Monument to Peter I in the Lower Park

The Monument to Peter I is a sculptural monument installed in the Lower Park of Peterhof. It was recreated in 1954 on the site of the monument to Emperor Peter I lost during the Great Patriotic War, originally created by the sculptor Mark Antokolsky. It is considered the canonical depiction of Peter the Great.

The monument was cast by order of Alexander III. The project’s author, Antokolsky, created a plaster sculpture of Peter in 1872 for the Polytechnic Exhibition in Moscow. After the exhibition ended, the sculpture was used as a model for many monuments to Peter I cast in bronze, including the monument in Peterhof. Similar monuments were installed in Taganrog (1903), Arkhangelsk (1914), and in front of the Sampsonievsky Cathedral in Saint Petersburg (1909). The original sculpture is now kept in the museum of the Russian Academy of Arts. The pedestal, made of Finnish granite, was produced in 1883 at the workshop of the stone carver Grazioso Botto in Saint Petersburg. In March 1884, the 16-ton pedestal was transported to Peterhof. The monument’s construction was overseen by architect Eduard Gan, who at that time held the position of chief palace architect of Peterhof. The first monument at the intersection of Montplaisir Alley and Marlinsky Perspective was unveiled on May 8, 1884.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Lower Park suffered heavy damage, and the monument to Peter I was lost. The sculpture was restored only in 1954, cast from the original model at the “Monumentsculpture” factory, and in 1957 it was installed on the surviving pedestal.

The bronze sculpture of Peter I is life-size and stands 3 meters tall. The granite pedestal is 3.1 meters high, making the total height of the monument over 6 meters. The sculpture of Peter I holds a dominant position in the surrounding landscape panorama. The monument faces Montplaisir and the Gulf of Finland. He is depicted wearing the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, boots, the ribbon and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; on his head is a tricorn hat; at his left side are the scabbard and saber; in his left hand, a spyglass. Peter’s right foot is stepped forward; he leans on a cane with his right hand and holds the spyglass in his left.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_Peter_I_(Peterhof)