St. Petersburg Statues That You’re Sure To See

St. Petersburg’s statues, murals and good luck charms hidden all over the city, but there are a few you can’t miss. I don’t mean that these statues are must-see attractions here, but you literally can’t miss these statues as you’re out and about exploring the city! Here’s the backstory on those. 

The Tsar Carpenter

Peter the great is known as the father of the Russian navy. It was his dream and hard work that made the area of St. Petersburg a swamp-turned-city success story. Always eager to learn and do, Peter went on a ‘study abroad’ trip to Europe where he spent some time in Zaandam, Holland working in the shipyard (under a false identity), learning to build ships and bring ship building techniques back to Russia.

The naval victory at Poltava celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1909 and the emperor, Nicholas II, unveiled this statue in honor of the occasion. A replica was presented to the city of Zaandam, Holland.

Sadly, the Bolsheviks destroyed this statue in 1918, but the Netherlands generously gifted it back in 1996 at the 300th anniversary of the event. Today, it stands as a reminder that with some hard work and persistence, you can make a city out of a swamp and build a navy up from ground zero too!

Find it at the Admiralty Embankment along the Neva. Look for it across from the Admiralty building.

Shemyakin’s St. Petersburg Statue to Peter the Great

Shemyakin supposedly came up with the design at a bar which might make one think that this is the result after a number of beers. However, Shemyakin’s designs are often a bit dramatic and this isn’t the only weird and wonky statue of Peter that he’s made; there’s another one in London! 

There’s a lot of speculation about what or whether Mikhail was trying to insinuate something about Peter, but what we do know is that he created this piece using the death mask of Peter the Great. Peterburgers HATED this statue so much that it had to be protected against vandalism, but now it’s more or less accepted as a part of the fortress.

They say that if you want to live in St. Petersburg, you need to ask his permission. They also say that if you want to get pregnant, you can sit in his lap…

Find it at Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Hare Monument

The Island where Peter and Paul Fortress is located is called Hare Island. At the time that the city was founded in 1703, this island was home to a number of hares. Legend has it that before there was even a city here, Peter and his crew were out rowing around, inspecting the land which was a bit flooded at the time. When he got out of his boat to inspect the island, a rabbit, trying to escape the high waters, hopped onto his boot.

Things got harey again when the city celebrated its 300th birthday on May 17, 2003. The hare statue was unveiled on hare island. 

Find it at the Peter and Paul Fortress. Look in the water near the drawbridge.

Cats

In 1942, the city was starving, most of the cats had already been eaten and the rats were running wild in these sort of organized mafia-like groups. Attempts to capture and kill them were thwarted since there were so many and they were smart. This group of ‘bandits’, who were stealing the little food that remained in the city, were unstoppable.

The city of Yaroslavl sent in four wagons of cats to help relieve the city from both hunger and rat infestation. Food was so sparse that while many of the cats were roaming the city, others were taken by citizens to be food.

The first cat monument, Yelisey, appeared January 25th, 2000. Later that year, lonely Yelisey got a girlfriend, Vasilisa, who sits nearby on the opposite side of the street.

Find it at Malaya Sadovaya Street. Look up near the Eliseev Store.

Photographer Monument

Created by Boris Petrov, this statue honors one of St. Petersburg’s most renowned photographers, Karl Bulla. Bulla had his first studio located around the corner. You’ve surely, maybe unknowingly, encountered his work at some point during your Russian studies or somewhere around the city.

Karl had state permission to photograph wherever he wanted so he photographed the royals and intelligentsia along with regular folks and homeless. He took shots of palaces and parties put on by the nobles.

Find it at Malaya Sadovaya Street.

Discover more of St. Petersburg’s statues and other hidden wonders by following our blog! Continue reading about the Bronze Horseman statue here.