Bronze Horseman

Why go

Bronze Horseman rewards attention to scale, orientation, and setting. The Bronze Horseman (Медный всадник) is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great by Étienne Maurice Falconet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Before leaving, compare one close detail of Bronze Horseman with its broadest public view.

What to look for

• Bronze Horseman: Begin with the broad massing rather than a single decorative feature.
• Bronze Horseman: Move along the frontage to watch its rhythm change.
• Bronze Horseman: Find a distant angle that shows the surrounding urban geometry.

The full story

The Bronze Horseman (Медный всадник) is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great by Étienne Maurice Falconet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The statue is now one of the symbols of Saint Petersburg. The statue's pedestal is the enormous Thunder Stone, sometimes claimed to be the largest stone ever moved by man. Statue The equestrian statue of Peter the Great is situated in the Senate Square (formerly the Decembrists Square), in Saint Petersburg. Catherine the Great, a German princess who married into the Romanov line, was anxious to connect herself to Peter the Great to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the people. She ordered its construction, and had it inscribed with the phrase Petro Primo Catharina Secunda MDCCLXXXII in Latin and Петру перьвому Екатерина вторая, лѣта 1782 in Russian, both meaning 'Catherine the Second to Peter the First, 1782'. In his correspondence with Catherine the Great, Denis Diderot suggested French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet, a friend of his.

Useful to know

• Walk Bronze Horseman in daylight, then compare its outline with Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.