Statue of Neptune

In 1716, in the eastern part of the Peterhof Lower Park, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, not far from the "Monplaisir" palace, one of the very first statues was installed, the project of which began with a drawing by Peter the Great. The sculpture of Neptune was cast by the sculptor Arnholdt and Moscow foundry masters from metal (copper), which was obtained by melting down Swedish cannons. The sculptural image of Neptune—the king of the seas—symbolizes the victorious access to the Baltic Sea as a result of the Northern War between Russia and Sweden. There is a tradition of rubbing Neptune's feet and leaving coins on the pedestal by visitors to the palace-park ensemble "for good luck." Neptune is inseparably connected with the "Monplaisir" palace and forms a unified ensemble of this part of the Lower Park.

The sculpture of Neptune in Peterhof also has a certain sacred meaning, as it is the first secular statue that opened the "golden age" of Russian sculpture. According to legend, the image of Neptune was drawn by the emperor from his familiar merchant, who was ashamed of the paintings in the rooms of the Dutch house (Monplaisir) and blushed when looking at the naked bodies depicted on them. As a joke, Peter decided to cast a sculpture from this person. Whether this is true or not is hard to say now, but it is quite possible that the emperor, who loved to joke with his close ones, could allow himself such an act as the portrait resemblance of the merchant and Neptune.

Sources:

https://peterhofguide.ru/nizhniy-park/statuya-neptuna

https://spb-parki.ru/parks/peterhof/ansambl-vostochnoy-chasti/statuya-neptuna/