Sphinxes

Categories / Architecture/Sculpture, Monuments
SPHINXES. Mythical creatures with the body of lion and a human head. In the second half of the 18th century, marble sphinxes were installed in the Private Garden in Gatchina and at the Osinovaya Roscha estate. Cast-iron sphinxes were installed in the Stroganov Palace courtyard. Miniature granite sphinxes were placed at the Kushelev-Bezborodko residential landing (end of the 18th century). At the beginning of the 19th century, stylised Egyptian sphinxes were created in the workshop of sculptor P.P. Sokolov. In 1825-1826, a pair of cast-iron sphinxes decorated the Egyptian Bridge across the Fontanka River. It is likely that the two sphinxes situated in the yard at Mozhaiskaya Street were cast according to the same model; in the 1980s they were installed on the new boat landing stage on Kamenny Island. In 1832, original sphinxes were brought from ancient Thebes in Egypt to St. Petersburg (15th century B.C.), and were installed at the landing near the Academy of Fine Arts (1832-1834, architect K.A. Ton). The sphinx image was given an original treatment by artist M. M. Shemyakin in his Monument To Victims of Political Repression on Robespierre Embankment (see Monument to the Victims of Political Repression).

Y. M. Piryutko. Kushelev-Bezborodko Alexander Andreevich, Gracious Prince
Shemyakin Mikhail Mikhailovich
Sokolov Pavel Petrovich
the Stroganovs
Ton Konstantin Andreevich
Mozhaiskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Robespierre Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city
1832