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The statue of Peter I commonly known as The Bronze Horseman is one of the most commonly used symbols of St.-Petersburg. The sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet was recommended to Catherine II by Denis Diderot. The statue took 14 years to make and was finally unveiled in 1782. Its pedestal is a huge boulder known as Thunder Stone, shaped to represent a cliff. Peter's outstretched arm points towards the Neva river, and a snake writhes under the hooves of his horse, representing his enemies.

It stands on the Senate square, with Neva in front of it and St. Isaac's cathedral behind it. It was here that in December 1825 the Decembrist revolt took place.

One of St.-Petersburg legends says that during particularly heavy storms, Bronze Horseman gallops around the city. Another says that as long as Bronze Horseman stands in its place, St. - Petersburg will not fall into enemies hands. During the 900 day siege of St.-Petersburg (then Leningrad) during the WWII, the statue was not taken down, but instead covered with sandbags and a wooden shelter. Amazingly enough it survived the whole siege without being damaged by the bombing and artillery fire, and true to the legend, the enemy forces did not enter the city.