A monument in tribute to people who devote their lives to helping others has been unveiled in the city of Kazan in Russia's republic of Tatarstan. While monuments to prominent philanthropists are nothing unusual, this one is special – it’s been

Almost 100 children live in a Kazan orphanage, most of them suffering from mental disorders. Many need specialist treatment that they can only get outside the orphanage.

It used to be the case that making a trip to town was a challenge. But now, life for the children has been made easier by one simple thing – a minivan.

The van was a gift from a man so well-known for his charity work that he served as prototype for the monument recently unveiled in Kazan’s central square.

“With this van, we also take them to parks or the zoo. Here, all the children see are the walls around them, but during these trips they get to discover a whole new world,” says head nurse Evgenia Dobrynina.

72-year-old Asgat Galimzyanov has been helping children for most of his life. He’s changed many jobs, from driving a horse and cart at a Soviet market, to breeding cattle.

He has spent most of the money he’s made buying minivans, clothes and toys for local hospitals and orphanages. Asgat says he has seen hardships in his life – that’s why he feels it necessary to ease the life of others.

Asya Minnullina, the sculptor who cast him in bronze, says she couldn’t wait to make the monument: “When I met Asgat, I saw a really positive man and I got inspired straight away. It’s all about someone who is happy when he makes others happy”.

As for the locals, they believe the project is long overdue, but hope that the monument will make others follow his example.