Saint Petersburg

All paths lead...to the Palace Pier! Yes, yes, but how could it be otherwise? After all, it is here that one of the most famous and mysterious lion pairs of northern Palmyra is located, enjoying the constant popularity of guests of the city on the Neva and the well-deserved love of native St. Petersburg residents. Unlike many representatives of the lion family of the city of Peter the Great, these guard lions were destined to go down in history and be immortalized not only by word, but also by brush. It was their royal sculptures that were captured on their canvases “Palace Pier” and “View of the Neva from the Winter Palace” by famous 19th-century artists V. Sadovnikov and A. Beggrov. The 20th century was no exception, revealing to the world A. Ostroumova-Lebedev, whose illustrations to A. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” still excite the minds of readers, and S. Khadzhibaronov, whose “Lion at the Palace Bridge” became another evidence of considerable popularity of crowned copper sculptures.

Louis Franz Karl - Neva embankment at the western facade of the Winter Palace

The history of their appearance is full of mysterious coincidences and such twists and turns of events that they were just right to be investigated by the Secret Police of His Imperial Majesty. Without claiming to be the daily bread of the main detectives of the empire, we will still take the liberty of lifting the veil of secrecy and telling the reader some of the features of construction Palace Pier and its famous lions.

When designing a pier-staircase between the Admiralty building and the Winter Palace, the court architect L. Ruska planned to decorate the descent to the Neva with graceful female figures accompanied by reclining lions. However, the project was not approved by the top officials. For mercy, Mr. Ruska, but no women! And if there are lions, then they are guard lions, and not peacefully snoring to the sound of waves crashing against the granite stronghold. After all, after the destruction of fortifications around the Admiralty, the shipbuilding center of St. Petersburg, and even located not far from the royal residence, must be protected like the apple of one’s eye!

Guard lions appeared in the decorative design project for the Palace Pier, which belonged to the architect K. Rossi, a landmark for the history of St. Petersburg, who proposed using several sculptural groups: horses with drivers for the upper ledges of the descent and lions leaning on a ball (a familiar silhouette, isn’t it?) for the lower ones. The project was approved, but... The “Horse with Driver” model created by V. Demuth-Malinovsky was far from being so successful. In return, a proposal was made to install equestrian groups on the pier like those that decorated Champs Elysees works of the French sculptor G. Coustou. A corresponding request was sent to Paris and even a response was received, but a preliminary calculation of the cost of casting these gigantic statues nullified all the efforts of the architect. 32 thousand rubles per group - this is the figure that put an end to the brilliant idea of ​​​​designing a pier at the Admiralty.

What to do? How to be? After cross-correspondence between the architect K. Rossi, responsible for the construction and decoration of the Palace Pier, the director of the Alexander Iron Foundry M. Clark, responsible for casting the formidable guard lions, and the Minister of the Imperial Court, His Serene Highness Prince P. Volkonsky, responsible for everyone and everything, a decision was made make lions by blowing or chasing from sheet copper. Just three months later, the guard lions of the Palace Pier began their service, walking on cast iron pedestals with volutes, cast according to the design of the architect I. Charlemagne. The authorship of the copper guards belongs to... And, strictly speaking, to whom? It is with this question that the intricate story of the famous lion couple begins, whose traces lead to Peterhof.

Many guides, guiding gullible tourists along the granite banks of the Neva and demonstrating powerful figures rearing on pedestals with clawed paws digging into a massive ball, confidently name the sculptor I. Prokofiev as the author of the magnificent, lush-maned royal animals. But is this really so?

With all due respect to Ivan Prokofievich, we will have to object to the master’s personal participation in the design of the Palace Pier. For one of the most famous artists of Russia of the 19th century passed away already in February 1828, and the question of appearance Lviv became on the agenda only in the fall. And there is no need to talk about the fact that the final decision on their casting was made only 4 years later - in 1832. An inquisitive reader may assume that the lions were conceived by the sculptor a little earlier. But the last creation of Professor I. Prokofiev dates back to 1822, after which he did not work due to the paralysis of the right side of the body that befell him due to a severe apoplexy.

So where did the claim about the authorship of the stunning lions of the Palace Pier come from? In the stories of the guides, the name of the sculptor I. Prokofiev, the similarity of the lions of the Palace Pier with the lions of the Florentine Piazzadellasignoria and the statement that the guard pair was cast according to models already available at the Alexander Iron Foundry are surprisingly intertwined. At the same time, few people think that the facts presented are somewhat contradictory to each other.

To clarify, we will have to return the reader to the correspondence between the architect C. Rossi, the director of the iron foundry M. Clark and Prince P. Volkonsky. One head it's good, but two better. So, apparently, C. Rossi and P. Volkonsky thought when they decided to install a guard pair on the pier, the prototype of which was the lions made by the Triscorni family that lived in St. Petersburg at the War Ministry, reminiscent of those same notorious Florentines from Piazzadellasignoria.

But M. Clark debunked the “Napoleonic plans”, notifying that due to the change in the size of the lions, it is necessary to make new plaster models for them, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of the project. At the same time, the factory has models of such lions, but several smaller ones. So maybe the ministry will make a decision in favor of the existing ones? And the ministry accepted it, despite all the objections of K. Rossi, who argued that the size was not impressive. The objections were not heeded, since previously the lions of the Elagin Palace, the Russian Museum, the palace in Strelna and the Arakcheevsky estate in the village of Gruzino were cast using the same molds, and neither the crowned family nor its entourage had previously shown any dissatisfaction with the size of the guards.


But what does I. Prokofiev have to do with it, if all these lions are copies of a pair installed in one of the most beautiful squares in Florence?! Our dear reader will probably ask. The fact is that all representatives of the “Lion Guard” of His Imperial Majesty, starting from the lions of the Elagin Palace and ending with the lions of the Palace Pier, were cast in the mold of the gilded bronze lions of the Lion Cascade of Peterhof, the authorship of which was attributed by some sources to Professor I. Prokofiev.

It is very interesting that at the same time, all the same sources in the materials on the construction and decorative design of the Mikhailovsky and Elagin palaces successfully forget about the sculptor’s surname and state the fact of copying the Florentine lions. Presumably, the conclusion about the authorship of the professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts was made on the basis of data from a report on the work carried out for Peterhof in the Academy’s journal, which mentioned the delivery of lion forms and triton forms by I. Prokofiev from the foundry.

However, in our understanding, Ivan Prokofievich “fell victim” to the documentary confusion. Already in the next report of the Academy it is clearly indicated that the professor worked only on newts, while in relation to lions, instead of the author, only the total number of plaster forms is indicated - 15 boxes. By an amazing coincidence, just 15 boxes of plaster molds of Florentine lions from Piazzadellasignoria arrived at the Academy of Arts shortly before these events. Together with the forms of the statues of Hercules and Flora, who also went to the Lion Cascade. Are such coincidences accidental?.. Moreover, even the biographers of I. Prokofiev do not include the lions of the Lion Cascade in the creative heritage of the sculptor (and, to put it mildly, there is something to be proud of!).


Summing up the results of our, we hope, not too tedious investigation, we can only conclude that I. Prokofiev owned countless unsurpassed beauty bas-reliefs and sculptures, but this wonderful master hardly had a hand in the lions of the Palace Pier.

If, dear reader, after reading this a short excursion In the history of the guard lions of St. Petersburg, you will want to have the same formidable pair in your home, the ArtMart stone-cutting workshop will help make your desire come true. And introducing the new inhabitants of the house to the amazed guests, one will be able to say: “This is such a confusing story...”.

The king of beasts at the crossing

Winged creatures

House with lions

Lions at Elagin Palace

Chinese lions Shih Tzu

Lion pack

Lions on the Palace Pier

Peterhof Lion

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Northern Palmyra is inhabited by a variety of creatures: mysterious sphinxes look at passers-by from the embankments, variegated owls open their beaks from the walls of palaces, dragons beat their tails, bats, horses, and little Siskin-Pyzhik stand frozen in silence. There are also lions - there are a lot of giant cats in the cultural capital: plaster, marble, carved from granite, bright, faded, filigree, simple, modern and at least 200 years old. But first things first.

According to mythology, the lion is a leader and wise ruler, endowed with power, courage, courage and greatness. He personifies power, fire, the luminary of the day. Exactly when the fashion for decorating shelters and streets with predators arose is unknown: according to one version, this passion manifested itself during the reign of Peter I, who encountered similar stone creations in Europe. Superstitious Europeans in the Middle Ages came to the conclusion that lions are excellent guards, since they sleep with their eyes open, and therefore will not let demons under the roof. According to another theory, sculptural images of these animals became widespread in the nineteenth century, when Russian architects paid attention to Italian art and the work of ancient geniuses, who often carved lush manes, tenacious claws and powerful lean bodies from stone. Let's remember where in our region you can meet amazing creatures.

The king of beasts at the crossing

“Bridge with lions in St. Petersburg?” - this is about the pedestrian Lion Bridge, thrown across the Griboyedov Canal in the Admiralteysky district. The river crossing was built in 1825. During the same period of time, Academician Pavel Petrovich Sokolov took up the creation of alabaster forms for future monuments. Each of the noble beauties serves not only as decoration: the two-meter snow-white statues contain hidden mechanisms that hold the bridge span and the people on it. The stability of the structure is given by the weighty slabs that serve as the base of the levoshkas.

The suspended crossing was liked not only by local people: 10 years later, the German company Borsig erected a small copy of the bridge in Tiergarten, one of the parks in Berlin. The project was developed by urban planner Ludwig Hesse. You can still see this wooden structure today.

Winged creatures

The beloved lions with wings in St. Petersburg are located on the Bank Bridge. In fact, they are often called griffins, but there are also those who disagree with this term, because according to legend, these fairy-tale characters had the head of a bird, but the sculptures on the Griboedov Canal do not have such a feature.

The opening of the Bank Bridge took place 25 days after the launch of the Lion's Bridge; the same architects and sculptors were involved in the construction of the elegant structure. The principle of the device is the same as that of its older brother: the exquisite spans are held by chain links, which are reinforced in the sculptures. Here you can admire not only the magical griffin lions, but also the landscapes: from the deck there is a magnificent view of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the Kazan Cathedral and the Singer House, emerald plantings around gray granite and calm, slightly greenish ripples of water, in which proud guardians of justice are reflected .

House with lions

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin wrote about them in his poem “The Bronze Horseman”: “The guard lions stood with raised paws, as if alive.” Of course, we are talking about amazing guards who hold sloping paws stone balls at the Lobanov-Rostovsky House on St. Isaac's Square. Unique individuals, striking with their graceful and majestic appearance, were born in Italy: master Paolo Triscorni worked under the southern sun to create chiseled lines.

In the 21st century in elegant palace complex, which was designed by the famous architect Auguste Montferrand, is a deluxe hotel whose guests are guarded every night by noble cats.

Lions at Elagin Palace

At the delightful Elagin Palace, on granite pedestals, there are two cast-iron sculptures of lions, whose paws rest on hemispheres. From a distance they seem to be twins: a shock of shaggy hair, a mysterious half-grin, half-smile, but if you look at the figures closer, the differences will become obvious: they exist both in position and in appearance. They were manufactured in 1822 at the St. Petersburg State Foundry.

Chinese lions Shih Tzu

These unusual sculptures were petrified on Petrovskaya Embankment not far from the house of Peter the Great. Massive figures weighing 2.5 tons come from Manchuria: they moved to their new place of residence in 1907, when they were presented to Petrograd as a gift.

In China, frog lions are required to guard the family hearth, and therefore are carved and installed at least in pairs. The lion father, as the head of the dynasty, holds a ball symbolizing light, knowledge, wealth, and his companion, the lion mother, supports the lion cub: the open mouth of the wife of the head of the animal kingdom drives away evil spirits from her child, who will continue the family line.

Initially, it was assumed that the freedom-loving predators would decorate the temple-oratory of General Chan in the Chinese city of Girin, but after the death of the official, the newly-minted governor decided to present the lions as a gift to the Amur Governor-General Nikolai Ivanovich Grodekov, who, in turn, transferred them to the capital of the Russian Empire.

Other favorite oriental animals that have settled in St. Petersburg are the Shanghai lions, presented to the city for its 300th anniversary. They live in the Garden of Friendship on Liteiny Prospekt.

Lion pack

The largest population of these graceful representatives of the cat family can be found in front of Bezborodko's dacha on the Sverdlovskaya embankment. 29 lions are connected by a heavy cast iron chain. The mansion itself was built back in 1773-1777, but was then rebuilt several times. Stone guards were installed in front of the manor at the beginning of the 19th century. The possible author of the sculptures is considered to be Nikolai Aleksandrovich Lvov.

By the way, in the 70s of the 20th century, the film “The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia” was filmed near the luxurious dacha. The heroes of the film tried to find the treasure under the lions! Remember this moment?

Lions on the Palace Pier

However, according to local historians, the most popular lions in the city are the brave creatures near the Admiralty pavilion. Cast iron sculptures stand on high pedestals, turning their large shaggy heads towards each other. Their mouths are bared, either in a terrible roar, or in a satisfied rumbling, sharp, terrifying fangs stick out... Powerful muscular bodies are frozen in a tense pose, one paw with extended claws rests on a ball.

By the way, about balls - many of the royal animals are actually depicted with a sphere under their paw, and there is an explanation for this. The fact is that lions are called upon to protect a person’s home from the encroachment of evil forces. But what happens if the guard falls asleep? For such a case, a ball is needed: when the lion plunges into the longed-for slumber and relaxes a limb, the ball begins to roll. Feeling the movement, the King of all animals throws off the shackles of sleep in order to continue to observe his service.

The lions that can be seen on the Palace Pier were present in the very first projects of this location, the development of which was carried out by the architect Luigi Rusca in 1717. However, the sculptures were sculpted only a hundred years later: in 1832, master Prang, based on the model of the sculptor I. P. Prokofiev, created the now famous images. In September of the same year they decorated the pier, where they remain to this day.

These lions, it should be noted, were taken away for restoration several times: tourists and St. Petersburg residents themselves love to climb onto the backs of the statues. Thus, one of the last unscheduled reconstructions took place in 2006, when multiple cracks appeared along the torso of one of the animals: probably, a clumsy rider broke the thin sheet of copper from which the lions are made. “Rescuers” quickly arrived at the scene of the incident: restorers dressed in white medical coats examined their non-trivial “patient”, carefully bandaged the mutilated torso, and then, using a crane, loaded him onto a KAMAZ, which was disguised as an ambulance. While the monument was forced to undergo a health course in the workshop, its place was taken by a yellow plastic copy - the lion “Boniface”. When the substitute was sold, a miracle of balloons was installed in the empty space.

The image of this pair of “court” lions can be found on the 2003 coins, which were minted for the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.

Peterhof Lion

Another famous lion is part of the central fountain of Peterhof - “Samson tearing the mouth of the lion”. However, what we see is not the original of the monumental statue: it was lost during the devastating Great Patriotic War. The restored ensemble, on which sculptors V. Simonov and N. Mikhailov worked, was opened in 1947.

Of course, these are not all the predatory inhabitants of our region: several silent exhibits can also be found in front of building number 12 on Admiralteysky Prospekt, near the Russian Museum, on the Western Spit of Elagin Island and in other quarters.

It is worth adding that, as is the case with many others mystical creatures, many legends and superstitions are associated with lions. For example, there is a popular belief in society that if you kiss a lion, he will give you good luck in love and pursuits! And some of them are able to make wishes come true: just rub the lion’s paw or nose, walk around the statue, and then whisper to it about your most cherished dream.

Every St. Petersburg resident can say with a high degree of confidence that one of the most fascinating places in the city is the Admiralteyskaya Embankment with its mysterious lions. Royal animals add mysticism to romantic walks in these places. Enormously popular in St. Petersburg, copper guard lions are an exact copy of their counterparts serving as guards in Florence. With the only difference: overseas lions are made of stone. Nevertheless, in the Northern capital, the kings of animals are such a success among tourists that they have repeatedly suffered from those who want to climb more skillfully and higher onto the figures in order to catch a good angle for photography.

But the animals are not young - almost 200 years old. Serious number! The date of birth of the majestic statues made of thin sheet copper is 1832. The production of graceful cats at the Alexander Iron Foundry was carried out by master Prang. And for casting they used plaster casts of their Florentine relatives. In the same year, figures and vases became the main decoration of the descent to the Neva. A little later, the vases were moved to Petrovskaya Pier, and the lions were placed closer to the Admiralty. The support for the “guardians” were pedestals cast at the same factory. Having settled comfortably on a cast-iron “mat,” the lions not only faithfully carried out their service all this time, but also became the brightest decoration of the granite descent to the Neva.

They haven’t tried to jump from their place for so many years... well, except to take a secret walk in the city at night, when there is not a single outside observer around.

There would be no restorations, but tourists helped

The excellent quality factory work paid off and did not require constant repairs. The lions steadfastly survived the Great Patriotic War and required restoration only twice - in the post-war years and in 1991. But the third restoration was forced and extremely necessary.

Then strong steel frames had to be “implanted” into the hollow torsos of the lions. There would be no need for them if the numerous tourists constantly climbing onto the back of one of the lions had not broken his torso.

In addition to the ardent love of tourists, the regal statues on the Admiralteyskaya Embankment have also earned praise as masterpieces in word and brush. Famous 19th century artists Vasily Sadovnikov and Alexander Beggrov captured guard lions on their canvases. Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva and Sergei Khadzhibaronov, who were already creating in the 20th century, also devoted their works to popular sculptures.

Author on stage! Yes, real!

The very history of the appearance of these beauties is securely hidden under a veil of secrets and mysteries, which is so interesting to open even a little...

Initially, it was planned to decorate the descent to the Neva with female figures accompanied by lions. But the idea of ​​the shallows, leaving only animals, and with an indispensable condition: they must be watchdogs! After all, the shipbuilding center of the Northern capital should be protected day and night! This is how the guard lions found themselves in the project of the architect Carl Rossi, and after their birth they began to perform an important service.

It is with the determination of the “paternity” of lions that the mystery of this story begins. Many guides assure tourists that the figures were allegedly cast according to the design of Ivan Prokofiev. But as it turns out, this is not entirely true: it is unlikely that the master at that time could personally take part in the design of the pier. Ivan Prokofiev died in the winter of 1828, and the question of the appearance of the Lion Guard arose only in the fall. Not to mention the fact that only 4 years later the decision was made to cast the figures. There is also an answer to the assumption that the sculptor could have conceived graceful cats even earlier. Due to health reasons (complete paralysis of the right side), the master has not been creative for the last 6 years. Whatever one may say, it turns out that the attribution of authorship is erroneous. Ivan Prokofiev, indeed, owns a great many beautiful sculptures and bas-reliefs, but, alas, they have nothing to do with the Admiralty Lions.

Be that as it may, majestic animal sculptures still occupy their special place under the sky of St. Petersburg. Clearly visible from many points on the Admiralty Embankment, the clear profiles of lions are displayed against the backdrop of the surface of the Neva, at the same time decorating the vault of heaven with proud outlines...

St. Petersburg is rightfully considered a city densely populated by lions. In stone, cast iron and metal, in full height, in bas-reliefs and on monuments. With balls under the paws of the main staircases and wings on the bridges. Smiling and serious, disheveled and neat. It is absolutely certain that it is impossible to count everyone. But we invite you to meet the most famous ones.

You can devote one day of your stay in St. Petersburg to “shaking a paw” with the kings of animals of the Northern capital, or you can remember their location and, during walks on different days, collect acquaintances with them in your collection.

Advice. If you like non-standard photographs and subject shooting, take a small toy lion cub with you and insert it into the frame. Your photos will become much brighter and more interesting.

Let's start the Lion's route from the beginning, i.e. on the Petrograd side, from the house of Peter I. In front of the house, looking at the embankment, stands bust of the city founder. If you don't know, it's almost impossible to notice on his left shoulder is the face of a lion. What is this and why did the lion appear in this form on the sculpture? - you ask. The thing is that on the coat of arms of Sweden, the country with which St. Petersburg owes its appearance to the war at the beginning of the 18th century, there are two lions. The placement of this symbol on Peter's shoulder shows the undeniable victory over the Swedes and the submission of the northern enemy.

Historians argue why there are so many lions in St. Petersburg. Of course, the most reasonable explanation is that lions, as symbols of the sun and power, were extremely popular in Europe in the 17th - 18th centuries; many sculptors and architects loved them, decorating entrances to palaces with them and creating spectacular bas-reliefs with faces. But we can also believe that the lions in the city remained from the Swedes, more precisely as a memory of the victory over them, and now they keep their guard, guarding the Russian city on the Neva, which was once the fortress of Nyenschanz.

On the route we will meet not only ordinary lions. They will be with wings and in the most bizarre images. Therefore, literally walking a couple of steps along the embankment, we meet some of the most unusual lions of the city - Shih Tzu. These are mythological lions brought to the Neva embankment from the city of Girin in Manchuria in 1907. Since then, unusual sculptures have been guarding the pier on Petrovskaya Embankment.

There are several more lions lurking on the Petrograd side, we will find them. The first lion along the route is located on Kronversky Prospekt, 5, at the entrance to the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University. Leo is a little sad, perhaps because he is not as popular as his brothers.

Next lions, you will even find a pride at the entrance to Leningrad Zoo. This arrangement of sculptures and bas-reliefs is quite logical, especially since the zoo itself has living representatives of the cat family.

The last lion on the Petrograd side, which was included in our route, is located on ship "Flying Dutchman", moored on Mytinskaya embankment. The restaurant ship itself is very nice, and from the vantage point from where the lion is visible, there is a beautiful view of the Neva waters and the Winter Palace.

We cross the Birzhevoy Bridge to Vasilyevsky Island and almost immediately, on 2 more lions are waiting for you on Makarov embankment guarding the pier. The calm lions look majestically at what is happening around them and, perhaps, are watching the success of Zenit, because it is in the direction of the stadium-training base of this team that their faces are turned.

The following lions very often appear in tourist photographs, although not in the main role, but in addition to the main composition. Granite bas-relief lions with metal rings in their teeth decorate Strelka Vasilyevsky Island , descent to the water. The panorama of Strelka is beautiful, but while enjoying the views, don’t forget about the lions that were once guarded main square foreign trade for almost 300 years.

Another very famous mythical lions of Vasilyevsky Island are, of course, sphinxes near the Academy of Arts on Universitetskaya embankment. Sphinxes are lions with the head of a man; in Ancient Egypt, the face of a sphinx is, as a rule, the face of a deceased pharaoh, whose eternal peace they guard. The St. Petersburg sphinxes were carved from syenite stone about 3.5 thousand years ago. And for a long time they served the one in whose honor they were created - Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III. In 1830, at the height of the cultural craze Ancient Egypt in Europe, sphinxes put up for sale in the city of Alexandria were acquired by one of the members of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In 1834 they took their place on the banks of the Neva. Regarding the general age of sphinxes, they visit St. Petersburg at all. But for thousands of tourists and lovers of mysticism, this is one of the centers of attraction. Be sure to meet the most “adult” residents of St. Petersburg too. And don’t forget that the pier is also decorated with sculptures of very cute winged lions, their noses, polished to a shine for good luck, glisten in the rays of the northern sun.

Next we go to definitely the most popular lions of St. Petersburg. Two handsome men with balls, standing, or even more correctly, playing on the Palace Pier no one is left indifferent. There are always more than enough people who want to hug Leva. We do not recommend that you repeat tourist bad manners and try to climb them.

Firstly, this is a monument and it is destroyed by constant physical impact, and secondly, it is simply unsafe, the lions stand quite high. Look at them, smile at their majesty and seal them in your memory. These lions, decorating the descent to the Neva in front of the Admiralty, have been at their post since 1832; they are cast from copper using the embossing method.

Now we go to two famous delightful foot bridges - Lion and Bankovsky. They both represent not only exceptional monuments of bridge-building architecture, but also incredibly bright, beautiful and elegant objects.

Both bridges span the Griboyedov Canal. Lions Bridge is located a little away from the main tourist trails, but Bankovsky is the undisputed “star” of photographs from St. Petersburg. Lions Bridge obviously got its name from the 4 lion statues that decorate the crossing. Bank Bridge, on which chains are held by lions with golden wings, was so named because of its proximity to the entrance of the State Assignment Bank. First, get to the Lions Bridge by a convenient route for you (on the way, it will probably be time for lunch, where you can organize it, see our Where to Eat section), and then along the historical canal embankment, reach the Bank Bridge. Both bridges, along with the Pochtamtsky Bridge, are also notable for the fact that there are only three chain bridges preserved in St. Petersburg. They were built in the first half of the 19th century.

From Bankovsky Bridge, continuing along the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal, we will reach entrance to the Russian Museum. Here emasculated, stately white lions await us. The lions guarding the entrance to the Mikhailovsky Palace also have balls under their paws. Where does this symbol come from? - you might reasonably ask yourself during our walk. There are several versions of why lions are usually depicted with balls. According to one version, the ball is a symbol of the sun, knowledge, strength, something whole and significant. By placing it under the lion's paw, the sculptor once again emphasizes the majesty and highest origin of the beast. According to another version, balls help lions guard. Constantly holding the ball helps the lion not to fall asleep; if the lion dozes off, the paw will weaken, the ball will roll and fall.

The next lions on the route are again unusual. They live in the Garden of Friendship on Liteiny Prospekt, 15. These are very young sculptures of lions, they settled in the city in 2003, they were donated by Shanghai, sister city, on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. The square itself, in which the lions are located, is very attractive and unusual, and if you are lucky enough to get there at the end of spring, then you will find not only lions, but also cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The last point on the walking part of our walk is quite far away, but it is worth the walk. 29 lions- the largest population of these animals is located in stone in front of Bezborodko's dacha on Sverdlovskaya embankment.

The magnificent fence of the former dacha of a wealthy family consists entirely of lions, which hold a single chain in their mouths. The ensemble of the fence is charming and, thanks to the fact that the lions are cast iron, it is well preserved. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the house, which was once the center of the Polustrovo hydropathic resort. However, it’s definitely worth getting to this area to see a different St. Petersburg, no longer ceremonial and touristic, but residential and industrial. And lions, who have been serving happily for more than 200 years, will become your guides.

Let's finish our lion's route at Elagin Island. It’s not by chance that we get there in the evening - we spend a mesmerizing sunset on the Western Spit of Elagin Island hugging lions. Elagin Island and Central Park culture and recreation named after. Kirov - favorite place recreation for St. Petersburg residents. Elagin Palace - the heart of Elagin Island, was the summer imperial residence and was built according to the design of D. Quarenghi at the end of the 18th century, rebuilt by C. Rossi during the reign of Alexander I. The palace is made in the Palladian style and looks very elegant and touching. Surrounded by greenery and an atmosphere of relaxation and smiles, but attracts even more. The central staircase is decorated with 2 lion statues. They fit harmoniously into the overall ensemble of the park and make you want to hug them in a friendly way and treat them to ice cream. 2 more lions are waiting for you on the Western Spit, as you remember, to see off this great day. If you are lucky with sunny weather, you will enjoy absolutely magical views and landscapes.

A huge number of lions “live” in St. Petersburg and its environs. You will meet them in Pavlovsk, where they are almost a symbol, and in Peterhof, and in the park Konstantinovsky Palace.

Lions will have different faces, different poses, but everywhere they will serve one thing - protect you and make your holiday in St. Petersburg serene and happy.

Lion statues were installed on the Palace Pier as decoration in 1832.

Now the pier with lions is located on the Admiralty Embankment near the eastern pavilion of the Admiralty (next to the Palace Bridge). According to local historians and bloggers, these lions are the most famous lions of St. Petersburg.

After the last reconstruction, the pier with lions, located next to the Palace Bridge, forms a single architectural ensemble with its southern descent. The figures of lions are made by chasing from sheet copper; they were made in 1832 at the Alexander Iron Foundry in St. Petersburg. They were made by master I. Prang based on the model of sculptor I. P. Prokofiev. At the same plant, according to the drawings of the architect L. Charlemagne, cast iron pedestals with volutes were cast for the lions.

The Palace Pier is a wide granite staircase leading down to the Bolshaya Neva. At the top of the stairs, rising above the level of the shore, there are granite pedestals of lions. The monotony of the vertical parallelepiped of the pedestal is divided by narrow projections. The staircase descent itself is limited on the sides by a parapet of embankments, which smoothly turns into a pedestal.
The lions stand on cast-iron pedestals, turning their heavy foreheads towards each other. The menacing faces of the animals are unique and expressive - lions are depicted with half-open, grinning mouths and terrible fangs. The strength and agility of the predator is indicated by a wide chest, powerful paws and a slender, muscular body with a toned stomach. Lions rest on the ball with their front paws with extended curved claws.
The idea of ​​​​installing lions on the Palace Pier appeared in the first project of Luigi Rusca (1717) and ran like a red thread through all design options. In the fall of 1828, an attempt was made to clarify the issue of decorative lion statues for the pier. All historical documents indicate that installation of an exact replica of the Florentine lions was considered.