Monument to Peter the Great (Lipetsk)

The monument to Peter the Great in Lipetsk, Russia, is a bronze statue on Peter the Great Square in the city centre, dedicated to the founder of the Lipetsk iron foundries and the discoverer of the local mineral springs. It was unveiled in 1996. The sculptors were Vyacheslav Klykov and A. Ye. Vagner, with S. A. Soshnikov as architect. The statue stands 5.6 metres tall and weighs 27 tonnes. The bronze figure was cast at the Novolipetsk Steel works (NLMK), and the pedestal is faced with local dolomite.

Peter the Great and Lipetsk

Peter the Great's connection to Lipetsk is more than a single visit by the emperor. In 1703, by his decree, the Upper and Lower iron foundries and ironworks were founded here, producing cannons and anchors for the Russian navy then under construction. Output from the Lipetsk works was used in battles of the Great Northern War, including the Battle of Poltava in 1709.

Peter the Great also discovered mineral springs near Lipetsk, which marked the start of the city's history as a spa town. Lipetsk remains one of Russia's oldest resorts to this day; the Lower Park with its mineral waters is still in operation.

Description of the Monument

The bronze statue depicts Peter the Great striding confidently forward with a scroll in his hand, a symbol of reform and new beginnings. The column-shaped pedestal is decorated with the Russian coat of arms and mermaid figures. The monument stands at the centre of the square, which was called Karl Marx Square until 2003. After the monument was installed, residents began calling it Peter's Square, and in 2003 it was officially renamed Peter the Great Square.

Notably, the monument was built in a remarkably short time: less than a year passed from the original idea to its unveiling.

Sculptor Klykov

Vyacheslav Klykov (1939-2006) was one of Russia's leading monumental sculptors. His works include the monument to Zhukov on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, the monument to Sergius of Radonezh in Radonezh, and the monument to Cyril and Methodius on Slavyanskaya Square in Moscow. The monument to Peter the Great in Lipetsk is one of his later works.

Getting There

Peter the Great Square is located in the centre of Lipetsk, at the start of Lenin Street. The nearest public transport stops are "Ploshchad Petra" and "Nizhny Park". The monument is visible from afar; the pedestal with the bronze figure rises above the surrounding buildings.