Peter the Great
statue on the Moskwa river
A statue of Peter I on the bank of the Moskva River is one of the tallest outdoor sculptures in the world.
The idea for this monument was conceived by Mayor Luzhkov and created with the help of city-sponsored artist Tsereteli. The monument has courted extensive controversy. For a start, Peter the Great's enthusiasm for his northern capital St. Petersburg was motivated at least in part by his hatred for Moscow. Putting aside historical politics though, others complain that the monument is just plain ugly. The monument itself is 165 feet high, featuring a strident Peter the Great standing atop a frigate in full sail and brandishing a golden scroll. It stands on the western tip of the elongated island formed between the Moskva river and the Vodootvodnyi canal.
boat on the river
holding the scroll
gulls on the bow sprit
Peter on the ship
