St. Petersburg in Miniature: Bronze Models of St. Petersburg Architectural Masterpieces Executed by Alexander Taratynov
On June 15, 2011 in Alexandrovsky Park near Gorkovskaya subway station was inaugurated a new tourist attraction “St. Petersburg in Miniature” containing bronze models of the most famous architectural masterpieces of St. Petersburg. The idea of this charitable project of Gazprom has come to Alexey Miller, Deputy Chairman of Gazprom’s Board of Directors during his trip to Amsterdam. In one of its squares he was impressed by a sculptural composition “The Night Watch” created by the sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Taratynov as a 3D sculptural interpretation of the world famous canvas by Rembrandt.
“Alexander Michailovich and me have thought about what masterpieces in St. Petersburg could be reproduced in bronze and preferred the famous city ensembles” – recollected Alexey Miller at the opening ceremony and presented the key of the mini-city to the Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko.
“This day can be considered as the second birthday of St. Petersburg this year. We have witnessed the appearance of our city in miniature, which can be literally touched by hands” – said the Governor.
The mini-city includes bronze models of ten architectural top sights of St. Petersburg, such as St. Peter and Paul’s Fortress, the Admiralty, the buildings of the Senate and Synod, the General Staff building, Winter Palace and Palace Square, the Stock Exchange in Vasilyevsky Island, the Kazan Cathedral, Mikhailovsky Castle (Engineers’ Castle).
The composition is added by sculptures. At the entrance visitors are “welcomed” by a figure of St. Peter - St. Patron of St. Petersburg holding symbolic keys of the city, on the opposite side of the mini-city there is a sculptural group entitled “The Architects”. The architects Rastrelli, Rossi, Trezzini, Montferrand, Thomas de Thomon, Voronikhin, Zakharov, Bazhenov are portrayed sitting at the table with blueprints of St. Petersburg’s buildings on it. One chair is vacant – it is for an architect who will create in St. Petersburg a new architectural masterpiece.
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