place where he was buried remains unknown.
.In 2008, Lizyukov’s remains were found during a journalistic investigation and were buried with honors at the Monument of Glory, where other defenders of the city rest. However, most historians do not believe that these were the remains of the commander of the 5th Tank Army, as their location does not correspond to historical facts and documents.
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700 meters west of the monument to the kitten from Lizyukova Street, in the green Victory Park near house No. 42 is another monument – “Voronezh – the birthplace of the Airborne Troops”. It was made by V. Petrikhin and opened in 2010 on the place where the first parachute landing in the USSR took place.
.How to get there
The monument to the kitten from Lizyukova Street is located in the Kominternovsky district, near the entrance to the former cinema “Mir”. You can get here by buses and shuttle buses (to the stops “Cinema “Mir” or “School”). From the city center to the monument is not difficult to reach by car. The parking lot near the DNS digital supermarket serves as a reference point for drivers.
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