The history of the monument to the Cat of Kazan

All cats are wonderful hunters. Despite her long life next to humans, she has not lost her wild habits. How cleverly a kitten catches a piece of paper on a string! It hides, sneaks up, instantly jumps - and the toy is in its claws. And cats have retractable claws: when creeping up, they tuck them into soft pads, but if they launch them into prey, they won’t escape.

When playing, a cat rarely uses its claws - it fights back with soft paws, but if you make it angry - don’t be offended, it’s your own fault!

Domestic cats are very similar to their relatives: the striped tiger, the royal lion. They belong to the same family - cats. The domestic cat has a long and proud history. When people began to engage in farming, they began to transport grain to storage facilities and barns. It was then that the mice and rats attacked the goods. To get rid of them, the man tamed the cat. In ancient Egypt, the cat was even considered a sacred animal.

As a result of studying the reference literature, I came to the following conclusion:

cats are patient, dexterous, cunning animals, they are good mousecatchers;
cats are affectionate, good-natured animals, and it’s warm and cozy to be around them.

>Cats in Tatar literature

I read well and fluently. After reading the works of Tatar writers and poets, I became convinced that cats become frequent heroes of Tatar fairy tales and poetry. In their works, the authors reveal various character traits of cats.

In Tatar folk tales:

“Cat, Tiger and Man” reveals the cunning and insight of cats;
you can learn about the instant reaction of cats by reading the fairy tale “The Cat and the Bear”;
it is written about the cunning and intelligence of a cat in the fairy tale “The Aged Cat”;
hard work, forgiveness and the ability to make friends are revealed in the fairy tale “Four Friends.”

Cats and cats in animated films

In my home video library there are many cartoons about these wonderful animals. Having watched many cartoons, I was once again convinced of the best qualities of these pets: “The Cat is a Fisherman” (1964); "Puss in Boots" (1968); "The Dog and the Cat" (1955); “Why was the cat called a cat”; “Who said meow?” (1962); "Cat's House" (1958); "The Scarecrow" (1982); “Kitten from Lizyukov Street” (1988); "The Cat Who Walked By Himself" (1968); "Leopold the Cat" and others.

From the story of the Kazan Cat

The cat monument is a collective image of the Kazan cat, which is found in Russian popular prints and fairy tales.

It is easy to recognize the hero of the Russian popular print in the sculpture.

The main character of this literature is a cat who had intelligence, agility and intelligence.

I also found out that the cat has a nickname - Alabrys (hence, they say, the command “scat!” came from).

Alabrys is a legendary mousetrap. His fame led to cats from Kazan being sent to the Hermitage to catch mice.

It turns out that the breed of Kazan cats became so famous for their dexterity, cunning, and ability to catch mice that, by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, 300 Kazan cats were transported to the capital to serve in the Winter Palace.

What is evidenced in ancient chronicles by the decree of Empress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, dated October 13, 1745:

"Find in Kazan the local breeds of the best and largest cats, convenient for catching mice. And send them to St. Petersburg to the court of Her Imperial Majesty. And whoever does not show the cats will be fined according to the decrees!"

The cats were given a special allowance; first they were given lamb, then hazel grouse and black grouse. They performed an important service - they protected the paintings of the Hermitage from mice. So the monument to the Kazan cat is also a monument to the good old history with cats. Now their descendants live in the State Hermitage, and every April 1st the museum’s management organizes a holiday for them - displaying delicacies in large quantities.