September 4, 1907 in the capital of the Russian Empire - Saint-Petersburg on the Neva River were unusual for the Russian traditions of sculpture and statues - a pair of lions (the whale. "Shih tsza"). According to Chinese mythology, they - defenders of family well-being. One of the sculptures - the mother-old lion, the second - the father lion, symbolizing knowledge. According to ancient beliefs, the ball that he holds a paw, the light scatters the darkness and fulfills every wish.

Prior to becoming decoration banks of the Neva, Shih tsza stood in the town of Jilin in Manchuria. They were intended for the new church-chapel, built on the orders of the governor of the city - General Chan. After his death the new ruler Kirin decided to make a gift to the Governor-General Priamurja NI Grodekovo, who handed the statues in St. Petersburg. He did this at his own expense, spending on transportation of about a thousand rubles.

In 1903, in St. Petersburg was the reconstruction of the embankment. According to the plan of engineer FG Zbrozheka and architect LI Novikov, Neva was dressed in granite, and not far from the house of Peter I was made a scenic descent to the river. It was there, on the recommendation of the architect LN Benoit, who believed that the statues are of great artistic value, on massive pedestals and it was decided to establish a gift Grodekov. Donor name immortalized in the inscription: "The Gift General of Infantry NI Grodekov. "

The statues are made from a single piece of granite. The weight of each of them - about 2, 5 tons, height - more than four meters. Shi-tsza has inscription on one of the Chinese dialects. It reads: "This lion is made in Jilin happy day in 10 months of 32 years (according to our chronology in 1906) is now the reigning Emperor of Dai Qing, the reign is called Kuang-hsu, or the continuation of the glorious reign."

The look is not quite lions usually bear little resemblance to the present. Head Shih tsza very large, muzzle - a disproportionately wide, exaggeratedly strong chest and legs. At home sculptures in imperial China, such fantastical creatures adorn the temples, gates and palaces of the imperial tombs, residences, office buildings, from the time of the Han Dynasty. Nowadays they are indispensable attribute of Buddhist temples and shrines in sintoistve, distributed as a symbol of power, strength and justice drahmicheskih beliefs, for example similar to the Shih tsza lev- vahana is a mount lord Manjushri.

According to the beliefs, Shih tsza is the protector and guardian of the law. He - a symbol of unlimited power, strength, success. In Korea, a Shih Tzu dog consistent way, there was thought that armor made from the hide of a lion is much stronger than the others, in Japan Shih tsza turned into a mixture of Korean and Chinese lion dog.

According to historical tradition guards Shih tsza are located on both sides of the entrance to the sanctuary. To the right is always a lion, and the left - a lion with a lion cub. Typically, the lion paw holds the ball, which in Buddhism is called tama, which in Japanese means the knowledge treasure, the light which is introduced into the darkness. Lioness usually holds the lion with his paw. If the figures are in a couple, then one of them to fall open, and the other - closed. According to one interpretation of the symbols of the birth of a new life, and death, according to another interpretation - it is a symbol of openness and good rejection of evil, according to the third - mouth symbolize the first and last letters of the Sanskrit alphabet. In general, it is believed that an open mouth scares evil and demonic forces, and private preserves and protects the good justice.