The Bronze Horseman is one of the most famous sculptures in the city on the Neva. The monument is located in Senate Square in St. Petersburg, close to St. Isaac's Cathedral and other historical landmarks in the city center. The statue depicts Peter the Great riding a rearing horse.
The grand unveiling took place on August 7 (18), 1782, marking the centenary of Peter the Great's accession to the throne. The sculpture is mounted on a massive rock, with inscriptions on both sides reading "ПЕТРУ перьвому ЕКАТЕРИНА вторая лѣта 1782." in Russian and "PETRO primo CATHARINA secunda MDCCLXXXII." in Latin.
How to Get There
The monument is located in the heart of the city, very close to St. Isaac's Cathedral, and can be reached on foot from most nearby attractions. The nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya, which is a 7–10 minute walk away.
Interestingly, there is a story about the pedestal on which Peter's statue is placed. It is called the "Thunder Stone." An announcement was placed in the newspaper "St. Petersburg Vedomosti" requesting citizens who could "break and bring a large stone to St. Petersburg for the monument's placement."
The stone was found by a peasant living in the city's outskirts. The fortunate finder received 100 rubles from the state, which was considered a substantial sum at the time. One can imagine the effort required to move the stone to its current location. The stone was moved 20-30 steps per day, with part of the journey accomplished by water transport. A pond now exists at the site where the stone was extracted, known as Petrovsky Pond.
Certainly, a significant role in popularizing the monument was played by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, who wrote the eponymous poem. Later, a ballet based on this work was created, and its fragment, "Hymn to the Great City," became the anthem of St. Petersburg.
On a good day, it is quite pleasant to walk from the monument to the artificial island of "New Holland" or to the sphinxes on University Embankment.
