In 1855, the grand opening of the monument to I.A. Krylov in the Summer Garden. Let’s see how the situation around us changed. From the first photograph of 1863 taken by Alfred Lawrence to the present day. Photographer Irina Raskina.

For starters – the impressions of contemporaries.
The satirist poet Peter Schumacher (Formula 1 races are recalled) wrote the following poem:
“Sly grandfather with granite heights
Looks like guys are tearing around him
And he thinks to himself: “Oh dear animals,
Well, grown up, you will be cattle! .. “

The poet Ivan Maykov was more optimistic:
“With a kind smile, with a friendly look,
He, like with senile leisurely speeches,
Tells us from his high chairs
About the morals strange and stupid beasts,
And everyone laughs around and he himself is quietly cheerful. “

Vladimir Stasov wrote about the monument as follows: “Krylov sits in front of us on a pebble, in his annual coat and trousers, we are heavy, good-natured slobs, as he really were at the end of his life, without embellishment and without the slightest idealization …”

From the moment of installation, the monument to Krylov was very popular, especially among children. Many kids, along with the nannies and governesses, went to admire the pedestal of the monument. Such a number of animals, depicted by Peter Klodt, can be found only in the zoo, but the entrance was paid. Therefore, in the photographs you can see children around the monument.

The monument survived the blockade without damage, although many bombs and shells fell around.

In Soviet times, the holidays “Visiting Grandfather Krylov” were regularly held.

Currently, despite the abundance of Internet information, children with parents can always be seen at the monument.

We look forward to May and new meetings with grandfather Krylov.

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