“The Prince of Italy, Count Suvorov-Rymniki. 1801” reads the inscription. This is dedicated to Alexander Suvorov. The Suvorov Monument is a striking bronze sculpture. It commemorates a celebrated Russian Generalissimo. We are standing in Suvorov Square. Here the monument dominates the space.
Alexander Suvorov was a military leader. He achieved many great victories. These wins happened during the Russo-Turkish War. He also fought in the Russo-Austrian campaign against Napoleon. His most famous feat was crossing the Alps in 1799.
Emperor Paul I commissioned the Suvorov Monument in 1799. He wanted to honor Suvorov’s Italian expedition. The sculptor Mikhail Kozlovsky created the monument. His design was approved in early 1800.
Suvorov is shown as the Roman god Mars. He holds a raised sword in his right hand. In his left, he carries a shield. The shield protects an altar. The papal tiara and crowns of Austria and Sardinia sit on the altar. These represent lands Suvorov defended.
The face on the statue is not Suvorov’s actual face. It symbolizes a heroic figure. Figures representing Glory support the pedestal’s cartouche.
The monument was cast in bronze by Vasily Ekimov. He worked in the Imperial Academy of Arts foundry. Fyodor Gordeyev sculpted the bronze bas-relief on the pedestal. Andrey Voronikhin designed the pedestal. He used leftover marble. This marble came from the construction of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral.
The statue is 3.37 metres tall. The pedestal is 4.05 metres high. The Suvorov Monument was unveiled on May 17, 1801. Neither Suvorov nor Paul I lived to see it.
This was the first monument in Russia. It honored someone outside the Imperial family. It was also the first monument ordered during the subject’s life. Russian craftsmen created it.
Originally, they planned to place the monument in Gatchina. Emperor Paul changed the location. He wanted it near his residence at Mikhailovsky Castle. The monument stood on the Field of Mars. Carlo Rossi redeveloped the area in 1818. He moved the monument to Suvorov Square.
In the 1830s, the original marble pedestal cracked. It was replaced with a pink granite pedestal. During the siege of Leningrad, people tried to hide the monument. A story says a bomb missed it. It hit a nearby house cellar instead. The monument survived the siege unharmed.
The Suvorov Monument stands as a testament to military glory. It also represents Russian artistry. Take a moment to appreciate its history and symbolism.