Monument to Mumu

This little monument commemorates the eponymous canine hero of one of Ivan Turgenev's most popular works. A lachrymose tale known to every Russian school kid, Mumu tells the story of Gerasim, a deaf-and-dumb caretaker, his beloved dog Mumu, and his heartless mistress, who hears Mumu barking in the night and commands that the dog be destroyed. After taking Mumu for a slap-up meal at the local inn, Gerasim ties stones around her neck and drops her in the Moskva River.

Statue of Turgenev's canine hero Mumu on Ploshchad Turgeneva (Turgenev Square)

Next to the entrance to Cafe Mumu on Ploshchad Turgeneva ("Turgenev Square"), a pretty green square at the end of Sadovaya Ulitsa, this little bronze sculpture of the dog curled up next to her master's boots and cape (a bronze figure of Gerasim can be found inside the cafe) was unveiled in 2004, marking 150 years since Turgene's tale was first published in the Petersburg literary journal Sovremennik.