Technical marvel or composite stylistic mess? That is the question surrounding the Monument to Nicholas I. Here we stand before the impressive Monument to Nicholas I, located on St. Isaac’s Square. It stands proudly between the Mariinsky Palace and St. Isaac’s Cathedral.
The Monument to Nicholas I was erected in 1859. Auguste de Montferrand designed it. Construction began in 1856 after Emperor Nicholas I’s death. The monument officially opened on June 25, 1859.
This monument to Nicholas I isn’t just a statue. It is a statement. The six-foot equestrian statue depicts Nicholas I in the uniform of the Life Guards Regiment. Sculptor Peter Klodt created the statue of Nicholas I.
Look closely at the pedestal of the Monument to Nicholas I. Four bas-reliefs adorn it. Three were crafted by N. Romazanov. R. Salzmann created the fourth. These reliefs tell stories of Nicholas I’s reign. They depict the Decembrist Revolt in 1825. Another shows the Cholera Riots in 1831 at Sennaya Square. Also shown is the rewarding of M. Speransky. He collected and published The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire in 1832. The last relief shows the opening of the Verebinsky Bridge. Nicholas I opened the St. Petersburg-Moscow railway in 1851.
Auguste Montferrand’s pedestal has an elliptical shape. It is made of red Finnish granite and dark crimson porphyry. White Italian marble also adorns it. The base consists of gray granite from Serdobol. Allegorical female figures decorate the pedestal. They represent Strength, Wisdom, Justice, and Faith. The heads are portraits of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Also depicted are Nicholas I’s daughters: Maria, Alexandra, and Olga.
Between two statues is a bronze gilded national emblem. Below it is the inscription: “To Nicholas I Emperor of Russia. 1859.” This Monument to Nicholas I was considered a technical marvel. It was the first equestrian statue in Europe on only two support points. Those points are the horse’s hind legs.
Contemporaries noticed Nicholas I’s admiration for Peter the Great. Nicholas I tried to imitate his ancestor in many ways.
The ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska was a favorite of Nicholas II. She declined residence in the Mariinsky Palace. She noted that two emperors had already turned away from the ill-fated building. She didn’t want Nicholas to be the third. Kschessinska referred to the statues of the Bronze Horseman and the Monument to Nicholas I.
Some say the horse’s posterior faces the Mariinsky Palace. This allegedly caused discomfort to Nicholas’s daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna.
Soviet historians considered the Monument to Nicholas I a composite-stylistic piece. They felt its elements didn’t form a uniform composition. They thought the pedestal, reliefs, and statue contradicted each other. The forms seemed crushed and overloaded with fine details. The composition was elaborate and overly decorative.
However, they acknowledged positive aspects. The monument complemented surrounding squares and monuments. It was professionally made, with artistic elements beyond doubt.
There’s a city legend about the Monument to Nicholas I. The day after its unveiling, a tablet was found on the horse’s foot. It read: “You will not catch up.” This led to a saying in 19th-century St. Petersburg. “The Fool of the clever catches up, but the monument to it disturbs”.
The Monument to Nicholas I has survived many challenges. During World War II, it was protected with boards and sandbags. The Monument to Nicholas I stands as a testament to history. It connects us to the past. It sparks debate about art and power. Its presence defines St. Isaac’s Square.