The Pillar of Alexandria: history, construction features, interesting facts and legends. Alexandrian Pillar (Alexandrian Column) Sculptor of the Alexandrian Column

The lines below from the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin are known to almost everyone.

“I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands,

The people's path to him will not be overgrown,

He ascended with his head rebellious

Pillar of Alexandria."

Of course, today it is difficult to say what the author’s intention was when he wrote this work. However, most historians are sure that the poet had in mind the same Alexandria pillar, which stands on Palace Square and is one of the attractions of St. Petersburg. This amazing creation evokes admiration among our contemporaries, so it is easy to imagine what a significant event the installation of this monument dedicated to the victory over Napoleon was. It seems that the history of the Pillar of Alexandria cannot have any dark spots, since the monument was created only about two hundred years ago. However, apart from the official version of its manufacture and installation, as well as small drawn albums that give a very vague idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe technologies of the nineteenth century, nothing has survived. Surprisingly, during the construction of St. Petersburg, architects created incredibly accurate maps, and construction technologies were described in specialized documentation. But the history of the creation of the Pillar of Alexandria is devoid of such details, and upon a closer look, it is completely replete with inconsistencies and outright blunders. All this gives historians a lot of reasons to doubt the official version of the appearance of the monument. It is overgrown with myths and legends, which we will definitely mention today, not forgetting to talk about the official version.

Sights of St. Petersburg: Pillar of Alexandria

All guests of the Northern capital are eager to see this monument. However, to fully appreciate the skill of its creators, you need to tilt your head back to see the very top of the column. On it there is a figure of an angel with a cross and a snake at his feet, which is an allegory symbolizing the victory of Alexander I over the army of Napoleon.

The size of the Alexandria Pillar is truly impressive. Many of our contemporaries, who have technical knowledge, argue that it may take decades to create such a creation today. And in order to install the column on the pedestal, even two days will not be enough. And this is taking into account that workers have a huge number of machines and various installations that make their work easier. How all this was possible in the first half of the nineteenth century is a real mystery.

The weight of the Alexandria pillar is six hundred tons and another hundred tons weighs the base on which the column, made of rare pink granite, is installed. It had the beautiful name “rapakivi” and was mined only in the Vyborg region in the Pyuterlak quarry. It is noteworthy that the column was cut out from a single piece of granite. According to some reports, its weight in its original form exceeded one thousand tons.

The height of the Alexandria Pillar is forty-seven and a half meters. To the pride of Russian craftsmen, it should be noted that the column significantly exceeds all similar structures in the world. The photo below shows Trajan's Columns in Rome, Pompeii in Alexandria and the Vendôme Column installed in Paris, in comparison with the monument on Palace Square. This drawing alone gives an idea of ​​this miracle of engineering, which delights all tourists without exception.

The angel installed on the top is six and four tenths meters high, and its base is almost three meters. The figure was installed on the column after it had taken its place in the square. The Alexandria Pillar, which seems absolutely incredible, is not secured to its pedestal in any way. The engineers made all the calculations so accurately that the column has stood firmly without any fastenings for almost two hundred years. Some tourists talk. that if you throw your head back near the monument and stand like that for ten minutes, you will notice how the top of the pillar sways.

Experts in the history of St. Petersburg claim that the Pillar of Alexandria on Palace Square might not have appeared. Since the project of the monument was not approved by the emperor for a long time. Ultimately, his sketch was approved, and then the material from which it was planned to create this masterpiece.

Background to the appearance of the column

The world-famous Carl Rossi was in charge of planning the space of Palace Square. He became ideological inspirer creating a monument that would become the main decoration of this place. Rossi himself made several sketches of the future design, but none of them formed the basis of the monument. The only thing that was taken from the architect’s ideas was the height of the monument. Carl Rossi wisely believed that the structure should be very tall. Otherwise, it simply will not be a single ensemble with the General Staff.

Nicholas I had great respect for Russia's advice, but decided to use the free space of the square in his own way. He announced a competition for best project monument. The authors' imagination was not limited by anything; the only nuance was compliance with the thematic focus. Nicholas I set out to immortalize his ancestor, who managed to defeat the French.

The Emperor had to look through a huge number of projects, but the works of Auguste Montferrand seemed the most interesting to him. He proposed creating a granite obelisk on which bas-reliefs depicting scenes of military battles would be placed. However, it was this project that the emperor rejected. He became interested in the Vendôme Column, erected by the Parisians in honor of Napoleon. Therefore, it is quite symbolic that the defeat of the French army was also to be immortalized by a column, but a taller and more unusual one.

The architect listened to the wishes of Nicholas I and created a design for the structure, which at that time became the tallest in the world. After some adjustments, in the twenty-ninth year of the nineteenth century, the project of the Alexandrian Pillar was approved and signed. It was time to get to work.

The first stage of creating the monument

The history of the Alexandria Pillar in St. Petersburg began with the choice of material. Since it was supposed to cut the column out of a single piece of granite, Montferrand had to go study the quarries to choose appropriate place for mining such a massive block. After some time of searching, the architect decided to send his workers to the Puterlak quarry in Finland. It was there that there was a rock of suitable size, from which it was planned to break off a huge block.

In the twenty-ninth year in the Northern capital they began to create the foundation of the Alexandrian Pillar on Palace Square. A year later, work began on the extraction of granite in quarries. They lasted two years, and about four hundred workers took part in this process. According to official sources, they worked day and night in shifts. And the stone mining technology was developed by a young self-taught Samson Sukhanov. It is still unknown how exactly the block was broken off from the rock, which was later used to make the column. Not a single official document has survived where the technology would be described in the slightest detail. In Montferrand's albums it is written only that the piece of granite exceeded one thousand tons. It was broken off using some long crowbars and levers. Then the monolith was turned over and a huge piece was cut off from it for the foundation.

It took another six months to process the block. All this was done manually with the simplest tools. We advise readers to remember this fact, since in the future we will return to it and look at it from a slightly different angle. The almost finished Pillar of Alexandria was ready for the trip to St. Petersburg. It was decided to do this by water and for the difficult journey it was necessary to build a special ship, which combined in its design all the innovative technologies of that time. At the same time, a pier was being built in the Northern capital, ready to receive the unusual ship and its cargo. The architect’s plans were to immediately roll the column over a special wooden bridge to the square after unloading.

Delivery of a monolithic column

Very little is known about how the loading and unloading of the monument took place. This unique process is described very sparingly in official sources. If you trust Montferrand's albums and fragmentary information from the captain of the ship, then the column was loaded above the waterline and almost safely transported to St. Petersburg. The only unpleasant event was a storm, which rocked the ship and almost threw the monument into the water. However, with great effort, the captain managed to secure the precious cargo himself.

Another incident occurred at the time of unloading the column. Under it, the logs placed for movement along the pier bent and cracked. One end of the column almost fell into the water, but it was held in place by timely ropes passed from below. The monument was kept in this position for two days. During this time, a messenger was sent to the neighboring garrison asking for help. About four hundred soldiers, in the unimaginable heat, were able to overcome the forty-kilometer distance separating them from the pier in four hours and, with their joint efforts, saved the six-hundred-ton column.

A few words about the pedestal

While the granite block was being mined in Finland, work was going on in St. Petersburg to prepare the foundation for the pedestal and the column itself. For this purpose, geological exploration was carried out on Palace Square. She identified sandstone deposits, where it was planned to begin digging a pit. It’s interesting, but visually it seems to all tourists that the Pillar of Alexandria is located exactly in the middle of the square. However, in reality this is not the case. The column is installed a little closer to the Winter Palace than to the General Staff.

While working on the pit, workers came across already installed piles. As it turned out, they were dug into the ground on the orders of Rastrelli, who planned to erect a monument here. It's amazing that seventy years later the architect managed to choose the same place. The dug hole was filled with water, but more than a thousand piles had been driven into it first. To correctly align them relative to the horizon, the piles were cut exactly along the water surface. Workers then began laying the foundation, which consisted of several granite blocks. A pedestal weighing four hundred tons was placed on it.

Fearing that the block would not be able to immediately rise as needed, the architect came up with and used an unusual solution. He added vodka and soap to the traditional mixture. As a result, the block was moved several times. Montferrand wrote that this was done quite easily with the help of just a few technical devices.

Column installation

In the middle of the summer of the thirty-second year of the nineteenth century, builders approached the final stage of creating the monument. They were faced with perhaps the most difficult task in all the past years - to roll the monolith to its destination and place it vertically.

To bring this idea to life, it was necessary to construct a complex engineering structure. It included scaffolding, levers, beams and other devices. According to the official version, almost the entire city gathered to see the installation of the column, even the emperor himself and his entourage came to look at this miracle.

About three thousand people took part in raising the column, who were able to do all the work in one hour and forty-five minutes.

The end of the work was marked by a loud cry of admiration that escaped from the lips of all those present. The emperor himself was very pleased with the work of the architect and declared that the monument had immortalized its creator.

The final stage of work

It took Montferrand another two years to decorate the monument. He “dressed” himself in bas-reliefs and received other elements that made up a single decorative ensemble. This stage of work did not cause any complaints from the emperor. However, completing the column sculptural composition became a real stumbling block between the architect and Nicholas I.

Montferrand planned to place a huge cross entwined with a snake on the top of the column. The sculpture was supposed to be turned towards the Winter Palace, which all members of the imperial family especially insisted on. In parallel, projects and other compositions were created. Among them were angels in various poses, Alexander Nevsky, a cross on a sphere and similar sculptures. The last word in this matter it was up to the emperor; he was inclined to favor the figure of an angel with a cross. However, it also had to be redone several times.

According to Nicholas I, the face of the angel was supposed to have the features of Alexander I, but the snake not only symbolized Napoleon, but also visually resembled him. It is difficult to say how readable this similarity is. Many experts claim that the angel's face was molded with one of the famous women of that time, while others still see him as a victorious emperor. In any case, the monument has reliably kept this secret for two hundred years.

Grand opening of the monument

In August of thirty-four, a monument was opened in honor of the victory of the Russian people over the French troops. The event was held on a truly imperial scale.

For spectators, stands were built in advance, which did not stand out from general style palace ensemble. The service held at the foot of the monument was attended by all the important guests, the army and even foreign ambassadors. Then a military parade was held on the square, after which mass festivities began in the city.

Myths, legends and interesting facts

The history of the Pillar of Alexandria would be incomplete without mentioning various rumors and facts related to it.

Few people know that the foundation of the monument contains a whole box of gold coins. There is also a memorial plaque with an inscription made by Montferrand. These items are still stored at the base of the column and will remain there as long as the monument stands on the pedestal.

Initially, the architect planned to cut columned staircases inside. He suggested that the emperor use two people for this purpose. They had to complete the work in ten years. But due to fears for the integrity of the column, Nicholas I abandoned this idea.

Interestingly, the city residents were very distrustful of the Pillar of Alexandria. They were afraid of his fall and avoided Palace Square. To convince them, Montferrand began to walk here every day and over time, the monument turned into the most favorite place for guests of the capital and its residents.

At the end of the nineteenth century, a rumor spread throughout the city about a mysterious letter that literally burned on a column at night. At dawn she disappears and reappears at dusk. The townspeople were concerned and came up with the most incredible explanations for this phenomenon. But everything turned out to be extremely prosaic - the smooth surface of the column simply reflected the letter from the name of the manufacturer of the lanterns that surrounded the fence near the pedestal.

One of the most common legends about the Pillar of Alexandria is the story of the inscription on its top. It was painted on the night after Yuri Gagarin's space flight and glorified him. Who managed to climb to such a height is still unknown.

Unofficial version of the appearance of the monument

The most fierce debates are ongoing on this topic. Particularly meticulous and attentive archaeologists, historians and architects carefully studied the official version of the construction of the monument and found a huge number of inconsistencies in it. We will not list them all. Any readers who are interested will be able to find such information. And we will tell only about the most obvious of them.

For example, experts cast great doubt on the very fact of raising the column in less than two hours. The fact is that not so long ago the largest tent in the world was raised and installed in Astana. It weighed one and a half thousand tons and the process took about two days. The most modern machines and technologies were used. After this, it seems strange how Russian craftsmen were able to do something like this by hand.

The production of the column itself raises even more questions. Many believe that even modern technology could not help our contemporaries create such a miracle. Since the monument is carved from a single block, it is impossible to even imagine what kind of technology was used by the craftsmen. At the moment, nothing like this exists. Moreover, authoritative experts say that even in two hundred years we could not create something similar to the Pillar of Alexandria. Therefore, stories about manual extraction of a block, its movement and processing to an ideal state seem simply fabulously funny to people knowledgeable in working with stone.

In addition, questions are raised about the biographies of the chief architect and inventor of stone processing technology, specifications the ship that delivered the monolith, completely different pictures of the column created by Montferrand, and many other nuances.

It is not for nothing that the great Pushkin immortalized this monument in his work. After all, all information about it requires careful study, but it is already clear that scientists, in the form of a structure known to everyone, are faced with the greatest of the mysteries of the nineteenth century.

They say that Countess Tolstaya always ordered the coachman to go around Palace Square - she was afraid that the Alexander Column, unsecured by anything and held in place only by the force of its gravity, would fall right on top of her. Some St. Petersburg residents feared the same thing. Therefore, the architect Auguste Montferrand defiantly walked his beloved dog around his masterpiece every evening. Gradually the fears subsided. And now the Alexander Column is one of the most striking and recognizable landmarks of the Northern capital. But there are also a lot of mysteries associated with it.

“The eye of these people is extremely accurate”

According to the official version, the Alexander Column in the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg was erected in 1834 by the architect Auguste Montferrand by order of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon. At the same time, the tsar certainly wanted the monument to be higher than the Vendôme Column in Paris, which glorifies the French emperor. And this wish was fulfilled, although not without difficulty.

A suitable granite rock from which the column's trunk was hewn was found in Finland, in the Puterlak quarry. Master stonemasons S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev examined it and came to the conclusion that the stone was suitable. They somehow sawed off a beam weighing about 1,600 tons from the rock, managed to use levers and gates to move this lump from its place and overturn it on a bed of spruce branches, which softened the impact on the ground and reduced the risk of splitting the stone. And then by hand, by eye, they chopped off all the excess, hewed, polished - and the result was a perfectly even cylinder with a diameter of 3.5 meters at the base and 3.15 meters at the top, a height of 25.6 meters and a weight of 600 tons.

How did they do it? After all, modern stone craftsmen almost unanimously claim that even today, having perfect machines and precise measuring instruments, it is almost impossible to perform such work with such high quality and accuracy. But the men did it! But, firstly, they worked for at least three years. Secondly, they used the methodology of Samson Ksenofontovich Sukhanov, a legendary personality, whose team created almost all the granite wonders of the Northern capital: the huge balls on the spit of Vasilievsky Island, and the columns of the Kazan Cathedral, and the famous one, now vegetating in the ruins of the Babolovsky Palace in Tsarskoye Selo... One foreign traveler wrote to the work of Sukhanov’s artel: “They, these men in simple torn sheepskin coats, did not need to resort to various measuring instruments; having inquisitively looked at the plan or model indicated to them, they accurately and gracefully copied it. The eye of these people is extremely accurate.” Unfortunately, the secrets of this technique were subsequently forgotten, as was the name of the genius master who ended his days in poverty.

The column was raised by... a dead man

The column, as well as the huge foundation stones, the largest of which weighed more than 400 tons, were transported to St. Petersburg by water. For this purpose, naval engineer Colonel Konstantin Andreevich Glazyrin designed a special barge. A special pier was built for loading operations. Let us note that Russian craftsmen already had a similar experience: after all, it was in this way that the famous Thunder Stone, the pedestal for the Bronze Horseman, was delivered. And therefore, without any special incidents, the barge with a column, towed by two steamships, reached Kronstadt, and then to St. Petersburg.

1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the foundation of the column. Then the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water table, which made it possible to make the site perfectly horizontal. And only then a 400-ton foundation block was placed on it.

This method was allegedly proposed by the architect and engineer Augustin Augustinovich Betancourt. He also designed the original device for lifting the column onto a pedestal. It included scaffolding 47 meters high, 60 capstans (a capstan is a winch with a drum mounted on a vertical shaft) and a block system. 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers were involved in installing the column. This entire operation was completed in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Moreover, according to some sources, Betancourt himself supervised the work. But there is one catch: the column took a vertical position in 1832, and Augustin Augustinovich... died in 1824.

Naturally, the deceased could not manage the construction site. Probably, an error crept into the historical documents. Most likely, the builders only used the developments of a talented engineer, which he used, for example, during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Nevertheless, this mistake is one of the “holes” in the official version of the construction of the Alexander Column.

Barrel from temple ruins

The second noticeable “hole” was made by a seemingly innocent drawing. It depicts the Alexander Column in the forests, and the caption underneath reads: D’aperes nature p. le P-le Grigoire Gagarine. Priutino, se 4 juine 1833. That is, translated from French: “From life by Prince Grigory Gagarin. Added to Priyutino. This is June 4, 1833.” So, in the picture, the trunk of the column seems to be growing out of some kind of capital structure, similar to a church, which has already been partially dismantled. Some historians are trying to prove that this is supposedly a temporary utility room that was used by the builders in the next two years after the installation of the column. After all, its final finishing continued: finishing the shape, polishing, constructing the capital, installing the figure of an angel, finishing the pedestal, installing metal elements, etc. All this time, it was necessary to store the tools somewhere and provide shelter for the builders from bad weather. One could agree with this point of view, if not for the thickness of the walls, which is clearly excessive for a temporary building. It can also be assumed that the artist, paying tribute to romanticism, ennobled the nondescript building, giving it the appearance of ancient ruins. But what if these are actually the remains of an ancient temple?

Is the angel a woman?

The figure of an angel with a cross, made by sculptor Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky, raises many questions. Historians unanimously claim that the angel’s face was given the features of Emperor Alexander I. That’s why the column is called Alexander’s. And although it is easy to see that the angel does not even have an approximate resemblance to the emperor (just look at the lifetime portraits of the latter), most researchers do not try to challenge the generally accepted point of view. However, the profile of the statue is very Greek. And if you take a closer look at the figure? Breasts, hips, smooth curves of the body - everything indicates that this is a woman, not a man. By the way, there is a version that the model for the sculpture was the St. Petersburg poetess Elisaveta Kulman. This would explain the features of the angel's figure, but his face is also not very similar to the famous sculptural portrait of the poetess.

There is another version: the column is crowned by a statue of an ancient goddess, only slightly “improved” to please the royal personage - the figure is given a four-pointed Latin cross, with the base of which an angel tramples on a snake, which symbolizes the victory over the “Antichrist” Napoleon. But, most likely, Orlovsky sculpted the original sculpture. At the same time, it is quite possible to assume that the column is much older than is believed. There are known drawings of Palace Square made before 1830. And what? The column stands, and the angel is in place, only without the cross, and the snake is not visible. What if this is really a statue of a goddess that has come down to us from a civilization much more ancient than Greek and even Egyptian?

Predecessors of Peter

"On the shore desert waves..." - we repeat after Pushkin. But were the Neva waves really so deserted? Now historians and archaeologists have proven that Peter I did not build his city from scratch. There were both Old Russian and Scandinavian settlements here. But there are buildings in this area whose construction technology baffles researchers. For example, the Kronstadt forts. There are about a dozen of them in the Gulf of Finland, and all of them are lined with granite blocks weighing up to two tons. Moreover, the blocks are laid without mortar and fitted to each other so precisely that a piece of paper will not fit between them. The same “poke” protrusions are visible on the blocks as on the Peruvian Sacsayhuaman. Such precision in manufacturing is only possible with mass machine production. But who and when really built these defensive fortifications? We are unlikely to get an answer to this question, as well as to the question of when and by whom the Alexander Column and some other structures in the north of Russia were erected in the foreseeable future.

Alexander Column(often called Alexandria pillar, according to A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Monument”) is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg.

It is run by the Museum of Urban Sculpture.

Erected in the Empire style in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the architect Auguste Montferrand by order of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon.

History of creation

This monument complemented the composition of the Arch of the General Staff, which was dedicated to the victory in Patriotic War 1812. The idea of ​​​​building the monument was proposed by the famous architect Carl Rossi. When planning the space of Palace Square, he believed that a monument should be placed in the center of the square. However, he rejected the proposed idea of ​​​​installing another equestrian statue of Peter I.

An open competition was officially announced on behalf of Emperor Nicholas I in 1829 with the wording in memory of “ unforgettable brother" Auguste Montferrand responded to this challenge with a project to erect a grandiose granite obelisk, but this option was rejected by the emperor.

A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library of the Institute of Railway Engineers. Montferrand proposed installing a huge granite obelisk 25.6 meters (84 feet or 12 fathoms) high on a granite plinth 8.22 meters (27 feet). The front side of the obelisk was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions by medalist Count F. P. Tolstoy.

On the pedestal it was planned to carry the inscription “To the Blessed One - Grateful Russia.” On the pedestal, the architect saw a rider on a horse, trampling a snake with his feet; a double-headed eagle flies in front of the rider, followed by the goddess of victory, crowning him with laurels; the horse is led by two symbolic female figures.

The sketch of the project indicates that the obelisk was supposed to surpass all monoliths known in the world in its height (secretly highlighting the obelisk installed by D. Fontana in front of St. Peter's Cathedral). The artistic part of the project is excellently executed using watercolor techniques and testifies to Montferrand’s high skill in various areas of fine art.

Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the limits of subordination, dedicating his essay “ Plans et details du monument consacr e a la memoire de l’Empereur Alexandre“, but the idea was still rejected and Montferrand was explicitly pointed to the column as the desired form of the monument.

Final project

The second project, which was subsequently implemented, was to install a column higher than that of Vendôme (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Montferrand was offered Trajan's Column in Rome as a source of inspiration.

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of world-famous examples, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. The artist expressed his individuality by refusing to use additional decorations, like the bas-reliefs spiraling around the core of the ancient Trajan's Column. Montferrand showed the beauty of a giant polished pink granite monolith 25.6 meters (12 fathoms) high.

In addition, Montferrand made his monument taller than all existing ones. In this new form, on September 24, 1829, the project without sculptural completion was approved by the sovereign.

Construction took place from 1829 to 1834. Since 1831, Count Yu. P. Litta was appointed chairman of the “Commission on the Construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral,” which was responsible for the installation of the column.

Preparatory work

For the granite monolith - the main part of the column - the rock that the sculptor outlined during his previous trips to Finland was used. Mining and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Pyuterlak quarry, which was located between Vyborg and Friedrichsham. These works were carried out according to the method of S.K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by masters S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev.

After the stonemasons examined the rock and confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, which was significantly larger in size than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates to move the block from its place and tip it onto a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches.

After separating the workpiece, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed about 25,000 poods (more than 400 tons). Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this purpose a barge of a special design was used.

The monolith was duped on site and prepared for transportation. Transportation issues were dealt with by naval engineer Colonel Glasin, who designed and built a special boat, named “St. Nicholas,” with a carrying capacity of up to 65,000 poods (1,100 tons). To carry out loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, which coincided in height with the side of the vessel.

Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith went to Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamships, from there to go to the Palace Embankment of St. Petersburg.

The arrival of the central part of the column in St. Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832. The contractor, merchant son V. A. Yakovlev, was responsible for all of the above work; further work was carried out on site under the leadership of O. Montferrand.

Yakovlev's business qualities, extraordinary intelligence and management were noted by Montferrand. Most likely he acted independently, " at your own expense» - taking on all financial and other risks associated with the project. This is indirectly confirmed by the words

Works in St. Petersburg

Since 1829, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The work was supervised by O. Montferrand.

First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, which resulted in the discovery of a suitable sandy continent near the center of the area at a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m). In December 1829, the location for the column was approved, and 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the base. Then the piles were cut to fit the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water table, which ensured that the site was horizontal.

This method was proposed by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt, an architect and engineer, organizer of construction and transport in the Russian Empire. Previously, using a similar technology, the foundation of St. Isaac's Cathedral was laid.

The foundation of the monument was built from stone granite blocks half a meter thick. It was extended to the horizon of the square using planked masonry. In its center was placed a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812.

The work was completed in October 1830.

Construction of the pedestal

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith, brought from the Pyuterlak quarry, was erected on it, which serves as the base of the pedestal.

The engineering problem of installing such a large monolith was solved by O. Montferrand as follows:

1. Installation of a monolith on the foundation

• The monolith was rolled on rollers through an inclined plane onto a platform built close to the foundation.
• The stone was dumped on a pile of sand that had been previously poured next to the platform.

“At the same time, the earth shook so much that eyewitnesses - passers-by who were in the square at that moment, felt something like an underground shock.”

• Supports were placed, then workers raked out the sand and placed rollers.
• The supports were cut down and the block was lowered onto the rollers.
• The stone was rolled onto the foundation.

• The ropes, thrown over the blocks, were pulled with nine capstans, and the stone was raised to a height of about one meter.
• They took out the rollers and added a layer of slippery solution, very unique in its composition, on which they planted the monolith.

The placement of the upper parts of the pedestal was much more simple task- despite the greater height of the rise, subsequent steps consisted of stones of much smaller sizes than the previous ones, and besides, the workers gradually gained experience.

Column installation

By July 1832, the monolith of the column was on its way, and the pedestal had already been completed. It's time to begin the most difficult task - installing the column on the pedestal.

This part of the work was also carried out by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt. In December 1830, he designed an original lifting system. It included: scaffolding 22 fathoms (47 meters) high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks, and he took advantage of all this in the following way:

• The column was rolled along an inclined plane onto a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding and wrapped in many rings of ropes to which blocks were attached;
• Another block system was located on top of the scaffolding;
• Big number The ropes encircling the stone went around the upper and lower blocks and the free ends were wound on capstans placed in the square.

After all the preparations were completed, the day of the ceremonial ascent was set.

On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this, the windows and roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the raising.

To bring the column into a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A. A. Betancourt needed to attract the forces of 2000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour 45 minutes.

The block of stone rose obliquely, slowly crawled, then lifted off the ground and was brought to a position above the pedestal. On command, the ropes were released, the column smoothly lowered and fell into place. The people shouted loudly “Hurray!” The sovereign himself was very pleased with the successful completion of the matter.

The final stage

After installing the column, all that remained was to attach the bas-relief slabs and decorative elements to the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was surmounted by a bronze capital of the Doric order with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze facing. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it.

In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830, O. Montferrand worked on a statue intended to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the original design, the column was completed with a cross entwined with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for compositions of figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was an option to install the figure of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky.

As a result, the figure of an angel with a cross, made by sculptor B.I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism, was accepted for execution - “ You'll win!" These words are connected with the story of the acquisition of the life-giving cross:

The finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.

Opening of the monument

The opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11), 1834 and marked the completion of work on the design of Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, diplomatic corps, a hundred thousand Russian army and representatives of the Russian army. It was carried out in a distinctly Orthodox setting and was accompanied by a solemn service at the foot of the column, in which kneeling troops and the emperor himself took part.

This is a worship service open air drew a parallel with the historical prayer service of Russian troops in Paris on the day of Orthodox Easter on March 29 (April 10), 1814.

Then a military parade was held on the square. Regiments that distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812 took part in it; In total, about one hundred thousand people took part in the parade:

In honor of this event, a memorial ruble was issued in the same year with a circulation of 15,000.

Description of the monument

The Alexander Column is reminiscent of examples of triumphal buildings of antiquity; the monument has amazing clarity of proportions, laconism of form, and beauty of silhouette.

Text on the monument plaque:

Grateful Russia to Alexander I

It is the tallest monument in the world, made of solid granite, and the third tallest after the Column of the Grand Army in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar (Nelson's Column) in London. It is taller than similar monuments in the world: the Vendôme Column in Paris, Trajan's Column in Rome and Pompey's Column in Alexandria.

Characteristics

• The total height of the structure is 47.5 m.
• The height of the trunk (monolithic part) of the column is 25.6 m (12 fathoms).
• Pedestal height 2.85 m (4 arshins),
• The height of the angel figure is 4.26 m,
• The height of the cross is 6.4 m (3 fathoms).
• The lower diameter of the column is 3.5 m (12 ft), the upper diameter is 3.15 m (10 ft 6 in).
• The size of the pedestal is 6.3?6.3 m.
• The dimensions of the bas-reliefs are 5.24 x 3.1 m.
• Fence dimensions 16.5 x 16.5 m
• The total weight of the structure is 704 tons.
• The weight of the stone column trunk is about 600 tons.
• The total weight of the column top is about 37 tons.

The column itself stands on a granite base without any additional supports, only under the influence of its own gravity.

Pedestal

Column pedestal decorated with four sides bronze bas-reliefs, was cast at the C. Byrd factory in 1833-1834.

A large team of authors worked on the decoration of the pedestal: sketch drawings were made by O. Montferrand, based on them on cardboard the artists J.B. Scotti, V. Solovyov, Tverskoy, F. Brullo, Markov painted life-size bas-reliefs. Sculptors P.V. Svintsov and I. Leppe sculpted bas-reliefs for casting. Models of double-headed eagles were made by sculptor I. Leppe, models of the base, garlands and other decorations were made by sculptor-ornamentalist E. Balin.

The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the column in an allegorical form glorify the victory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the Russian army.

The bas-reliefs include images of ancient Russian chain mail, cones and shields stored in the Armory Chamber in Moscow, including helmets attributed to Alexander Nevsky and Ermak, as well as the 17th century armor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and that, despite Montferrand's assertions, it is completely doubtful, the shield Oleg of the 10th century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.

These ancient Russian images appeared on the work of the Frenchman Montferrand through the efforts of the then president of the Academy of Arts, a famous lover of Russian antiquities A. N. Olenin.

In addition to armor and allegories, allegorical figures are depicted on the pedestal on the northern (front) side: winged female figures hold a rectangular board with the inscription in civil script: “Grateful Russia to Alexander the First.” Below the board is an exact copy of armor samples from the armory.

Symmetrically located figures on the sides of the weapons (on the left - a beautiful young woman leaning on an urn from which water is pouring out and on the right - an old Aquarius man) represent the Vistula and Neman rivers, which were crossed by the Russian army during the persecution of Napoleon.

Other bas-reliefs depict Victory and Glory, recording the dates of memorable battles, and, in addition, on the pedestal are depicted the allegories “Victory and Peace” (the years 1812, 1813 and 1814 are inscribed on the Victory shield), “Justice and Mercy”, “Wisdom and Abundance” "

At the upper corners of the pedestal there are double-headed eagles; they hold in their paws oak garlands lying on the ledge of the pedestal cornice. On the front side of the pedestal, above the garland, in the middle - in a circle bordered by an oak wreath, is the All-Seeing Eye with the signature “1812”.

All bas-reliefs depict weapons of a classical nature as decorative elements, which

Column and angel sculpture

The stone column is a solid polished element made of pink granite. The column trunk has a conical shape.

The top of the column is crowned with a bronze capital of the Doric order. Its upper part - a rectangular abacus - is made of brickwork with bronze cladding. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top is installed on it, inside which is enclosed the main supporting mass, consisting of multi-layer masonry: granite, brick and two more layers of granite at the base.

The monument is crowned with a figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In his left hand the angel holds a four-pointed Latin cross, and raises his right hand to heaven. The angel's head is tilted, his gaze is fixed on the ground.

Originally designed by Auguste Montferrand, the figure at the top of the column was supported by a steel rod, which was later removed, and during the restoration in 2002-2003 it was revealed that the angel was supported by its own bronze mass.

Not only is the column itself taller than the Vendôme Column, but the figure of the angel surpasses in height the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendôme Column. The sculptor gave the angel’s facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. In addition, the angel tramples a serpent with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe, having won the victory over Napoleonic troops.

The light figure of an angel, the falling folds of clothing, the clearly defined vertical of the cross, continuing the vertical of the monument, emphasize the slenderness of the column.

Fence and surroundings of the monument

The Alexander Column was surrounded by a decorative bronze fence designed by Auguste Montferrand. The height of the fence is about 1.5 meters. The fence was decorated with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 captured cannons (4 in the corners and 2 framed by double-leaf gates on four sides of the fence), which were crowned with three-headed eagles.

Between them were placed alternating spears and banner poles, topped with guards' double-headed eagles. There were locks on the gates of the fence in accordance with the author's plan.

In addition, the project included the installation of candelabra with copper lanterns and gas lighting.

The fence in its original form was installed in 1834, all elements were completely installed in 1836-1837.

In the north-eastern corner of the fence there was a guard box, in which there was a disabled person dressed in a full guards uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order in the square.

The entire space of Palace Square was paved with ends.

Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column

• It is noteworthy that the installation of the column on the pedestal and the opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11, new style). This is not a coincidence: this is the day of the transfer of the relics of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg, the main day of the celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Alexander Nevsky is the heavenly protector of the city, so the angel looking from the top of the Alexander Column has always been perceived primarily as a protector and guardian.

• To hold a parade of troops on Palace Square, the Yellow (now Pevchesky) Bridge was built according to the design of O. Montferrand.
• After the opening of the column, the residents of St. Petersburg were very afraid that it would fall and tried not to get close to it. These fears were based both on the fact that the column was not secured, and on the fact that Montferrand was forced to last moment make changes to the project: the blocks of the power structures of the top - the abacus, on which the figure of an angel is installed, was originally conceived in granite; but at the last moment it had to be replaced with brickwork with a lime-based bonding mortar.

In order to dispel the fears of the townspeople, the architect Montferrand made it a rule to walk every morning with his beloved dog right under the pillar, which he did almost until his death.

• During perestroika, magazines wrote that there was a project to install a huge statue of V.I. Lenin on the pillar, and in 2002 the media spread a message that in 1952 the figure of an angel was going to be replaced with a bust of Stalin.

Legends

• During the construction of the Alexander Column, there were rumors that this monolith turned out by chance in a row of columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral. Allegedly, having received a column longer than necessary, they decided to use this stone on Palace Square.
• The French envoy to the St. Petersburg court reports interesting information about this monument:

• After the restoration began in 2002-2003, unauthorized newspaper publications began to spread information that the column was not solid, but consisted of a certain number of “pancakes” so skillfully adjusted to each other that the seams between them were practically invisible.
• The newlyweds come to the Alexander Column, and the groom carries the bride in his arms around the pillar. According to legend, the number of times the groom walks around the column with the bride in his arms, the number of children they will have.

Addition and restoration work

Two years after the installation of the monument, in 1836, under the bronze top of the granite column, white-gray spots began to appear on the polished surface of the stone, spoiling the appearance of the monument.

In 1841, Nicholas I ordered an inspection of the defects then noticed on the column, but the conclusion of the examination stated that even during the processing process, the granite crystals partially crumbled in the form of small depressions, which are perceived as cracks.

In 1861, Alexander II established the “Committee for the Study of Damage to the Alexander Column,” which included scientists and architects. Scaffolding was erected for inspection, as a result of which the committee came to the conclusion that, indeed, there were cracks on the column, originally characteristic of the monolith, but fear was expressed that an increase in the number and size of them “could lead to the collapse of the column.”

There have been discussions about the materials that should be used to seal these caverns. The Russian “grandfather of chemistry” A. A. Voskresensky proposed a composition “which was supposed to impart a closing mass” and “thanks to which the crack in the Alexander Column was stopped and closed with complete success” ( D. I. Mendeleev).

For regular inspection of the column, four chains were secured to the abacus of the capital - fasteners for lifting the cradle; in addition, the craftsmen had to periodically “climb” the monument to clean the stone from stains, which was not an easy task, given the large height of the column.

The decorative lanterns near the column were made 40 years after the opening - in 1876 by the architect K. K. Rachau.

During the entire period from the moment of its discovery until the end of the 20th century, the column was subjected to restoration work five times, which was more of a cosmetic nature.

After the events of 1917, the space around the monument was changed, and on holidays the angel was covered with a red tarpaulin cap or camouflaged with balloons lowered from a hovering airship.

The fence was dismantled and melted down for cartridge casings in the 1930s.

During the siege of Leningrad, the monument was covered only 2/3 of its height. Unlike Klodt's horses or the sculptures of the Summer Garden, the sculpture remained in its place and the angel was injured: a deep fragmentation mark remained on one of the wings, in addition to this, the monument suffered more than a hundred minor damage from shell fragments. One of the fragments got stuck in a bas-relief image of the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, from where it was removed in 2003.

The restoration was carried out in 1963 (foreman N.N. Reshetov, the head of the work was restorer I.G. Black).

In 1977, restoration work was carried out on Palace Square: historical lanterns were restored around the column, the asphalt surface was replaced with granite and diabase paving stones.

Engineering and restoration work of the early 21st century

At the end of the 20th century, after a certain time had passed since the previous restoration, the need for serious restoration work and, first of all, a detailed study of the monument began to be felt more and more acutely. The prologue to the start of work was the exploration of the column. They were forced to produce them on the recommendation of specialists from the Museum of Urban Sculpture. The experts were alarmed by large cracks at the top of the column, visible through binoculars. The inspection was carried out from helicopters and climbers, who in 1991, for the first time in the history of the St. Petersburg restoration school, landed a research “landing force” on the top of the column using a special fire hydrant “Magirus Deutz”.

Having secured themselves at the top, the climbers took photographs and videos of the sculpture. It was concluded that restoration work was urgently needed.

The Moscow association Hazer International Rus took over the financing of the restoration. The Intarsia company was chosen to carry out work worth 19.5 million rubles on the monument; this choice was made due to the presence in the organization of personnel with extensive experience working at such critical facilities. Work at the site was carried out by L. Kakabadze, K. Efimov, A. Poshekhonov, P. Portuguese. The work was supervised by first category restorer V. G. Sorin.

By the fall of 2002, scaffolding had been erected and conservators were conducting on-site research. Almost all the bronze elements of the pommel were in disrepair: everything was covered with a “wild patina”, “bronze disease” began to develop in fragments, the cylinder on which the figure of the angel rested was cracked and took on a barrel-shaped shape. The internal cavities of the monument were examined using a flexible three-meter endoscope. As a result, the restorers were also able to establish what the overall design of the monument looks like and determine the differences between the original project and its actual implementation.

One of the results of the study was the solution to the stains appearing in the upper part of the column: they turned out to be a product of the destruction of the brickwork, flowing out.

Carrying out work

Years of rainy St. Petersburg weather resulted in the following destruction of the monument:

• The brickwork of the abaca was completely destroyed; at the time of the study, the initial stage of its deformation was recorded.
• Inside the cylindrical pedestal of the angel, up to 3 tons of water accumulated, which got inside through dozens of cracks and holes in the sculpture’s shell. This water, seeping down into the pedestal and freezing in winter, tore the cylinder, giving it a barrel-shaped shape.

The restorers were given the following tasks:

1. Get rid of water:

• Remove water from the cavities of the pommel;
• Prevent future accumulation of water;

The work was carried out mainly in winter at high altitudes without dismantling the sculpture, both outside and inside the structure. Control over the work was carried out by both core and non-core structures, including the Administration of St. Petersburg.

The restorers carried out work to create a drainage system for the monument: as a result, all the cavities of the monument were connected, and the cavity of the cross, about 15.5 meters high, was used as an “exhaust pipe”. The created drainage system provides for the removal of all moisture, including condensation.

The brick pommel weight in the abacus was replaced with granite, self-locking structures without binding agents. Thus, Montferrand's original plan was again realized. The bronze surfaces of the monument were protected by patination.

In addition, more than 50 fragments left over from the siege of Leningrad were recovered from the monument.

The scaffolding from the monument was removed in March 2003.

Fence repair

The fence was made according to a project completed in 1993 by the Lenproektrestavratsiya Institute. The work was financed from the city budget, costs amounted to 14 million 700 thousand rubles. The historical fence of the monument was restored by specialists from Intarsia LLC. The installation of the fence began on November 18, Grand opening took place on January 24, 2004.

Soon after the discovery, part of the grating was stolen as a result of two “raids” by vandals - hunters for non-ferrous metals.

The theft could not be prevented, despite the 24-hour surveillance cameras on Palace Square: they did not record anything in the dark. To monitor the area at night, it is necessary to use special expensive cameras. The leadership of the St. Petersburg Central Internal Affairs Directorate decided to establish a 24-hour police post at the Alexander Column.

Roller around the column

At the end of March 2008, an examination of the condition of the column fence was carried out, and a defect sheet was compiled for all losses of elements. It recorded:

• 53 places of deformation,
• 83 lost parts,
• Loss of 24 small eagles and one large eagle,
• 31 partial loss of parts.

• 28 eagles
• 26 peak

The disappearance did not receive an explanation from St. Petersburg officials and was not commented on by the organizers of the skating rink.

The organizers of the skating rink committed themselves to the city administration to restore the lost elements of the fence. Work was supposed to begin after the May holidays of 2008.

Mentions in art

According to art critics, O. Montferrand’s talented work has clear proportions, laconic form, beauty of lines and silhouette. Both immediately after its creation and subsequently, this architectural work has repeatedly inspired artists.

It has been repeatedly depicted by landscape painters as an iconic element of the urban landscape.

Indicative modern example serves as a video clip for the song “Love” (directed by S. Debezhev, author - Yu. Shevchuk) from the album of the same name by the DDT group. This clip also draws an analogy between a column and a silhouette space rocket. In addition to being used in the video clip, a photograph of the bas-relief of the pedestal was used to design the album sleeve.

The column is also depicted on the cover of the album “Lemur of the Nine” by the St. Petersburg group “Refawn”.

Column in literature

• The "Pillar of Alexandria" is mentioned in the most famous poem A. S. Pushkin “Monument”. Pushkin's Alexandria Pillar is a complex image; it contains not only a monument to Alexander I, but also an allusion to the obelisks of Alexandria and Horace. At the first publication, the name “Alexandrian” was replaced by V. A. Zhukovsky for fear of censorship with “Napoleons” (meaning the Vendôme Column).

In addition, contemporaries attributed the couplet to Pushkin.

And the Alexander Column has been decorating Palace Square since 1834: Nicholas I ordered its erection in honor of the victory of Alexander I over Napoleon. Together with the Kultura.RF portal, we recall interesting details from the history of this building.

Alexander Column, St. Petersburg. Photo: meros.org

The first sketches of the Alexander Obelisk

Stepan Shchukin. Portrait of Alexander I. Early 1800s. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Evgeny Plyushar. Portrait of Auguste Montferrand. 1834.

Franz Kruger. Portrait of Nicholas I. 1852. Hermitage, St. Petersburg

In 1829, Nicholas I announced an open competition for sketches of a monument in memory of Alexander I. Auguste Montferrand - his design for the Alexander Column was subsequently realized - first proposed installing a 25-meter-high granite obelisk on the square. At the same time, Montferrand developed several projects for the monument’s pedestal. In one of the sketches, he proposed decorating the pedestal with bas-reliefs of Fyodor Tolstoy, which illustrated the events of the Patriotic War of 1812, and the figure of a horseman, in front of whom a double-headed eagle flies, and behind - the goddess of victory. In another sketch he depicted figures of elephants supporting an obelisk.

"Trajan's Column appeared before me"

Alexander Column, figure of an angel

Alexander Column, pedestal

However, not a single obelisk project was accepted. Montferrand was asked to create something like the Vendôme Column in Paris or Trajan's Column in Rome. As the architect wrote: “Trajan’s Column appeared before me as a prototype of the most beautiful thing that a person of this kind can create. I had to try to come as close as possible to this majestic example of antiquity, as was done in Rome for the Antonine Column, in Paris for the Napoleon Column".

Montferrand's column also had several design options: in addition to the sketch with the figure of an angel, the architect proposed crowning the obelisk with a cross entwined with a snake, or installing the figure of Alexander Nevsky at the top.

Finnish granite for a Russian monument

Vasily Tropinin. Portrait of Samson Sukhanov. 1823. Museum of V.A. Tropinin and Moscow artists of his time, Moscow

Pyuterlach quarry, separation of a block of stone from a rock. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Tilting a mass for a column rod in a quarry. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Montferrand chose the material for his monument in advance: granite from Finland was used for the Alexander Column. Both the column itself and the stones for its foundation were cut from one rock - the largest of them weighed more than 400 tons. They were hewn out over two years - from 1830 to 1832 - in the Pyuterlak quarry. About 250 people worked there, and they were led by the famous stonemason Samson Sukhanov.

Transportation on "St. Nicholas"

Loading the column onto the ship. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Delivery of blocks for the pedestal of the Alexander Column. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Moving the block for the pedestal of the Alexander Column from the embankment. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Transporting blanks for the obelisk from Finland to St. Petersburg was not an easy task. To transport the column by water, a special boat “St. Nicholas” was built with a carrying capacity of more than 1000 tons. 600 soldiers were loaded onto its board, and they almost dropped the monolith into the water. The St. Nicholas and the convoy were towed by two steamships to St. Petersburg.

Pine piles, cement with soap and a box of coins

Installation of the pedestal on the foundation. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

Lifting a column onto an overpass. Lithograph from the book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836

When laying the foundation for the installation of the column, workers discovered piles: half a century earlier, Bartolomeo Rastrelli planned to erect a monument to Peter I here.

When installing the column, we used the innovative engineering developments of Augustine Betancourt, which by that time had already been tested during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral by Augustine Montferrand. Here the foundation was laid using the same technology as in Isaacia: 1,250 pine piles were driven into the bottom of the pit, and granite stone blocks were placed on them. A monolith weighing 400 tons was placed on the foundation, which became the base of the pedestal. The monolith was connected to the foundation with a special solution - vodka and soap were added to the cement. Thanks to this, the monolith could be moved until it “sits” perfectly. A commemorative box with coins minted in honor of the War of 1812 and a mortgage board were installed in the center of the foundation.

“Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”

Alexander Denisov. The rise of the Alexander Column. 1832

L.P.-A. Bishebois, A.J.-B. Bayo. The rise of the Alexander Column. 1834

Grigory Gagarin. Alexandria Column in forests. 1832

Most challenging task facing the builders was the installation of a column. The developments made by Augustine Betancourt during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral were also useful here. He designed a special lifting system from scaffolding, capstans - mechanisms for moving loads - and a system of blocks. First, the column was rolled up an inclined plane onto a special platform and secured to it. Then they began to lift the ropes placed on top of the scaffolding. About 2,500 people performed this operation for almost 40 minutes. Nicholas I was so impressed by the solemn rise that he exclaimed: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!” After installing the column, it was sanded, polished and decorated - this took two years.

Sculptural decoration of the column

Alexander Column, figure of an angel. Photo: hellopiter.ru

Alexander Column, pedestal. Photo: nevsky.rf

Alexander Column, pedestal. Photo: fotokto.ru

The figure of an angel, almost five meters high, was made by sculptor Boris Orlovsky. The angel holds a cross in his left hand and raises his right hand to heaven. According to Montferrand's plan, the figure of the angel was supposed to be gilded, but due to the rush to open it, this decision was abandoned. On the pedestal of the column there are images of the all-seeing eye, under which there are double-headed eagles holding laurel garlands in their paws. Two winged female figures hold a sign with the text “Grateful Russia to Alexander I”; symbols of the Vistula and Neman rivers are depicted nearby. Other bas-reliefs depict allegories of Victory and Peace, Justice and Mercy and Wisdom and Abundance. Montferrand himself made the drawings for the design of the pedestal; based on them, artists made life-size sketches, and sculptors created molds for casting.

The tallest monument made of solid granite

Alexander Column. Photo: petersburg.center

The opening ceremony of the monument took place on September 11, 1834. The architect wanted to refuse to participate in the ceremony, but Nicholas I insisted, saying: “Montferrand, your creation is worthy of its purpose, you have erected a monument to yourself.”. For the celebration, special stands were erected on Palace Square to accommodate the imperial family and other distinguished guests.

“And no pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if born from the earth, in slender bulks, with the thunder of drums, columns of the Russian army began to march to the sounds of the Paris March... The ceremonial march began: Russian the army passed by the Alexander Column; This magnificent, unique spectacle in the world lasted for two hours... In the evening, noisy crowds wandered through the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally, the lighting faded, the streets were empty, and the majestic colossus was left alone with its sentry in a deserted square.”

Vasily Zhukovsky

Angel after the revolution

Restoration of the Alexander Column in 2002. Photo: armycarus.do

Restoration of the Alexander Column in 2002. Photo: petersburglike.ru

After the revolution, the figure of an angel on the Alexander Column was disguised with red cloth or balloons during city holidays. There was a legend that they were planning to install a statue of Lenin instead, but this did not happen. The fence around the monument was melted down for ammunition in the 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War, the Alexander Column was not completely camouflaged, like many others. architectural monuments Leningrad, but only 2/3 of the height. The angel received shrapnel “wounds.” The column and the area around it were restored several times - in the 1960s, 1970s and 2000s.

He also developed a project for the improvement of the entire adjacent territory. The architect planned to decorate the center of Palace Square with a large obelisk. This project was also not implemented.

Around the same years, during the reign of Alexander I, the idea arose to erect a monument in St. Petersburg in honor of Russia's victory over Napoleon. The Senate proposed creating a monument that would glorify the Russian emperor, who led the country. From the Senate resolution:

“Erect a monument in the throne city with the inscription: Alexander the Blessed, Emperor of All Russia, Great Powers, Restorer, in gratitude to Russia” [Cit. from: 1, p. 150].

Alexander I did not support this idea:

“Expressing my complete gratitude, I convince the state estates to leave it without any fulfillment. May a monument be built for me in my feelings for you! May my people bless me in their hearts, as I bless them in my heart! May Russia prosper, and may it be necessary God's blessing upon me and upon her" [Ibid.].

The project for the monument was adopted only under the next tsar, Nicholas I. In 1829, the work on its creation was entrusted to Auguste Montferrand. It is interesting that by this time Montferrand had already created a project for an obelisk monument dedicated to those killed in the battle of Leipzig. It is possible that Nicholas I took this fact into account, as well as the fact that the Frenchman already had experience working with granite monoliths during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The fact that the idea of ​​the monument belonged to the emperor is proved by the words of Montferrand:

“The main conditions for the construction of the monument were explained to me. The monument should be a granite obelisk made of one piece with a total height of 111 feet from the base” [Cit. from: 4, p. 112].

Montferrand initially conceived the monument in the form of an obelisk 35 meters high. He created several options that differed only in the design of the pedestal. In one of the options, it was proposed to decorate it with bas-reliefs of Fyodor Tolstoy on the theme of the War of 1812 and on the front side to depict Alexander I in the image of a victorious victor riding a quadriga. In the second case, the architect proposed placing figures of Glory and Abundance on the pedestal. Another interesting proposal was in which the obelisk was supported by figures of elephants. In 1829, Montferrand created another version of the monument - in the form of a triumphal column topped with a cross. As a result, the last option was adopted as the basis. This decision had a beneficial effect on general composition Palace Square. It was this kind of monument that could connect the facades together Winter Palace and the General Staff building, an important motif of which is the colonnades. Montferrand wrote:

“Trajan’s Column appeared before me as a prototype of the most beautiful thing that a person of this kind can only create. I had to try to come as close as possible to this majestic example of antiquity, as was done in Rome for the Antoninus Column, in Paris for the Napoleon Column "[Cit. from: 3, p. 231].

Preparation of a huge monolith and its delivery to St. Petersburg is still very difficult. And in the first half of the 19th century, this seemed completely impossible to many. A member of the Commission on the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral, engineer-general Count K. I. Opperman, believed that " The granite rock, from which the architect Montferrand proposes to break out a column for the obelisk, contains various parts of heterogeneous properties with crumbling veins, which is why the different columns broken out of the same rock for St. Isaac's Cathedral, some did not come out of the proper size, and others with cracks and other defects, according to who could not accept them; one, already due to loading and unloading, broke when being rolled from the local pier to the barn for clean finishing, and the column proposed for the obelisk is five fathoms longer and almost twice as thick as the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral, and therefore the success in breaking out, in happy loading, unloading and transferring is much more doubtful than similar enterprises for the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral"[Quoted from: 5, p. 162].

Montferrand had to prove he was right. Also in 1829, he explained to the members of the Commission:

“My frequent trips to Finland for eleven years to observe the breaking of 48 columns for St. Isaac’s Cathedral assured me that if some columns were broken, then this was due to the greed of the people used for this, and why I dare to confirm the success of this work, if precautions will be taken to multiply the number of drills or holes, to cut the mass from below throughout its entire thickness and, finally, to firmly support it in order to separate it without shaking...
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The means I propose for raising the column are the same as those used for the forty columns that have been successfully erected to this day during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. I will use the same machines and part of the scaffolding, which within two years will not be needed for the cathedral and will be dismantled in the coming winter." [Quoted from: 5, pp. 161, 163]

The Commission accepted the architect's explanations, and in early November of the same year the project was approved. On November 13, the plan for Palace Square with the proposed location for the Alexander Column, approved by Nicholas I in early December, was submitted for approval. Montferrand assumed that if the foundation, pedestal and bronze decorations were made in advance, the monument could be opened in 1831. The architect expected to spend 1,200,000 rubles on all the work.

According to one of the St. Petersburg legends, this column was supposed to be used specifically for the construction of the temple. But having received a longer monolith than necessary, it was decided to use it on Palace Square. In fact, this column was carved by special order for the monument.

From the side, the installation point of the column looks like the exact center of Palace Square. But in fact, it is located 100 meters from the Winter Palace and almost 140 meters from the arch of the General Staff building.

The contract for the construction of the foundation was given to the merchant Vasily Yakovlev. By the end of 1829, the workers managed to dig a foundation pit. While strengthening the foundation for the Alexander Column, workers came across piles that had strengthened the ground back in the 1760s. It turned out that Montferrand repeated, following Rastrelli, the decision on the location for the monument, landing on the same point. For three months, peasants Grigory Kesarinov and Pavel Bykov drove new six-meter pine piles here. A total of 1,101 piles were needed. Granite blocks half a meter thick were placed on them. There was severe frost when the foundation was laid. Montferrand added vodka to the cement mortar for better setting.

A granite block measuring 52x52 centimeters was placed in the center of the foundation. A bronze box with 105 coins minted in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 was installed in it. A platinum medal minted according to Montferrand’s design with the image of the Alexander Column and the date “1830” was also placed there, as well as a mortgage plaque. Montferrand proposed the following text for her:

“This stone was laid in the year of the Nativity of Christ in the 1830s, the reign of Emperor Nicholas I in the 5th year, during the construction of the monument of blessed memory to Emperor Alexander I. During the construction, the highest approved Commission sat: the actual privy councilor Lanskoy, engineer General Count Opperman, Acting Privy Councilor Olenin, Engineer-Lieutenant General Carbonier. Senators: Count Kutaisov, Gladkov, Vasilchikov and Bezrodny. The building was managed by the architect Montferrand. [Cit. by: 5, p. 169]

Olenin, in turn, proposed a similar text, which was accepted with minor adjustments. The inscription on the board is engraved " St. Petersburg tradesman Vasily Danilovich Berilov"According to the architect Adamini, the foundation work was completed by the end of July 1830.

The granite block of the pedestal, worth 25,000 poods, was made from a block mined in the Letsaarma region. He was delivered to St. Petersburg on November 4, 1831. It was supposed to be unloaded in two days, and then completely processed on site in four to five days. Before installing the pedestal in early November, Nicholas I allowed the second bronze foundation board to be placed at the base of the Alexander Column, while ordering " put in, moreover, the newly knocked out medal for the storming of Warsaw". At the same time he approved the text of the second mortgage board, made by the bronze master A. Guerin:

“In the summer of Christ 1831, the construction of a monument began, erected to Emperor Alexander by grateful Russia on a granite foundation laid on the 19th day of November 1830. In St. Petersburg, the construction of this monument was presided over by Count Yu. Litta. Volkonsky, A. Olenin, Count P. Kutaisov, I. Gladkov, L. Carbonier, A. Vasilchikov. The construction was carried out according to the drawings of the same architect Augustine de Montferand. [Cit. by: 5, p. 170]

The second mortgage board and the medal for the capture of Warsaw were placed at the base of the Alexander Column on February 13, 1832 at 2 o'clock in the afternoon in the presence of all members of the Commission.

"For breaking out, trimming and polishing this column, as well as for building a pier and delivering it to the building site, in addition to loading, unloading and transportation through water"The merchant of the 1st guild Arkhip Shikhin asked for 420,000 rubles. On December 9, 1829, Samson Sukhanov offered to take on the same work, asking for 300,000 rubles. The next day, the self-taught merchant Vasily Yakovlev announced the same price. When new auctions were held, the price were reduced to 220,000 rubles, and after a re-auction on March 19, 1830, Arkhip Shikhin undertook to fulfill the contract for 150,000. However, the order for the same price went to 20-year-old Yakovlev. He assumed the obligation in case of failure with the first one. freely recapture and deliver to St. Petersburg the second, third, and so on until the required stone takes its place on Palace Square".

The monolith was carved in 1830-1831, without a break for the winter. Montferrand personally went to the quarries on May 8 and September 7, 1831. " The granite was overturned in 7 minutes on September 19 at 6 pm in the presence of the chief architect sent there by the Commission on the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral... the huge rock, shaking at its base, slowly and silently fell onto the bed prepared for it". [Quoted from: 5, p. 165]

It took half a year to trim the monolith. 250 people worked on this every day. Montferrand appointed mason master Eugene Pascal to lead the work. In mid-March 1832, two-thirds of the column were ready, after which the number of participants in the process was increased to 275 people. On April 1, Vasily Yakovlev reported on the complete completion of the work.

In June, the transportation of the column began. At the same time, an accident occurred - the beams along which it was supposed to roll onto the ship could not withstand the weight of the column, and it almost collapsed into the water. The monolith was loaded by 600 soldiers, who completed a forced march of 36 miles from a neighboring fortress in four hours. The flat boat "St. Nicholas" with the column was towed by two steamships to St. Petersburg. She arrived in the city on July 1, 1832. For the operation of transporting the column, the Chairman of the Commission, Count Y. P. Litta, received the Order of St. Vladimir.

On July 12, in the presence of Nicholas I and his wife, representatives of the imperial family, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and a large public, the convoy was unloaded ashore. Spectators were located on scaffolding for lifting the column and on ships on the Neva. This operation was performed by 640 workers.

The date for raising the column to the pedestal (August 30 - the name day of Alexander I) was approved on March 2, 1832, as well as a new estimate for the construction of the monument on total amount 2,364,442 rubles, which was almost twice the original amount.

Since the lifting of a 600-ton monolith was carried out for the first time in the world, Montferrand developed detailed instructions. Special scaffolding was erected on Palace Square, which occupied it almost completely. For the ascent, 60 gates were used, arranged in two rows around the scaffolding. Each gate was driven by 29 people: " 16 soldiers at the levers, 8 in reserve, 4 sailors for pulling and cleaning the rope as the column rises, 1 non-commissioned officer... To achieve the correct movement of the gate, so that the ropes are pulled as equally as forcefully as possible, 10 foremen will be stationed"[Quoted from: 5, p. 171]. The blocks were monitored by 120 people at the top of the scaffolding and 60 at the bottom "to look after the idler pulleys. 2 foremen with 30 carpenters will be placed on large scaffolding at different heights to position the log supports on which the column will lie, in case the raising of it needed to be stopped. 40 workers will be placed near the column , on the right and left sides, to remove the rollers from under the sleigh and to drag them into place, 30 people of workers will be placed under the platform with the ropes holding the gate, 6 people of masons will be used to add lime mortar between the column and the base, 15 people of carpenters and. 1 foreman will be on standby in case of an unforeseen... The doctor assigned to the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral will be at the production site during the entire raising of the column"[Ibid].

It took only 40 minutes to raise the Alexander Column. 1,995 soldiers were involved in the column operation, and together with commanders and guards - 2,090.

More than 10,000 people watched the installation of the column, and foreign guests came specially. Montferrand placed 4,000 spectator seats on the platform. On August 23, that is, a week before the event described, Nicholas I ordered the transfer of " so that by the day of raising the column for the monument to Emperor Alexander I, places on top of the stage would be arranged: 1st for the imperial family; 2nd for the Supreme Court; 3rd for His Majesty's retinue; 4th for the diplomatic corps; 5th for State Council; 6th for the Senate; 7th for guard generals; 8th for cadets who will be dressed up from the corps; adding to the fact that on the day of raising the column, a guard from a company of guards grenadiers will also be placed at the top of the stage, and that His Majesty wishes that, in addition to the guard and the persons for whom places will be arranged, no outsiders will be allowed onto the stage" [Quoted from: 4, pp. 122, 123].

This list was expanded by the Minister of the Imperial Court Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky. He reported to the Chairman of the Commission for the Reconstruction of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which was involved in the installation of the monument:

“I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that, in addition to those persons for whom places are arranged, the Sovereign Emperor His Majesty allows to be on the platform during the raising of the Alexander Column: 1st - to foreign architects who deliberately came here for this occasion; 2nd - to members of the Academy of Arts professors of architecture; 3rd - academicians preparing for the art of architecture and 4th - our and foreign artists in general" [Cit. from: 4, p. 123].

“The streets leading to Palace Square, the Admiralty and the Senate were completely crowded with the public, attracted by the novelty of such an extraordinary spectacle. The crowd soon grew to such an extent that horses, carriages and people mixed into one whole. The houses were filled with people to the very roofs. There was not a single window, not a single ledge left, so great was the interest in the monument. The semicircular building of the General Staff, which on that day resembled the amphitheater of Ancient Rome, accommodated more than 10,000 people. Nicholas I and his family were accommodated in a special pavilion. In another, the envoys of Austria were located. , England, France, ministers, commissioners for affairs, constituting the foreign diplomatic corps. Then special places for the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts, university professors, for foreigners, people close to art, who arrived from Italy, Germany, to attend this ceremony. .." [Quoted. from: 4, p. 124, 125].

It took exactly two years to complete the final processing of the monolith (grinding and polishing), designing its top, and decorating the pedestal.

Montferrand originally planned to install a cross at the top of the column. While working on the monument, he decided to complete the column with the figure of an angel, which in his opinion should have been created by the sculptor I. Leppe. However, at the insistence of Olenin, a competition was announced, in which academicians S.I. Galberg and B.I. Orlovsky took part. The second one won the competition. On November 29, 1832, Nicholas I examined the model of an angel and commanded " to give a face to the statue of the late Emperor Alexander". At the end of March 1833, Montferrand proposed completing the Alexander Column with not one, but two angels supporting the cross. Nicholas I initially agreed with him, but after learning " that many of the artists refute the idea of ​​staging two angels", decided to gather artists and sculptors to discuss this issue. During the negotiations, Montferrand proposed placing three angels on the column at once, but the majority spoke in favor of one figure. Nicholas I took the position of the majority. The Emperor decided to place the angel facing the Winter Palace.

According to Montferrand's plan, the figure of the angel was to be gilded. Due to the rush to open the Alexander Column, they decided to do the gilding in oil, which could be done not only quickly, but also cheaply. However, the low reliability of this method was pointed out by Olenin, who addressed the Minister of the Imperial Court Volkonsky:

"...judging by the gilded statues in Peterhof, the effect of a gold-covered statue of an angel will be very mediocre and unattractive, because gilding in oil always has the appearance of gold leaf, and moreover, it will probably not survive even to our grandchildren, being exposed to our harsh climate in the impossibility of temporarily renewing gilding due to the large costs each time of constructing scaffolding for this work" [Cit. by: 5, p. 181].

As a result, Olenin’s proposal was accepted not to gild the angel at all.

The pedestal of the Alexander Column is decorated with bas-reliefs made by artists Scotti, Solovyov, Bryullo, Markov, Tversky, and sculptors Svintsov and Leppe. On the bas-relief on the side of the General Staff building there is a figure of Victory, recording memorable dates in the Book of History: “1812, 1813, 1814”. From the side of the Winter Palace there are two winged figures with the inscription: “Grateful Russia to Alexander I.” On the other two sides the bas-reliefs depict figures of Justice, Wisdom, Mercy and Abundance. In the process of coordinating the decoration of the column, the emperor expressed wishes to replace the antique military fittings on the bas-reliefs with ancient Russian ones.

To accommodate the guests of honor, Montferrand built a special grandstand in front of the Winter Palace in the form of a three-span arch. It was decorated in such a way as to architecturally connect with the Winter Palace. Nicholas I also contributed to this, who ordered the purple cloth to be torn off the stairs and fawn-colored fabric used instead, in the then color of the imperial residence. For the construction of the tribune, a contract was concluded with the peasant Stepan Samarin on June 12, 1834, which was completed by the end of August. Decorative parts from plaster were made by the “moulding master” Evstafy and Poluekt Balina, Timofey Dylev, Ivan Pavlov, Alexander Ivanov.

For the public, stands were built in front of the Exertsirhaus building and on the side of Admiralteysky Boulevard. Since the façade of the amphitheater was larger in size than the façade of the exertzirhaus, the roof of the latter was dismantled to construct log stands, and neighboring buildings were also demolished.

Before the opening of the Alexander Column, Montferrand tried to refuse to participate in the ceremony due to fatigue. But the emperor insisted on his presence, who wanted to see all members of the Commission, including the chief architect and assistants, at the opening of the monument.

On solemn ceremony The emperor addressed the architect in French: " Montferrand, your creation is worthy of its purpose, you have erected a monument to yourself"[Quoted from: 4, p. 127].

"...The opening celebrations were appropriate. A magnificently decorated balcony was built above the main gate of the Winter Palace with gatherings on both sides of the square... Along all the buildings of Palace Square, amphitheaters were built in several tiers for spectators. People crowded on Admiralty Boulevard; all the windows around the lying houses were dotted with those eager to enjoy this unique spectacle..." [Cit. from: 1, p. 161, 162]

From the memoirs of the romantic poet Vasily Zhukovsky:

“And no pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if born from the earth, in slender masses, with the thunder of drums, columns of the Russian army began to march to the sounds of the Paris March...
The ceremonial march began: the Russian army passed by the Alexander Column; This magnificent, unique spectacle in the world lasted for two hours...
In the evening, noisy crowds wandered through the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally the lighting went out, the streets were empty, and in the deserted square the majestic colossus was left alone with its sentry" [Quoted from: 4, pp. 128, 129].

The impressions of a representative of the ordinary public have also been preserved. Maria Fedorovna Kamenskaya, daughter of Count Fyodor Tolstoy, wrote down memories of the opening of the Alexander Column:

"Opposite the Hermitage, on the square, on the corner where the building currently stands state archive, high walkways were then erected, on which places were assigned for the officials of the Ministry of the Court, and therefore for the Academy of Arts. We had to get there early, because after that no one was allowed into the square. The prudent girls of the Academy, afraid of getting hungry, took breakfast baskets with them and sat down in the front row. The opening ceremony of the monument, as far as I remember, did not represent anything special and was very similar to ordinary May parades, with the addition of only the clergy and prayers. It was quite difficult to see what was happening near the column itself, because we were still sitting quite far from it. What involuntarily caught our eye most was the chief police chief (if I’m not mistaken, then Kokoshkin was the chief police chief), who was especially zealous about something, hilariously tinkering on his big horse, rushed around the square and screamed at the top of his lungs.
So we looked and looked, got hungry, unpacked our boxes and began to destroy the provisions we had taken with us. The public, sitting on the walkways next to us, stretching all the way to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed our good example and also began to unfold pieces of paper and chew something. The zealous chief of police now noticed these disorders during the parade, became furious, galloped up to the bridge and, forcing his horse to break and stand up, began shouting in a thunderous voice:
- Unscrupulous, heartless people! How, on the day when the monument to the war of 1812 was erected, when all the grateful Russian hearts gathered here to pray, you, you hearts of stone, instead of remembering the holy soul of Alexander the Blessed, the liberator of Russia from twelve languages, and sending up ardent words to heaven prayers for the health of the now safely reigning Emperor Nicholas I, you couldn’t think of anything better than to come here to eat! Down with everything from the bridge! Go to church, to the Kazan Cathedral, and fall on your face before the throne of the Almighty!
- Fool! - someone's voice shouted from above, behind us.
- Fool, fool, fool! - they picked up, like an echo, in a gulp of unknown whose voices, and the embarrassed uninvited preacher, in impotent anger, was forced to give spurs to his horse to the music of the troops and frantic laughter on the bridge, as if nothing had happened, beautifully bending, galloped somewhere further" [Cit. from: 4, pp. 129-131].

As the historian M.N. Mikishatyev rightly noted (from whose book this quote is given), Maria Fedorovna was not mistaken with the identity of the Chief of Police. At that time he was Sergei Aleksandrovich Kokoshkin. But she confused the building of the state archive with the building of the Guard headquarters.

Initially, the Alexander Column was framed by a temporary wooden fence with lamps in the form of antique tripods and plaster lion masks. The carpentry work for the fence was carried out by the “carver” Vasily Zakharov. Instead of a temporary fence, at the end of 1834 it was decided to install a permanent metal one “with three-headed eagles under the lanterns,” the design of which was drawn up by Montferrand in advance. Its composition was supposed to use gilded bronze decorations, crystal balls on three-headed eagles mounted on captured Turkish cannons, which were accepted by the architect from the arsenal on December 17.

The metal fence was produced at the Byrd plant. In February 1835, he proposed gas lighting for crystal balls. The glass balls were made at the Imperial Glass Factory. They were lit not by gas, but by oil, which leaked and left soot. On December 25, 1835, one of the balloons burst and fell apart. October 11, 1836 "the highest order followed to arrange cast-iron candelabra with lanterns according to approved designs for gas lighting at the monument to Emperor Alexander I"[Quoted from: 5, p. 184]. The laying of gas pipes was completed in August 1837, and candelabra were installed in October.

Mikhail Nikolaevich Mikishatyev in the book “Walks in the Central District. From Dvortsovaya to Fontanka” debunks the myth that in the poem “Monument” A. S. Pushkin mentions the Alexander Column, calling it the “Pillar of Alexandria”. He convincingly proves that Pushkin’s work literally refers to the Pharos lighthouse, which was once located near the harbor of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. So it was called the Pillar of Alexandria. But thanks to the political nature of the poem, the latter became a direct allusion to the monument to Alexander I. Only a hint, although descendants equated them to each other.

The column is not dug into the ground or supported by a foundation. It is supported only by precise calculation and its weight. This is the tallest triumphal column in the world. Its weight is 704 tons. The height of the monument is 47.5 meters, the granite monolith is 25.88 meters. It is slightly higher than the Vendôme Column, erected in 1810 in honor of Napoleon's victories in Paris.

There are often stories that in the first time after the installation of the Alexander Column, many ladies were afraid to be near it. They assumed that the column could fall at any moment and walked around the perimeter of the square. This legend is sometimes modified: only one lady is shown to be so fearful, who ordered her coachman to stay away from the monument.

In 1841, cracks appeared on the column. By 1861 they had become so prominent that Alexander II established a committee to study them. The committee came to the conclusion that there were cracks in the granite initially, and they were sealed with mastic. In 1862, the cracks were repaired with Portland cement. At the top there were fragments of chains that were used to climb the column annually to inspect it.

Stories similar to mystical ones happened with the Alexander Column. On December 15, 1889, Foreign Minister Lamsdorff reported in his diary that at nightfall, when the lanterns are lit, a luminous letter “N” appears on the monument. Rumors began to spread around St. Petersburg that this was an omen of a new reign in the new year. The next day, the count figured out the reasons for the phenomenon. The name of their manufacturer was etched on the glass of the lanterns: "Simens". When the lamps were working from the side of St. Isaac's Cathedral, this letter was reflected on the column.

In 1925, it was decided that the presence of an angel figure on the main square of Leningrad was inappropriate. An attempt was made to cover it with a cap, which attracted a fairly large number of passers-by to Palace Square. A hot air balloon hung above the column. However, when he flew up to the required distance, the wind immediately blew and drove the ball away. By evening, attempts to hide the angel stopped. A little later, a plan emerged to replace the angel with the figure of V.I. Lenin. However, this was not implemented either.