Saint Petersburg is a city known for many things, and chief among them is its reputation as the birthplace of Russia’s famous literary tradition. It is fitting, then, that the city is home to many commemorative statues and monuments that depict the most famous writers of the era such as Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Pushkin. No examination of Russian literature would be complete, however, without a look at Ivan Turgenev.
Visitors to Saint Petersburg who come to take a look at Yan Neiman and Valentin Sveshnikov’s sculpture of Turgenev are in for a real treat. Much like Kutosov’s monument, the Turgenev statue blends realism with a flair for Roman classicism and depicts the famous author of “Fathers and Sons” sitting on a bench and leaning on his walking stick in a pose that brings to mind the figure of Jupiter from mythological tradition. This is very much in line with Turgenev’s stature within the city, and his reputation as a wanderer. If you’re in the area and you’re at all a fan of Russian literature, definitely stop by and take a look.