On August 19, 2016, the restored monument to Catherine 2 in Simferopol was unveiled. The new sculptural composition most accurately repeats the lost monument of 1890. As conceived by the authors of the project, this monument is not only a dedication to the empress, but also a symbol of the reunification of Crimea with Russia.
Monument of 1890
In 1882, it was decided to erect a monument to Catherine the Second in Simferopol. The great empress radically changed the fate of the peninsula in the 18th century, adding it to the Russian Empire. According to many modern historians, it was thanks to the activities of Catherine II that Crimea in a minimum period of time turned from the largest slave market into a peaceful oasis of calm, populated by representatives of various ethnic groups. The Imperial Academy of Arts held a competition for the projects of the future monument. Emperor Alexander III personally chose which monument to Catherine 2 in Simferopol to personally choose. Most of all he liked the work, which took the second place, the author of which was the professor of the Academy N. A. Laveretsky. The project was approved, the solemn laying of the future monument took place on April 8, 1883. On the same day, an all-Russian fundraiser for the production of the monument was opened.
Monument to Catherine II (Simferopol) of 1890: description
The sculptural composition was inaugurated on October 18, 1890. The growth sculpture of the empress, made of bronze, proudly towered on a granite pedestal. In one hand, Catherine the Second held a symbol of power - a scepter, the second pointed to the surrounding lands. At the feet of the empress on a low pedestal were the figures of General-General V. M. Dolgorukov-Crimean and Prince G. A. Potemkin. The sculptural composition was supplemented on the sides of the pedestal of Catherine by the busts of Y. I. Bulgakov and A. V. Suvorov.
The monument to Catherine 2 in Simferopol had a richly decorated pedestal. In addition to the dedication inscriptions on the front side of it were a high relief depicting the meeting of Catherine with the peoples of the Crimean Peninsula in 1787, and a separate tablet with the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. The sculptural composition was the center of the city park, an area with flower beds was landscaped around it.
The main sculptures of Simferopol Park of Culture and Rest
For the first time, a majestic monument was damaged during the 1917 revolution. Unknowns broke off the scepter, damaged the figure of the empress and broke off the crown from the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. In 1919, the Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Government overthrew the monument from the pedestal. After some time, the sculpture was restored and returned to its rightful place. However, already in 1921, on a pedestal in the center of the city park, a gypsum model of the monument “In Honor of the Liberation of Crimea from the White Guards” was installed. This monument was a figure of a worker with a naked torso, knocking down chains from the globe.
In 1940, the model, which did not become a full-fledged monument, was removed along with the pedestal. In its place was a monument to V.I. Lenin. The sculpture was changed several times, by the beginning of the 80s of the last century it was removed for the construction of the fountain. The water cascade worked for several years. After the fountain's final failure, discussions began on the restoration of the monument to Catherine the Second. The foundation stone was laid back in 2007. However, a number of public organizations expressed radical dissatisfaction with this decision.
