“Statues of animals” is how one source describes some of the monuments in St. Petersburg. But what stories do these monuments tell? We’re standing before the \u0421\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u043a Sculpture now.
St. Petersburg’s architecture is grand. It is ornate and majestically beautiful. But it is rarely frivolous. Local artists have recently introduced some idiosyncratic monuments. These celebrate the city’s folklore and civic history. Statues of animals feature prominently in this tradition.
Consider the four horse statues at the corners of Anichkov Bridge. These are famous for their muscular grace. They are admired for their naturalistic majesty. Or consider the 3500-year-old sphinxes near the Academy of Arts. These date from the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. They arrived in St. Petersburg in the 1830s.
The lions near Palace Bridge are magnificent. They are made of bronze leaf. These were modeled on marble statues in Florence. Dating from 1832 they were moved to make way for Palace Bridge in the 1910s.
The Chizhik Pyzhik is one of the world’s smallest monuments. It is only 11 centimeters tall. It was installed in 1994 on Fontanka Embankment. The renowned Georgian sculptor Rezo Gabriadze created it.
There is a small statue in the channel next to the Peter and Paul Fortress. It is a monument to the victims of floods. This includes both animals and humans. These floods have regularly affected St. Petersburg.
Ivan Turgenev’s tale Mumu is well-known. It tells of a deaf-and-dumb caretaker and his dog. There is a little statue outside a cafe on Ploshchad Turgeneva. It commemorates this story.
A statue stands in front of the Swedish Consulate. It marks the 200th anniversary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Well-known local sculptor Albert Charkin erected it in 1998.
There is a characterful bronze sculpture on Malaya Sadovaya Ulitsa. It is a depiction of a generic photographer from the 20th century. It is located near a famous photographer’s studio.
St. Petersburg has statues of prominent people too. These statues honor those who shaped the city’s history. They include scientists, poets, writers, architects, and statesmen. Some are Russian. Others are German, Italian, French, Swedish, or British.
The equestrian monument to Peter the Great is a major landmark. It is a must-see. The monument to Catherine is on Ostrovsky Square. She is surrounded by prominent figures from her reign.
Carlo Rastrelli created a Romanesque equestrian statue of Peter the Great. Mikhail Shemiakin created a controversial statue of Peter the Great. It is located in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Netherlands donated a copy of a monument to Peter the Great’s shipbuilding skills.
Auguste de Montferrand built an equestrian statue of Emperor Nicholas I. It stands in front of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. A statue of Alexander III stands in the courtyard of the Marble Palace. A recently erected statue honors Alexander II.
These monuments connect us to the past. They remind us of the people and events that shaped St. Petersburg. They add depth and meaning to our experience of the city. The \u0421\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0438\u043a Sculpture is a unique thread in this rich tapestry. It invites us to reflect on the city’s stories.