Kashtanka, Statue in Honfleur, France
Kashtanka is a small dog statue in the historic center of Honfleur, a port town in Normandy, France. It sits on a cobblestone square and depicts the dog character from Anton Chekhov's short story of the same name.
The statue was made by a local artist and placed in the town center as part of Honfleur's long engagement with public art. It connects the literary world of Chekhov with the town's own history of drawing artists and storytellers to its streets.
The name Kashtanka comes from a short story by Anton Chekhov about a loyal little dog. The statue fits into a local habit of placing small works of art in the streets, where walkers can come across them by chance.
The statue is easy to reach on foot and sits in the cobbled lanes of Honfleur's old town, not far from the old harbor. It can be visited at any time of day and fits naturally into a walk through the town center.
Although Chekhov was Russian, his story about Kashtanka has found a small following in Honfleur, far from Russia. Visitors who look closely at the surface of the figure can see marks left by time and weather that are only noticeable up close.
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