Chizhik-Pyzhik facts for kids

The statue of Chizhik-Pyzhik near the First Engineer Bridge

The "Chizhik-Pyzhik" (Russian: Чи́жик-Пы́жик) is a very famous Russian folk song. It's a short, simple tune that many people in Russia know. The song is so popular that it even inspired a small statue in the city of Saint Petersburg.

The exact story behind the song isn't fully clear. However, one popular urban legend suggests it's about students from a special school. This school was called the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. Its students often visited a cafe on the Fontanka Quay in Saint Petersburg.

The school was founded by Duke Peter of Oldenburg. It was located nearby at house number 6. The students wore unique uniforms. These uniforms had yellow and green colors. These colors looked a lot like a small bird called a siskin (Russian: чиж, chizh). Because of this, the students were often nicknamed "Chizhik." Their hats were made from the fur of young reindeer (Russian: пыжик, pyzhik). This is how they got their full nickname: Chizhiks-Pyzhiks.

The song has a very easy melody. It's often used to teach young children how to play the piano. Many famous Russian classical composers have even been inspired by Chizhik. These include Sergey Prokofyev, Isaak Dunaevsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Chizhik-Pyzhik Statue

In 1994, the city of Saint Petersburg decided to honor the famous song. They put up a small bronze statue of Chizhik-Pyzhik. This statue is located right across from where the old School of Jurisprudence used to be. You can find it sitting on a ledge by the water, close to the First Engineer Bridge.

The statue was designed by Georgian artist Revaz Gabriadze. It is one of the tiniest statues in all of Saint Petersburg. It stands only 11 centimeters tall. That's about the size of a small pencil! It weighs around 5 kilograms.

The little statue has been stolen a few times. The last time it was taken was in 2003. People likely stole it to melt down the bronze. Because of this, city officials thought about replacing it. They considered making a new statue from granite or marble. These materials would make it much harder to steal.