Statue of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin in Narva city

Statue of Alexander Pushkin

The only monument in Estonia to the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin has been erected in Narva. One of the city streets is also named after the poet. It is not known whether Pushkin himself came to Narva, but we can state that the fates of his family members are closely connected with this city.

Pushkin’s connection with Estonia

The poet’s second cousin’s great-grandfather Ivan Mikhailovich Pushkin in 1580 held the position of siege head in Narva. Twelve years later, in 1592, his brother Evstafiy Mikhailovich negotiated with the Swedes on the Narova River. In 1573, Ivan Stepanovich Pushkin, known by the nickname Subbota (Saturday), was the second governor in Rugodiv (as Narva was called in those days).

During his visit to Narva, Peter the Great was accompanied by Abram Petrovich Gannibal, great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, who later became a major military figure in Estonia and lived here for more than twenty years. The poet’s grandfather Osip Abramovich Gannibal was also born here. It is interesting that the fate of Pushkin’s descendants is also connected with Narva: at the end of the 19th century, his eldest son Alexander served as commander of the 13th Narva Hussar Regiment, and in 1911 the poet’s grandson Grigory Alexandrovich settled in the city, who later had two sons in Narva – Sergey and Gregory.

History and description of the monument to Pushkin

The first monument to Pushkin in Narva was erected in 1949. It was a modest plaster bust of the poet, which has not survived to this day. The installation of the current monument was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the poet’s birth, which was widely celebrated in 1999. The monument was created by sculptor Mikhail Anikushin.

The statue of Alexander Pushkin in Narva is located at the beginning of the square named after him, leading to Peter’s Square. It is a bronze bust of the poet mounted on a granite pedestal. On memorable dates, admirers of Pushkin’s work gather here and read his poems.

Location

Monuments to other figures

  • Near the Center of Russian Culture in Tallinn there is a monument to Dostoevsky.
  • In the city of Tartu, on one of the central streets, there is a monument to Barclay de Tolly.
  • Not far from Tallinn, in the city of Paldiski, there is a monument to Salavat Yulaev.
  • The great-grandfather of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Abram Petrovich Gannibal, once lived in Tallinn, in the commandant’s house.