The equestrian statue of Alexander III sculpted by Paolo Troubetzkoy was unveiled in 1909. The statue, showing a corpulent Tsar on a very heavy horse, was hardly inaugurated, when it caused an intense public scandal. Petersburg society was divided. The more reactionary part of society was indignant. They said the caricature of the Tsar was too open. However, democratic society welcomed the powerful and exposing monumental sculpture. The author of the monument remained unflappable and said, “I do not engage in politics. I simply portrayed one animal for another.” After the Russian revolution of 1917, the Soviet government removed the monument from the main street to the rear of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, in 1994, the monument to Alexander was placed in front of the Marble Palace near the embankment of the Neva river, at the former site of the armoured car that transported Lenin from Finland Station.
It is interesting to note that Alexander III seems to be the favourite Tsar of President Putin.
