Cats Mean Culture

If you have been to St. Petersburg at least once, then, of course, you know that this city is rightfully considered the cultural capital of Russia - and perhaps of the whole world. And even if you haven't, you still know that this is a city of theaters and museums. But not only. Everyone knows that St. Petersburg is also the capital of cats. The legendary cats of the Hermitage alone are worth mentioning.

including the beautiful white oracle Achilles, the best football prediction specialist.

However, the State Hermitage is by no means the only place where cats "work". They say that in St. Petersburg it is difficult to find a cultural institution where there would be no charming employee. They decided to combine these three global phenomena - culture, cats and St. Petersburg - in the famous cats cafe "Republic of Cats". And they came up with a special census award called "Cat-Cultural Capital".

The award aroused great interest among cultural cat lovers. And among cats, as well, because nominees from 17 cities took part in the "creative competition" of service cats! The best ones were chosen through a vote, in which more than four thousand people took part. The cat Musya from the St. Petersburg Mayakovsky Library won the competition having an obvious advantage. They say Musya loves Gothic literature in foreign languages and is even listed in the staff list as a librarian of the second CATegory.

While Musya became the all-Russian cat culture champion, Matros Vasilyevich, who works as a cat at the Severnaya Verf plant, was recognized as the best service cat in St. Petersburg.

A ginger cat named Losos was also chosen as a fluffy CATployee. Guess where it works? At the fish store, of course. By the way, Losos is a cat from the capital, from Moscow.

And Fedor from the "Theater of Rains" was named as the best of the theatrical cats.

The beautiful Filimon won in the nomination "The best castle cat". He really lives in a castle in the city of Vyborg.

In the nomination "Meowseum Cat" the Grand Prix was awarded to Pas the cat from the Museum of History and Culture of the Komi Republic.

Almost 60 nominees received diplomas, for example, Vasily, an inhabitant of the Smolensk Museum of the Great Patriotic War; keeper of the Peter and Paul Cathedral named Kapitolina; Muzya the cat representing the monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad. Tarlan the cat from the St. Petersburg lamaist temple was awarded a special diploma of the temple keeper.

Do you think the census award was invented only so that you and I could once again be amazed at cute cats? No. The idea is not at all a joke. The official public page of the award on the social network VKontakte says: “It is no secret that four-legged employees are on duty in many cultural institutions in St. Petersburg, who allow the citizens and guests of the city to take a fresh look at their favorite museums and libraries. The attitude towards animals on the part of the citizens, administration and museum staff contributes to formation of an image of St. Petersburg as a CAT cultural capital, a city where animals are loved and treated responsibly”.