At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a general fashion for everything related to the country of the pyramids. This affected the collection and creation of objects of art and architecture. This is how the Egyptian Bridge appeared in St. Petersburg and much more. Sphinxes, which can be seen today on the University Embankment, were found in 1820 in Thebes, the ancient Egyptian capital. They were the gatekeepers of the temple of Amenhotep III, in which the culture of Egypt reached its heyday. Just look at our sphinxes to see him in the face.

The French bought stone half-lions, but Russia managed to buy statues from the empire shaken by another revolution. In 1832, the sphinxes arrived in St. Petersburg by sea and settled in the courtyard of the Academy of Arts. In two years, a beautiful granite marina, which we see today, was created especially for them. It was created by the famous creator of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior Konstantin Ton. And the sphinxes with their mysterious smile served as an inspiration for many poets and writers.