www.flickr.com/photos/meckleychina: Standing at the intersection of Fenyang Lu and Yueyang Lu on an enchanting spring day, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837) is beckoning with a contemplative smile on his face. Note: On May 18th, 1989 Mikhail Gorbachev layed a wreath at this monument. The bronze statue of this 19th century Russian author, widely regarded as his country's greatest poet and the founder of modern Russian literature, was first erected in 1937 by the then Sino-Soviet Association in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death in a duel. The inauguration ceremony took place on February 11. The statue was among the first monuments to a foreigner to be erected in Shanghai and the profound esteem in which he was held by locals was clearly evident.