Loyalty

Loyalty is a bronze statue of a German Shepherd in Tolyatti, positioned on a granite pedestal at the crossing of South Highway and Lev Yashin Street. The figure measures one and a half meters in height and shows a seated dog with raised head.

Sculptor Oleg Klyuyev created the piece to commemorate a faithful dog, and it was unveiled on the first of June two thousand and three. It became the first monument in the city to honor neither a political nor a historical figure.

The statue portrays a German Shepherd who spent seven years waiting for his owner after the man died, a story widely known across the city. Newlyweds stop to touch the dog's nose, believing this gesture will bring loyalty to their marriage.

The crossing is clearly visible from both roads and easily reached on foot. Access is open at all times since the monument sits in public space.

The dog waited every day at the same crossing where his owner had died in a car accident. The story moved so many residents that a donation campaign covered the cost of casting the bronze.