St. Petersburg is literally inundated with cats, sphinxes and lions: altogether you can find thousands of them in the city. St Petersburg lions are multifarious: made of marble and plaster, bronze and cast iron, brought from Italy, China or Israel, or made in Russia. You can also see lots of lions and griffins in St. Petersburg suburb like Peterhof.
The lion is the king of beasts, that’s why it is a symbol of royalty, courage and power. First St Petersburg lions appeared in the city at the times of Peter the Great: they started to decorate private houses and public places, squares and embankments, parks and gardens. Even today many restaurants and hotels have lion sculptures in front of their buildings.
Based on materials from Best Guides Company - St Petersburg shore excursions.
(Photos from open Internet sources)
More info: bestguides-spb.com
