Alexander Column (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
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I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,
The folk trail will not grow to it,
He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious
Pillar of Alexandria.
A. S. Pushkin
One of the most famous monuments of St. 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 the Alexandrian Pillar, although, in fact, it is a poetic refinement, and the monument has been called the Alexander Column for almost 200 years.
The Alexandrian column was erected on the Palace Square during the reign of Nicholas I in 1834 by the architect Auguste Montferrand.
And the monument, 47.5 m high, was supposed to remind of the victory of Russia over France in 1812. An idea arose to erect a monument in the center of Palace Square near Karl Rossi, and as a result of an open competition, exactly the project that we now have the pleasure to see 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 hand, with the Faros (Alexandria) lighthouse, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, embodying the ultimate level of human achievement. The Alexander 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 is the work of B. Orlovsky - an angel, whose face the sculptor gave the features of Alexander I. The angel trampling a snake on top of the column symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe by 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 an angel is made of polished pink granite. In order to deliver the column to St. Petersburg, a special ship was needed, which was towed by two steamers. Under the base of the pedestal of the Alexander Column, 1250 piles of 6 meters in length each were driven. The column was installed with the help of scaffolding and capstans specially designed in St. Petersburg.
It is curious that the installation took only 1 hour and 45 minutes, and 2000 soldiers and 400 workers took part in it, raising the column to the pedestal.
The column itself weighs 600 tons. It is not dug into the ground and is not fixed on the foundation, but is held solely by accurate calculation and 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 of the entire people, the victory over what was impossible for others to win.
How to get there
The Alexander Column rises in the center of the 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 Admiralteisky avenues, a view of Palace Square with the Alexander Column in the center opens up. Here is what you were looking for.
The Alexander Column is one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg. It is often erroneously called the Pillar of Alexandria, after Pushkin's poem "Monument". Erected in 1834 by order of Emperor Nicholas I in honor of the victory of his elder brother, Emperor Alexander I over Napoleon. Style - Empire. Installed in the center of Palace Square, in front of the Winter Palace. The architect was Auguste Montferrand.
The monument is made of solid red granite. Its total height is 47.5 m. The top of the column is decorated with the figure of an angel of peace, cast in bronze. It stands on a hemisphere, also made of bronze. In the left hand of the angel is a cross with which he tramples the snake, he stretches his right hand to the sky. In the face of an angel, the features of Emperor Alexander I slip through. The height of the angel is 4.2 m, the height of the cross is 6.3 m. The column is mounted on a granite pedestal. It is noteworthy that it stands without additional supports, only under the action of own strength gravity. The pedestal is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs. On the side that faces the palace, there is an inscription: "Alexander I. Grateful Poccia."
Under these words, one can see ancient Russian weapons and figures symbolizing Peace and Victory, Mercy and Justice, Abundance and Wisdom. On the sides there are 2 allegorical figures: Vistula - in the form of a young girl and Neman - in the form of an old Aquarius. At the corners of the pedestal there are double-headed eagles, with laurel branches clamped in their claws. In the middle, in an oak wreath, the All-Seeing Eye is depicted.
The stone for the column was taken from the Piterlak quarry in Finland. This is one of the world's largest granite monoliths. Weight - more than 600 tons.
The work was fraught with enormous difficulties. First of all, it was necessary to very carefully separate a solid granite piece of the required size from the rock. Then, right there on the spot, this mass was trimmed, giving it the shape of a column. Transportation was carried out by water on a specially built vessel.
At the same time, in St. Petersburg, on Palace Square, the foundation was being created. 1250 pine piles were driven to a depth of 36 m, and on them, to equalize the area, hewn blocks of granite were laid. Then the largest block was placed as the basis for the pedestal. This task was carried out at the cost of enormous effort and a large number of mechanical devices. When the foundation was laid, there was a strong frost, and for a better setting in cement mortar added vodka. In the middle of the foundation was placed a bronze box with coins that were minted in honor of the victory of 1812.
It seems that the column represents the exact center of the Palace Square. However, this is not the case: it is installed 140 meters from the arch of the General Staff Building and 100 meters from the Winter Palace. It was extremely difficult to set up the column itself. Scaffolding up to 22 sazhens high was built on 2 sides of the pedestal. On an inclined plane, the column was rolled onto a special platform and wrapped with rope rings, to which blocks were attached. Appropriate blocks were also installed at the top of the scaffolding.
On August 30, 1832, the column was raised. Emperor Nicholas I and his family arrived at Palace Square. Many people came to watch this action. The people crowded into the square, at the windows and on the roof of the General Staff Building. 2000 soldiers grabbed the ropes. Slowly, the column rose and hung in the air, after which the ropes were given away, and the granite block quietly and accurately sank onto the pedestal. A loud “Hurray!” swept across the square, and the sovereign, inspired by success, said to the architect: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”
After 2 years, the last decoration of the column was completed, and in the presence of the emperor and the 100,000th army, a consecration ceremony was performed. The Alexander Column is the tallest monument in the world, created from a single piece of granite and is III in height after the Grand Army Column in Boulogne-sur-Mer and London's Trafalgar Column. It is higher than similar monuments in the world: the Parisian Vendome column, the Roman column of Trajan and Pompey's column in Alexandria.
N. EFREMOV, State Museum of Urban Sculpture, St. Petersburg
The Alexander Column (1829-1834) is the world's largest granite monolith standing under its own weight.
Rise of the Alexander Column. Lithograph from 1836.
Science and life // Illustrations
The top of the Alexander Column is examined by a climber.
The back of an angel - striking thoroughness of coinage.
The Alexander Column is surrounded by metal scaffolding. Restoration in progress. Photo 2002.
On the Palace Square in St. Petersburg appeared scaffolding. The Alexander Column is being restored. It was created in 1834 according to the design of the French sculptor Auguste Ricard Montferrand as a monument to Emperor Alexander I (on one of the faces of the pedestal there is an inscription: "To Alexander I - Grateful Russia"). Due to its artistic expressiveness, the column immediately began to be perceived as one of the most solemn triumphal structures to the glory of the victories of the Russian army, to the glory of the victories of the "eternal memory of 1812".
The French architect Auguste Ricard Montferrand (1786-1858) managed to attract the attention of Alexander I, presenting him with his own hand-made "Album of various architectural projects, dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia Alexander I". This happened immediately after the entry of Russian troops into Paris in April 1814. Among the drawings were projects of an equestrian statue, a colossal obelisk, the Triumphal Arch "To the Brave Russian Army" and "Columns in honor of universal peace", having a certain similarity with the future project of the Alexander column.In addition to the drawings themselves, a short list of necessary building materials and indicated the costs. Thus, Montferrand managed to show himself not only as an excellent draftsman, connoisseur and admirer of classical art, but also as a technically competent specialist. The architect received a kind, albeit official, invitation to come to St. Petersburg and was not afraid to take advantage of it. In 1816, he arrived in the northern capital, where he worked for more than 40 years, until his death.
Montferrand received the position of court architect and began work on the restructuring of St. Isaac's Cathedral. He was already quite famous by the time he decided to take part in the competition for the design of the monument to Alexander I. The competition was announced in 1829 by Emperor Nicholas I in memory of his "unforgettable brother". Montferrand presented a project for a colossal obelisk, quite rightly believing that any sculptural monument would be lost in the expanses of Palace Square. The emperor ordered the obelisk to be replaced by a column. And the architect proposes, taking as a basis a beautiful antique sample - Trajan's column in Rome, to create a work that surpasses this masterpiece.
The project is approved, and unparalleled painstaking and exhausting work begins. For the column, Montferrand decided to use a monolith he discovered in granite quarries near Vyborg, in Pyuterlaks, where stone was mined for the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Manually, for two years, a granite block was separated from the rock. To deliver the stone to St. Petersburg, a special boat "St. Nikolai" was built, and on it the rough-hewn column was delivered first to Kronstadt, and then to St. Petersburg, to the Palace Quay. The most difficult stage was ahead - the installation of the column on the pedestal, built earlier. They made scaffolding, as well as many blocks, winches and ropes, with which they were going to raise the monolith.
On August 30, 1832, on Palace Square, with a huge crowd of people, the column was installed on a pedestal. The whole operation lasted 100 minutes. The emperor, congratulating the architect, said: "Montferrand, you immortalized yourself." But the granite still had to be finished, numerous decorative and symbolic details, bas-reliefs and sculptural completion had to be cast from bronze.
Regarding the latter, there were various proposals. The project of the sculptor B. I. Orlovsky was approved: "The figure of an Angel with a cross, which tramples on enmity and malice (a snake) at the foot, depicts a striking thought - with this you will win." (The model also took into account the urgent desire of the imperial house "to give the angel a portrait resemblance to the face of Alexander I".) The sculptural top, bas-reliefs depicting military armor, weapons and allegorical figures, and other decorative details were cast in bronze at the Ch. Byrd factory.
And again on August 30, but already in 1834, the grand opening of the monument took place. Since the time of Peter I, August 30 (September 12, according to a new style) has been celebrated as the day of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, the heavenly defender of St. Petersburg. On this day, Peter I concluded "eternal peace with Sweden", on this day the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg. That is why the angel crowning the Alexander Column has always been perceived, first of all, as a protector and as a guardian.
The angel protected and blessed. Together with him, the city experienced all historical collisions: revolutions, wars, environmental hardships. In the post-revolutionary period, it was covered with a canvas cap painted red, masked with balloons descended from a hovering airship. A project was being prepared to install a huge statue of V. I. Lenin instead of an angel. But providence was pleased that the angel was preserved. During the years of the Great Patriotic War the monument was covered only by 2/3 of the height and the angel was injured: on one of the wings there was a shrapnel trace.
The safety of the sculpture was largely ensured by the reliability of the author's constructive solution. The figure of an angel with a cross and a snake is cast together with a platform, which in shape is the completion of the dome. The dome, in turn, is crowned by a cylinder mounted on a rectangular platform - an abacus. Inside the bronze cylinder is enclosed the main supporting mass, consisting of multi-layer masonry: granite, brick and two layers of granite at the base. A metal rod runs through the entire array, which, as was supposed, is the support for the sculpture. The most important condition reliability of fastening the sculpture - the tightness of the casting and the absence of moisture inside the support cylinder.
The monument was constantly monitored, additional inspections and calculations of the stability margin were made. Unfortunately, harmful vibration loads increase over the years. The last time a complete restoration of the monument using scaffolding was carried out in 1963. Since the late 1980s, the curators of the State Museum of Urban Sculpture have had cause for concern: whitish streams flowed from under the bronze capital of the column and tongues of moisture did not dry out even on the hottest days of summer. There could be only one reason: the ingress of water into the sculptural top and then into its base. Water, seeping through the brickwork, washes out the binder solution, and, in addition, in a humid environment, the process of corrosion of the support rod is actively going on.
In 1991, for the first time in the history of the St. Petersburg restoration school, a visual examination of the sculpture crowning the Alexander Column was carried out. Verkholazov lifted the lift of a special fire hydrant "Magirus Deutsch" to the angel. Having secured with ropes, the climbers made photo and video recording of the sculpture. A significant number of cracks, leaks, degeneration of sealing materials were found. But it took another 10 years of worries and relentless search for funding to, having installed reliable stationary scaffolding, begin a professional and versatile survey of the monument.
In the summer of 2001, curators and restorers, having overcome a little more than 150 steps metal stairs, went on a first date with an angel. When you see it up close, you are shocked: it is huge and elegant at the same time. Extremely expressive and concise. The virtuosic thoroughness of chasing, the plastic elaboration of every detail is striking: curly hair, parted and falling on the shoulders, frame a beautiful face, eyes half-covered by eyelids, gaze directed downwards. He is so focused that it is impossible not to feel - the angel looks inside himself. It is useless and there is no need to look for any portrait resemblance. An angel looks just like himself! An extremely expressive gesture right hand raised in a blessing gesture to the sky. The running of bare feet, visible from under fluttering clothes, is light and swift. Huge wings are airy, each feather is minted. In the open mouth of the defeated snake, teeth and a poisonous sting are visible.
Upon inspection, we saw, in addition to cracks, the divergence of the connecting seams, which were once held together with lead. Lead is completely destructured. Manholes were preserved on the head and shoulder of the angel, intended for the removal of molding earth and reinforcement. A flange (flat ring) is placed in the hem of the clothes on bolts, partially lost. The flange was removed and with the help of a special device - a fiber-optic endoscope - they examined the sculpture from the inside. It turned out that both the sculpture and the cross do not have a support rod. The rod passing through the inner masonry of the cylinder, with its upper end rests against the "sole" of the angel, that is, against the spherical completion of the cylinder. The wings of the sculpture, cast in three parts, are bolted together and attached to the back. On the head of an angel revealed through hole size 70 x 22 mm.
The conclusion was disappointing: moisture gets inside the sculpture, which seeps into the cylinder and into the abacus. The cylinder is deformed, the walls "bulge out", the connecting bolts are lost. Having unscrewed 54 copper screws, the restorers partially opened the bronze lining of the abacus. Internal brickwork turned out to be destroyed. There is no bonding solution between the bricks, and all this is extremely saturated with moisture. During the survey, samples were taken and relevant studies of bronze contamination, patina quality were carried out. On the whole, the condition of the bronze surface is satisfactory, the lesion with the "bronze disease" is fragmentary.
An important role in the stable state of the pommel is played by the design of the abacus. The fastening system included "ribs" made of bricks. The opening of the sheets of bronze plating of the abacus revealed a completely depressing, emergency condition of the internal supports: the complete absence of a binder, the brick was destroyed (collected by restorers on a scoop with a brush). The new supports are made of granite, and now the fear that the 16-ton abacus might fall or warp has been completely eliminated.
The attention of curators and restorers is focused not only on eliminating cracks and protecting the bronze surface, but, first of all, on drying the inner masonry. It should be strengthened with the latest mortars, and additional bolts and screws should be installed.
More than 110 traces of shell fragments were found on the reliefs of the pedestal of the monument. Broken by fragments and "armor" of Alexander Nevsky.
Due to the interaction of various metals - bronze and cast iron, there is an active process of corrosion, destruction of bronze. The restorers will have to work hard to "heal the wounds of the war."
Currently, ultrasonic examinations of the column are being carried out, which make it possible to detect visible and invisible cracks on the surface and in the thickness of the granite. At the same time, the serious problem of restoring granite in the base is being solved. Under the influence of the gravity of the column, the granite here is covered with cracks. This is what Montferrand was afraid of when he proposed enclosing the bottom of the column in a bronze rim, but the proposal was not implemented at that time.
The methodology for carrying out such large-scale and unparalleled restoration and conservation operations was developed by the specialists of LLC "Intarsia" conducting the work. The restoration is financed by the Moscow association Hazer International Rus.
By the spring of 2003, the Alexander Column will be strengthened. The four floor lamps located nearby will also acquire their original appearance. The restorers intend to recreate the fence designed by Montferrand in 1836. And then the monument, conceived and embodied as a single artistic and architectural ensemble, will regain the solemn splendor of a triumphal monument - a genuine St. Petersburg miracle. Alexandria pillar The official, historical name of the monument to Alexander I on Palace Square in St. Petersburg is the Alexander Column. However, often, referring to the famous poem by A. S. Pushkin, the Alexander Column is called the "Alexandrian Pillar":
I erected a monument to myself
miraculous,
Will not grow to him
folk trail,
He ascended higher
defiant
Alexandria
pillar.
On the subject, this poem by A. S. Pushkin echoes the ode of the ancient Roman poet Horace (65-8 BC) "To Melpomene." The epigraph to Pushkin's poem: Exegi monumentum (lat.) - I erected a monument - taken from Horace's ode.
Among the seven wonders of the world, the colossal lighthouse tower, erected in Alexandria at the end of the 3rd century BC, is known. BC e. and having a height of 180 meters. (In architecture, a pillar is a tower, a tower-like structure.) Pushkin, an excellent connoisseur of mythology, certainly knew about the monuments of antiquity. It should be noted that the poem was written in 1836, when the Alexander Column had been towering over Palace Square for two years. And this monument could not leave the poet indifferent. Pushkin's metaphor is ambiguous, it contains ancient monuments and at the same time is a response to the monument to Alexander I.
A unique monument rises on Palace Square in St. Petersburg - a column crowned with a sculptural image of an angel with a cross, and at the base framed by 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 light hand Pushkin is called the "Pillar of Alexandria".
The erection of the monument took place in the late 20s - early 30s of the nineteenth 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 network is full of assurances about the discovered layering in the material from which the Alexander Column is made. Say, the masters of the past, not knowing how to mechanically process solid, learned to synthesize granite-like concrete - from which the monument was cast.The alternative view 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 cubes, and on the outside it is lined with plaster with a large amount of granite chips.
There are completely fantastic versions that can compete with the notes from ward number 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 appearance of the main monument of the Palace Square is painted almost by the minute.
The choice of stone for the Alexander Column
Auguste Montferrand or, as he called himself in the Russian manner, August Montferand, before receiving an order for a monument in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, built St. Isaac's Cathedral. During the harvesting work in a granite quarry on the territory of modern Finland, Montferrand discovered a monolith measuring 35 x 7 meters.Monoliths of this kind are very rare and even more valuable. So there is nothing surprising in the frugality of the architect, who noticed, but did not put into action a huge granite slab.
Soon the emperor had the idea of a monument to Alexander I, and Montferrand drew a sketch of the column, mindful of the availability of suitable material. The project has been 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
For the manufacture and erection of the prepared place of the column, two monoliths were required - one for the core of the structure, the other for the pedestal. The stone for the column was carved first.First of all, the workers cleaned the granite monolith from 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, the workers roughly leveled the top of the massif and made slotted recesses for attaching the rigging, after which it was time to separate the fragment from the natural monolith.
Along the lower edge of the blank for the column, a horizontal ledge was carved for the entire length of the stone. On the upper plane, having retreated a sufficient distance from the edge, a furrow was cut along the workpiece a foot deep and half a foot wide. In the same furrow, wells were drilled by hand, with the help of forged bolts and heavy hammers, at a distance of a foot from one another.
Steel wedges were placed in the finished wells. In order for the wedges to work synchronously and give an even crack in the granite monolith, a special spacer was used - an iron beam laid in a furrow and leveling the wedges into an even palisade.
At the command of the senior hammerers, placed one by one into two or three wedges, they set to work. The crack went exactly along the line of the wells!
With the help of levers and capstans (winches with vertical arrangement shaft) the stone was knocked over on an obliquely laid out bed of logs and spruce branches.
The granite monolith for the pedestal of the column was also mined in the same way. But if the blank for the column initially weighed about 1000 tons, the stone for the pedestal was chipped off two and a half times less - “only” 400 tons in weight.
Career work lasted two years.
Transportation of blanks for the Alexander Column
The “light” stone for the pedestal was delivered to St. Petersburg first, in the company of several granite boulders. The total weight of the cargo was 670 tons. The loaded wooden barge was placed between two ships and safely towed to the capital. The ships arrived in the first days of November 1831.Unloading was carried out using the synchronous operation of ten dragging winches and took only two hours.
Transportation of the larger workpiece was postponed until next summer. A team of masons, meanwhile, chipped off excess granite from it, giving the workpiece a rounded column shape.
A ship with a carrying capacity of up to 1100 tons was built to transport the column. The workpiece was sheathed with a board in several layers. On the shore, for the convenience of loading, a pier was built from log cabins, ballasted with wild stone. The area of the pier flooring was 864 square meters.
A log-stone pier was built in the sea in front of the pier. The road to the pier was widened, cleared of vegetation and stone outcrops. Particularly strong remains had to be blown up. Of the many logs, they arranged a semblance of a pavement for unhindered rolling of the workpiece.
The movement of the prepared stone to the pier took two weeks and required the efforts of more than 400 tons of workers.
Loading the workpiece onto the ship was not without trouble. The logs, laid out in a row with one end on the pier, the other - on board the ship, could not withstand the load and broke. The stone, however, did not sink to the bottom: the ship, spread between the pier and the pier, did not allow it to drown.
The contractor had enough people and lifting equipment to rectify the situation. However, the authorities, for fidelity, called in soldiers from a nearby military unit. The help of several hundred hands turned out to be handy: in two days the monolith was lifted on board, strengthened and sent to St. Petersburg.
No one was hurt during the incident.
Preparatory work
To avoid accidents when unloading the column, Montferrand rebuilt the St. Petersburg berth so that the side of the vessel adjoined it without gaps along its entire height. The measure turned out to be successful: the transfer of cargo from the barge to the shore went flawlessly.Further movement of the column was carried out along inclined floorings with the ultimate goal in the form of a high wooden platform with a special trolley at the top. The trolley, moved on backing rollers, was intended for the longitudinal movement of the workpiece.
The stone cut for the pedestal of the monument was delivered to the site of the column in autumn, covered with a canopy and placed at the disposal of forty masons. 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 hoisted onto foundation. The foundation for the pedestal rested on 1250 piles driven into the bottom of the pit to a depth of eleven meters, sawn to the level and embedded in the masonry. On top of the four-meter masonry that filled the pit, they laid out a cement mortar with soap and alcohol. The compliance of the mortar pad made it possible to set the pedestal monolith with high accuracy.
For several months masonry and the cement cushion of the pedestal seized and gained the required strength. By the time the column was delivered to the Palace Square, the pedestal was ready.
Column installation
Installing a 757 ton column is a challenging engineering challenge even today. However, the engineers of two hundred years ago coped with the solution of the problem "perfectly well."The design strength of the rigging and auxiliary structures was three times. The workers and soldiers involved in raising the column acted with great enthusiasm, Montferrand notes. Competent placement of people, impeccable organization of management and ingenious scaffolding design made it possible to raise, align and install the column in less than an hour. It took another two days to straighten the verticality of the monument.
Finishing surfaces, as well as the installation of architectural details of the capitals and sculptures of angels, took another two years.
It should be noted that there are no fastening elements between the sole 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.
Links to additional information
Drawings and other documents on the construction of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg:And the Alexander Column has been decorating Palace Square since 1834: Nicholas I ordered to build it 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 Schukin. Portrait of Alexander I. Early 1800s. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
Eugene Plushar. Portrait of Auguste Montferrand. 1834.
Franz Krueger. 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 project of the Alexander Column was subsequently implemented - first proposed to install a granite obelisk 25 meters high on the square. At the same time, Montferrand developed several projects for the monument's pedestal at once. On one of the sketches, he proposed to decorate 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 which a double-headed eagle flies, and behind - the goddess of victory. In another sketch, he depicted the figures of elephants supporting the obelisk.
"Trajan's column appeared before me"
Alexander Column, figure of an angel
Alexander Column, pedestal
However, not a single project of the obelisk was accepted. Montferrand was asked to create something like the Vendôme Column in Paris or Trajan's Column in Rome. As the architect wrote: “The column of Trajan appeared before me as a prototype of the most beautiful thing that a person of this kind is only capable of creating. I had to try to get as close as possible to this majestic example of antiquity, as was done in Rome for the Antonin column, in Paris for the Napoleon column..
The Montferrand column also had several design options: in addition to a sketch with the figure of an angel, the architect proposed to crown the obelisk with a cross entwined with a snake, or to install 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
Pyuterlachsky quarry, separation of a stone block from a rock. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
Overturning the array for the bar of the column in the quarry. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the 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 out of one rock - the largest of them weighed more than 400 tons. They were hewn out for 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 "Saint Nicholas"
Loading the column on the ship. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
Delivery of blocks for the pedestal of the Alexander Column. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
Movement of the block for the pedestal of the Alexander Column from the embankment. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
Transportation of blanks for the obelisk from Finland to St. Petersburg was not an easy task. To transport the column by water, a special boat "Saint Nicholas" was built with a carrying capacity of more than 1000 tons. 600 soldiers loaded the column onto its side, while they almost dropped the monolith into the water. To St. Petersburg, "Saint Nicholas" with a column was towed by two steamers.
Pine piles, cement with soap and a box of coins
Installation of the pedestal on the foundation. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
Raising the column to the overpass. Lithograph from a book by Auguste Montferrand. "Plans and details of the monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander", 1836
When laying the foundation for the installation of the column, the workers discovered piles: half a century before, they planned to erect a monument to Peter I Bartolomeo Rastrelli here.
When installing the column, the innovative engineering developments of Augustine Betancourt were used, which by that time had already been tested during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral by Auguste Montferrand. Here the foundation was laid according to the same technology as in Isaac: 1250 pine piles were driven into the bottom of the pit, stone granite blocks were laid 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 mortar - 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 mounted in the center of the foundation.
"Montferrand, you immortalized yourself!"
Alexander Denisov. Rise of the Alexander Column. 1832
L.P.-A. Bichebois, A.J.-B. Baio. Rise of the Alexander Column. 1834
Grigory Gagarin. Alexandrian column in the woods. 1832
The most difficult task facing the builders was the installation of the 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 goods - and a system of blocks. First, the column was rolled up an inclined plane onto a special platform and fixed on it. Then they began to lift the ropes placed at the 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 immortalized yourself!” After the column was installed, it was ground, polished and decorated - it took two years.
Sculpture 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 the sculptor Boris Orlovsky. The angel holds a cross in his left hand, and raises it to heaven with his right hand. According to Montferrand's plan, the figure of the angel was supposed to be gilded, but due to the haste with the discovery, this decision was abandoned. On the pedestal of the column there are images of the all-seeing eye, under which there are two-headed eagles holding laurel garlands in their paws. Two winged female figures are holding a sign with the text "Grateful Russia to Alexander I", next to it are the symbols of the Vistula and Neman rivers. Other bas-reliefs depict allegories of Victory and Peace, Justice and Mercy and Wisdom and Abundance. The drawings for the design of the pedestal were made by Montferrand himself, according to which the artists made life-size sketches, and the sculptors created molds for casting.
Tallest solid granite monument
Alexander Column. Photo: petersburg.center
The solemn 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 destiny, you erected a monument to yourself". For the holiday, special stands were erected on Palace Square: they housed the imperial family and other eminent guests.
“And no pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, along three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if born from the earth, in slender bulks, with drum thunder, to the sounds of the Paris March, the columns of the Russian army began ... The ceremonial march began: Russian the army passed by the Alexander column; this magnificent, the only spectacle in the world lasted for two hours ... In the evening, noisy crowds roamed the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally, the lighting went out, the streets were empty, the majestic colossus alone with his sentry remained in the 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 during city holidays was masked with a red cloth or balloons. There was a legend that instead they plan to install a statue of Lenin, but this did not happen. The fence around the monument was melted down for cartridges in the 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War, the Alexander Column was not completely disguised, like many other architectural monuments of Leningrad, but only 2/3 of its height. The angel received shrapnel "wounds". The column and the area around it were restored several times - in the 1960s, 1970s and 2000s.
