Statue of Empress Catherine II by the outstanding Russian sculptor A. M. Opekushin (1838-1923). Made of Carrara marble (260 cm high and weighing more than 3 tons).
History of creation
In 1785, Empress Catherine the Second signed a very important document - the “Grant for Rights and Benefits to the Cities of the Russian Empire,” thanks to which the cities received the right to self-government. 100 years after this event, the Moscow City Duma decided, in memory of this event, to erect a monument to the Empress on the square in front of the new Duma building. In 1885, a competition was announced for the best design of the monument. City Mayor N.A. Alekseev and some members of the Duma put forward a proposal to obtain the creation of a monument to Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky. The sculptor, widely known by that time, was in Paris at that moment, but was ready to come to Russia to work on the monument. For some unknown reason, the final decision in favor of Antokolsky was delayed. Only in 1888 did the sculptor begin work. By mid-December of the same year, he sent a model of the monument to Moscow, and a month later it was reviewed at a meeting of the Duma. The work received positive reviews, including from Emperor Alexander III. Despite this, permission to make the monument was not received. As a result, in 1890, the Duma was forced to refuse the services of Antokolsky, due to the rejection of this model by the technical and construction committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: “the proportions of the figure are unsuccessful and the general contour of the entire monument is ungraceful.”
In 1891, the issue of the monument was raised again. This time the work was entrusted to the sculptor Alexander Mikhailovich Opekushin, who was well known as the author of the monument to A.S. Pushkin in Moscow. In March 1893, Opekushen submitted his model of the monument to the Duma for consideration, which was highly appreciated by the specially invited art connoisseur Savva Ivanovich Mamontov. During the negotiations, it was decided to solemnly open the monument to the 100th anniversary of the death of Catherine the Great.
For 21 years the statue of the Empress adorned the Duma meeting room. After the revolution, the marble statue was sent to the storerooms of the Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin as working material. In the 1930s, they wanted to use it to make marble busts of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin and I.V. Stalin. The statue was doomed to destruction. She was saved by the director of the museum, sculptor Sergei Merkulov. In 1952, he secretly sent it to his friend, the chief architect of Yerevan Mark Grigoryan. He assigned the statue to the national art gallery, where it stood for more than 30 years in the museum courtyard in a blue niche.
During a visit to Armenia in 2003 by Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, a decision was made to return the statue. In the same year, the marble empress flew to the capital on a special flight from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. It was not possible to install it in the Moscow Duma; the statue turned out to be too large for a modern building. The sculpture was temporarily placed in the Tretyakov Gallery, where for several years restorers Olga Vladimirovna Vasilievna and Vladimir Ilyich Cheremikhin restored its original appearance. And in 2006, the monument was sent to Tsaritsyno, where it received permanent registration. The statue was placed in the main hall, which was soon called Catherine's.
The idea of erecting a monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg came to the minds of nobles during her reign. Who else if not her? The queen herself was against this. However, by the centenary of her accession to the throne (September 22, 1762), the idea began to be realized.
A century from idea to implementation
The question of installing a monument to the Empress was raised in April 1863. The initiator was Baron Fredericks, a scion of a Russian count, baronial, and noble family. He was supported by all class branches of the City Duma and the United Commission on the benefits and needs of the public. The initiators proposed erecting a monument on Alexandrinskaya Square between the Alexandrinsky Theater and the Public Library, located in a building that belonged to the late queen. Until this time, the monument to Catherine 2 had not been erected in St. Petersburg.
Project
In 1862, a competition was announced for the best design of the monument. It was won by the artist and sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin, already known throughout the country thanks to the Millennium of Russia complex, erected according to his design in Veliky Novgorod. His new work in the Rococo style received a medal of honor at the World Exhibition in London. But the monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg was originally planned to be installed in Tsarskoe Selo. And for this purpose M. Mikeshen made a model in 1861. After the decision to install the structure in the city on the Neva, changes had to be made to the layout, although the general idea remained the same. In 1864, a new figure was cast by master Sokolov. This model was later placed in the Grotto pavilion in Tsarskoe Selo.
Serious approach
The general management of the work was entrusted to the architect D.I. Grimm, academician, one of the founders of the “Russian style”. The team for the construction of the monument included another architect, V. A. Schröter, and two sculptors: A. M. Opekushin (author of the monument to A. S. Pushkin in Moscow) and M. A. Chizhov. The slightly altered model of the monument received the highest approval. Work has begun. The very figure of the empress, standing with a regal bearing and graciously smiling at the first persons of the state, was sculpted by Matvey Afanasyevich Chizhov. The monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg resembles in its general outline the “Millennium of Russia” - the same bell shape, the central statue crowning the entire monument, at the foot of which are figures of significant figures for the country. They were sculpted on Catherine's obelisk and the figures of the most prominent figures of the glorious era of Catherine the Great's reign were cast at the Nichols and Plinke factory, the best bronze casters.
In total, the monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg (photo in the article) required 50.8 tons of bronze. This metal was also used to make a laurel wreath encircling the foot of the marble pedestal (the marble was brought from the Karelian Isthmus), for the floor lamps of the candelabra of 4 lanterns located along the perimeter of the monument, and for the plaque on which it is written that the monument was erected during the reign of Alexander II. The author of all the bronze details and the granite pedestal itself was D.I. Grimm. Ornamental details of the lanterns were made according to the drawings of his student Victor Schröter.
One queen above
With a total height of the monument of 10 meters, the figure of Catherine II herself is 4.35 meters. The Empress is depicted with reverence - she is not a despot, she is the mother of the state. Majestic, but affectionate, wisely ruling the country. In her hands is a scepter, and instead of an orb there is a laurel wreath, which symbolizes not only power, but also glory. After all, all of Europe knew that the Russian Empress was a wise and enlightened woman. An ermine robe is draped over the royal shoulders - one of the regalia of power. The second - the Crown of the Russian Empire - lies at her feet. On the chest of Catherine II is another symbol of royal power - a diamond sign on a chain and the star of the Order of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, established by Peter I.
A cohort of good companions...
The gracious queen smiles at her nobles, who did everything for the greatness of Russia during her reign. Who are these people whom the whole country knew, and not just St. Petersburg? The monument to Catherine 2 immortalized their names.
Facing Nevsky Prospekt are the figures of Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zvdunaisky, who ruled Little Russia under Catherine, and His Serene Highness Prince Georgy Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tavrichesky, who took Ochakov and annexed Novorossiya to Russia. The legendary Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov is the third figure in the group. All of them contributed to the expansion of the borders of the Russian Empire. As we move forward, the figures of the poet and Ekaterina Dashkova, the president of the Russian Academy, appear, who contributed to the formation of a great power. Next were Prince Alexander Bezborodko, who led the entire state, and Ivan Betskoy, president of the Academy of Arts. They face the Public Library (St. Petersburg). The monument to Catherine 2 is complemented by two more figures located opposite the Alexandrinsky Theater. These are naval commander Vasily Chichagov, polar explorer, and the legendary Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky.
July 7 is considered the day of military glory of Russia, when the Russian fleet under the command of Alexei Orlov won a brilliant victory over the Turks in the Battle of Chesme. These are truly of their time, and no urban legends will detract from their merits, just as the importance of Great Catherine will not be diminished by the familiar name of the park surrounding the monument - “Katkin’s Garden”.
Legends of the central attraction
One of the most famous landmarks of our country is the monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg. Its description can be continued with some statistical data. It cost the state 316 thousand rubles. The opening ceremony and graduation increased this amount to 456,896 rubles. The monument took more than 10 years to build. Legends surround it, just like any other landmark. One of them is connected with the moment construction began - following the example of one hysterically enthusiastic lady who tore a ring off her finger and threw it into the foundation pit, several other women did the same. Well, how many of them there had to be for the legend of “countless treasures” buried at the foot of the monument to be born in the minds of St. Petersburg residents. By the way, were samples of gold and silver coins of the rulers of Russia mounted into the piles during construction?
The monument to Catherine 2 in St. Petersburg, whose address is: Central District, Nevsky Prospekt, 56, is located in the historical center of the city. Nearby are the Catherine Square and the Alexandrinsky Theater. It can be easily reached by public transport; you need to go to the Gostiny Dvor metro station.
On Ostrovsky Square in St. Petersburg in 1873, in the center of the Alexander Square square, a monument to Empress Catherine II was unveiled. From the day it was presented to the public, all sorts of legends circulated around the monument, and the city's wits made fun of the statue of the Russian autocrat in every possible way. They said that the statues of the empress's favorites on the pedestal gestured at the size of their merits, but Derzhavin just shrugged his hands, that under the pedestal there was buried a treasure of enormous value - a ring that, when being laid, a certain high-ranking lady threw into the pit. As for the first story, it is fiction. Of all Catherine’s favorites, only G.A. is depicted on the monument. Potemkin. But they seemed to take the second legend seriously - under Soviet power, excavations were going to be carried out in the Catherine Garden. True, they were never started.
Various oddities and troubles constantly occurred with the Catherine monument. Some details - chains, orders, swords - periodically disappeared; during restoration work, fragments of glass bottles were found in the crown on the empress's head; a sword was snatched from the hands of a sculpture of commander A. Suvorov several times, and attempts continue to this day; and once jokers turned Catherine's outfit in a sailor's vest. In most cases, vandals were found. In former times, chess players loved to gather in the Catherine Garden.
The idea of installing the monument arose in 1860, 100 years after the accession of Catherine II. The author of the monument is the artist M. Mikeshin. The granite pedestal is made of stone that was delivered to the Neva embankment by water from the Karelian Isthmus. Then the granite was delivered to the site along specially laid railway tracks.
The lower part of the pedestal is made of granite from the Putsalo quarry, the base and cornice are made of gray granite from the Janisari quarry, the pedestal is made of gray Sneskesalmi granite. The figures in the pedestal were cast by master bronze casters of the Nichols and Plinke factory.
The cost of construction of the monument amounted to 316 thousand rubles. The production of commemorative medallions, the reconstruction of the square and the opening ceremony cost about 456 thousand rubles. The monument was made and installed in stages from 1862 to 1873. The consecration ceremony took place in November 1873.
Under Soviet rule in the early 30s, it was planned to dismantle the monument and put a sculpture of Lenin in Catherine’s place. Figures of 9 members of Lenin's Politburo are mounted on the pedestal.
Since 1988, the Catherine Garden has been placed under state protection. In the late 90s and early 2000, the square was reconstructed and the 1878 layout was returned.
The authorship of the monument belongs to the artists M. Mikeshin, A. Opekushin, M. Chizhov, architects D. Grim, V. Shterer. The height of the sculpture of Empress Catherine II is 4.35 m. In her hands is a laurel wreath and a scepter, at her feet is the crown of the Russian Empire. On the empress's chest is the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Around the pedestal are figures of the empress's associates: statesman Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky, poet Gabriel Derzhavin, field marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, commander Alexander Suvorov, statesman Grigory Potemkin, polar explorer Vasily Chichyagov, president of the Russian Academy Ekaterina Dashkova, president of the Russian Academy of Arts Ivan Betskoy , Prince Alexander Bezborodko.
It was planned to expand the memorial, but the Russian-Turkish War and other events during the reign of Emperor Alexander II prevented this. Architect D. Grimm presented a project according to which bronze statues of prominent public and political figures of the era of her reign were to be located next to the monument to Catherine II. Among them should have been playwright A.P. Sumarokov, writer D.I. Fonvizin, Prosecutor General of the Senate A.A. Vyazemsky, Fleet Admiral F.F. Ushakov.
History of the monument
In the early 1860s, the idea arose to erect a monument in the city to mark the 100th anniversary of Catherine II’s accession to the throne. One of the monument options, made to scale 1 ⁄ 16 life-size, located in the Grotto pavilion in Tsarskoe Selo. In the center of the park on Alexandria Square, a monument to Empress Catherine II was opened in 1873. Its author is the artist Mikhail Mikeshin.
In the late 1960s, vandals snatched and stole the sword from the hands of Alexander Suvorov. It was reproduced again twice - attempts on the sword continue to this day.
Authors
The artist Mikhail Mikeshin took part in the construction of the monument, the sculptural work was carried out by Matvey Chizhov, who sculpted the statue of Catherine, and Alexander Opekushin, who created the figures surrounding the pedestal. The author of the project for the pedestal of the monument and the laurel wreath around its foot, the floor lamps, candelabra, and the inscription board under the foot of the monument is the architect David Grimm, who supervised all work on the creation of the monument. The ornamental details of the lanterns were made according to the drawings of the architect Victor Schröter.
Technical data
Around the pedestal there are nine figures of prominent figures of Catherine's era: Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, statesman Grigory Potemkin and commander Alexander Suvorov facing Nevsky Prospect, poet Gabriel Derzhavin and President of the Russian Academy Ekaterina Dashkova facing Anichkov Palace, Prince Alexander Bezborodko and President of the Russian Academy artists Ivan Betskoy - to the Public Library, polar explorer and naval commander Vasily Chichagov and statesman Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky - to the facade of the Alexandrinsky Theater. On the front façade of the monument there is a bronze plaque decorated with attributes of the sciences, arts, agriculture and military affairs. On the book, standing among these attributes, the word “law” is written and the inscription is made: “To Empress Catherine II during the reign of Emperor Alexander II, 1873.”
According to the original plan, the monument was to be installed in Tsarskoye Selo, but later it was decided to install it in St. Petersburg in front of the Alexandrinsky Theater. Between the Alexandrinsky Theater and the monument to Catherine II there is a square called Catherine's.
The events of the last years of the reign of Alexander II - in particular, the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 - prevented the implementation of the plan to expand the memorial of the Catherine era. D.I. Grimm developed a project for the construction in the park next to the monument to Catherine II of bronze statues and busts depicting figures of the glorious reign. According to the final list, approved a year before the death of Alexander II, six bronze sculptures and twenty-three busts on granite pedestals were to be placed next to the monument to Catherine.
The following should have been depicted full-length: Count N.I. Panin, Admiral G.A. Spiridov, writer D.I. Fonvizin, Prosecutor General of the Senate Prince A.A. Vyazemsky, Field Marshal Prince N.V. Repnin and General A. I. Bibikov, former chairman of the Code Commission. The busts include publisher and journalist N. I. Novikov, traveler P. S. Pallas, playwright A. P. Sumarokov, historians I. N. Boltin and Prince M. M. Shcherbatov, artists D. G. Levitsky and V. L Borovikovsky, architect A.F. Kokorinov, favorite of Catherine II Count G.G. Orlov, admirals F.F. Ushakov, S.K. Greig, A.I. Cruz, military leaders: Count Z.G. Chernyshev, Prince V. M. Dolgorukov-Krymsky, Count I. E. Ferzen, Count V. A. Zubov; Moscow Governor-General Prince M.N. Volkonsky, Novgorod Governor Count Y. E. Sivers, diplomat Ya. I. Bulgakov, pacifier of the “plague riot” of 1771 in Moscow P. D. Eropkin, who suppressed the Pugachev rebellion Count P. I. Panin and I. I. Mikhelson, the hero of the capture of the Ochakov fortress I. I. Meller-Zakomelsky.
City's legends
Wits say that the bronze figures of Catherine’s favorites around the pedestal on the monument to Catherine demonstrate with gestures the size of their advantages. Only Derzhavin throws up his hands guiltily. And above them rises the majestic depraved empress with a sly smile and a standard scepter in her royal hands. In fact, of those depicted on the monument, Catherine’s favorite (according to some sources, even her secret husband) was only
The situation began to change only in the 1760s. An important role here was played by Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (1727–1797), founder and first curator of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Having fallen out of favor after the accession of Catherine II, he was forced to go on a trip abroad, which lasted about fourteen years (1763–1777). Shuvalov spent most of his time in Rome, repeatedly sending works of painting, sculpture and applied art to Russia. There is no doubt that they were intended not only for Shuvalov himself and Catherine II, but also for other Russian collectors. In other words, Shuvalov took on the role of an artistic agent, which contributed to the spread of a new taste in Russia, focused on antiquity. The most famous is the collection of casts from famous antiquities sent by Shuvalov from Rome, obtained in St. Petersburg in August 1769. Most of these casts are still kept in the Museum of the Academy of Arts. At the same time, Shuvalov sent to St. Petersburg a number of marble sculptures created by modern masters in Rome, including copies from antiques. Two such works signed by Carlo Albacini - "Flora Farnese" and "Isis" - are kept in the Hermitage.
In the second half of the 1760s, artistic contacts were also established with masters from Carrara, who supplied sculpture to many European countries at relatively low prices. Through the mediation of the Marquis Pano Maruzzi, who later became the Russian consul in Venice, four statues by Giovanni Antonio Cibei, head of the local school, were acquired (they are now kept in the Hermitage). Later, the same master made a number of images of Catherine II (for example, a portrait bust located in the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve). Perhaps the products of the Carrara workshop also include figures of boys with attributes of painting and sculpture, acquired in 1766 and 1771 and decorating the Hanging Garden of the Small Hermitage.
However, it appears that Catherine II did not have much interest in sculpture. Buying statues and busts from Jean Antoine Houdon, inviting Etienne Maurice Falconet to St. Petersburg, the empress rather followed the advice of the experts around her - such as Denis Diderot and Prince Dmitry Alekseevich Golitsyn, who was then ambassador to France. When commissioning works by Marie Anne Collot, who came to St. Petersburg with Falconet, Catherine II may have been motivated by considerations of female solidarity, paying tribute to a profession that was rare for a young girl. Moreover, she most definitely did not consider the Hermitage as a universal museum intended also for works of sculpture. Therefore, the works of French sculptors found a place in the Grotto (or Morning Hall) in Tsarskoe Selo, the favorite summer residence of the Empress. Over time, a rich collection of antique sculpture, acquired in 1785 from John Lyde Brown, one of the directors of the Bank of England, ended up here.
