Rumyantsev Obelisk
Field-Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev was commander of the Imperial Russian forces in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. To mark this resounding Russian victory Vincenzo Brenna, court of Emperor Paul I, was commissioned to create a memorial to stand on the Field of Mars. Hewn from grey Karelian granite, this elegant obelisk is crowned with an eagle on a bronze sphere, with a pedestal of white marble decorated with friezes of arms and bronze wreathes.
In 1818, the Field of Mars was relandscaped, and the decision was taken to move the obelisk to Vasilyevsky Island, in front of the building of the Cadets College where Rumyantsev had been trained. There it stands to this day. In 1867, a garden was laid out in the square surrounding the obelisk (the Rumyantsev Garden), with fountains designed by Alexander Brullov.
| Metro: | Vasileostrovskaya |
|---|---|
| Getting there: | Turn right and right again from the metro onto 7-ya Liniya. Walk down the street to the first junction and turn left onto Bolshoy Prospekt. Take the third turning on the right, and the garden is on your left about 200m down the street. |
| What's nearby? | Academy of Fine Arts, University Embankment, Blagoveshchenskiy (Annunciation) Bridge |
