On November 3, 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 2 sending the first animal to space, orbiting the Earth. Laika (Barker in English) was a female mixed breed stray dog. Sadly, it is believed that due to heat and stress, she died a few hours after takeoff. But hers and other dogs flights paved the way for […]
Russians have a long tradition of loving pets. The 19th century painter Velentin Serov famously portrayed Madame Yussoupova with her Pomeranian in the last days of the Russian Empire. Other painters of that century also painted noblemen with their pets. During the Communist era, space and economic limitations prevented most Russians from owning pets. Since […]
Throughout history cats have aided armies in their military efforts. Despite the fact that dogs and horses usually the get the glory, cats have also served crucial roles in warfare. Cats have served as mousers, deterring mice and rats from getting at the rations and the weapons. According to the ancient historian Herodotus, Egyptian armies […]
