Russian History in the Monumental Sculpture of Pre-Revolutionary Saint Petersburg

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the complex of monumental sculptures of pre-revolutionary St Petersburg in terms of their influence on the construction of mass ideas about the history of Russia. The list of monuments created and installed in St Petersburg since the beginning of the 18th century until 1917 has been compiled on the basis on the analysis of reference books and researches. The article describes the circumstances of installation of some significant monuments, their interpretation of objects of historical memory (historical figures, events, phenomena). The author also analyses active participation of some emperors (Catherine II, Alexander III, Nicholas II) in the creation of projects for monuments to historical figures and events and their role in the formation of the sculptural appearance of StPetersburg. The study outlines three main groups of monuments and describes the quantitative proportion between them. It identifies the most popular heroes of the Russian history and concludes about the reasons for the popularity of various heroes and plots. The article provides calculations that demonstrate quantitative trends in the installation of monuments during the period in question. The study includes analysis of the press of St Petersburg devoted to the unveiling of some monuments and to expert opinions about the monuments. The article makes conclusions about the reasons for the dominance of monuments to rulers, statesmen, and representatives of the imperial family over other groups and analyses the image of the past formed by the monumental sculpture of St Petersburg in the imperial period.