Anais Gutierrez
Just another day on the internet with another viral image to go crazy about. This time a sculpture in a Dutch Medical Center has become the Internet craze in Russia.
That’s right, Russia has given us the next viral meme and it’s weird and adorable at the same time. Called “Zhdun,” the meme has taken over the Russian social media and it’s just crazy!
Dutch cute monster taking the Internet.
In Spring 2016, an unusual sculpture by artist Margriet van Breevoort emerged at Leiden University Medical Center as a request of the medical center. A Dutch artist Margriet van Breevoort created the odd yet funny and adorable creature.
The artist called it the “Homunculus Loxodontus.” She explained its name by saying “I wanted to give it a scientific name, like a new species. Homunculus means ‘little guy’ in Latin, or ‘artificially created human.’ And Loxodontus is the scientific name for African elephant, referring to the snout.”
Sitting, waiting, wishing.
The medical center asked the artist to make something inspired by the center, and Margriet decided to focus on the patients rather than science. She explained “I didn’t want to create something about medicine or illness, but rather about the patients themselves. The way they just have to await their fate in the waiting rooms. About hoping for the best.”
The chubby kinda adorable creature was sat waiting for its moment of glory and soon it came. In January 2017, a woman visiting the hospital saw the adorable creature and decided it deserved more attention, so she graced Pikabu, the Russian version of Reddit, with the picture of the creature.
Becoming “Zhdun.”
The picture fastly went viral and the sculpture was meme-baptised “Zhdun” wich roughly translates as “waiter.” This new name fits perfectly with the sculpture which symbolizes people lined up patiently to see a doctor.
Margriet kept receiving more and more followers, specifically Russians and noticed the huge attention the now rebaptised “Zhdun” was receiving. As a diligent mother, Margriet decided to create an official public community for Zhdun on VK.com where it has over 80k followers.
Sort of National hero.
As every good meme, it symbolizes so much more than we could even express. Zhdun seems to express Russians emotions like no other. Part of Russian’s history and mentality is always waiting for something, things to get better or literally something, like bread in a queue. So waiting has become part of Russians.
Margriet explained “I have been told it is so popular in Russia because they recognize themselves… They share the same mentality, always waiting.”
Taking the internet by storm.
#ждун #HomunculusLoxodontus https://t.co/BfGEcxT7Yi… pic.twitter.com/sfLfbsS3xk
— Caesar (@CaesarGI) January 31, 2017
New meme from the Russian side of the internet #ждун pic.twitter.com/57KRe22pAW
— Nadia P (@SpikeNP) January 30, 2017
With Stoned Fox, another huge meme.
People are simply visiting it and posting pictures with it.
He even stood by President Putin in August 2016 when he had to wait for Turkish leader.
— Россиюшка Тудей (@RuToday) January 30, 2017
He’s even on Trump’s executive order.
And in classical art.
Do check its IG account, please.
Source: BuzzFeed
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