The Bronze Horseman statue to Russian Czar Peter The Great (1672-1725) in Saint Petersburg, Russia
The equestrian statue of Peter the Great is situated in the Decembrists Square (formerly the Senate Square), in Saint Petersburg. Catherine the Great, a German princess who married into the Romanov line, was anxious to connect herself to Peter the Great to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the people. She ordered its construction, and had it inscribed with the phrase Petro Primo Catharina Secunda MDCCLXXXII in Latin meaning 'Catherine the Second to Peter the First, 1782', an expression of Catherine's attitude toward her predecessor and her view of her own place in the line of great Russian rulers. Catherine, who, having gained her position through a palace coup, had no legal claim to the throne, was anxious to appear as Peter's rightful heir. In his correspondence with Catherine the Great, Denis Diderot suggested French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet, a friend of his. The empress followed his advice, and Falconet arrived in Russia in 1766. In 1775 the casting of the statue began, supervised by caster Emelyan Khailov. At one point during the casting, the mould broke, pouring molten bronze everywhere that started several fires. All the workers ran except Khailov, who risked his life to salvage the casting. After having to be remelted and recast, the statue was later finished. It took 12 years, from 1770 to 1782, to create the statue, including pedestal, horse and rider. The tsar's face is the work of the young Marie-Anne Collot, then only 18 years old. She had accompanied Falconet as an apprentice on his trip to Russia in 1766. A student of Falconet and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Diderot referred to her as "Mademoiselle Victoire" (Miss Victory). She modelled Peter the Great's face after his death mask and numerous portraits she found in Saint Petersburg. On August 9, 1782, 14 years after excavation of the pedestal began, the finished statue was unveiled in a ceremony with thousands in attendance.
Size: 5242px × 3493px
Location: Senate Square, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Eastern Europe, Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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