The monumental composition was conceived as a multi-tiered image of a maritime power with a rostral column, a sailing ship, and the reformer at the helm. The structure uses stainless steel as the load-bearing frame with mounted bronze and copper elements, while the copper sails have an internal metal framework to reduce weight. It stands on an artificial island at the split of the Moskva River and the Vodootvodny Canal, framed by fountains that create the effect of a ship cutting through water. The ceremonial opening took place on September 5, 1997, during the city’s 850th anniversary celebrations with the participation of President Boris Yeltsin and Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. The total height is about 98 meters, with the emperor’s figure about 18 meters tall, making it one of the tallest monuments in the country. Engineering complexity included wind-tunnel tests of a scale model and a pile-supported reinforced concrete foundation. Today the composition serves as a visual landmark at a river bend and a focal point for pedestrian routes along the embankments and the arts park.

The monument to Peter I by Zurab Tsereteli was erected in 1997 by order of the Moscow Government. The official name is “In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy”.

The monument is located on an artificial island, built at the junction of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal. This is one of the tallest monuments in Russia. The total height of the monument is 98 meters, the height of the figure of Peter is 18 m.

The composition has a complex and unique engineering device. A column on a granite base holds a ship in which the figure of Peter the Great is located. The supporting structures of the monument are made of stainless steel, and bronze facing elements are fixed to them.

Peter I holds a gilded scroll in his hand. St. Andrew’s flags are mounted on bearings and serve as weather vanes, the crosses on them are also gilded. Fountains are built into the reinforced concrete base, creating the effect of a moving ship cutting through the waves.

Inside the monument there is a staircase designed to monitor the condition of the monument. The entrance hatch is located in the head of the figure of Peter.