Description of the attraction
The monument to the cat Panteleimon is one of the most original and unusual Kiev monuments. The monument was erected in 1998 near the Osteria Pantagruel restaurant and the Golden Gate. The restaurant was not chosen by chance, since it was here in the early 90s that the cat Pantyusha lived, which was the symbol of the restaurant. Unfortunately, the cat died during a fire in the restaurant, and it was decided to erect a monument in his honor. The author of the project was the sculptor Bogdan Mazur, and the funds for the monument were collected by friends of the restaurant and his regular customers. In the original version, a bird was sitting near the cat, but it was repeatedly cut down by tourists for souvenirs, so now the cat Panteleimon stands alone. Since this monument is very non-standard, it is often compared to the Scottish monument to the dog Bobby, who lived at his grave after the death of the owner.
Despite the fact that the monument to the cat Panteleimmon belongs to young monuments, several legends have already formed around it. One of them has something in common with the fire. According to legend, the cat managed to warn all the visitors of the restaurant about the danger, but he himself did not manage to escape. According to another legend, the monument was erected not at all to the cat Panteleimon, but to the even more famous cat Behemoth, who is the character of Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita". Many residents of the city associate this fluffy animal with Bulgakov's novel, which is quite understandable, however, he still has nothing to do with "The Master and Margarita", since this is a monument to a real, not a book, cat.
Among some visitors to the monument, there is even a belief that it is worth putting a coin under his paw, grabbing the tail and ear at the same time, making a wish - and it is highly likely to come true.
