Málchik: Story Of An Abandoned Dog And Its Monument

There are many reports around the world that talk about animals that suffer abuse and are in a situation of abandonment. Today, we’ll tell the story of Malchik, a stray dog ​​who was murdered on the Moscow Metro a few years ago, and who now has a monument in his honor as a way to promote respect for stray dogs.

Málchik, the pet of subway employees

Málchik, which means boy, became the pet of subway employees. Thanks to his caring personality, he won the love of the workers, who fed him daily.

For three years, the pet lived at the Mendeléievskaya station on the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line, located in the Tverskaya district of central Moscow.

There, the Compassion monument was erected to honor him and, in his name, all abandoned dogs. The work was carried out by sculptor Alexander Tsigal and architect Andréi Nalich.

How Malchik died

The abandoned dog met his death when he came across a model, who was walking around the station with her Staffordshire Terrier breed dog.

Upon seeing the stray animal, the woman wanted her pet to scare him away. But Malchik faced him and made the Terrier back down.

This provoked the anger of the model who, immediately, took a knife from her elegant wallet and stuck it in Malchik, until taking his life.

People passing through the station went on top of her to take her knife, but it was too late: the dog was dead.

court order

The news had a great impact on the inhabitants of Moscow and ended up in a legal situation. The model, who was to travel to Italy for work in the days following her tragic deed, was arrested.

The judicial authorities determined that the woman had suffered a mental disorder and ordered her admission to a psychiatric hospital.

To remember Malchik and other stray dogs

In addition to issues related to justice, the outrage over the assassination of Málchik generated the mobilization of a group of people, including artists and intellectuals. So they arranged for a monument to be erected to remind them that stray animals should be treated with respect.

Among the personalities who inspired this initiative were the poets Yevgueni Yevtushenko and Bela Ajmadúlina, the actor Valentín Gaft and the musician Andréi Makarévich.

The metro authorities accepted the initiative and the work was financed with donations from Russian private individuals and also from foreigners.

Dogs, Innocent Victims of Economic Crises

The Málchik sculpture was finally inaugurated in 2007, in the same place on the subway where the dog used to live, at the entrance to the station.

It will remind everyone about what happened here, that humans owe a major debt to homeless animals, that they have to find a way to survive on a daily basis in a world that is rarely friendly.

It’s just like Malchik, many dogs are still being abandoned in Russia. Once again, animals end up being innocent victims of the economic crises that cross a large part of the world.

Abandoned Dogs: Adapting to Survive

Author: Juanedc

In recent times, some stray dogs in Moscow are attracting the attention of animal behavior experts.

The fight for survival on the streets seems to be giving way to the emergence of very intelligent animals, which develop different strategies to obtain their daily sustenance.

Thus, among other skills, they learned to travel on the subway and to get off at stations where there are more possibilities to get food, especially those where large markets are located. Also, they use escalators without any inconvenience.

However, although these data arouse admiration, Malchik’s companions in misery should be developing their intelligence with games and games, in the protection of a home where they are loved and cared for.

Someday, possibly, some of them will. Meanwhile, stray dogs struggle to survive in this world, so often cruel, for humans and animals.