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Section Getting to Know Russia

Unusual medical monuments from different parts of Russia

Did you know that in Russia there are monuments erected not only in honor of outstanding figures or events in the field of medicine? We suggest you to get acquainted with some of them.

Monument to the laboratory mouse, Novosibirsk

According to the American National Academy of Sciences, 22 million animals are used for testing and research every year. Almost 85% are experimental rats and mice. All research in the field of biomedicine is based on this, whether it is the search for a cure for cancer or the study of the effects of space flight on the human body. One of them is opposite the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Akademgorodok near Novosibirsk. Here, millions of mice were sacrificed to scientific discoveries. It is a statue of the mouse in a lab coat and glasses, knitting a DNA sign with needles. The statue appeared in 2013 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the opening of the institute.

Monument " The Baby in Cabbage", Tomsk

There is another interesting monument in Siberia - " The Baby in Cabbage". It is installed in the city of Tomsk on Lenin Avenue, 65, opposite the entrance to the maternity hospital building No. 1. The small sculpture is a half-open cabbage head, from which a baby is born. It is made of stone, the diameter of the cabbage head is 80 centimeters, the weight is one and a half  tons, the height of the baby is about 60 centimeters. The monument appeared at the central maternity hospital of Tomsk in 2008 and is one of the sights of the city that you just need to see!

Monument to dogs, Ufa

In Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, there is a bronze statue of an adult dog and a puppy. Dogs have long been used for research related to the treatment of dental diseases. There are many public and private dental clinics in Ufa, so this expression of gratitude to the four-legged heroes is quite appropriate.

Monument to Dr. Aybolit, Tyumen
Dr. Aibolit is the hero of a fairy tale by the Russian children's writer Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky (1882-1969). There is a poetic and prose version of this tale, where the good doctor treats various animals, birds and even insects. They come to the reception themselves, or he finds them, nurses them and leaves them to live in his house. In other words, Dr. Aibolit was a veterinarian.
In 2009 a sculpture of the doctor and his faithful companion and assistant, Avva the dog, was installed near the building of the city veterinary clinic. The funds for the monument were allocated by the management of the institution. The statues are made of concrete in one of the private companies. For example, the doctor weighs more than 1000 kg and his height is about 170 cm.

Monument to enema (douching), Zheleznovodsk

In the resort town of Zheleznovodsk there is a monument to enema (douching).

It was installed on the territory of the Mashuk Aqua-Term sanatorium. This is the only such sculpture in the world. The idea to erect a monument belongs to the former director of the sanatorium, Alexander Kharchenko. According to him, no medical institution can do without an enema, including the Mashuk Aqua-Term sanatorium. Masters from Rostov-on-Don worked on the sculpture for a whole year. The composition consists of three small cherubs (angel boys) carrying a douche bag over their heads. By the way, the weight of the finished work is 400 kilograms, and the height is 1.5 meters! The grand opening of the unusual monument took place in 2008. During this time, thousands of tourists and patients of the sanatorium were able to see it in person. In 2010 and 2019, the sculpture was even shown on TV. In 2021 the monument was included in the virtual encyclopedia "100 most unusual monuments of the country".

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