Petersburg in miniature

Have you ever dreamed of reaching the top of the Admiralty spire or looking at the look on the face of an angel crowning the spire of the Alexander Column?

Now you have every chance to accomplish your plan! Really -- in miniature. “Petersburg in miniature” is the name of the project created by Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Taratynov and Gazprom. The project is a small bronze replica (on a scale of 1:33) of the main St. Petersburg attractions. There is the Admiralty, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, surrounded by the granite outlines of the fortress, the Kazan and St. Isaac's Cathedrals, the Exchange and the Granite Arrow with Rostral Columns, the Engineering (aka Mikhailovsky) Castle, the Savior on the Blood and the Palace Square with the entire architectural ensemble and the Alexander Column, and even the Senate and Synod building. On a small patch, an area of about 2 hectares, several empty granite pedestals were left. The creators of the city in miniature still have a few ideas. Montferrand spent more than 40 years on the magnificent building of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It took Alexander Taratynov about a year to make a smaller copy. Miniatures were created according to the surviving drawings of the original buildings and by field shooting of sculptures. Therefore, we can now easily see the four horses above the arch of the General Staff or the very angel on top of the Alexander column, which, according to legend, keeps our city. A little away from the miniatures created another sculptural group, already in full size. Here, by the will of the creators, architects at different times made a huge contribution to the appearance of St. Petersburg gathered at one table. Rastrelli, Rossi, Trezzini, Montferrand, Toma de Thomon, Voronikhin, Zakharov and Bazhenonov are depicted at the table on which the plans of St. Petersburg are laid out. At the edge of the table there is an empty chair on which everyone can sit down for a photo. And there are many. The creators of architectural masterpieces observe the life of bronze copies of their creations. And, hopefully, approvingly.