The Bronze Horseman

This statue of Peter the Great, unveiled in 1782, is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg. Located near St. Isaac's Cathedral, it inspired Alexander Pushkin, Russia's mnost beloved poet, to write his famous poem in 1833, just four years before his own death in a duel.
"And thus he mused:From here, indeed,
Shall we strike terror in the Swede;
And here a city, by our labour
Founded, shall gall our haughty neighbor."
In the poem, the writer imagines himself being pursued down St. Petersburg's streets by a horrifing statue of the Czar come back to life on his horse.