Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky was born a Russian serf in 1793. He would gain his freedom after sculpting a bust of Tsar Alexander I. This allowed Orlovsky to travel to Italy and further his art by studying under Neo-classical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, whom he greatly impressed. Upon his return to Russia, he would become a professor at the Russian Academy.

His masterpieces included the angel atop the Alexander Column in Palace Square and the statue of Mikhail Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly in front of Kazan Cathedral.