Monument to Tatishchev (Tolyatti)

The Monument to Tatishchev in Tolyatti is an equestrian statue of Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, the founder of the city, standing on the high bank of the Kuibyshev Reservoir by Lesoparkovoye Highway in Samara Oblast, Russia. Unveiled in 1998, it rises above an observation deck overlooking the "Zhiguli Sea" and has become one of the city's symbols; the Tolyatti City Duma placed it under protection as a work of monumental art.

Tatishchev and the founding of Tolyatti

Vasily Tatishchev (1686–1750) was a historian and statesman. He fought in military campaigns, ran the state ironworks in the Urals and stood behind the founding of Yekaterinburg, Perm, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg and Orsk. He wrote the "Russian History from the Most Ancient Times", works on the geography of Russia, and compiled the first Russian encyclopedic dictionary.

In 1737, on his orders, the fortress of Stavropol was laid out on the Volga; this was the town that later became Tolyatti. The old town was flooded in the mid-20th century when the Kuibyshev Reservoir was filled, which is why the monument to its founder stands on the shore.

History of the monument

The sculptor was Alexander Rukavishnikov, People's Artist of Russia, and the architect Alexander Kochekovsky. It was built by the Gidromontazh company, and design and construction took less than two years. The monument was unveiled in 1998 by the then mayor of Tolyatti, Sergei Zhilkin.

What to see

The bronze rider, about 7.5 metres tall, stands on a stylobate designed as a Petrine-era fortress: masonry walls with projecting polygonal towers enclosing the pedestal. The pedestal is about 14 metres high and faced with limestone from the Shiryaevo quarry on the Samara Bend. A staircase leads up to the deck, lined with lanterns shaped like small fortress towers.

The deck gives a wide view of the reservoir and the Zhiguli Hills, so it is a favourite spot for walks and photos: the statue against the water is one of Tolyatti's best-known views.

Legends and accounts

It is said that the shore was chosen because young Tolyatti has almost no historic buildings that could serve as a fitting backdrop for an equestrian statue, so the open water took their place. Another story has it that in the first design the rider was meant to point towards the drowned town of Stavropol.

Getting there

The monument stands by Lesoparkovoye Highway, near the city's lakeside recreation area. Trolleybuses and buses stop along the highway, a few minutes' walk from the deck; drivers can park near the embankment.