Monument to Emperor Alexander III

  The monument was opened in 1903 to celebrate the completion of the building of the Trans- Siberian Railway that was the final act in connecting the two oceans. The monument itself symbolized the uniting of Siberia and Russia. The emperor was represented not in his usual clothes but in the uniform of a Siberian Cossack. The height of the monument is about five meters. The pedestal was decorated in high reliefs of some of the most prominent people of Siberia. Later an Alexander Park was opened not far from the monument. There were pavilions with bars, traceried summer-houses and fountains. A special platform for an orchestra was included. Some present-day trees in the park are contemporaries of this emperor. In 1910 a traceried fence was placed there. In 1920 the monument was demolished and in 1964 only an obelisk was placed there. Recently the monument has been reconstructed on the original plan.