Bronze Horseman statue

Catherine invited the famous sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet to Russia in 1766 and over the years, with meticulous hard work, research, and artistic integrity, Falconet was able to present the people of Russia with the equestrian statue that has continued to display its magnificence for over 2 centuries. 52 years later, it acquired the name Bronze Horseman, from to Pushkin's epic poem in 1833.

This item in our collection is a Soviet replica of the very same statue. It came into our possession in 1991 thanks to a generous donor.

Despite the anti-Tsar sentiments of the soviet era, Peter the Great stood as a champion for Russian modernity and advancement. Soviet historians revered his contributions and forward thinking and as a result was immortalized in historiography as well as in monuments.

However this came at the expense of Catherine the Great's legacy and had her reign deemed to be no more than a glitch in Russian history. Nonetheless, this magnificent statue would never have existed without her. 

The casing on the outside of this item says 'monument sculpture' in Russian and the inscription seen on the replica, as well as the real thing, reads 'Catherine the Second to Peter the First, 1782' in both Latin and Russian on either side.