Monument to Alexander II (Moscow)

The site for the new monument was chosen in part because Alexander helped lay the foundation for the original Christ the Savior Cathedral (destroyed in 1931 by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin) and ruled during its construction.

Thirty-three mosaic portraits of Russia's rulers from Prince Vladimir to emperor Nicholas II based on sketches by artist Peter Zhukovsky were placed in the gallery's vaults.

The Moscow Government reserved 60 million rubles for financing works on design, making of the granite pedestal, setting of the monument and finishing of the surrounding territory.

The inscription on the memorial mentions Alexander's military, judicial and administrative reforms, changes aimed at establishing a more Western-style system based on elements such as the rule of law and individual rights.

It incorrectly claims that he ended the war in the Caucasus, a reference to the 1859 capture of Imam Shamil, the warlord who led longstanding resistance to Russian rule in the region.