Monument to Dmitriy Mendeleev
In this arresting statue of Dmitriy Mendeleev, the great chemist and inventor is shown as an old man, relaxing with a book in his lap and a Russian papirosa cigarette in one hand. On the wall behind the monument a mosaic depicts his most famous contribution to science, the periodic table of the elements.
The sculptor, Ilya Ginzburg, originally modeled his portrait of Mendeleev in bronze during the last years of the scientist's life and presented a version to the Academy of Science in 1930. Two years later the decision was taken to install a larger version of the statue on Moskovskiy Prospekt next to the building of the Bureau of Weights and Measures, where Mendeleev had worked as director and famously introduced new standards for the production of vodka. The building now houses the Mendeleev All-Russian Institute of Meteorological Research. The monument is also a short walk from St. Petersburg Technological Institute, where Mendeleev gained his first professorship in 1864.
| Metro: | Tekhnologicheskiy Institut |
|---|---|
| Getting there: | On exiting the metro, cross Zagorodny Prospekt and turn left then right back onto Moskovskiy Prospekt. A few meters up the street cross Moskovskiy Prospekt via the pedestrian crossing. The monument is in the small garden to the right of the building directly in front of you. |
| What's nearby? | St. Petersburg Technological Institute, Fontanka River, Moskovsky Prospekt, Zagorodny Prospekt |
