Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
261
in honor of her grandfather-in-law and designed by French sculptor Etienne Falconet,
the monument was unveiled in 1782. It depicts Peter in control of his wild steed (repre-
senting Russia), his hand reaching out over his masterpiece of a metropolis. The rearing
horse is perched on a wavelike chunk of granite, its hoof stepping on the snake of Trea-
son. The monument took on a deeper and more sinister significance for Petersburg resi-
dents after Pushkin's epic poem “The Bronze Horseman,” in which the unfortunate
protagonist imagines the statue coming to life and pursuing him.
Pushkin himself is the subject of another monument, at the center of the
Square of
the Arts (Ploshchad Isskustv)
. The square is the real architectural masterpiece
here, forming a nucleus of cultural institutions, while the Pushkin statue, built in 1957,
is little more than a landmark. Originally designed by Carlo Rossi, an Italian-Russian
architect, the square acquired many of its buildings in later years, but they all adhered to
his original vision. Take a moment on one of its benches to appreciate its lines, and then
walk around the square to take in Mikhailovsky Palace (now the Russian Museum), the
Ethnography Museum delicately and elegantly added later, the Mussorgsky Theater, the
Operetta Theater, and the Philharmonic. The closest metro stop is Gostiny Dvor.
Ostrovsky Square (Ploshchad Ostrovskogo)
rests at the heart of another of St.
Petersburg's impressively planned districts, and is an ideal spot at which to rest your feet
after exploring Nevsky. The square separates Pushkin Theater from Nevsky Prospekt, allow-
ing the theater to line up and incorporate with Lomonosov Square on the Fontanka River
beyond. The square, designed by the ever-present Italian Carlo Rossi, centers around a
statue of Catherine the Great, represented at her most elegant and regal. The base of the
statue is carved with Catherine's advisers, envoys, and consorts, some silly enough to be
caricatures. Look behind the Pushkin Theater at
Rossi Street (Ulitsa Zodchego Rossi),
an
example of St. Petersburg's relentless sense of proportion: It is 22m (72 ft.) wide and 220m
(722 ft.) long, and it's flanked by matching buildings 22m (72 ft.) tall.
Anyone interested in naval history or ship construction should visit the
Cruiser
Avrora,
moored on the embankment on the Petrograd side across from the St. Petersburg
Hotel. The cruiser, built in 1897, took part in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905. It has
been a city landmark since the Russian Revolution, when the ship bellowed out a blank
shot to announce the Bolshevik storming of the Winter Palace in 1917. It's now a free
public museum and training ground for cadets. In Soviet times the city's Pioneers, a sort
of Communist Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts), were brought here for their swearing-in
ceremonies. The exhibits are mostly in Russian, but the cadets speak some English and
can serve as informal tour guides. The decks are a bit treacherous in icy weather and the
stairs are quite steep. Spend half an hour here before continuing along the embankment
for more ship-gazing. Admission is free. The cruiser is open Wednesday to Sunday
10:30am to 4pm (Metro: Gorkovskaya).
14
Impressions
Behind him, to the darkness wedded,
Lit by the moon's pale ray and slight,
One hand in warning raised, the dreaded
Bronze Horseman galloped through the night.
—Alexander Pushkin,
The Bronze Horseman,
1833
