In Murmansk you can find a unique monument dedicated to a cat-hero named Semyon. The animal was able to return to its native land, having traveled about 2 thousand km. It took the fluffy 6 years to find his way home.
The heartbreaking story of the return of the cat is more than 27 years old. Back in 1987, the Sinishin family from Murmansk went on vocation to warmer climes. The owners also took a fluffy pet with them. On the way back, the family made a stop in Moscow. There, their moustachioed favourite was lost.
The owners couldn’t find Semyon and returned home without him, realising, that they would never see him again. What was their surprise, when after 6 years, they heard a familiar meow and outside the door they saw a skinny and dirty Semyon. The owners of the animal were shocked how the cat was able to find its way home.
The heroic deed of a furry pet didn’t go unnoticed. An article about Semyon was published in Murmansk Vestnik in 1994. And 20 years after his return, it was decided to erect a monument to the glorious cat and perpetuate his deed for centuries. The grand opening of the bronze monument took place on October 2 2013 on the shore of Lake Semenovskoye in Murmansk.
The height of the monument reaches 1.2 m and the weight is about 120kg. According to the author’s idea, Semyon is sitting on a bench, and holding a hiking bundle in his paw.
True, the bronze fluffy bears little resemblance to that Semyon, who belonged to the noble Siamese breed. After all, everyone knows about dog devotion, but opposite stereotypes have formed about pets. The story with Semyon dispels them completely.
