Chizhik-Pyzhik is a tiny statue of a bird.
It is on a pedestal built into the stonework of the riverside near the Pantelejmonov bridge that crosses the River Fontanki in Saint Petersburg.
I’ve highlighted it in yellow on the photo above.
Locals like to throw small coins onto the platform near the bird’s legs in the belief that if the coin lands on the platform, their wish will come true.
The origin of the name Chizhik-Pyzhik is lost in the mists of time, but one story says it comes from a song sung by the law students at the then nearby Imperial School of Jurisprudence. The school dress was yellow and green, which is reminiscent of the colours of the siskin (chisik in Russian).
So – here are Russians enjoying themselves throwing coins onto Chizhik-Pyzhik’s platform.
