Princess Turandot Fountain-Monument, Moscow

Walking past the Vakhtangov State Academic Theater on Arbat, one of the top theaters in Moscow much loved by many generations of the locals, you can't help noticing a fountain crowned with a bronze sculpture. This fountain-monument, consistent with the Old Arbat atmosphere, was built in the late 1990s by sculptor Alexander Burganov to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Vakhtangov production of Turandot play by Carlo Gozzi. A legendary success from the outset, this show has been on since 1922 and its main heroine, a wayward Princess Turandot, has become a true symbol of the theater.

In the central part of the fountain is a large oval bowl fitted with an installation – a throne on a dais inside a small alcove upon which sits the princess clad in the sparkling gilt under an openwork canopy. The surrounding long stone bench invites many a stroller to sit down and relax in its cool on a hot summer day. At night, the monument is illuminated, creating a romantic setting for couples.

Back in the early 2000s, though, the monument drew rather unfortunate attention when the vandals, attracted by the gilded metal of the statue, sawed off the princess's hand. Luckily, it was soon completely restored and been carefully guarded ever since.