In the meantime, Catherine the Great had ordered another monument in memory of her predecessor Peter the Great - the Bronze Horseman, the most famous statue of Peter the Great in St Petersburg. At the base of the Bronze Horseman, Catherine even linked her name with Peter the Great, an expression of Catherine's attitude toward her predecessor and her view of her own place in the line of great Russian rulers. Catherine, who, having gained her position through a palace coup, had no legal claim to the throne, was anxious to appear as Peter's rightful heir.
In this context, Catherine the Great commissioned another monument in memory of her predecessor Peter the Great - the Bronze Horseman, the most iconic statue of Peter the Great in St Petersburg. By linking her name with Peter's at the base of the monument, Catherine conveyed her attitude toward her predecessor and her perception of her own role among great Russian leaders. As she had seized power through a palace coup, Catherine felt compelled to present herself as Peter's legitimate successor.