One of the oldest squares in saint Petersburg, Senate Square is located on the western end of the Alexander Garden and houses one of the most famous symbols of Saint Petersburg – the monument to Peter the Great “The Iron Horseman”.

Being originally the part of the Admiralty Meadow, the square was laid out in 1704 as the part of the Admiralty Fortress and when this purpose of Admiralty became unnecessary, the first wooden St.Isaac’s church was built here. But it was destroyed and rebuilt already on the opposite side of the square.

In 1744 the building of former Menshikov mansion was given to the prince Bestuzhev-Ryumin and he restored the edifice in a Barocco style, but in 1763 the mansion was given to the state and the Senate moved here from the building of Twelve Collegia. The square got the name the Senate Square. Nowadays in the building of senate there are the residence of the Constitutional Court and the library named after president B.Eltsin.

In 1782 was mounted the monument to Peter the Great “The Iron Horseman” and the square became Peter’s Square, but this name was not in use among the citizens of St.Petersburg.

The square is also famous due to the day, when on December, 14th 1825 the corps raised against the regiment of Nicholas I, but the uprising was suppressed.

For the 100 anniversary of Decembrist’s uprising the square got the new name – Decembrist’s square and was called so till 2008. Due to its history the square was popular among the dissidents during the Soviet times.

In august 2008 the square returned its original name – The Senate square.