Russalka Memorial, Bronze memorial monument in Kadriorg, Estonia.
The Russalka Memorial is a bronze angel holding an Orthodox cross mounted atop a granite stone shaft roughly 16 meters tall in Kadriorg. A compass pattern of granite pavement surrounds its base, and a wide promenade connects the site to the nearby palace grounds.
The memorial was erected in 1902 and commemorates the sinking of the Russian warship Russalka in 1893 in the Gulf of Finland. Sculptor Amandus Adamson created this work, marking an important turning point in Estonian art.
The name Russalka comes from the sunken Russian warship, and locals associate it with mourning and maritime loss. The bronze angel figure standing on the stone shaft has shaped the city's memory for over a century.
The site is easily accessible and located along a wide pedestrian promenade with flat, even ground and no steep slopes. The compass-patterned plaza around the base offers space to stand and view the monument from multiple angles.
The bronze angel was modeled after the sculptor's housekeeper, blending a personal connection with national maritime remembrance. This unexpected link between private life and public memorial adds human depth to the monument.
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