This statue, created by Étienne Falconet, stands in the middle of the Dekabrisstov square. As is stated on the inscription engraved on its exceptional pedestal, this monument was conceived as a means of conveying the spiritual link uniting Catherine II and her predecessor Peter I. This astonishingly dynamic work, christened the "Bronze Horseman" by Pushkin, was inaugurated in 1782 and rapidly acquired a sacred status. Today, it is offered flowers by young newlyweds come to ask for its blessing.