Ostrovsky is one of a group of squares designed by Carlo Rossi, one of Russia's most talented architects. Lined by Alexandra Theatre, in the centre stands a statue of Catherine II, bearing the symbols of power (sceptre and laurel crown) and surrounded by her favourites: Suvorov, who defeated Napoleon in Italy and Potemkin, the victor in Crimea. This statue escaped the fury of the Soviet government, which toppled all the others depicting the tsarina.