The Bronze Horseman of Peter the Great

The Bronze Horseman of Peter the Great

The Bronze Horseman of Peter the Great is located on the southern bank of the Neva River and is a symbol of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was completed in 1782 by the famous French sculptor Étienne-Maurice Falconet, and is considered the most perfect work of his life. Catherine the Great, a German woman who came to power through force, erected this statue of Peter on horseback to assert her legitimacy as Peter the Great’s rightful heir.

The statue’s pedestal is a single 40-ton block of granite, found in the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg. The granite is inscribed with the words “To Peter the First from Catherine the Second, 1782.” The horse depicted in the statue represents Russia, rearing up as if to charge forward against all obstacles. Beneath its hooves lies a crushed serpent, symbolizing the conservative forces that opposed Peter the Great’s reforms. As the sculpture illustrates, Peter the Great overcame immense resistance to build the beautiful city of St. Petersburg on this swampy land, established it as the capital, and transformed backward, feudal, and impoverished Russia into a maritime and prosperous nation.

Bronze Horseman

Must-visit reason: The quintessential symbol of St. Petersburg

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Russia[Russia]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Saint Petersburg Autonomous City [Saint Petersburg]

City where the attraction is located: Saint Petersburg [Saint Petersburg]