Tired of London, Tired of Life - A website about things to do in London

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17 December 2013

Find Peter the Great in Deptford

In January 1698, Peter the Great of Russia came to Deptford to study shipbuilding, staying for a few months at Sayes Court, a house he rented from the diarist John Evelyn.  Unveiled in June 2001 in what was a rather late gesture to mark 300 years since his visit, a rather odd statue stands in front of Greenfell Mansions off Glaisher Street beside the Thames at the entrance to Deptford Creek.


During his visit, we are told that Peter worked incognito in the yards and had some drunken parties. The statue is by Mikhail Shemyakin and features Peter, a grand chair and a funny looking small man, said to reference Peter's interest in genetic curiosities.

For more, see http://carolineld.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/peter-great-in-deptford-3-statue.html

1 comment:

  1. The statue was unveiled by Prince Michael of Kent in June 2001 yet we can assume that not every citizen and visitor in the country knows about it. Perhaps the British royal family is somewhat ambivalent about other royal families being launched in Britain? Or is the Russian royal line particularly problematic?

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