Sculptural group of Guard troops from a Cossack regiment

1875

P.A. Ovchinnikov Workshop, St Petersburg - Moscow

Silver, enamel, jasper, lapis lazuli; casting, chasing

This sculptural group was presented to Emperor Alexander II by officers of the Cossack Regiment Life Guards on 20 April 1875 for the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the founding of His Imperial Majesty's and His Ataman Imperial Highness's Cossack Regiment Life Guards.

The equestrian statue of the Cossack Guard Master holding the standard stands on an irregularly shaped stone cliff made of red Urals jasper which, in turn, rests on a pedestal of lapis lazuli.The equestrian statue is surrounded by four figures of Cossacks in uniforms corresponding to the times of the reigns of the four preceding chiefs of the regiment: Catherine the Great, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I. On one side of the stone base it has oval chased medallions with the portraits of the august chiefs of the regiment: Empress Catherine the Great, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I and Alexander II. On the other side, it has a silver metal plaque with bas-relief portrait of Emperor Alexander II, the full list of the regimental officers at the time of the presentation of the gift and portraits of Grand Dukes Alexander Aleksandrovich and Vladimir Aleksandrovich. To the right and the left of the two sides of the pedestal are the monograms of the first and second chiefs of the regiment - E.P. and A.P and the dates 1775 - 1875. The entire composition is set on an oval table support covered by a dark blue velvet table cloth with tassels made of silver threads.

The author of the project was the well-known battle scene and historical painter A.I. Sharleman (Charlemagne). The figures were made based on sketches by R.K. Zhukovsky and the sculptor V.S. Brovsky. The sculptural group was executed by masters of one of the best workshops in Russia for production of silver objects: the P.A. Ovchinnikov factory in Moscow. The pedestal and stone base in Russian mosaic technique were done in the workshop of the Gesrikh & Verfe Company.