Bronze Horseman

This is probably the most famous statue of Peter the Great and one of the symbols of the city: on the postcards you can often see its silhouette against drawbridges raised during summer white nights. The horse is standing on its two hind hooves only, but the sculptor has wisely placed a giant serpent beneath the horse’s legs: not only does the monster symbolize defeated Sweden, it also serves as a third foothold for the massive statue. Note the rather vainglory inscription on the pedestal, which reads “To Peter I from Catherine II”.

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