Monument to Paul I of Vitali, Bronze statue in Gatchina, Russia.

The Monument to Paul I of Vitali is a bronze and granite statue positioned in front of the southern facade of Gatchina Palace, depicting the Tsar in complete ceremonial dress. The work was created by sculptor Ivan Vitali and provides a detailed representation of imperial authority and status from that period.

The bronze statue was cast at the Saint Petersburg Galvanoplastic Plant and unveiled in Gatchina on 1 August 1851, during the reign of Nicholas I, son of Paul I. Its model by Ivan Vitali followed a ceremonial portrait of 1796 by Stepan Shchukin approved by the emperor himself. A zinc-alloy copy was placed in Pavlovsk on 29 June 1872 under Alexander II.

Gatchina newlyweds lay flowers at the statue of the city's founder, remembered as a family man and father of ten children. By the death of his wife Maria Feodorovna in 1828 the couple had 50 direct descendants. The image also appears on souvenirs and book covers about the town.

The statue stands on the parade ground in front of the Grand Gatchina Palace, near the parapet, facing the palace as if reviewing troops. It is an outdoor monument, so plan a visit in daylight; the polished Finnish granite pedestal and the bronze figure are best seen in clear weather.

The statue's model was based on a ceremonial portrait of Paul I painted by Stepan Shchukin in 1796 and approved by the emperor himself; the painting now hangs in the Tretyakov Gallery. Vitali gave the emperor a "kindly and dreamy" face, at odds with his harsh reputation, and received the Order of St Anna, second degree, for the work.