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PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



Statue of Peter the Great, St. Petersburg-. 



* 



THE rapid change which Eussia underwent during the reign of 

 Peter the Great, her extraordinary advances under this sage legisla- 

 tor, are among the most important events of which history preserves 

 the record. Proud of his glory, the nation wished to erect a monu- 

 ment in commemoration of his great actions, which in his own city 

 should be a distinctive object to all posterity. In the then young 

 state of their art, some deliberation took place before the design of 

 the structure was decided on: during this the hero died, and the 

 erection of the monument was consequently reserved for the reign 

 of the Empress Catherine II. A precipitous rock was fixed on for 

 the pedestal, on which a statue should appear with characteristics 

 distinguishing it from those erected to other sovereigns. 



The first idea was to form this pedestal of six masses of rock, 

 bound together with bars of copper or iron ; but the objection was 

 urged, that the natural decay of the bands would cause a disruption 

 of the various parts, and present a ruinous aspect, while it would be 



