Peter the Great Statue (1997)
This 98 Meter tall statue is probably one of the most out of place statues I have ever seen. Consistently nominated for being one of the world’s ugliest statues, this Peter the Great Statue was also originally designed to be Christopher Columbus. Yes, Christopher Columbus in order to celebrate 500th anniversary of his first voyage.  When the designer could not find an American buyer it was then given a Russian twist. Although the designer denies this story, he also sold an equally colossal statue of Christopher Columbus to a buyer in Puetro Rico although it is currently disassembled. Something else that makes this story is interest in that Peter the Great, hated Moscow. Ah, Russia.

Monument to Alexander II
In contrast this monument seems to perfectly couple size and design thus making it one of all time favorites. The original monument was built in 1898 and rebuilt in 2005 after it was demolished in 1918 during the Bolshevik revolution. The back of the statue showcases then two lions and perfectly over looks the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Here’s a picture of me and my gorgeous friend Anna on one of Alexander’s lions.  Photo credit, hilarious mother of three children that were upset they didn’t get to stay on the lion.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Храм Христа Спасителя
In pure Moscow style this cathedral is massive and is in fact the largest Orthodox Church in the world. The original church was built in the 19th century and took more than 40 years to build. It was then demolished in 1931 under the communist rule of Stalin and rebuilt through the 1990s.

To be continued…