Suvorov Monument (Saint Petersburg)
Памятник Суворову | |
59°56′45″N 30°19′47″E / 59.94583°N 30.32972°E | |
Location | Saint Petersburg |
---|---|
Designer | Mikhail Kozlovsky |
Type | Sculpture |
Material | Bronze (statue) Granite (pedestal) |
Height | 3.37 metres (11.1 ft) (statue) 4.05 metres (13.3 ft) (pedestal) |
Beginning date | 1799 |
Completion date | 1801 |
Opening date | 1801 |
Dedicated to | Alexander Suvorov |
The Suvorov Monument (Russian: Памятник Суворову) is a bronze sculpture of Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov located in Saint Petersburg. It is at the centre of Suvorov Square, opposite the Field of Mars and the Trinity Bridge, and between the Marble Palace and the Saltykov Mansion.
Commissioned in 1799 by
The monument was originally planned to be located in Gatchina, though the site was changed to the Tsaritsyn Meadows, later the Field of Mars. It was unveiled in the presence of Emperor Alexander I, many of his generals, and Suvorov's son Arkadi. The monument was moved to its present location in 1818 as part of a general reconstruction of the area by architect Carlo Rossi. It now stands at the centre of Suvorov Square. Its pedestal was replaced in the 1830s, and it survived the siege of Leningrad undamaged.
Commission
The monument was developed by order of
Design and execution
The figure of Suvorov was sculpted in bronze by Mikhail Kozlovsky between 1799 and 1801, with his proposed design being approved in January 1800.[1][2] Suvorov is depicted in the allegorical guise of the god Mars, with a raised sword in his right hand and with a shield in his left, in classical armour and helmet.[1] The face of the figure does not exactly resemble Suvorov, but is intended to be symbolic of a "heroic" figure.[3][4] The figure stands beside an altar with reliefs of Faith, Hope and Love, on which the papal tiara and crowns of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia are placed, protected by the figure's shield, which bears the Russian coat of arms.[2][3] The cartouche on the pedestal is supported by figures representing the genius of Glory.[2][3]
The monument was cast in bronze by
Location
The monument was initially to be placed in
During the siege of Leningrad plans were made to hide the monument in the cellar of a nearby house, but the window opening was too small and the plan to hide the monument was never carried out.[1][3] A story arose that one of the numerous bombs dropped on the city narrowly missed the monument and instead struck the cellar of the house.[5] The monument was the subject of a 1941 poem by Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky, "Suvorov Monument", with its opening lines
"Among the Baltic sunny spaces,
Over the wide open Neva,
As the god of war, rose bronze Suvorov
A vision of Russian battle glory."[6]
The monument survived the siege of Leningrad undamaged.[1][2]
Preliminary models of the monument are displayed in Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery and Saint Petersburg's Russian Museum.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "В Санкт-Петербурге состоялось торжественное открытие памятника великому полководцу А.В.Суворову". calend.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Суворову А. В., памятник" (in Russian). Sankt Peterburg Entsiklopediya. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Памятник А.В. Суворову". votpusk.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Памятник А. В. Суворову". dvorspb.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Памятник Суворову А. В." walkspb.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
- ^ "Памятник Суворову". rupoem.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.