Malchik, The Story Of An Abandoned Dog
There are many stories about animals who are victims of abuse and neglect. Today we tell you the story of Malchik, an abandoned dog murdered in the Moscow subway a few years ago, and who today has a monument in his honor, a way to try to promote respect for stray dogs.
Malchik, the commuter mascot
Malchik, which means child, had become the mascot of the employees who took the subway every day. Thanks to his affectionate character, he had in fact earned the respect of the workers who gave him something to eat every day.
For three years, the dog lived in the underground passage of Mendeleievskaya station, belonging to the Serpukhovsko-Timiryazevskaya line, located in the Tverskaya district of central Moscow.
Right there the Compassion monument was erected , to remember him and to pay homage to all abandoned dogs. This work was created by the sculptor Alexander Tsigal and the architect Andrei Nalich.
Malchik’s death
The abandoned dog died as a result of a model walking into the station with her dog, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Seeing the stray, the model pushed her pet to scare him, but Malchik was not intimidated and made the terrier retreat.
The model went on a rampage and, taking a knife placed in her elegant purse, stabbed poor Malchik, leaving him lifeless.
The people who were at the station at that moment threw themselves on the model to try to disarm her but it was already too late: the dog was dead.
Judicial measure
The news caused a sensation among the inhabitants of Moscow and a great judicial dispute ensued. The model, who was about to go to Italy for work at the time of the tragic event, was arrested.
The judicial authorities determined that the woman suffered from mental disorders, and ordered her detention in a psychiatric hospital.
To remember Malchik and the other stray dogs
In addition to these judicial issues, the indignation for the murder of Malchik generated the mobilization of a group of people, among them artists and intellectuals. They proposed that a monument be erected as a reminder that abandoned animals must be treated with respect.
Among the personalities who most supported this initiative were the poets Yevgueni Yevtushenko and Bella Ajmadulina, the actor Valentin Gaft and the musician Andrei Makarevich.
The metro authorities gave their consent to the initiative, and the work was financed thanks to donations from private Russian and foreign citizens.
” Two things surprise me: the intelligence of beasts and the bestiality of men.
“
-Tristan Bernard-
Dogs, innocent victims of the economic crisis
Malchik’s sculpture was placed, in 2007, right in the underground passage where the dog lived, near the entrance to the station.
From there, he reminds everyone who passes that place that human beings have an important debt towards animals abandoned on the street, who must find a way to survive on a daily basis in a world that is not welcoming to them.
Just like the unfortunate Malchik, many dogs continue to be abandoned in Russia. Once again, animals end up being the innocent victims of the economic crisis that is sweeping much of the world.
Adapt to survive
In recent times, some dogs abandoned in Moscow are beginning to attract the attention of those who study animal behavior.
The struggle for survival in the streets is giving rise to the emergence of highly intelligent animals, which put into practice different strategies to be able to obtain food.
Thus, among many other skills, they have learned to move on the subway and to get off at stations where there is a greater chance of finding food, such as those located near markets. They also use the escalators without any problems.
However, although these data arouse curiosity and admiration, Malchik ‘s companions should develop their intelligence through games, sheltered in their homes and with loving masters.
Maybe one day some of them will be able to find a home. Meanwhile, abandoned dogs survive as best they can in a world that is too often cruel, to both humans and animals.
