Hedgehog in the Fog Monument in Kyiv

Who doesn't remember the animated story of the sweet little hedgehog lost in a thick fog? We think everyone does, because the film is both charming and mysteriously beautiful. The adventures of the little Hedgehog, who sets out through the fog to visit his friend the Bear Cub, have left hardly anyone indifferent, and the film released in 1975 still draws new and longtime viewers alike.

Given such success, it is no wonder that the film's hero, the Hedgehog, became so popular across the countries of the former Soviet Union. And not only there: in the early 2000s, the film was named the best animated film of all time by 140 critics from around the world. Sooner or later, its hero was bound to get a monument, and that is exactly what happened.

The Hedgehog was installed in 2009. The sculpture is carved from pine and decorated with 5,000 self-tapping screws that stand in for the Hedgehog's quills. The hero's eyes and the stump he sits on are ceramic. The project was designed by Kyiv architects Volodymyr Kolinko and Heorhii Kurovskyi, and the initiative came from the Kyiv Landscape Initiative.

Many visitors who come to meet this charming monument are surprised to find a name plate reading "Horse." What is the symbolism, given that the monument is dedicated to the Hedgehog and not to the White Horse he climbed down to check on in the fog? The answer is that just a few meters away stands another monument, dedicated to the Heroes Defenders of Ukraine's Borders: a Cossack sitting proudly on his faithful warhorse. It is this horse the Hedgehog is gazing at, with the same wonder on his face that we saw in the film.

Sadly, the Hedgehog has been damaged by vandals more than once and has had to be sent away for restoration. But this has never broken the spirit of its creators, and the Hedgehog keeps returning to his spot, to the delight of children and adults alike.

Kyivans believe the Hedgehog brings good luck: just leave a few coins in his little bundle and fortune will smile on you. The main thing is to believe and never give up!

Fans of the character, big and small, should head to the intersection of Zolotovoritska Street, Reitarska Street and Heorhiivskyi Lane. That is where you will find the Hedgehog in the Fog.