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Monument to Peter I by Mihail Chemiakin

Monument to Peter I by Mihail Chemiakin is a bronze statue in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Designed and cast in the United States in the 1980s, it was donated by Chemiakin to the city and installed on 6–7 June 1991. The sculpture stands on a granite base and depicts Peter sitting on a throne. Chemiakin based the head on a life mask taken by Rastrelli in 1719, but enlarged the rest of the body to create a deliberately grotesque image. The work was initially criticized by locals and guarded against vandalism, though Chemiakin's interpretation was later more widely accepted.

Peter I Monument shown as a bronze statue of a seated man on a stone pedestal with a low fence around it.
The Peter I Monument stands on a stone pedestal, with a yellow building and bare trees in the background.
November 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Peter I Monument showing a bronze seated figure on a throne behind a decorative fence.
The Peter I Monument features a bronze seated figure on a stone pedestal in a fenced historic setting.
June 2025 © · CC BY 4.0
Peter I Monument showing a bronze seated figure in a long coat and cravat among low bushes.
The Peter I Monument is shown as a bronze seated statue outdoors, with bushes and a yellow building in the background.
November 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMonument to Peter I
SubjectPeter I (Peter the Great)
ArtistMihail Chemiakin
TypeBronze statue

Historical context

Creation period1980s
Idea originAccording to Chemiakin, the idea came from his friend Vladimir Vysotsky
Work periodChemiakin worked on the statue for eight years
Development of designChemiakin began with 1:1 proportions of Rastrelli's wax figure, then gradually elongated the body and enlarged the body proportions 1.5 times while keeping the head small

Creator

Stylistic influenceRussian icons
Model source for faceThe head was based on Peter's life mask taken by Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1719, and the wax figure of Peter by Rastrelli (1725)

Discovery and provenance

Number of versionsThree versions
Other versions' locationsNormandy, France; and Claverack, New York
FoundryTallix Art Foundry, New York State, United States
Design and casting locationUnited States
DonationDonated by Chemiakin to Saint Petersburg
Sketch approvalThe plasticine sketch was approved by Dmitry Likhachev

Physical characteristics

BarrierSurrounded by a metal fence
Height1.9 m
Base materialGray granite
Pedestal height0.36 m

Materials

Sculpture materialBronze

Appearance

DepictionPeter I seated on a throne
StyleGrotesque
Reason for styleThe body proportions were enlarged and Peter has a small head and long fingers, giving the composition a grotesque appearance
Visual referenceResembles the wax figure of Peter by Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1725)
InscriptionPlaques on the pedestal explain in Russian and English the makers of the sculpture and the use of Peter's life mask; the side plaque reads: 'To the Founder of the Great City of Russia, Emperor Peter the First, from the Italian Sculptor Carlo Rastrelli and from the Russian Artist Mikhail Shemyakin, 1991. Cast in America.'

Location and ownership

Current locationMain Alley, Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Installation date6–7 June 1991
Opening date7 June 1991
Installation initiativeAnatoly Sobchak initiated the final placement at the Peter and Paul Fortress

History and restoration

Initial receptionInitially criticized by locals and had to be guarded to prevent vandalism
Later receptionLater gradually accepted

Significance

Public reactionMixed reactions