Valentin Pikul, the well-known author of historical novels, tells the life story of Baron Peter Clodt, a descendant of a long line of German knights. He began his career in poverty living on VyborgskayaStorona and molding clay horses for children. He was in love with a young lady from the wealthy Martos family, but her mother refused the poor sculptor without a penny in his pocket and drew his attention to a poor orphan Ulenka Spiridonova. “As long as you love me, Petrusha,” his young wife used to tell him. Soon Clodt received an imperial order – to execute a team of six horses for the Chariot of Victory for the Triumphal Gate in Narva. Sculptors from Europe came to St. Petersburg to learn from the Russian master. The famous battle painter Oras Verne said, “Now, there is not a single animal sculptor in the world who would dare to say that he is not aware of the existence of models to emulate. You, baron, have done what couldn’t have been done…”
Key words: V.S. Pikul, P.K. Clodt, love, animalistic sculpture, the Martos family, Ulenka Spiridonova, an imperial order.