Monument to Catherine II
The official opening took place back in 1873. Nowadays the place where it was erected is called Ostrovsky Square, but then it was called Alexandrinskaya. The drawing was developed by the artist Mikeshin with the participation of architects Grimm and Schröter. It was this project that was named the best in a competition established in 1860 by the Academy of Arts.
Address:
Address: Ostrovsky Square
A year later, a model of the monument was made - in London the sculpture was awarded an honorary award.
And a year later, Alexander II personally ordered Mikhail Mikeshin to make a larger-scale monument based on this prototype. In 1963, it was decided to place the Monument to Catherine the Second on Alexandrinskaya Square, in front of the public library, which was opened by the legendary empress.
In 1964, the monument was ready - it turned out to be 16 times larger than the original model. The idea of the monument remained unchanged: the great empress on a pedestal, surrounded by courtiers. The production of the statue of Catherine the Second was entrusted to the talented sculptor Chizhov.
The material for the monument was transported from the shores of Lake Ladoga via a specially constructed railway. The figures of those close to Catherine were made by the sculptor Opekushin. The sculptures are made in different sizes. Among them are Derzhavin, Suvorov, Potemkin, Dashkova, Rumyantsev, Orlov-Chesmensky. All figures are majestic and significant. A garden was specially laid out around the composition, much larger in area than the previously designed park designed by the famous Italian Rossi. There is a fascinating legend that during the laying of the monument, one of the court beauties took a ring with a precious stone from her finger and lowered it into the foundation pit. Inspired by the symbolic gesture, other nobles followed her example. The result was such a pile of treasures that the construction of the monument had to be suspended. How true this legend is and whether there really are countless treasures hidden at the base of the monument is still a mystery.
And a year later, Alexander II personally ordered Mikhail Mikeshin to make a larger-scale monument based on this prototype. In 1963, it was decided to place the Monument to Catherine the Second on Alexandrinskaya Square, in front of the public library, which was opened by the legendary empress.
In 1964, the monument was ready - it turned out to be 16 times larger than the original model. The idea of the monument remained unchanged: the great empress on a pedestal, surrounded by courtiers. The production of the statue of Catherine the Second was entrusted to the talented sculptor Chizhov.
The material for the monument was transported from the shores of Lake Ladoga via a specially constructed railway. The figures of those close to Catherine were made by the sculptor Opekushin. The sculptures are made in different sizes. Among them are Derzhavin, Suvorov, Potemkin, Dashkova, Rumyantsev, Orlov-Chesmensky. All figures are majestic and significant. A garden was specially laid out around the composition, much larger in area than the previously designed park designed by the famous Italian Rossi. There is a fascinating legend that during the laying of the monument, one of the court beauties took a ring with a precious stone from her finger and lowered it into the foundation pit. Inspired by the symbolic gesture, other nobles followed her example. The result was such a pile of treasures that the construction of the monument had to be suspended. How true this legend is and whether there really are countless treasures hidden at the base of the monument is still a mystery.
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