The grand opening of a bronze statue of a squirrel took place in the TSU grove. It fostered a new student tradition – if you rub the squirrel’s glasses, the exams will be successful. This is the first sculpture within the project “Find a squirrel, recognize Tomsk!”. Since its foundation, almost 150 years ago, the university has been a center of education and culture, and the squirrel holds a book in its hands as a sign of knowledge and student community.
The sculptures of squirrels for the project “Find a squirrel, recognize Tomsk!” were developed by the TSU Siberian Design Center. The author is Zhigzhit Bayashkhalanov – Russian sculptor, jeweler, Honored Artist of the Trans-Baikal Territory, Honored Artist of the Republic of Buryatia, member of the Union of Artists of Russia. The project was supported by the Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.
– It is not fortuitous that we put the first squirrel here in the University Grove. We perceive Tomsk as a city of universities, a city of science, – emphasized the mayor of Tomsk Dmitry Makhinya. – This place is inhabited by such residents that deserve to be whom we will now try to memorialize.
10 squirrels were created within the framework of the project “Find a squirrel, recognize Tomsk!”. 30-cm high squirrels are installed in iconic tourist locations of the city. The purpose of the project is to create a new attraction for Tomsk residents and guests of the city, to popularize the cultural, architectural and historical places of Tomsk.
The university grove is the center of attraction for Tomsk residents, students and university staff and guests of the city. TSU has always been a not only socio-economic, but also cultural driver of development in the city and region.
– The university is the birthplace of new ideas, here people reveal their potential and generate new ideas, – said the rector of TSU Eduard Galazhinskiy. – It is no coincidence that a squirrel holds a book – in a sense, this symbolizes the meaning of the text and the role of books in life. Despite the fact that today we are all moving to electronic formats, the book remains the foundation of meanings and education.
A university squirrel with a book in its hands can become a symbol of the TOM art and reading festival, which is held annually jointly by TSU and the Siberian branch of the Pushkin Museum. Every year the festival becomes more large-scale and diverse. In 2022, the festival gathered 5,000 people, and in 2025 – more than 20,000 guests from 9 regions of the country came to Tomsk. In 2026, TOM festival will traditionally be held in May, and within the framework of the event, the Russian Word program will be organized, timed to coincide with the 225th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Dahl.
It should be reminded that the Aleksandrovsky Boulevard, a historical place for walks and creative projects in Tomsk, was opened in September. Its opening became a landmark starting point – in less than 1,000 days the university will celebrate its 150 anniversary.