Peter the Great was born in 1672 and died in 1725, he was tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1725 and tried to drag Russia out of the medieval times, centralised government, modernised the army, created a navy and increased the subjugation and subjection of the peasants.

Today the statue for Peter the Great, standing on the bank of the Moskva River, is one of the tallest (165 feet high) outdoor sculptures in the world. The statue was designed by Mayor Luzhkov, whom helped Tsereteli - city-sponsored artist.