The equestrian monument to Nicholas I is located in the center of St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg, next to St. Isaac's Cathedral, symmetrically opposite Senate Square. Its massive pedestal impresses with its size and monumentality, while the statue exhibits lightness and grace. This is the last major work of architect Auguste Montferrand, who also built St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Alexander Column in Palace Square. The figure was created by the famous sculptor Klodt, known for the horses on the Anichkov Bridge.

The monument, erected after the emperor's death, was unveiled on June 25 (July 7) 1859, during the reign of Alexander II, a year after the completion of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Interestingly, the horse is turned with its hindquarters towards the Mariinsky Palace, a wedding gift to Nicholas I's daughter, Maria. Rumor has it that she refused to live in the palace because the monument faced it backward.

Klodt, who created the 16-meter bronze statue of the emperor, was renowned for "making horses better than the stallions themselves." He sculpted the horse from the favorite royal stallion Amalatebek, on which Nicholas I reviewed parades. The statue, weighing over 20 tons, was successfully cast only on the second attempt, as during the first attempt the molten metal burst through the mold, similar to what happened with the Bronze Horseman.

The pedestal, designed by Montferrand, is made of quartzite, marble, and granite. It features female figures symbolizing "Strength," "Wisdom," "Justice," and "Faith," with the faces of the emperor's wife Alexandra Feodorovna and their daughters. Four bas-reliefs extol the deeds of the tsar: the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, the quelling of the cholera riot, the construction of the railway, and the compilation of the code of laws.

If one mentally removes St. Isaac's Cathedral, Nicholas will appear directly behind the Bronze Horseman, the monument to Peter the Great in Senate Square. This creates the illusion that he is trying to catch up with him. Nicholas admired Peter and sought to be like him, but the ideal proved unattainable. Subjects joked: "The fool chases the smart one, but Isaac gets in the way." It is said that the day after the monument's unveiling, a plaque appeared on the horse's leg reading "You won't catch up!"

Many did not like Nicholas I, considering him a controversial figure. He received numerous epithets: "despot tsar," "suppressor of freedom," "gendarme of Europe." Due to his commitment to discipline and punishments, he was nicknamed Palkin. Perhaps that is why the bronze figure of the tsar seems vain to many.

However, Nicholas I truly loved Russia, albeit in his own way. He had achievements as well. He was accused of leaving Russia alone against Europe during the Crimean War. However, he fortified the forts of Kronstadt so that the Anglo-French squadron did not dare to storm them. He also promoted the construction of railways, insisting on increasing the gauge, which created difficulties for potential invaders.

Under him, the Third Section and a system of censorship were created, but he himself read the works of Pushkin and rarely banned them. In 30 years of rule, apart from the Decembrists, he executed no one. He did not abolish serfdom, but improved the conditions for peasants and developed public education.

Nicholas fought against corruption, although he acknowledged that one person could not cope with bureaucracy. He participated in shaping the appearance of the capital, limiting building heights. Upon learning of the defeat in the Crimean War, he went out to parade in the frost and soon died of pneumonia. There were rumors of suicide.

The monument to Nicholas I deserves attention not only as a tribute to the emperor but also as an outstanding architectural work. It stands on two points of support, the horse's hind legs. It was believed that such monuments did not exist in St. Petersburg, but it turned out that the Bronze Horseman also rests on two points. It was assumed that the horse was filled with metal balls, but none were found. The monument is held up by metal rods weighing 60 poods.

The monument has been on the verge of demolition several times: after the February Revolution of 1917 and in the 1930s. It was saved by being recognized as an engineering masterpiece. In 1992, the historical fence of the monument was restored. By the end of the last century, the sculpture began to deteriorate, but after restoration, it has been reopened for viewing.