Alexander Column or Alexandria Pillar, Alexandria Lighthouse - Seven Wonders of the World. Alexandrian Pillar (Alexander's Column) Alexandrian on the palace

The center of the composition of the Palace Square ensemble is the famous Alexander Column-monument, dedicated to the victory in Patriotic War 1812.

The victory was won during the reign of Alexander I, the monument was created in his honor and bears the name of the emperor.

The construction of the column was preceded by an official design competition. The French architect Auguste Montferrand, who at the same time supervised the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, proposed two projects.

The first project, a sketch of which is kept today in the library of the Institute of Railway Engineers, was rejected by Emperor Nicholas I.

Emperor Nicholas I

In accordance with it, it was planned to erect a monumental granite obelisk 25.6 meters high. The front side was to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812. On a pedestal with the inscription “To the Blessed is Grateful Russia,” it was planned to install a sculptural group of a rider on a horse trampling a snake with his feet. The horse is led by two allegorical female figures, the goddess of Victory follows the rider, and in front of the rider is a flying double-headed eagle.

Auguste (August Augustovich) Montferrand

The second project of O. Montferrand, which was approved by the emperor on September 24, 1829, provided for the installation of a monumental triumphal column.

Alexander Column and Main Headquarters. Lithograph by L. J. Arnoux. 1840s

The Alexander Column reproduces the type of triumphal structure from Antiquity (the famous Trojan Column in Rome), but it is the largest structure of its kind in the world.

Comparison of Alexander's Column, Trajan's Column, Napoleon's Column, Marcus Aurelius' Column, and the so-called "Pompey's Column"

The monument on Palace Square became the tallest column made from a monolithic block of granite.

A huge monolith for making the column trunk was broken out in the Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg. Mining and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832.

The cut granite prism was significantly larger in size than the future column; it was cleared of soil and moss and the required shape was outlined with chalk.

With the help of special devices - giant levers and gates, the block was tipped onto a bed of spruce branches. After the monolith was processed and acquired the necessary shape, it was loaded onto the boat "St. Nicholas", built according to the design of the naval engineer Colonel Glasin.

The monolith was delivered to the capital by water on July 1, 1832. Huge stones for the foundation of the future monument were cut from the same rock, some of them weighed more than 400 tons. The stones were delivered to St. Petersburg by water on a specially designed barge.

In the meantime, a suitable foundation was prepared for the future column. After the location for the column was approved in December 1829, 1,250 pine piles were driven under the foundation. In the center of the foundation, consisting of granite blocks, they laid a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812.

A 400-ton monolith was installed on the foundation, which served as the base of the pedestal. The next, no less difficult stage was the installation of the column on a stone pedestal. This required special system scaffolding, special lifting devices, the labor of two thousand soldiers and four hundred workers and only 1 hour 45 minutes of time.

After installing the column, it was finally processed and polished, and bas-reliefs and decorative elements were attached to the pedestal.

The height of the column together with the sculptural completion is 47.5 meters. The column has a Doric capital with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze facing.

Above, on a cylindrical pedestal, there is a figure of an angel with a cross trampling on a snake. This allegory of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War was created by sculptor B.I. Orlovsky.

The bronze high reliefs of the pedestal were made by sculptors P.V. Svintsov and I. Leppe according to sketches by D. Scotti.

On the high relief from the side of the General Staff building there is a figure of Victory, entering into the Book of History memorable dates: "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 high reliefs depict figures of Justice, Wisdom, Mercy and Abundance.

High relief from the Winter Palace

The finishing of the monument lasted 2 years, the grand opening took place on the day of St. Alexander Nevsky - August 30, 1834. The opening ceremony was attended by the royal family, diplomatic corps, representatives of the Russian army and a hundred thousandth army.

For the passage of troops to Palace Square According to the design of O. Montferrand, the Yellow (Singing) Bridge was built across the sink.

Also, according to the design of O. Montferrand, a decorative bronze one and a half meter fence was created that surrounded the Alexander Column.

The fence was decorated with double- and three-headed eagles, captured cannons, spears and banner staffs. The work on the design of the fence was completed in 1837. In the corner of the fence there was a guard booth, where a disabled person dressed in a full guards uniform kept a 24-hour watch.

The monument fits perfectly into the ensemble of Palace Square, thanks to its absolute proportions and size.

From the windows of the Winter Palace, the Alexander Column and the Arch of the General Staff appear as a solemn “duet”.

During the Great Patriotic War, only two-thirds of the monument was covered and a shrapnel mark remained on one of the angel’s wings. More than 110 traces of shell fragments were found on the reliefs of the pedestal.

Complete restoration of the monument using scaffolding was carried out in 1963 and for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in the period from 2001 to 2003.

Compiler of the article: Parshina Elena Aleksandrovna.

References:
Lisovsky V.G. Architecture of St. Petersburg, Three centuries of history. Slavia., St. Petersburg, 2004
Pilyavsky V.I., Tits A.A., Ushakov Y.S. History of Russian architecture - Architecture_S., M., 2004,
Novopolsky P., Ivin M. Walks around Leningrad - State publishing house for children's literature of the RSFSR, Leningrad, 1959

© E. A. Parshina, 2009

Alexander Column (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands,
The people's path to him will not be overgrown,
He ascended higher with his rebellious head
Alexandrian Pillar.

A. S. Pushkin

One of famous monuments Petersburg, the Alexander Column is familiar to each of us literally from school. With the light hand of the beloved poet, everyone began to call the monument - Alexandria pillar, although, in fact, this is a poetic delight, and the monument has been called the Alexander Column for almost 200 years.

The Alexandria Column was erected on Palace Square under Nicholas I in 1834 by the architect Auguste Montferrand.

And the 47.5 m high monument was supposed to remind of Russia’s victory over France in 1812. The idea arose to erect a monument in the center of Palace Square near Karl Rossi, and as a result open competition The project that we now have the pleasure of seeing was selected.

The Alexander Column is the tallest column in the world made of solid stone.

The name of the Alexander Column, on the one hand, is associated with Emperor Alexander I, who defeated Napoleon, and on the other, with the Faros (Alexandria) lighthouse, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, personifying the ultimate level of human achievement. Alexander's column was supposed to surpass all existing columns in the world. Indeed, to this day the Alexander Column is the tallest column in the world made of solid stone. And to lift this grandiose monolith onto a pedestal, the architects of St. Petersburg created a special lifting system.

At the top of the monument, the work of B. Orlovsky is an angel, whose face the sculptor gave the features of Alexander I. The angel trampling on a snake on the top of the column symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe after defeating Napoleon. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the Alexander Column in allegorical form represent the glory of Russian weapons and symbolize courage Russian army: They depict Victory and Glory, recording the dates of memorable battles, Peace and Justice, Wisdom and Prosperity.

Figures and facts

The Alexander Column is made of red granite, processed not in St. Petersburg, but in the Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg, and the figure of the angel is made of polished pink granite. In order to deliver the convoy to St. Petersburg, a special vessel was needed, which was towed by two steamships. 1250 piles, each 6 meters long, were driven under the base of the pedestal of the Alexander Column. The column was installed using scaffolding and capstans specially constructed in St. Petersburg.

It is curious that the installation took only 1 hour and 45 minutes, and 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers took part in lifting the column onto the pedestal.

The column itself weighs 600 tons. It is not dug into the ground or fixed to a foundation, but is supported solely by precise calculations and its own weight.

The sculptor gave the face of the angel on top of the monument the facial features of Alexander I.

The height of the angel crowning the Alexander Column is 4.26 m, in his hands he holds a cross 6.4 m high. The height of the pedestal on which the Alexander Column rises is 2.85 m. And the weight of the entire structure is 704 tons. Such is the greatness of Russian weapons, a monument to the victory not only of the Russian army, but also of the entire people, victory over what was impossible for others to defeat.

How to get there

The Alexander Column rises in the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg. To get to the square and the monument, you need to use underground transport and get to the Nevsky Prospekt station, then move to the beginning of Nevsky Prospekt, focusing on the Admiralty spire. From the intersection of Nevsky and Admiralteysky Prospekts there is a view of Palace Square with the Alexander Column in the center. This is what you were looking for.

Alexandria Pillar (Alexandrovsky, Alexandrinsky) - a monument to Alexander I, the winner of Napoleon in the war of 1812-1814. The column, designed by Auguste Montferrand, was installed on August 30, 1834. It is crowned with the figure of an Angel, made by the sculptor Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky.

A The lexandrine pillar is not only an architectural masterpiece in the Empire style, but also an outstanding achievement of engineering. The tallest column in the world, made of monolithic granite. Its weight is 704 tons. The height of the monument is 47.5 meters, the granite monolith is 25.88 meters. It is taller than Pompey's Column in Alexandria, Trajan's Column in Rome and, what is especially nice, the Vendôme Column in Paris - a monument to Napoleon.

Let's start with brief history its creation

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. 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 construction of the monument was entrusted to Montferrand. He himself saw it a little differently, with a group of cavalry below and with many architectural details, but he was corrected)))

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 in the Vyborg province ( modern city Pyterlahti, Finland).

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. It took half a year to trim the monolith. 250 people worked on this every day. Montferrand appointed stone mason Eugene Pascal to lead the work.

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 thousand 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 handled by naval engineer Colonel K.A. Glazyrin, who designed and built a special boat, named “Saint Nicholas”, with a carrying capacity of up to 65 thousand poods (almost 1065 tons).

During loading, 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.

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 ship.

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.

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).

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, after Rastrelli, the decision about the location for the monument, landing on the same point!

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. 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 0 105 coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812. 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 with the following text:

“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.

The work was completed in October 1830.

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: the monolith was rolled on rollers through an inclined plane onto a platform built close to the foundation. And the stone was dumped on a pile of sand, 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.” Then it was moved on rollers.

Later O. Montferrand recalled; “Since the work was carried out in winter, I ordered cement and vodka to be mixed and a tenth of soap added. Due to the fact that the stone initially sat incorrectly, it had to be moved several times, which was done with the help of only two capstans and with particular ease, of course , thanks to the soap that I ordered to be mixed into the solution..."

Album with drawings by Montferrand.

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.

Based on the developments of Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt for the installation of columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in December 1830, an original lifting system was designed. It included: scaffolding 22 fathoms (47 meters) high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks.

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, it was necessary to attract the forces of 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

After installation, people shouted "Hurray!" And the delighted emperor said: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”

The granite pillar and the bronze angel standing on it are held together solely by their own weight. If you come very close to the column and, raising your head, look up, it will take your breath away - the column is swaying.

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 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, but the first option that was approved was a cross on a ball without an angel, in this form the column is even present in some old engravings..

But in the end, the figure of an angel with a cross was accepted for execution, made by the sculptor B.I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism - “By this victory!”

Orlovsky had to redo the sculpture of the Angel several times before Nicholas I liked it. The Emperor wanted the Angel’s face to be given a resemblance to Alexander I, and the face of the snake trampled by the Angel’s cross must certainly resemble Napoleon’s face. If he does sweat, it is only remotely.

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.

Parade at the opening of the Alexander Column in 1834. From a painting by Ladurneur.

To accommodate the guests of honor, Montferrand built a special platform 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.

A parade of troops took place in front of the podium and the column.

It must be said that the monument, which now seems perfect, sometimes aroused criticism from contemporaries. Montferrand, for example, was reproached for allegedly using the marble intended for the column to build his own house, and using cheap granite for the monument. The figure of the Angel reminded the people of St. Petersburg of a sentry and inspired the poet to write the following mocking lines:

“In Russia everything breathes military craft:
And the Angel puts a cross on guard.”

But the rumor did not spare the emperor himself. Imitating his grandmother, Catherine II, who inscribed on the pedestal Bronze Horseman“Peter I - Catherine II,” Nikolai Pavlovich in official papers called the new monument “Pillar of Nicholas I to Alexander I,” which immediately gave life to the pun: “Pillar of pillar to pillar.”

In honor of this event, a commemorative coin was minted in denominations of 1 ruble and one and a half rubles

The grandiose structure inspired admiration and awe in St. Petersburg residents from the moment of its foundation, but our ancestors were seriously afraid that the Alexander Column would collapse and tried to avoid it.

To dispel philistine fears, the architect Auguste Montferrand, fortunately living nearby, on the Moika, began to exercise daily around his brainchild, demonstrating complete confidence in his own safety and the correctness of his calculations. Years have passed, wars and revolutions have passed, the column still stands, the architect was not mistaken.

December 15, 1889 happened almost mystical story- Foreign Minister Lamsdorf 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, but 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.

There are many tales and legends associated with it)))

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.

There is a legend that at that time, instead of the angel, they seriously planned to erect a monument to Lenin. It would have looked something like this))) Lenin was not appointed because they could not decide in which direction to extend their hand to Ilyich...

The column is beautiful both in winter and summer. And it fits perfectly into Palace Square.

There's another one interesting legend. This happened on April 12, 1961, after a solemn TASS message about the launch of the first manned spacecraft was heard on the radio. There is general rejoicing on the streets, real euphoria on a national scale!

The very next day after the flight, a laconic inscription appeared at the feet of the angel crowning the Alexandria Pillar: “Yuri Gagarin! Hurray!”

Which vandal was able to express his admiration for the first cosmonaut in this way and how he managed to climb to such a dizzying height will remain a mystery.

In the evening and at night the column is no less beautiful.

(Wikigida DB)

Alexander Column(Also Alexandria pillar, based on the poem by A. S. Pushkin “Monument”) - a monument in the Empire style, located in the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg. Erected in 1834 by the architect Auguste Montferrand by decree of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon. It is administered by the State Hermitage Museum.

History of creation

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

An open competition for the creation of the monument was officially announced on behalf of Emperor Nicholas I in 1829 with the wording in memory of “ unforgettable brother". Auguste Montferrand responded to this competition with a project to erect a grandiose granite obelisk. Taking into account the size of the square, Montferrand did not consider options for a sculptural monument, realizing that, not having colossal dimensions, it would simply get lost in its ensemble.

A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library; it has no date; according to Nikitin, the project dates back to the first half of 1829. Montferrand proposed installing a granite obelisk, similar to the ancient Egyptian obelisks, on a granite base. The total height of the monument was 33.78 meters. The front side 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 placed bas-reliefs (the author of which was the same Tolstoy) depicting Alexander in the form of a Roman warrior 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. Artistic part project was excellently executed using watercolor technique and testifies to Montferrand’s high skill in various directions visual arts. The project itself was also done “with great skill.”

Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the limits of subordination, dedicating his essay “ Plans et details du monument consacré à la mémoire 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 Paris in honor of Napoleon's victories). Montferrand used the columns of Trajan and Antoninus in Rome, Pompey's in Alexandria, and also that of Vendôme as sources for his project.

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. Montferrand abandoned the use of additional decorations, such as bas-reliefs, spiraling around the core of the ancient Trajan's Column, since, according to him, contemporary artists could not compete with the ancient masters, and settled on a version of the column with a smooth core made of a giant polished monolith of pink granite height 25.6 meters (12 fathoms). The bottom diameter of the column is 3.66 m (12 ft) and the top diameter is 3.19 m (10 ft 6 in). He copied the pedestal and base almost unchanged from Trajan's Column.

Together with the pedestal and the crowning sculpture, the height of the monument was 47.5 m - higher than all existing monolithic columns. In a new form, on September 24, 1829, the project without sculptural completion was approved by the emperor. A few days later Montferrand was appointed builder of the column.

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 also responsible for the installation of the column.

Preparatory work

Type of work in the Pyuterlak quarry. Lithograph based on a drawing by O. Montferrand

The work was completed in October 1830.

Construction of the pedestal

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith was erected on it, hewn and taken from the area of ​​Letzarma, which is five miles from Puterlax, which serves as the base of the pedestal. To install the monolith on the foundation, a platform was built onto which it was pumped using rollers along an inclined plane. 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.”

After supports were placed under the monolith, 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 and accurately installed. The ropes, thrown over the blocks, were pulled into nine capstans and raised the stone 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.

Since the work was carried out in winter, I ordered cement and vodka to be mixed and a tenth of soap added. Due to the fact that the stone initially sat incorrectly, it had to be moved several times, which was done with the help of only two capstans and with particular ease, of course, thanks to the soap that I ordered to be mixed into the solution

O. Montferrand

Setting up the upper parts of the pedestal was a much simpler 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. The remaining parts of the pedestal (hewn granite blocks) were installed on the base using mortar and secured with steel brackets.

Column installation

Rising of the Alexander Column

• 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;
• A large number of 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.

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 with the installation of a 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 associated with the story of finding 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) and marked the completion of work on the design of Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, a hundred thousand Russian troops and representatives of the Russian army. It was accompanied by a solemn service at the foot of the column, in which the 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).

It was impossible to look without deep emotional tenderness at the sovereign, humbly kneeling in front of this numerous army, moved by his word to the foot of the colossus he had built. He prayed for his brother, and everything at that moment spoke of the earthly glory of this sovereign brother: the monument bearing his name, and the kneeling Russian army, and the people among whom he lived, complacent, accessible to everyone.<…>How striking was at that moment the contrast between the greatness of life, magnificent, but fleeting, with the greatness of death, gloomy, but unchangeable; and how eloquent was this angel in view of both, who, unrelated to everything that surrounded him, stood between earth and heaven, belonging to the one with his monumental granite, depicting what no longer exists, and to the other with his radiant cross, a symbol of what always and forever

... 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, to the sounds of the Paris March, columns of the Russian army began to march... For two hours this magnificent, unique in world spectacle... 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 a deserted square the majestic colossus was left alone with its sentry

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

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:

ALEXANDER I
GRATEFUL RUSSIA

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

The column trunk is the tallest and heaviest monolith ever installed vertically in the form of a column or obelisk, and one of the greatest (fifth in history and second - after the Thunder Stone - in modern times) monoliths moved by man.

Characteristics

View from the south

• The total height of the structure is 47.5 m
  • height of the angel figure - 4.26 m (2 fathoms)
  • cross height - 6.4 m (3 fathoms)
• height of the top of the column with a cross ~12 m
• trunk height (monolithic part of the column) - 25.6 m (12 fathoms)
  • lower column diameter - 3.66 m (12 ft), upper - 3.15 m (10 ft 6 in)
• the height of the pedestal of a column made of 8 granite blocks laid in three rows is 4.25 m
  • dimensions of the bas-reliefs - 5.24×3.1 m
• height of the plinth made of monolithic granite - 3.9 m
  • horizontal dimensions of the plinth - 6.3×6.3 m
• height of the column to the trunk ~10 m
• Base and pedestal weight - 704 tons
• The weight of the granite column shaft is 612 tons
• Column top weight 37 tons
• Fence dimensions 16.5×16.5×1.5 m

The column trunk stands on a granite base without additional supports only under the influence of gravity.

Pedestal

The pedestal of the column is decorated with four sides bronze bas-reliefs cast at the Ch. Byrd factory in 1833-1834.

A large team of authors worked on the decoration of the pedestal: the sketches were made by O. Montferrand, who showed himself here to be an excellent draftsman. His designs for bas-reliefs and bronze decorations are distinguished by “clarity, confidence of lines and careful drawing of details.”

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 Old Russian chain mail, cones and shields kept 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 entirely doubtful the shield Oleg of the 10th century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.

Based on Montferrand's drawings, artists J. B. Scotti, V. Solovyov, Tverskoy, F. Brullo, Markov made cardboards for bas-reliefs in life size. 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.

These 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 antiquity, A. N. Olenin. However, the style of depicting military fittings most likely dates back to the Renaissance.

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 shown exact copy samples of armor from the armory.

The 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 cornice of the pedestal. 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

...does not belong to modern Europe and cannot hurt the pride of any people.

Column and angel sculpture

Sculpture of an angel on a cylindrical pedestal

The stone column is a solid polished element made of pink granite. The column trunk has a conical shape with entasis (thickening of the trunk to eliminate the optical concavity of the trunk) from bottom to top.

The top of the column is crowned by a bronze capital of the Doric order. Its base - 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.

The column itself is higher than that of Vendôme, and the figure of the angel exceeds in height the figure of Napoleon I on the latter. An 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 sculptor gave the angel’s facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. According to other sources, the figure of the angel is a sculptural portrait of the St. Petersburg poetess Elisaveta Kulman.

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.

Montferrand carried over the pedestal and base of Trajan's Column, as well as the 12-foot (3.66 m) lower diameter of the core, into his design unchanged. The height of the shaft of Alexander's Column was taken to be 3 feet less than Trajan's Column: 84 feet (25.58 m), and the top diameter was 10 feet 6 inches (3.19 m). The height of the column, as in the Roman Doric order, was eight of its upper diameters. The architect designed own system thinning of the column core - an important element affecting the overall perception of the monument. Contrary to the classical thinning system, Montferrand began it not from a height equal to one third of the rod, but immediately from the base, drawing a thinning curve using divisions of tangent lines drawn to segments of the arc of the base section. In addition, he used a larger number of divisions than usual: twelve. As Nikitin notes, the thinning system of the Alexander Column is an undoubted success of Montferrand.

Fence and surroundings of the monument

19th century color photolithograph, view from the east, showing a guard's box, fence and lantern candelabra

The Alexander Column was surrounded by a decorative bronze fence about 1.5 meters high, designed by Auguste Montferrand. The fence was decorated with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 captured cannons (4 in the corners and 2 framed by double 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. In accordance with the author's plan, there were locks on the gates of the fence.

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 booth, in which there was a disabled person on duty, dressed in a full guards uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order in the square.

An end pavement was laid throughout the entire space of Palace Square.

Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column

Legends

Regarding this column, one can recall the proposal made to Emperor Nicholas by the skillful French architect Montferrand, who was present at its cutting, transportation and installation, namely: he suggested that the emperor drill a spiral staircase inside this column and demanded for this only two workers: a man and a boy with a hammer, a chisel and a basket in which the boy would carry out fragments of granite as he drilled it out; finally, two lanterns to illuminate the workers in their difficult work. In 10 years, he argued, the worker and the boy (the latter, of course, would grow up a little) would have finished their spiral staircase; but the emperor, justifiably proud of the construction of this one-of-a-kind monument, feared, and perhaps with good reason, that this drilling would not pierce the outer sides of the column, and therefore refused this proposal.

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 appearance 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 42 years after its 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-painted canvas cap or camouflaged with balloons lowered from a hovering airship. In the 1930s, the fence was dismantled and melted down into cartridge cases.

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

Metal scaffolding around the column during the restoration period

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 abacus 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: to remove water from the cavities of the pommel, to prevent the accumulation of water in the future, and to restore the structure of the abacus support. The work was carried out mainly in winter time 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

... “jewelry work” was carried out and when recreating the fence “iconographic materials and old photographs were used.” “Palace Square has received the finishing touch.”

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, the 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 Central Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg 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,
  • partial loss of 31 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 have 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

Cover of the album “Love” by the rock band DDT

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 famous poem by A. S. Pushkin “”. 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 following couplet to Pushkin:

On Palace Square in St. Petersburg stands a unique monument - a column topped with a sculptural image of an angel with a cross, and at the base framed with relief allegories of victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

Dedicated to the military genius of Alexander I, the monument is called the Alexander Column, and with the light hand of Pushkin it is called the “Alexandria Pillar”.

The construction of the monument took place in the late 20s - early 30s of the 19th century. The process was documented, and therefore there should be no secrets in the appearance of the Alexander Column. But if there are no secrets, you really want to invent them, don’t you?

What is the Alexander Column made of?

The alternative opinion is even more radical. The Alexander Column is not monolithic at all! It is made up of separate blocks, stacked on top of each other like children's blocks, and the outside is lined with plaster with big amount granite chips.

There are even fantastic versions that can compete with the notes from Ward No. 6. However, in reality the situation is not so complicated, and most importantly, the entire process of manufacturing, transportation and installation of the Alexander Column is documented. The history of the emergence of the main monument of Palace Square is described almost minute by minute.

Choosing a stone for the Alexander Column

Monoliths of this kind are very rare and even more valuable. So there is nothing surprising in the thriftiness of the architect, who noticed but did not put into use a huge granite slab.

Soon the emperor had the idea of ​​a monument to Alexander I, and Montferrand drew a sketch of the column, keeping in mind the availability of suitable material. The project was approved. The extraction and delivery of stone for the Alexander Column was entrusted to the same contractor who provided the material for the construction of Isaac.

Skillful mining of granite in a quarry

First of all, the workers cleared the granite monolith of soft soil and any mineral debris, and Montferrand carefully examined the surface of the stone for cracks and defects. No flaws were found.

Using hammers and forged chisels, workers roughly leveled the top of the mass and made slotted recesses for attaching the rigging, after which it was time to separate the fragment from the natural monolith.

A horizontal ledge was carved along the lower edge of the blank for the column along the entire length of the stone. On the upper plane, stepping back a sufficient distance from the edge, a furrow a foot deep and half a foot wide was cut along the workpiece. In the same furrow, holes were drilled by hand, using forged bolts and heavy hammers, at a distance of a foot from each other.

Steel wedges were placed in the finished wells. In order for the wedges to work synchronously and create an even crack in the granite monolith, a special spacer was used - an iron bar laid in a furrow and leveling the wedges into an even palisade.

At the command of the elder, the hammermen, placed one person at a time in two or three wedges, got to work. The crack ran exactly along the line of the wells!

Using levers and capstans (winches with a vertical shaft), the stone was tipped onto an inclined bed of logs and spruce branches.

The granite monolith for the column pedestal was also mined using the same method. But if the blank for the column initially weighed about 1000 tons, the stone for the pedestal was cut off two and a half times smaller - “only” 400 tons in weight.

The quarry work lasted two years.

Transportation of blanks for the Alexander Column

The unloading was carried out using the synchronized operation of ten dragging winches and took only two hours.

Transportation of larger pieces was postponed until the summer next year. Meanwhile, a team of stonemasons chipped off excess granite from it, giving the workpiece a rounded column shape.

To transport the column, a ship with a carrying capacity of up to 1,100 tons was built. The workpiece was sheathed with board in several layers. On the shore, for ease of loading, a pier was built from log cabins ballasted with wild stones. The pier flooring area was 864 square meters.

A log and stone pier was built in the sea in front of the pier. The road to the pier was widened and cleared of vegetation and stone outcrops. Particularly strong remains had to be blown up. From many logs they made a kind of pavement for the smooth rolling of the workpiece.

Moving the prepared stone to the pier took two weeks and required the efforts of more than 400 workers.

Loading the workpiece onto the ship was not without troubles. The logs, laid out in a row with one end on the pier and the other on board the ship, could not withstand the load and broke. The stone, however, did not sink to the bottom: the ship, propped between the pier and the pier, prevented it from sinking.

The contractor had enough people and lifting equipment to correct the situation. However, to be sure, the authorities called soldiers from a nearby military unit. The help of several hundred hands came in handy: in two days the monolith was lifted on board, strengthened and sent to St. Petersburg.

No one was injured during the incident.

Preparatory work

Further movement of the column was carried out along inclined floorings with the final goal in the form of a high wooden platform with a special cart on top. The trolley, moved on supporting rollers, was intended for longitudinal movement of the workpiece.

The stone cut for the pedestal of the monument was delivered to the installation site of the column in the fall, covered with a canopy and given to the disposal of forty stonemasons. Having trimmed the monolith from above and from all four sides, the workers turned the stone over onto a sand pile in order to prevent the block from splitting.

After processing all six planes of the pedestal, the granite block was placed on the foundation. The foundation for the pedestal rested on 1,250 piles driven into the bottom of the pit to an eleven-meter depth, sawn to level and embedded in the masonry. A cement mortar with soap and alcohol was laid on top of the four-meter masonry that filled the pit. The flexibility of the mortar pad made it possible to position the pedestal monolith with high precision.

Over the course of several months, the stonework and cement pad of the pedestal set and gained the required strength. By the time the column was delivered to Palace Square, the pedestal was ready.

Column installation

The design strength of the rigging and auxiliary structures was threefold. The workers and soldiers involved in raising the column acted with great enthusiasm, notes Montferrand. Proper placement of people, impeccable management and ingenious scaffolding design made it possible to lift, level and install the column in less than an hour. It took another two days to straighten the verticality of the monument.

Finishing the surface, as well as installing the architectural details of the capital and the angel sculpture took another two years.

It is worth noting that there are no fastening elements between the base of the column and the pedestal. The monument rests solely due to its gigantic size and the absence of any noticeable earthquakes in St. Petersburg.

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