Monument to Peter I, Bronze memorial in Senate Square, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Monument to Peter I is a bronze sculpture on Senate Square in Saint Petersburg. The figure shows the tsar high on horseback atop a huge granite block carved directly from a piece of rock that keeps the rough surface of the original stone.
Catherine the Great commissioned French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet to execute the work, and the formal unveiling took place on August 7, 1782. Transporting the pedestal from the swamp area to the square took nearly two years and required hundreds of workers.
Locals call the statue Mednyj Vsadnik, referring to a famous story by Pushkin in which the rider comes alive at night. Visitors often see wedding couples taking photos by the pedestal, as the figure represents power and future for them.
The square is accessible around the clock and offers clear views from every direction, especially from the waterfront promenade along the Neva. Good light for photos appears in the morning when the sun illuminates the Senate building facade and the sculpture from the front.
The snake beneath the horse hoof symbolizes the enemies Peter defeated during his rule, and tourists often overlook it while focusing only on the rider. The inscription on the pedestal consists of just two words in Latin script: Petro Primo Catharina Secunda.
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