CITY LEGENDS



Legends of "Bronze horseman"
After the death of Peter the First city folklore leave for him a right to take care of the city, to become its guardian. The legend about Peter's statue which came to live - the Bronze horseman is widely known. Most probably this legend appeared among Old Believers ...            [Legends of "Bronze horseman"]




Ship and spire of Admiralty
The first Russian naval ship "Oriol" ("Eagle") constructed by Alexei Michaikivich became the prototype of the ship which crowns the spire of Admiralty. All the three flags at the ship's masts are made of pure gold, and in the forebody of the ship the personal compass of Peter the First is stored ...            [Ship and spire of Admiralty]




A monument to Nicolas the First
The day after unveiling of the monument the Petersburgers saw at the flexion of right front leg of the horse a wooden table on the rope. There was an inscription clearly seen at this board, painted brightly - " You won't overtake me!" ...
           [A monument to Nicolas the First]




A monument to Alexander the Third
"A scarecrow.
A chest on the square.
A hippopotamus on the chest.
A blockhead on the hippopotamus.
A hat on the blockhead. "

This mischievous pyramidal riddle is devoted to the sole in Petersburg satirical monument - to the equestrian statue of Alexander the Third unveiled on May 23, 1909 at Znamenskaya (Vosstaniya) square ...
           [A monument to Alexander the Third]




A monument to Pushkin in Pushkin street
Once before the last war a strange decision to move this monument to another place was taken. The truck with crane arrived to Pushkin street and people in work wear tried to start to fulfill this plan. It was in the evening and children played around the monument. Suddenly they started shouting aloud ...
           [A monument to Pushkin in Pushkin street]




Clodts' horses
If we are to believe to the old legend, the sculptor of the famous horses at the Anichkov bridge, baron Piotr Karlovich Clodt, enjoyed particular sympathies of the czar Nicolas the First, who was renowned as great lover of riding the horses. Once during the ride, to which also the baron was invited, the sculptors' horse bolted ...
           [Clodts' horses]