Monument to Victims of Political Repressions

The Monument to Victims of Political Repressions consists of two bronze sphinxes on granite pedestals along the Neva River in Saint Petersburg. Each sphinx displays a young face on one side and skeletal features on the other, contrasting life and death.

The structure was inaugurated in 1995 and stands opposite Kresty Prison, where countless citizens were processed before their deportation to Soviet labor camps. It recalls the period when persecution was routine and families were torn apart.

The inscriptions on the pedestals contain texts from writers like Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelshtam, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn who experienced political persecution. These names recall people whose words survived decades of suppression and can now be read freely.

The site is accessible by taking the metro to Chernyshevskaya station and walking along Prospekt Chernyshevskogo toward the Neva River embankment. The riverside location allows quiet reflection without crowds or entry restrictions.

Between the sphinxes stands a narrow granite structure with a gap resembling a prison window, symbolizing the confinement endured during that period. This opening frames the sky and lets visitors sense the divide between captivity and freedom.

Location: Saint Petersburg

Location: Voskresenskaya Embankment

Architects: Vyacheslav Bukhayev, Anatoly Vasilyev

Architectural style: postmodernism, metaphysical painting, synthetism, Egyptian Revival architecture

Made from material: bronze, granite

GPS coordinates: 59.94986,30.36349

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29