The monument to Peter I in Kronstadt was created by order of Emperor Nicholas I.

The sculpture by the young French sculptor Theodore-Joseph-Napoleon Jacques, who worked in St. Petersburg, was used as a basis. The bronze sculpture was cast in the foundry of the Academy of Arts under the supervision of P.K. Klodt. The monument was installed on a granite pedestal decorated with bronze ornaments at the corners.

The monument was installed so that Peter I's face was turned towards the sea and the Kronshlot fortress, with the foundation of which the history of Kronstadt began.

The opening of the monument took place on June 27, 1841 (according to the old style, and July 9 according to the new style). In the 60s of the XIX century, Petrovsky Park was formed around the monument. In 1882, the granite Petrovskaya pier was opened, and in the same year, cast-iron fencing began to be installed on three sides of the park.