One of the main attractions of the city of Shakhty is the monument to Emperor Alexander II, the founder of the city, which was unveiled on April 29, 2015, at the intersection of Shevchenko Street and Pushkin Avenue. The ceremonial opening was attended by the great-grandson of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, Pavel Eduardovich Kulikovsky. The bronze monument was created by sculptor Yuri Levotskin.

The appearance of the monument in this city is not accidental. In 1867, the Law on the establishment of the Grushevsky settlement was adopted, which received the status of a mining city with corresponding rights. Here, the Grushevsky coal found its way to the Don River. The name of the city includes not only the location of the monument but also the name of its founder. Thanks to the monarch, mining became the main craft in this settlement. On January 3, 1883, by the decision of the State Council, the mining settlement was transformed into the city of Alexandrovsk-Grushevsky.

Alexander II visited these places only once, when he was heading to Novocherkassk, but his memory is preserved in the city. It was previously planned to demolish the Lenin monument and install the monument to Alexander II in its place, but later it was decided to place it elsewhere. In our time, the former name of the city has become popular, and during the tenure of the former mayor, the issue of its return was discussed.