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 the interim, Catherine the Great commissioned another tribute in honor of her predecessor Peter the Great - the Bronze Horseman, the most renowned statue of Peter the Great in St Petersburg. By associating her name with Peter's at the base of the monument, Catherine expressed her attitude toward her predecessor and her understanding of her own position within the line of great Russian monarchs. As she had gained power through a palace coup, Catherine sought to legitimize her rule by portraying herself as Peter's rightful heir.