Tsaritsyno > The monument to Empress Catherine II

The monument to Empress Catherine II

The monument to Empress Catherine II was ñîmissioned by the Moscow City Duma (council) on 15 March 1885 to mark the centenary of the Charter for the Rights and Benefits of the Cities of the Russiam Empire, which first granted a degree of autonomy to local governments across Russia. Initially this all-national monument was intended to be erected in 1788 on Voskresenskaya Square (now Revolution Square) before the newly constructed Duma building.

A bronze monument was designed by’ sculptor Antokolskiy. However, due to amendments made by Emperor Alexander III. It was now decided to erect it in the Duma plenary hall in die new building designed by architect D.N. Chichagov His sketch for the sculpture of Catherine was authorized by Emperor Alexander III. At the suggestion of Duma chairman N. A. Alekseyev, the famous sculptor A. M. Opekushin (creator of the monument to Catherine the Great in Saint Petersburg) was chosen to make the sculpture. Only in the summer of 1896, after numerous delays, the sculpture was erected in the Duma plenary hall and revealed at die solemn meeting on 6 November 1896, to mark 100 years since Catherine’s death.

After the Revolution of 1917, the monument was dismantled and stored in the Museum of Fine Arts (later named after A.S. Pushkin). In 1952 it was transported to the State Picture Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.

During the visit of the Moscow’ Government delegation to Armenia in 2003, a proposal was made to return the monument to Catherine II to Russia. With the hosts' agreement, the monument was delivered to Moscow the same year and handed over for restoration works to the State Tretyakov Gallery.

The ceremonial handover of the monument to Russia took place on 23 January 2006, as part of the Year of Armenia in Russia. The gift certificate was presented.

In summer 2007, the Moscow Government decided to install the monument to Catherine 11 in the newly renovated Grand Palace at Tsaritsyno estate. The parade hall it now stands in received the name Catherine’s Hall.