The Bronze Horseman - Monument to Peter the Great - St. Petersurg, Russia - Equestrian Statues on Waymarking.com

"It is one of the main monument in Saint Petersburg. It is dedicated to the most powerful Tsar of Russia and founder of Saint Petersburg “Peter the Great”. The statue is located in Ploschad Dekabristov (December Square) near the Saint Isaac cathedral at Neva shore. It was constructed in the XVIII century by the famous French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet. The monument’s construction was ordered by “Catherine the Great” as a tribute to his famous predecessor. The equestrian statue inspired the famous poem “The Bronze Horseman” of the great Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin . This poem (considered one of the best works of the Russian Literature) is the reason why the people call usually this sculpture the “Bronze Horseman”.

The enormous an impressive pedestal of the statue is known as the Thunder Stone and is a single piece of red granite molded into the form of a cliff. The legend says that while this statue is in its location any enemy can never take the city. This legend recovered value in the Second World War; since the sculpture was not taken down during the 900 days that lasted the Leningrad siege, it survived almost 3 years of bombing and shelling, because it was protected by the citizens at any cost; they used sand bags and wooden shelter to protect the main symbol of their resistance. Therefore, this monument is now a symbol of the Saint Petersburg’s courage." (visit link)

"On 7 August 1782, fourteen years after excavation of the pedestal began, the finished statue was unveiled in a ceremony with thousands in attendance. Conspicuously absent was Falconet, as a misunderstanding between him and the empress turned into a serious conflict. As a result he was forced to leave Russia four years before the project was completed. Catherine largely forgot about him afterwards, and came to see the Bronze Horseman as her own oeuvre.

The statue portrays Peter the Great sitting heroically on his horse, his outstretched arm pointing towards the River Neva in the west. The sculptor wished to capture the exact moment of his horse rearing at the edge of a dramatic cliff. His horse can be seen trampling a serpent, variously interpreted to represent treachery, evil or the enemies of Peter and his reforms. The statue itself is about 6 m (20 feet) tall, while the pedestal is another 7 m (25 feet) tall, for a total of approximately 13 m (45 feet)." (visit link)

Identity of Rider: Peter the Great Name of artist: Etienne Maurice Falconet Date of Dedication: 8/7/1782 Material: Bronze Unusual Features: The pedestal, an enormous boulder known as the Thunder Stone, claimed to be the "largest stone ever moved by man". Position: Two Hooves Raised Identity of Horse: Not listed

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