Monument of loyalty in Togliatti: description, history and interesting facts

In the vanity and indifference of everyday life, we often forget about such simple things as loyalty and sense of duty. In Togliatti there is one monument of devotion - a monument to the dog, thanks to which the citizens could remember what it means, really, to love and wait. This monument has no political connotations and has its fascinating and moving history of origin.

City legend

All events, thanks to which a monument of devotion appeared, occurred on the bypass South road, passing through Avtozavodskaya district and leading to a car factory located near the field. It was there, in 1995, the townspeople noticed for the first time a sad dog sitting by the side of the road. She was always in the same place and rushed to cars passing by. It was a German shepherd, rumors of which spread throughout the city with lightning speed, after which it became the real property of Togliatti.

Therefore, the locals, feeling the location of this dog, decided to find out why the dog never leaves this place. As it turned out, this year in the summer there was a terrible catastrophe in which two cars collided. In one of them was a shepherd and her masters. The woman died on the spot, and the young man was taken to the intensive care unit, where he later died. Only their dog remained alive, the nicknames of which no one knew. Therefore, local residents began to call each other Verny or Constantine.

Many townspeople wanted to take the dog home, but all their attempts were vain. The dog always returned to its place and continued to wait faithfully for its owners. She never for a moment left her post, and she did not allow people to come closer to herself. In any weather, the dog always sat on the sidelines, and from the local people who sympathized with him, he took only food and water. But even those who fed him did not manage to get too close to the sheepdog. Therefore, Kostya, as it was still called affectionately people, it was decided to build a booth there, in which he could hide from the snow and rain. Togliatti very much fell in love with the dog and turned its history into a real urban legend. Stories about this dog have been published many times in various Russian publications.

How did the monument appear?

Seven years later Constantine disappeared. A little later he was found in the forest with no signs of life. At first, everyone decided that he had been hit by a large truck, and the driver behind the wheel of this vehicle was frightened by the anger of local residents. So I decided to hide it and hide all the evidence of the crime. But as it later turned out that there were no signs of bruises on the body of the dog.

Consequently, he himself went to the forest to die there. Dogs often do this and go far from home, sensing the near approach of their death. They do this so that the owners do not see the moment of their death. So Constantine went to die far from the road, so that he was not found dead. He thought until the last moment of his life that the owners would definitely return.

This news has upset all Togliatti people, since they managed to fall in love with the dog all the time. The townspeople decided in memory of this shepherd to set up near the place of the tragedy a memorial plaque on which it was written: "To a dog who showed us real kindness and loyalty." Since that moment the dog has become a real symbol of the city.

But such a shield was constantly blown away by strong winds or it was broken by vandals. Then came the idea to erect a bronze monument of devotion in honor of such a faithful dog. For its construction it was necessary to 250 000 rubles, which were collected by the whole city. Many local businessmen and ordinary people donated funds to perpetuate the memory of Constantine.

Opening Day

Created a monument of devotion (Togliatti) Ulyanovsk sculptor O. Klyuyev. The most difficult, in the opinion of the author of this monument, turned out to correctly show the character of the dog in this sculpture.

The monument of devotion was inaugurated one year after the death of the dog. This event was held on a warm June day, and was timed to celebrate the city's name-day. For some time, the statue was guarded by a strong guard, until, by order of the mayor, an alarm was issued to her.

Looks like

The monument dedicated to the legendary dog rises about 1.5 meters above the ground. The monument of devotion is mounted on a pedestal made of granite. The author has tried to make it so that all drivers moving by him think that the dog turns its head after their passing cars.

This sculpture is the only one in the whole city, erected not according to any state beliefs. To date, the place where the monument of loyalty in Tolyatti stands is considered a must for visiting newly-married couples, as it symbolizes unshakable loyalty and love in family life. Therefore, the city has a tradition, according to which all pairs of newlyweds, wishing to live with each other long and happily, should after their painting go to the monument and rub the tip of the dog's nose. Thanks to this ritual, this part of the monument seems polished.

Where is the

Those who will be in this Russian city and wish to see the legendary dog with their own eyes, can ride in the twenty-first quarter, where there is a monument of loyalty (Togliatti). The bronze dog stands on Lev Yashin's street in the place where it crosses the Southern route, or more precisely, near the high-rise building at number 25.

Interesting Facts

It turns out that the monument of loyalty (Togliatti) has already become famous all over the country. The story of this faithful dog inspired the Russian poetess, the performer of his own works, and also the rock bard, Alexander Pavlov, to devote a song to the dog under the title "Dog Watch". She even entered the album of the singer and went out in its composition in 2012.

This monument became a real symbol of the city. Few monuments, located not only in Tolyatti, but throughout the country, can boast of similar attention to them.