Alexandrian column. On Palace Square and in Russian history

The following lines of the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin are known to almost everyone.

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

The folk trail will not grow to it,

He ascended as the head of the rebellious

Pillar of Alexandria".

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

Sights of St. Petersburg: Alexandria Pillar

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

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

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

The height of the Alexandrian pillar is forty-seven and a half meters. To the pride of the Russian masters, it should be noted that the column significantly exceeds all similar structures in the world. The photo below shows the columns of Trajan in Rome, Pompeii in Alexandria and the Vendome column, installed in Paris, in comparison with the monument on the Palace Square. Already this drawing gives an idea of ​​​​this miracle of engineering, which delights all tourists without exception.

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

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

The history of the appearance of the column

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

Nicholas I had great respect for the advice of Rossi, but decided to dispose of the free space of the square in his own way. He announced a competition for the best design of the monument. The fantasy of the authors was not limited by anything, the only nuance was the observance of the thematic focus. Nicholas I set out to perpetuate his ancestor, who managed to defeat the French.

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

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

The first stage of the creation of the monument

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

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

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

Delivery of a monolithic column

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

Another incident occurred at the time of unloading the column. Under it, the logs laid down for movement along the pier caved in and cracked. One end of the column almost fell into the water, but managed to keep it, ropes passed from below in time. In this position, the monument was kept for two days. During this time, a messenger was sent to the neighboring garrison asking for help. About four hundred soldiers in the unthinkable heat were able to overcome the forty-kilometer distance separating them from the pier in four hours and, by common efforts, saved a six hundred-ton column.

A few words about the pedestal

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

While working on the foundation pit, the workers stumbled upon the already installed piles. As it turned out, they were dug into the ground at the behest of Rastrelli, who planned to erect a monument here. Surprisingly, seventy years later, the architect managed to choose the same place. The dug hole was filled with water, but more than a thousand piles were previously driven into it. In order to correctly set them relative to the horizon, the piles were cut exactly along the water surface. Then the workers started laying the foundation, consisting of several granite blocks. A pedestal weighing four hundred tons was erected on it.

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

Column installation

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

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

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

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

Final stage of work

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

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

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

Grand opening of the monument

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

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

Myths, legends and interesting facts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unofficial version of the appearance of the monument

This topic is the most heated debate. Particularly meticulous and attentive archaeologists, historians and architects carefully studied the official version of the construction of the monument and found a huge number of inconsistencies in it. We will not list them all. Which of the readers will be interested, he will be able to find such information. And we will tell only about the most obvious of them.

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

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

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

No wonder the great Pushkin immortalized this monument in his work. After all, all information about it requires careful study, but it is already clear that before scientists in the form of a well-known structure is the biggest of the mysteries of the nineteenth century.

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 was masked with red cloth or balloons during city holidays. 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.

Alexander Column(often called Alexandria pillar, according to the poem by A. S. Pushkin "Monument") - one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg.

It is under the jurisdiction of the Museum of Urban Sculpture.

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

History of creation

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

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

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

On the pedestal it was planned to carry out the inscription "Blessed - grateful Russia." On the pedestal, the architect saw a rider on a horse trampling a snake underfoot; a double-headed eagle flies ahead of the rider, the goddess of victory follows the rider, 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 known monoliths in the world with its height (secretly highlighting the obelisk installed by D. Fontana in front of St. Peter's Cathedral). The artistic part of the project is excellently done in watercolor technique and testifies to the high skill of Montferrand in various areas of fine art.

Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the limits of subordination, dedicating his essay to Nicholas I " Plans et details du monument consacr e a la memoire de l'Empereur Alexandre”, but the idea was nevertheless rejected and Montferrand was unambiguously pointed out 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 the Vendôme column (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Trajan's Column in Rome was suggested to Montferrand as a source of inspiration.

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

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

Construction was carried out from 1829 to 1834. Since 1831, Count Yu. P. Litta was appointed chairman of the "Commission for the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral", which was also responsible for the installation of the column.

Preparatory work

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

After the masons, having examined the rock, confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, much larger than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates in order to move the block from its place and overturn it on a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches.

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

The monolith was duped on the spot and prepared for transportation. Ship engineer Colonel Glasin dealt with transportation issues, who designed and built a special boat, named "Saint Nicholas", with a carrying capacity of up to 65,000 pounds (1,100 tons). To perform loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, coinciding in height with the ship's side.

Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith set off for Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamers, in order to go from there 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, the merchant's son V. A. Yakovlev, was responsible for all of the above work, further work was carried out on the spot under the guidance of O. Montferrand.

Business qualities, extraordinary intelligence and diligence of Yakovlev were noted by Montferrand. He most likely acted on his own. at your own expense» - assuming all financial and other risks associated with the project. This is indirectly confirmed by the words

Works in St. Petersburg

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

First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, as a result of which a suitable sandy continent was found near the center of the area at a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m). In December 1829, the place for the column was approved, and 1250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the foundation. Then the piles were cut to the 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 at the level of the water table, which ensured the horizontality of the site.

This method was proposed by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt, an architect and engineer, organizer of construction and transport in the Russian Empire. Earlier, 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 brought out to the horizon of the square with a plank masonry. In its center was laid a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812.

The work was completed in October 1830.

Building a pedestal

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

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

1. Installing the monolith on the foundation

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

“At the same time, the earth trembled so much that the eyewitnesses - passers-by who were on the square at that moment, felt, as it were, an underground shock.”

• Supports were brought up, then the workers shoveled the sand and placed rollers.
• The props were cut and the block sank onto the rollers.
• The stone was rolled onto the foundation.

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

The setting of the upper parts of the pedestal was a much simpler task - despite the greater height of the rise, the subsequent steps consisted of stones much smaller than the previous ones, moreover, the workers gradually gained experience.

Column installation

By July 1832, the column monolith was on the way, and the pedestal had already been completed. The time has come to begin the most difficult task - the installation of the column on the pedestal.

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

• On an inclined plane, the column was rolled up to a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding and wrapped around with many rings of ropes to which blocks were attached;
• Another system of blocks was at the top of the scaffolding;
• A large number of ropes encircling the stone went around the upper and lower blocks and were wound with free ends on capstans placed on the square.

At the end of all preparations, the day of the solemn rise was appointed.

On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this window and the 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 to a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A. A. Betancourt needed to involve the forces of 2000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The block of stone rose obliquely, slowly crawled, then broke away from the ground and was brought to a position above the pedestal. On command, the ropes were released, the column smoothly lowered and took its place. The people shouted "Hurrah!" loudly. The sovereign himself was very pleased with the successful completion of the case.

The final stage

After the installation of the column, it remained to fix the bas-relief plates and decorative elements on the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was topped with a Doric bronze capital with a rectangular masonry abacus 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 that was supposed to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the original project, the column was completed by a cross wrapped around with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for the compositions of the figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was a variant with the installation of the figure of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky.

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

Finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.

Opening of the monument

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

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

Then a military parade was held on the square. It was attended by regiments that distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812; in total, about a hundred thousand people took part in the parade:

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

Description of the monument

The Alexander Column resembles samples of the triumphal buildings of antiquity, the monument has an amazing clarity of proportions, laconic form, and beauty of the silhouette.

Text on the plaque:

Grateful Russia to Alexander I

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

Specifications

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

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

Pedestal

The pedestal of the column, decorated on four sides with bronze bas-reliefs, was cast at C. Byrd's factory in 1833-1834.

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

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

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

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

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

The symmetrically located figures on the sides of the armament (on the left - a beautiful young woman leaning on an urn from which water pours out and on the right - an old aquarius) personify the Vistula and Neman rivers, which were forced 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, the pedestal depicts the allegories of Victory and Peace (the years 1812, 1813 and 1814 are inscribed on the Victory shield), Justice and Mercy, Wisdom and Abundance ".

On the upper corners of the pedestal there are double-headed eagles, they hold oak garlands in their paws, 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 with an oak wreath, the All-Seeing Eye with the signature "1812".

On all the bas-reliefs, weapons of a classical nature are depicted as decorative elements, which

Column and sculpture of an angel

The stone column is a single piece of polished pink granite. The trunk of the column has a conical shape.

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

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

According to the original design of Auguste Montferrand, the figure at the top of the column rested on a steel bar, which was later removed, and during the restoration of 2002-2003, it turned out that the angel is held by its own bronze mass.

Not only is the column itself taller than the Vendome column, the figure of an angel surpasses in height the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendome column. The sculptor gave the angel's facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. In addition, the angel tramples a snake with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe by defeating the Napoleonic troops.

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

The fence and surroundings of the monument

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

Between them were placed alternating spears and staffs of banners, topped with guards double-headed eagles. Locks were hung on the gates of the fence in accordance with the author's intention.

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

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

In the north-eastern corner of the fence there was a guardhouse, in which there was a disabled person dressed in full dress guard uniform, guarding the monument day and night and keeping order in the square.

The entire space of the Palace Square was paved with ends.

Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column

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

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

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

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

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

legends

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

• After the restoration began in 2002-2003, non-authoritative newspaper publications began to spread information that the column was not solid, but consisted of a certain number of "pancakes" so skillfully fitted to each other that the seams between them were practically invisible.
• Newlyweds come to the Alexander Column, and the groom carries the bride in his arms around the pillar. According to legend, the number of times the bridegroom with the bride in his arms goes around the column, so many children will be born to them.

Addition and restoration works

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

In 1841, Nicholas I ordered an inspection of the flaws noticed then on the column, but the conclusion of the survey stated that even during the processing, 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 that were originally characteristic of the monolith, but it was feared that an increase in the number and size of them "may give rise to the collapse of the column."

There were discussions about the materials that should be used to seal these cavities. The Russian “grandfather of chemistry” A. A. Voskresensky proposed a composition “which should have been given to the 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 fixed on the abacus of the capitals - 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 great height of the column.

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

For all the time 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 for the holidays the angel was covered with a red-painted canvas cap or masked with balloons descended from a hovering airship.

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

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

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

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

Engineering and restoration work at the beginning of the XXI century

At the end of the 20th century, after a certain time had passed since the previous restoration, the need for serious restoration work and, first of all, a detailed study of the monument began to be felt more and more acutely. The prologue to the start of work was the study of the column. They were forced to be produced on the recommendation of specialists from the Museum of Urban Sculpture. The alarm of specialists was caused 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 party” on top of the column using a special Magirus Deutz fire hydrant.

Having fixed at the top, the climbers took photos and videos of the sculpture. It was concluded that the urgent need for restoration work.

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

By the autumn of 2002, the scaffolding had been erected, and the conservators carried out on-site surveys. 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 an angel relied 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 general 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 of the emerging spots 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 led to 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 shell of the sculpture. This water, seeping down into the pedestal and freezing in winter, ruptured the cylinder, giving it a barrel shape.

The following tasks were set for the restorers:

1. Get rid of water:

• Remove water from the cavities of the top;
• Prevent water accumulation in the future;

The work was carried out mainly in winter at high altitude without dismantling the sculpture, both outside and inside the structure. Control over the work was carried out by both specialized 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 weight of the finial in the abacus was replaced with granite, self-jamming constructions without binders. Thus, the original intention of Montferrand was again realized. The bronze surfaces of the monument were protected by patination.

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

Scaffolding from the monument was removed in March 2003.

Fence repair

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

Soon after the discovery, a part of the lattice was stolen as a result of two "raids" of vandals - hunters for non-ferrous metals.

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

Ice rink around the column

At the end of March 2008, an examination of the condition of the column fence was carried out, a defective statement was drawn up for all the loss of elements. It recorded:

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

• 28 eagles
• 26 spades

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

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

References in art

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

As an iconic element of the urban landscape, it has been repeatedly depicted by landscape painters.

An indicative modern example is the video clip for the song "Love" (director S. Debezhev, author - Y. Shevchuk) from the album of the same name by the DDT group. In this clip, among other things, an analogy is made between the column and the silhouette of a space rocket. In addition to being used in the video clip, a snapshot of the bas-relief of the pedestal was used to design the album sleeve.

Also, the column is 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 "Monument". Pushkin's Alexandria Pillar is a complex image, it contains not only a monument to Alexander I, but also an allusion to the obelisks of Alexandria and Horace. At the first publication, the name "Alexandria" was replaced by V. A. Zhukovsky out of fear of censorship for "Napoleons" (meaning the Vendome column).

In addition, Pushkin's contemporaries attributed the couplet.

If we talk about the sights of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column cannot be ignored. This is a unique architectural masterpiece, which was erected in 1834. Where is the Alexander Column located in St. Petersburg? On Palace Square. In 1828, Emperor Nicholas I issued a decree on the construction of this majestic monument, designed to glorify the victory of his predecessor on the throne and elder brother Alexander I, won in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte. Information about the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg is presented to your attention in this article.

The birth of an idea

The idea of ​​building the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg belongs to the architect Carl Rossi. He was faced with the task of planning the entire architectural complex of Palace Square and the buildings located on it. Initially, the idea of ​​building an equestrian statue of Peter I in front of the Winter Palace was discussed. It would become the second after the famous Bronze Horseman, located nearby on Senate Square, erected in the reign of Catherine II. However, Karl Rossi eventually abandoned this idea.

Two variants of the Montferrand project

In order to decide what will be installed in the center of Palace Square and who will lead this project, an open competition was organized in 1829. It was won by another St. Petersburg architect - the Frenchman Auguste Montferrand, who became famous for the fact that he happened to supervise the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Moreover, the original version of the project proposed by Montferrand was rejected by the competition commission. And he had to develop a second option.

Montferrand, like Rossi, already in the first version of his project abandoned the construction of a sculptural monument. Since the Palace Square is very large in size, both architects reasonably feared that any sculpture, unless it was absolutely gigantic, would be visually lost in its architectural ensemble. A sketch of the first version of the Montferrand project has been preserved, but the exact date of its manufacture is unknown. Montferrand was going to build an obelisk, similar to those that were installed in ancient Egypt. On its surface, it was planned to place bas-reliefs illustrating the events of the Napoleonic invasion, as well as the image of Alexander I on horseback in the costume of an ancient Roman warrior, accompanied by the goddess of Victory. Rejecting this option, the commission pointed out the need to erect the structure without fail in the form of a column. Taking into account this requirement, Montferrand developed the second option, which was subsequently implemented.

The height of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg

According to the architect's idea, the Alexander Column in its height surpassed the Vendome Column in the capital of France, which glorified Napoleon's military triumphs. It generally became the highest in history of all such columns made of stone monolith. From the base of the pedestal to the tip of the cross, which the angel holds in his hands, is 47.5 meters. The construction of such a grandiose architectural structure was not an easy engineering task and took many stages.

building material

Construction was carried out for 5 years, from 1829 to 1834. This work was carried out by the same commission that supervised the construction of the Cathedral of St. Isakius. In the manufacture of the material for the column, a monolithic rock was used, chosen by Montferrand in Finland. The methods of extraction and methods of transporting the material were the same as those used in the construction of the cathedral. A huge monolith in the shape of a parallelepiped was cut out of the rock. With the help of a system of huge levers, it was laid on a pre-prepared surface, which was densely covered with spruce branches. This provided softness and elasticity during the fall of the monolith.

The same rock was also used to cut granite blocks out of it, intended for the foundation of the entire designed structure, as well as to create an angel sculpture, which was to crown its top. The heaviest of these blocks weighed about 400 tons. To transport all these granite blanks to Palace Square, a ship specially built for this task was used.

Foundation laying

After examining the place where the column was to be installed, the laying of the foundation of the structure began. 1250 pine piles were driven under its foundation. The area was then flooded with water. This made it possible to create a strictly horizontal surface when cutting off the top of the piles. According to an old custom, a bronze box filled with coins was placed at the base of the foundation. All of them were minted in 1812.

Construction of a granite monolith

In the work on the implementation of the Montferrand project, a unique engineering lifting system developed by Major General A. A. Betancourt was used. She was equipped with dozens of capstans (winches) and blocks.

How exactly with the help of this lifting system the installation of a granite monolith into a vertical position was carried out is clearly illustrated on the model, which is in the exposition of the museum of the city of St. Petersburg, which is located in the house of the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The erection of the monument to the allotted place took place on August 30, 1832. At the same time, the labor of 400 workers and 2,000 soldiers was used. The ascent took 1 hour and 45 minutes.

To watch this unique event, a great number of people came to the square. People filled not only Palace Square, but also the roof of the General Staff building. When the work was successfully completed, and the column stood in its intended place, there was a friendly “Hurrah!” According to eyewitnesses, the sovereign, the emperor, who was present at the same time, was also very pleased and warmly congratulated the author of the project on his success, telling him: “Montferrand! You immortalized yourself!"

After the successful erection of the column, slabs with bas-reliefs and decorative elements were to be installed on the pedestal. It was also necessary to grind and polish the surface of the monolithic column itself. The completion of all these works took another two years.

Guardian angel

Simultaneously with the erection of the Alexander Column on the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, since the autumn of 1830, work was underway on the sculpture that, according to Montferrand's plan, was to be installed on top of the building. Nicholas I wanted this statue to be placed facing the Winter Palace. But what will be its appearance, it was not immediately determined. Quite a few different options were considered. There was also such an option, according to which the Alexander Column would have been crowned with only one cross with a snake wrapping around it. She would decorate with herself the elements of fasteners. According to another version, it was supposed to install a statue depicting Prince Alexander Nevsky on the column.

In the end, the version with the sculpture of a winged angel was approved. In his hands is a Latin cross. The symbolism of this image is quite clear: it means that Russia crushed the power of Napoleon and thus established peace and prosperity for all European countries. The work on this sculpture was carried out by B. I. Orlovsky. Its height is 6.4 meters.

The opening ceremony

The official opening of the monument was scheduled for the symbolic date of August 30 (September 11). In 1724, on this day, the relics of Alexander Nevsky, who has since been considered the protector and heavenly patron of the city on the Neva, were transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The angel crowning the Alexander Column is also referred to as the guardian angel of the city. The opening of the Alexander Column completed the final design of the entire architectural ensemble of Palace Square. The celebrations on the occasion of the official opening of the Alexander Column were attended by the entire imperial family, headed by Nicholas I, army units of up to 100 thousand, and foreign diplomats. A church service was performed. Soldiers, officers and the emperor knelt down. A similar service, with the participation of the army, was held in Paris at Easter in 1814.

This event is also immortalized in numismatics. In 1834, 15 thousand memorial coins with a face value of 1 ruble were minted.

Description of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg

The columns that were erected in the era of Antiquity served as a model for the creation of Montferrand. But the Alexander Column surpassed all its predecessors both in height and massiveness. The material for its manufacture was pink granite. In its lower part there is a bas-relief depicting two figures of women with wings. In their hands is a plaque with the inscription: "Russia is grateful to Alexander I." Below is an image of armor, to the left of them is a young woman, and to the right is an old man. These two figures symbolize the two rivers that were in the territory of hostilities. The woman depicts the Vistula, the old man - the Neman.

The fence and surroundings of the monument

Around the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, a brief description of which is presented to your attention above, a one and a half meter fence was built. Two-headed eagles were placed on it. Their total number is 136. It is decorated with spears and flagpoles. War trophies are installed along the fence - 12 French cannons. There was also a guardhouse near the fence, in which a disabled soldier was on duty around the clock.

Legends, rumors and beliefs

When the construction of the Alexander Column was going on, persistent rumors spread among the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, obviously untrue, that a huge granite blank for its construction was obtained by chance during the manufacture of columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral. This monolith allegedly turned out to be larger than required by mistake. And then, so that it would not disappear, the idea allegedly arose - to use it for the construction of a column on Palace Square.

After the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg (everyone who is interested in the history of the city briefly knows about it) was erected, in the early years, many noble people who were not accustomed to such a spectacle feared that it would collapse. They did not believe in the reliability of its design. In particular, Countess Tolstaya strictly ordered her coachman not to approach the column. The grandmother of M. Yu. Lermontov was also afraid to be near her. And Montferrand, trying to dispel these fears, often took long walks near the column at the end of the day.

Baron P. de Bourgoin, who served in 1828-1832 as the French envoy to Russia, testified that Montferrand allegedly offered Nicholas I to create a spiral spiral staircase inside the column, which would allow climbing to its top. To do this, it was necessary to cut a cavity inside the column. Moreover, Montferrand allegedly claimed that for the implementation of such a plan, one master armed with a chisel and a hammer, and an apprentice boy with a basket in which he would take out fragments of granite would be enough. The two of them would have done the work, according to the calculations of the author of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg Montferan, in 10 years. But Nicholas I, fearing that such work could damage the surface of the structure, did not want to implement this plan.

In our times, such a wedding ritual has arisen, during which the groom carries his chosen one in his arms around the column. It is believed that how many circles he goes through, so many children will be in their family.

According to rumors, the Soviet authorities allegedly hatched plans to dismantle the statue of the guardian angel on the Alexander Column. And instead of it, it was allegedly supposed to place a sculpture of Lenin or Stalin. There is no documentary evidence for this, but the fact that in the pre-war years on the holidays of November 7 and May 1 the angel was hidden from human eyes is a historical fact. Moreover, two methods were used to hide it. Either it was covered with a cloth, which was lowered from the airship, or covered with balloons filled with helium and rising from the surface of the earth.

"Wounded" angel during the Leningrad blockade

During the Great Patriotic War, unlike many other architectural masterpieces, the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, interesting facts about which we have collected in this article, was not completely disguised. And during the shelling and bombing, she received numerous hits from shell fragments. The guardian angel himself was pierced by a wing with a fragment.

In 2002-2003, the largest restoration work since the creation of the Alexander Column was carried out, during which about fifty fragments that had remained there since the war were removed from it.

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

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

"To erect a monument in the throne city with the inscription: Alexander the Blessed, Emperor of All Russia, Great Powers, Restorer from grateful Russia" [Cit. according to: 1, p. 150].

Alexander I did not support this idea:

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

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

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

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

“The column of Trajan appeared before me as a prototype of the most beautiful thing that a person of this kind is capable of creating. I had to try to get as close as possible to this majestic model of antiquity, as was done in Rome for the Antonin column, in Paris for the Napoleon column " [Cit. according to: 3, p. 231].

Preparation of a huge monolith and its delivery to St. Petersburg is a great challenge even now. And in the first half of the 19th century, this seemed to many to be completely impossible. A member of the Commission on the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral, engineer-general Count K.I. Opperman believed that " the granite rock, from which the architect Montferrand proposes to break out a column for the obelisk, contains various heterogeneous parts with crumbly veins, which is why different columns, broken out from the same rock for St. who could not accept them; one, already in terms of loading and unloading, broke when rolling from the local pier to a shed for clean finishing, and the column intended for the obelisk is five fathoms longer and almost twice as thick as the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral, and therefore success in breaking out, in happy loading, unloading and transferring is much more doubtful than similar enterprises for the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral"[Quoted in: 5, p. 162].

Montferrand had to prove his case. In the same year, 1829, he explained to the members of the Commission:

"My frequent trips to Finland for eleven years to review the breaking of 48 columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral assured me that if some columns were broken, then this was due to the greed of the people used for that, and why I dare to certify the success of this work, if the precaution will be taken to multiply the number of drills or holes, cut the mass from below along the entire thickness and, finally, firmly support it in order to separate it without shaking ...
<...>
The means that I propose for raising the column are the same network that was used for the forty columns that have been successfully installed to this day during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. I will use the same machines and part of the scaffolding, which will not be needed for the cathedral for two years and will be dismantled in the coming winter.

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

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

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

The contract for the construction of the foundation was given to the merchant Vasily Yakovlev. Until the end of 1829, the workers managed to dig a foundation pit. While strengthening the foundation for the Alexander Column, the workers stumbled upon piles, which had been used to strengthen the soil back in the 1760s. It turned out that Montferrand repeated after Rastrelli the decision on the place for the monument, hitting the same spot. For three months, new six-meter pine piles were hammered here by peasants Grigory Kesarinov and Pavel Bykov. In total, 1,101 piles were needed. Granite blocks half a meter thick were placed on them. It was very cold when the foundation was laid. Montferrand added vodka to the cement mortar for better setting.

In the center of the foundation was placed a mortgage block of granite with dimensions of 52x52 centimeters. A bronze box with 105 coins minted in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 was built into it. A platinum medal minted according to the Montferrand project with the image of the Alexander Column and the date "1830", as well as a mortgage plaque, were also placed there. For her, Montferrand offered the following text:

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

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

The granite block of the pedestal of 25,000 pounds was made from a block mined in the Letsaarma region. He was brought to St. Petersburg on November 4, 1831. It was supposed to be unloaded in two days, and then completely processed on the spot in four or five days. Before the installation of the pedestal in early November, Nicholas I allowed the second bronze mortgage plate to be placed at the base of the Alexander Column, while commanding " put, moreover, a newly knocked out medal for the storming of Warsaw". Then he approved the text of the second mortgage board, made by the bronze craftsman A. Guerin:

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

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

"For breaking, trimming and polishing this column, as well as for the construction of a pier and delivery to the building site, except for loading, unloading and transportation through water"The merchant of the 1st guild Arkhip Shikhin requested 420,000 rubles. On December 9, 1829, Samson Sukhanov offered to undertake the same work, requesting 300,000 rubles. The next day, the self-taught technician merchant Vasily Yakovlev announced the same price. When conducting new auctions, the price were reduced to 220,000 rubles, and after the re-bidding on March 19, 1830, Arkhip Shikhin undertook to fulfill the contract for 150,000. However, the order for the same price went to 20-year-old Yakovlev. He committed himself in case of failure with the first, " gratuitously beat off and deliver to St. Petersburg the second, third, and so on until the required stone takes its place on Palace Square".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It took exactly two years for the final processing of the monolith (grinding and polishing), the design of its top, and the decoration of the pedestal.

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

The figure of an angel, according to Montferrand's plan, was to be gilded. Because of the haste with the opening of the Alexander Column, they decided to make the gilding in oil, which could be done not only quickly, but also cheaply. However, the low reliability of this method was pointed out by Olenin, who turned to the Minister of the Imperial Court, Volkonsky:

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

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

The pedestal of the Alexander Column is decorated with bas-reliefs made by artists Scotty, Solovyov, Brullo, Markov, Tverskoy, sculptors Svintsov and Leppe. On the bas-relief from the side of the General Staff Building there is a figure of the Victory, which enters memorable dates in the history book: "1812, 1813, 1814". From the side of the Winter Palace - two winged figures with the inscription: "Grateful Russia to Alexander I." On the other two sides, the bas-reliefs depict the figures of Justice, Wisdom, Mercy and Abundance. In the process of coordinating the decoration of the column, the emperor expressed a desire to replace antique military fittings on the bas-reliefs with old Russian ones.

To accommodate honored guests, Montferrand built a special tribune in front of the Winter Palace in the form of a three-span arch. It was decorated in such a way as to connect architecturally with the Winter Palace. This was also facilitated by Nicholas I, who ordered to tear off the purple cloth from the stairs and use fawn-colored fabric instead, in the color of the imperial residence at that time. For the construction of the podium with the peasant Stepan Samarin, a contract was signed on June 12, 1834, which was completed by the end of August. Decorative plaster details were made by the "stucco work of the master" Evstafiy and Poluekt Balina, Timofey Dylev, Ivan Pavlov, Alexander Ivanov.

Tribunes were built for the public in front of the Exercierhaus and on the side of Admiralteisky Boulevard. Since the facade of the amphitheater was larger than the facade of the exercierhaus, the roof was dismantled for the construction of log racks, and neighboring buildings were also demolished.

Before the opening of the Alexander Column, Montferrand tried to withdraw from the ceremony due to fatigue. But the emperor insisted on his presence, who wanted to see all members of the Commission, including the chief architect with assistants, on the day of the opening of the monument.

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

"... The opening celebrations corresponded. Above the main gates of the Winter Palace, a magnificently decorated balcony was built with gatherings on both sides of the square ... Amphitheaters for spectators were made along all the buildings of Palace Square in several tiers. The people crowded on Admiralteisky Boulevard; all the windows around lying houses were littered with thirsty to enjoy this one spectacle ... "[op. according to: 1, p. 161, 162]

From the memoirs of the romantic poet Vasily Zhukovsky:

“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 went ...
A ceremonial march began: the Russian 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, and the majestic colossus alone with his sentry remained in the deserted square" [Cited in: 4, pp. 128, 129].

The impressions of a representative of the ordinary public have also been preserved. Memories of the opening of the Alexander Column were recorded by Maria Fedorovna Kamenskaya, daughter of Count Fyodor Tolstoy:

“Against the Hermitage, on the square, on the corner where the building of the State Archives currently stands, high bridges were then erected, on which places were assigned for officials of the Ministry of the Court, and therefore for the Academy of Arts. We had to get there early, because that after that no one was allowed into the square anymore. The prudent girls of the Academy, afraid of getting hungry, took with them baskets of breakfast and sat in the front row. The opening ceremony of the monument, as far as I remember, was nothing special and was very similar to ordinary May parades, with it was quite difficult to see what was happening near the column itself, because we were still sitting quite far from it. was Kokoshkin), who was especially zealous, hilariously cabrating on his big horse, rushing around the square and yelling at the top of his lungs.
So we looked, looked, got hungry, unpacked our boxes and began to destroy the provisions we had taken with us. The public, who were sitting on the sidewalks next to us, which stretched all the way to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed our good example, began to unfold papers and chew something. The zealous Chief of Police just noticed these disturbances during the parade, became furious, galloped to the footbridge and, forcing his horse to break and stand up, began to shout in a thunderous voice:
- Shameless, heartless people! How, on the day when the monument to the war of 1812 is erected, when all the grateful Russian hearts have gathered here to pray, you, you stone hearts, instead of remembering the holy soul of Alexander the Blessed, the liberator of Russia from the twelve tongues, and sending up to heaven the hot prayers for the health of the now prosperously reigning Emperor Nicholas I, you better not have invented anything, how to come here to eat! Down with everything from the bridges! To the church, to the Kazan Cathedral, and prostrate yourself before the throne of the Most High!
- Fool! shouted a voice from above, behind us.
- Fool, fool, fool! - they picked up, like an echo, in a gulp of unknown voices, and the embarrassed, uninvited preacher in impotent rage was forced to spur his horse to the music of the troops and the frantic laughter on the bridges, as if nothing had happened, beautifully bending, galloped somewhere further "[Cit. according to: 4, pp. 129-131].

As the historian M.N. Mikishatyev rightly noted (from whose book this quote is given), Maria Fedorovna was not mistaken with the personality of the chief police officer. It then was Sergey Aleksandrovich Kokoshkin. But she confused the building of the state archive with the building of the headquarters of the Guard.

Initially, the Alexander Column was framed by a temporary wooden fence with lamps in the form of antique tripods and plaster lion masks. The carpenter's work from the manufacture of the fence was carried out by the "carved master" Vasily Zakharov. Instead of a temporary fence at the end of 1834, it was decided to put a permanent metal one "with three-headed eagles under the lanterns", the project of which Montferrand had drawn up in advance. In her composition, it was supposed to use decorations made of gilded bronze, crystal balls on three-headed eagles mounted on captured Turkish cannons, which were accepted by the architect from the arsenal on December 17.

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

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

The column is not dug into the ground and is not fixed on the foundation. It holds only due to the exact calculation and its weight. It is the tallest triumphal column in the world. Its weight is 704 tons. The height of the monument is 47.5 meters, the granite monolith is 25.88 meters. It is slightly taller than the Vendôme Column, erected in 1810 in honor of Napoleon's victories in Paris.

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

In 1841, cracks appeared on the column. By 1861 they had become so prominent that Alexander II set up a committee to study them. The committee concluded that there were cracks in the granite from the beginning, and they were sealed with mastic. In 1862, the cracks were sealed with Portland cement. Above were fragments of chains, which were used for the annual climb to the column in order to inspect it.

Stories similar to mystical ones happened with the Alexander Column. On December 15, 1889, 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. The next day, the count figured out the causes of the phenomenon. The name of their manufacturer was etched on the glass of the lamps: "Siemens". When the lamps were working from the side of St. Isaac's Cathedral, this letter was reflected on the column.

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