Monument of Vasily I

The monument to Vasily I is a bronze bust set on a black marble pedestal positioned on an elevated site between the Assumption Church and a museum building. The statue stands within a decorative cast-iron fence and overlooks the Volga valley from Sobornaya Gora Street, making its location easy for visitors to identify.

The monument was erected in 1910 to mark the medieval foundation of Plyos as a customs post on the Volga by the prince it commemorates. The inscription on the base uses pre-reform Russian spelling and was created during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II.

The sculpture shows a figure in medieval Russian dress with a beard and fur coat, which visitors encounter as they walk around the hilltop. The monument sits between two significant buildings and creates a natural focal point in the space.

The monument sits on a hilltop with good visibility and is easy to reach on foot from nearby streets. The low fence surrounding the statue allows visitors to view and photograph it from various angles without obstruction.

The inscription on the pedestal uses spelling conventions that existed before Russia's major language reform of 1918. This older writing style makes the monument a visible record of how the written language changed.

Location: Plyos

Inception: 1910

GPS coordinates: 57.45881,41.51442

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:42