Bronze Knight, Embodying the Unyielding Spirit of Russia
Медный Всадник
Senate Square
4
Introduction
The Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great is one of the earliest statues in Russia, built in commemoration of Peter the Great. It stands on a pedestal inscribed with "In memory of Peter the Great by Catherine the Second in August 1782". The statue, located in St. Petersburg's Square, is seen as a symbol of the city. The name comes from Pushkin's epic poem "The Bronze Horseman", depicting Peter the Great riding a rearing horse, symbolizing Russia's determination to overcome all obstacles and move forward. The statue was created using the dynamic sculpting technique of Falconet and has a granite pedestal weighing 40 tons, which took 5 months to transport to St. Petersburg.
In 1834, the vast St. Petersburg Square was developed, and famous buildings such as the Senate were built around the Bronze Horseman statue. It was named Senate Square and later renamed Decemberists Square in 1925 by the Soviet government to commemorate the Decemberists' uprising. However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1992, it reverted back to its old name "Senate Square", although the people of St. Petersburg still prefer to call it Decemberists Square. The statue represents both historical and cultural heritage, and is one of the important tourist attractions in St. Petersburg. Transportation Take the purple metro line and get off at Admiralteyskaya station. Turn left at the exit and walk to the intersection, turn left again and walk to the end. Turn right towards the river and walk until you reach St. Isaac's Cathedral. Take the 10 or 135 bus and get off at Admiralteyskiy Pr. stop to arrive.