The monument to the city’s founder, Emperor Peter the Great, was erected at the entrance to the public garden on Petrovskaya Street in 1903. This monument was dedicated to the bicentennial anniversary of Taganrog which was celebrated in 1898.

The monument was designed by the Russian sculptor Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky. He created a plaster model back in 1872 and exhibited it at the First Polytechnic Exhibition in Moscow. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, who contributed to the installation of the bronze version of the monument in his hometown of Taganrog, wrote,

In the year of the city’s anniversary, a commemorative silver plaque was officially installed. Five years later, the magnificent statue of the founder of Taganrog appeared in its place. Tickets were issued for this milestone event, and a special “Celebration Procedure” was prepared. These and other documents can be found in the display case of the museum’s complex “The Monument to Peter the Great in Taganrog.”

In 1901, the statue of Peter the Great was transported by train from Paris to Marseille. From there, it was transported by ship to Feodosia. On July 21, 1901, the bronze statue of the emperor arrived in Taganrog. Before installation, the statue had been stored for two years in a train station warehouse. In his letter to Pavel Fyodorovich Iordanov, the head of the Taganrog City Council who initiated the installation of the monument, Mark Antokolsky wrote,

The monument was inaugurated on May 14, 1903. It immediately became one of the main attractions of the city, appearing on many postcards featuring views of Taganrog.