133 years ago, a monument to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was inaugurated in Moscow. On the day of its opening, on June 6, 1880, starting at 10 a.m., dense crowds of people began gathering in Moscow near the Square beside the Strastnoy Monastery.2 photos

133 years ago
In Moscow, a monument to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was unveiled.

On the day of its opening, on June 6, 1880, starting at 10 a.m., dense crowds of people and numerous vehicles began gathering in Moscow near the Strastnoy Monastery Square. It seemed as if entire Moscow had come together to pay their respects to this great poet.

Around the monument, white shields were placed on poles, bearing the names of the poet’s works inscribed in gold. The Tverskoy Boulevard was adorned with garlands of live greenery. People bought up all the lilies of the valley and violets available from vendors and threw them onto the pedestal of the monument.

By evening, the illumination was turned on. At the foot of the still-covered monument, renowned Russian writers such as Turgenev, Polonsky, Maykov, Pleshcheev, and Dostoevsky delivered solemn speeches. When the covering was removed, the entire square erupted in cheers of joy.

The monument to Alexander Pushkin was created by the sculptor Alexander Opekushin. It depicted the poet in a moment of deep contemplation: his head tilted back, one hand resting on the lapel of his coat, his steps slow and deliberate.
In 1950, the monument was moved from Tverskoy Boulevard to the other side of the reconstructed Strastnoy Square (now Pushkin Square), rotated 180 degrees, and installed in its final location on the site of the former Strastnoy Monastery bell tower. A concrete foundation had to be constructed in order to raise the monument to its proper height.