A
breed of dog also known as the Russian Wolfhound, this breed of dog
was originally
bred in
Czarist Russia
to hunt and kill wolves. It resembles a Greyhound with slightly
longer fur and its name
is derived from the Russian word for “fast”. It is also closely
related to the Afghan Hound and Sulki.
Highly
regarded in Russia, the Czar even gifted the dogs to the rulers of
other countries such as Queen Victoria in England. After the 1917
Revolution, however they fell out of favor and became extremely rare
in native country, but
in the 1940s, they made a resurgence,
they
were and still are revered for their hunting abilities and speed. They are extremely popular in
Western Europe and the United States, where
they are still popular today, but more as pets and show dogs.
The
height of their popularity was in the early part of the 20th
century. The Captain of the Titanic owned one and their elegant style
made them extremely popular in the Art Deco period. In the 1920s and
30s, they were commonly seen in paintings and sculptures and often
accompanied beautiful women such as socialites and movie stars.
Publishing
firm Alfred
A. Knopf known
for its many critically acclaimed literary works, has a Borzoi
logo and
a Borzoi even joined Pink Floyd for a song in their Live at Pompeii
film.