Francisco de Miranda

A tribute to Venezuelan independence hero Francisco de Miranda in Saint Petersburg, a city he visited in his youth — reflecting his surprising historical ties to Russia.

The monument to Sebastián Francisco de Miranda in Saint Petersburg honours one of the most visionary architects of Latin American independence. Born in Caracas in 1750, Miranda served in the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars before dedicating himself entirely to the dream of a free and united Latin America. He envisioned a single state called Colombia — named after Christopher Columbus — governed by a popularly elected ruler bearing the title Inca. The sculpture in Saint Petersburg references Miranda's deep ties to Russia, which he visited as a young man and whose Enlightenment spirit left a lasting mark on him.