One of the most recognizable photos of Faina Ranevskaya is the one where she holds an enormous, well-groomed cat in her arms. Acquaintances claimed that, truly, she loved only two: the pedigreed Siamese cat Tiki and the stray yard dog who had stuck around, nicknamed Boy (as the actress herself admitted: “My dog lives like Sara Bernhardt, and I myself—like a dog”). But it turns out that Faina Georgievna was not just a passionate fan of cats and dogs—she devoted a whole book to “man’s best friends,” and even added it with her own drawings.
This is the warmest, funniest, most touching, and most upbeat text by the great actress.
It’s not only a declaration of love for her pets—who became her real family—but also incredibly amusing observations about the character and habits of all cats and dogs—those who, according to Ranevskaya, “are far better, more artistic, smarter, and more loyal than most people—they won’t betray you, won’t abandon you, won’t bark for no reason…”.
That’s what Ranevskaya said.
And her gravestone is topped with a bronze figure of a dog with its muzzle resting on its paws—sad eyes, loneliness in its gaze. Boy didn’t live long without his mistress, and Ranevskaya’s fans have preserved the memory of him forever…