Alexander Column (Alexandrian Pillar) - history, construction, legends. Alexandria Column

The Alexander Column occupies a special place among tourists, attracting the admiration of many tourists. Many of those who come to Moscow go first of all to Palace Square. This is where the Alexander Column is located in St. Petersburg. It is one of the most famous monuments of this city. This Empire style building was erected in the center of Palace Square in 1834. Architect - O. Montferrand. The Alexander Column in St. Petersburg was built by order of Nicholas I. It is a tribute to the victory of Alexander I over Napoleon, which was very important for Russia and the whole world. Below is the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg (photo taken several years ago).

Carl Rossi's idea

This monument complements the composition of the General Staff Arch dedicated to the victory in the War of 1812. Carl Rossi came up with the idea of ​​building a monument. He believed that a monument should be placed in the center of Palace Square. Rossi rejected the idea of ​​installing another statue of Peter I on horseback. He wanted to see something different.

Montferrand's original design

The idea did not immediately arise, which was later realized as the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg. Let's briefly talk about the initial project proposed to the emperor. In 1829, an officially open competition was announced. Auguste Montferrand responded to him with his project for the construction of a grandiose granite obelisk. However, the emperor considered that the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg should look somewhat different. A brief description of the original project can be made on the basis of its sketch, which has survived. The architect proposed installing a granite obelisk, the height of which would be 25.6 m, on a granite plinth. It was also planned to decorate the front side of this obelisk with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812. The architect saw a rider on a horse on a pedestal, trampling a snake with his feet. A double-headed eagle flies in front of him. The goddess of victory follows the rider, crowning him with laurels. Two female figures lead a horse.

Influences of previous samples and individuality of the project

The second project, implemented subsequently, consisted of installing a column, the height of which exceeds that erected in honor of Napoleon’s victories by Vendôme, installed on the square of the same name. Auguste Montferrand was offered the Roman Trajan's Column as a source of inspiration. The narrow scope of this project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of examples known throughout the world. The Alexander Column in St. Petersburg became only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. Its description, however, would not be entirely accurate if we did not mention the originality of this monument. In it, Montferrand expressed his own individuality, refusing to use additional decorations in the structure, such as bas-reliefs spiraling around the core of Trajan's Column. The architect chose to show the beauty of polished pink granite. The height of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg is 25.6 m. Montferrand made his monument higher than all existing ones. In 1829, on September 24, the project was approved by the sovereign in this new form, without sculptural completion. Construction took place between 1829 and 1834.

Mining stone for the future column

Rock was used for the main part of the column (granite monolith). The sculptor planned it during his previous trips to Finland. In 1830-32 rock was mined and pre-processed in the Pyuterlak quarry, located between Friedrichsgam and Vyborg. These works were carried out using Sukhanov's method. V. A. Yakovlev and S. V. Kolodkin supervised the production. After examining the rock, the stonemasons confirmed the suitability of this material, they cut off a prism, which was significantly larger in size than the future column. Gigantic devices were used for this: huge gates and levers in order to move the huge block from its place and then tip it onto an elastic and soft bedding of spruce branches. From the same rock, after the pieces were separated, huge stones were cut out for the foundation of the monument. The largest of them weighed more than 400 tons.

Delivery of stone and columns to St. Petersburg

It was very difficult at that time to implement such a grandiose project as the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg. Interesting facts are associated not only with the extraction of stone, but also with its transportation. Parts of the future column were delivered by water to St. Petersburg. A barge of a special design was used for this purpose. The monolith itself was duped on site, after which it was prepared for transportation. Colonel Glasin, a naval engineer, dealt with transportation issues. He designed and then built a special bot called "Saint Nicholas". Its carrying capacity reached 1100 tons. A special pier was built to carry out loading operations. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform. The column was loaded on board, after which the monolith went to Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamships, and then to St. Petersburg to the Palace Embankment. In 1832, on July 1, the central part of the future column arrived in St. Petersburg - an important event that marked the history of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg.

Column foundation

On Palace Square, in 1829, work began on the construction of a pedestal and foundation. They were led by the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg. First of all, we carried out geological exploration of the nearby area. A sandy continent was discovered at a depth of 5.2 m near the center of the area. The location for the column was approved in 1829. 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under its foundation. Then they were cut off for a spirit level. Thus, a platform was created for the foundation on which the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg was supposed to stand. A brief description of the foundation is as follows. It consists of stone granite blocks half a meter thick. The foundation was built with plank masonry to the horizon of the square. A bronze box containing coins minted in honor of the victory in the War of 1812 was placed in its center. The work was completed in 1830, in October. The artist G. Gagarin captured on his canvas how the Alexander Column was built in St. Petersburg.

Raising the column

The new stage was the installation of a 400-ton monolith on the foundation. This monolith serves as the base of the pedestal. At that time, of course, it was not easy to install such a heavy stone on the foundation. But they coped with this task. In 1832, by July, the pedestal was completed, and the monolith of the column was on its way. Now the most difficult task lay ahead - installing the column on the pedestal. The original lifting system was designed by A. A. Betancourt in December 1830. This required scaffolding 47 meters high, 60 capstans, and a block system.

The column was rolled up an inclined plane onto a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding. After that, she was wrapped in rings of ropes with blocks attached to them. At the top of the scaffolding was another block system. A large number of ropes that encircled the stone were wound with their free ends on capstans placed in the square. The Emperor, along with the entire imperial family, came to the ceremony. On Palace Square, to bring the column into a vertical position, Betancourt needed to attract the forces of 400 workers and 2000 soldiers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour 45 minutes.

Placing a statue on top of a column

After installation, all that remained was to fix the decorative elements and bas-relief slabs on the pedestal, as well as polish the column. In September 1830, in parallel with the work on the construction of the column, Montferrand was also working on the statue that was to crown it. It was supposed to be facing, according to the wishes of Nicholas I; in the original design, the column was completed with a cross, which was entwined with a snake. The sculptors of the Academy of Arts, in addition, offered several options for angels with a cross. As a result, the figure made by B.I. Orlovsky was accepted for execution. The polishing and finishing of the monument lasted two years.

Grand opening of the monument

In 1834, on August 30, work on Palace Square was completed. The sovereign and his family, representatives of the Russian army and the 100,000-strong Russian army were present at the opening ceremony. It was carried out in an Orthodox setting. The opening was accompanied by a solemn service performed at the foot of the column. In honor of the opening of this monument, a commemorative ruble was issued, the circulation of which was 15,000 coins.

Description of the monument

The Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, a photo of which is presented in this article, is reminiscent of examples of triumphal structures from antiquity. This monument has an amazing beauty of silhouette, laconic form, and clarity of proportions. It is the tallest in the world, created from solid granite. The monument is crowned with a figure of an angel, made by Boris Orlovsky. He holds a four-pointed Latin cross in his left hand and raises his right hand to the sky. The angel's head is tilted, his gaze is fixed on the ground. His figure, according to Montferrand's original design, was supposed to rest on a steel rod. However, it was later removed. When restoration was carried out in 2002-2003, it turned out that the angel was supported by its own mass. His facial features were given a resemblance to Tsar Alexander I. An angel tramples a serpent with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe with its victory over Napoleon’s troops. The slenderness of the column is emphasized by the light figure of the angel, as well as the vertical of the cross, which continues the vertical of the monument.

Bronze fence

The Alexander Column in St. Petersburg is surrounded by a bronze fence, which was designed by O. Montferrand. Its height is about 1.5 m. It was installed in 1834, and all the elements were installed in 1836-1837. A guardhouse was built in its north-eastern corner. There was a disabled person in it, dressed in a guards uniform. He guarded such an important monument as the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg day and night, and also kept order on Palace Square.

Once upon a time, during Soviet times, two book series, very similar in theme, volume, format and, accordingly, low price, were published in Moscow and Leningrad. The Moscow one was called “Biography of a Moscow House” (later it was supplemented by “Biography of a Moscow Monument”), the St. Petersburg one - I don’t remember how. Experts called it “black” by the color of its covers. In them one could find many interesting facts related to this or that house (or, more broadly speaking, a building), but... only facts. Legendary, and even more so mystical, hypostases were not in honor. So why not now fill in what is missing with small books with legends associated with this or that mansion or monument?

A holy place is never empty

A book about one of the symbols of St. Petersburg - the Alexander Column on Palace Square, opened 180 years ago, on September 11 (August 30, old style) 1834, on the day of the transfer of the relics of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky, could be very fascinating.

When excursion groups enter the Palace Square, the guides memorize the well-known “objective” that the height of the structure erected according to the design of Auguste Montferrand is 47.5 meters, the height of the column itself is 25.6 meters, the height of the angel figure is 4.5 meters, the total weight of the entire structure is 704 tons, that the column is the tallest monolithic column in the world, and so on. Finally they add: “And on top of the column there is a life-size figure of an angel...”

This is one of the most famous jokes about the building that immortalized the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Initially, however, at this “point” - a holy place is never empty - it was planned to erect a monument to Peter I by the elder Rastrelli: the piles for its foundation were discovered during preparatory work. As for the angel - it was sculpted by the sculptor Orlovsky - a special conversation.

But the introduction of the new structure into urban folklore began immediately. It is quite natural that, contemplating the tall figure of Nicholas I at the opening of the column, someone dropped a short formula: "Pillar of pillar - pillar". That is, in translation, a monument built by Nicholas I in honor of Alexander I. Let us also pay attention in passing to how the memory of the “blessed” capital was honored: Northern - with a purely military monument, Mother See - with a public garden near the Kremlin.

And where is Rosneft looking?

And, of course, one of the first to appear was the legend that at the first strong gust of wind the granite colossus would immediately collapse - the column, as you know, is supported solely by its own 600-ton gravity. Many great creators went through similar trials: Filippo Brunelleschi and Matvey Kazakov had to personally prove the strength of the domes they designed and built. Montferrand did not need to climb “to the top”: he simply walked with his dog every morning, almost until the day of his death, right under the column...

Among the first to emerge was the version that the Alexander Column was made, as they say, from waste. That is, one of the “extra” columns of St. Isaac’s Cathedral was allegedly installed on the pedestal. And it never occurred to anyone to simply estimate, even by eye, that the maximum height of the cathedral’s columns is only seventeen meters, and they weigh almost five times less.

It is known that when laying the foundation, a box with 105 coins minted in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 was placed at the base of the monument. There is also a platinum medal with the image of the Alexander Column. So to speak, the original project - did Montferrand really foresee the coming revolutionary storms? True, no one in Northern Palmyra wanted to repeat the experience of Gustave Courbet, at whose suggestion the Vendôme Column in Paris was destroyed. In the most “fierce” years, the angel was simply covered with plywood shields. During the years of perestroika, a lot was written in the St. Petersburg press that it was supposedly supposed to install either a statue of Lenin or a bust of Stalin on top of the column... But all these “versions”, rather, are also among the late urban legends.

And the box with coins in the imagination of local inhabitants immediately turned into a box with selected champagne. (And again, no one thought that, according to the rules of winemaking, champagne is not subject to long-term storage.) At the end of the twentieth century, in accordance with technological progress, a legend was born that supposedly under Palace Square lies a huge oil (! ) lake, and the Alexander Column is nothing more than a huge plug. And as soon as the column is removed, a fountain of now so valuable hydrocarbons will hit right in front of the Winter Palace. And where is Rosneft looking?

Along the spiral ladder

In the memoirs of the then French ambassador in St. Petersburg, there is a mention that initially Montferrand allegedly intended to break through the thickness of the column trunk - to access its upper tier - a narrow spiral staircase. As a result, a legend was born that the column is actually hollow. This folklore is already from the category of pure anecdotes: both Montferrand - not only a talented architect, but also a capable engineer, and the emperor - a pure technician by education, could not help but understand that in this case the age of the column, especially in the St. Petersburg climate, would be very short-lived ...

The most popular legend turned out to be that the face of the four-meter angel at the top of the column was given features of resemblance to the face of Alexander I. What can you say? Only that on Palace Square (unlike many other observation points in the Northern capital) there are no binoculars or telescopes. And somehow - with the help of nine-power German optics - I had to make sure that, firstly, the angel, contrary to church canons, has a woman’s breasts quite clearly visible under her clothes (who doesn’t believe it, see the corresponding sites with close-up photography on the Internet ). And secondly, the features of an angel have nothing in common with the august original. And it turns out that the more correct version is that Orlovsky sculpted the face of the heavenly messenger from memory from the face of the deceased very young poetess Elizaveta Kulman...

Flying Eagles

Different times - different songs. A real curiosity is the suggestion that briefly flashed at the end of the last century in the information flow that the Alexander Column was not carved from a single piece of Finnish granite, which Montferrand had previously liked in one of the mines, but from separate stone “pancakes” tightly fitted to each other.

But the custom that appeared relatively recently should be taken more seriously. In accordance with it, the groom must carry the bride around the column as many times as they wish to have children. Dr. Freud and his disciples would have a lot to think about.

But at the same time, legends and traditions, no matter how irresistible they may be, do not obligate anyone to anything serious. In contrast to the strict and completely uncharming reality. The features of which, in particular, include numerous ordeals with enormous efforts to restore the fence of the monument: bronze eagles from it, no matter how hard the vigilant guards of their Hermitage try (on the balance sheet of which the column is located), continue to disappear. And the years when the skating rink on Dvortsovaya was flooded were especially fruitful for losses.

No less interesting than the legends are many pages of the real history of the column. For example, its rise - thanks to the mechanism created by Augustin Betancourt - took less than two hours. A very interesting point: the monument created by a Frenchman in honor of the victory of Russian troops over his compatriots was erected according to the design of his namesake, a Russified Spaniard...

And with the recent restoration of the pillar - almost two hundred years later! - the architect’s true plan was embodied: the cracked brick abacus (the end of the column) was replaced with granite.

I have no doubt: this restoration will someday become a legend.

(Wikigida DB)

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

History of creation

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

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

A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library; it has no date; according to Nikitin, the project dates back to the first half of 1829. Montferrand proposed installing a granite obelisk, similar to the ancient Egyptian obelisks, on a granite base. The total height of the monument was 33.78 meters. The front side was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions by medalist Count F. P. Tolstoy.

On the pedestal it was planned to carry the inscription “To the Blessed One - Grateful Russia.” On the pedestal, the architect placed bas-reliefs (the author of which was the same Tolstoy) depicting Alexander in the form of a Roman warrior on a horse, trampling a snake with his feet; a double-headed eagle flies in front of the rider, followed by the goddess of victory, crowning him with laurels; the horse is led by two symbolic female figures.

The sketch of the project indicates that the obelisk was supposed to surpass all monoliths known in the world in its height. The artistic part of the project is excellently executed using watercolor techniques and testifies to Montferrand’s high skill in various areas of fine art. The project itself was also done “with great skill.”

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

Final project

The second project, which was subsequently implemented, was to install a column higher than that of Vendôme (erected in Paris in honor of Napoleon's victories). Montferrand used the columns of Trajan and Antoninus in Rome, Pompey's in Alexandria, and also that of Vendôme as sources for his project.

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of world-famous examples, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. Montferrand abandoned the use of additional decorations, such as bas-reliefs, spiraling around the core of the ancient Trajan's Column, since, according to him, contemporary artists could not compete with the ancient masters, and settled on a version of the column with a smooth core made of a giant polished monolith of pink granite height 25.6 meters (12 fathoms). The bottom diameter of the column is 3.66 m (12 ft) and the top diameter is 3.19 m (10 ft 6 in). He copied the pedestal and base almost unchanged from Trajan's Column.

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

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

Preparatory work

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

The work was completed in October 1830.

Construction of the pedestal

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith was erected on it, hewn and taken from the area of ​​Letzarma, which is five miles from Puterlax, which serves as the base of the pedestal. To install the monolith on the foundation, a platform was built onto which it was pumped using rollers along an inclined plane. The stone was dumped on a pile of sand that had been previously poured next to the platform.

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

After supports were placed under the monolith, workers raked out the sand and placed rollers. The supports were cut down, and the block was lowered onto the rollers. The stone was rolled onto the foundation and accurately installed. The ropes, thrown over the blocks, were pulled into nine capstans and raised the stone to a height of about one meter. They took out the rollers and added a layer of slippery solution, very unique in its composition, on which they planted the monolith.

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

O. Montferrand

Setting up the upper parts of the pedestal was a much simpler task - despite the greater height of the rise, subsequent steps consisted of stones of much smaller sizes than the previous ones, and besides, the workers gradually gained experience. The remaining parts of the pedestal (hewn granite blocks) were installed on the base using mortar and secured with steel brackets.

Column installation

Rising of the Alexander Column

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

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

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

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

The finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.

Opening of the monument

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

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

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

... no pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if born from the earth, in slender bulks, with the thunder of drums, to the sounds of the Paris March, columns of the Russian army began to march... For two hours this magnificent, unique in world spectacle... In the evening, noisy crowds wandered through the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally the lighting went out, the streets were empty, and in a deserted square the majestic colossus was left alone with its sentry

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

Description of the monument

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

Text on the monument plaque:

ALEXANDER I
GRATEFUL RUSSIA

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

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

Characteristics

View from the south

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

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

Pedestal

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

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

The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the column in an allegorical form glorify the victory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the Russian army. The bas-reliefs include images of Old Russian chain mail, cones and shields kept in the Armory Chamber in Moscow, including helmets attributed to Alexander Nevsky and Ermak, as well as the 17th-century armor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and that, despite Montferrand's assertions, it is entirely doubtful the shield Oleg of the 10th century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.

Based on Montferrand's drawings, artists J.B. Scotti, V. Soloviev, Tverskoy, F. Brullot, Markov made cardboards for life-size bas-reliefs. Sculptors P.V. Svintsov and I. Leppe sculpted bas-reliefs for casting. Models of double-headed eagles were made by sculptor I. Leppe, models of the base, garlands and other decorations were made by sculptor-ornamentalist E. Balin.

These images appeared on the work of the Frenchman Montferrand through the efforts of the then president of the Academy of Arts, a famous lover of Russian antiquity, A. N. Olenin. However, the style of depicting military fittings most likely dates back to the Renaissance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Column and angel sculpture

Sculpture of an angel on a cylindrical pedestal

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

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

The column itself is higher than that of Vendôme, and the figure of the angel exceeds in height the figure of Napoleon I on the latter. An angel tramples a serpent with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe, having won the victory over Napoleonic troops.

The sculptor gave the angel’s facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. According to other sources, the figure of the angel is a sculptural portrait of the St. Petersburg poetess Elisaveta Kulman.

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

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

Fence and surroundings of the monument

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

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

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

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

The fence in its original form was installed in 1834, all elements were completely installed in 1836-1837. In the north-eastern corner of the fence there was a guard booth, in which there was a disabled person on duty, dressed in a full guards uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order in the square.

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

Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column

Legends

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

Addition and restoration work

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

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

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

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

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

The decorative lanterns near the column were made 42 years after its opening - in 1876 by the architect K. K. Rachau.

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

After the events of 1917, the space around the monument was changed, and on holidays the angel was covered with a red-painted canvas cap or camouflaged with balloons lowered from a hovering airship. In the 1930s, the fence was dismantled and melted down into cartridge cases.

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

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

Engineering and restoration work of the early 21st century

Metal scaffolding around the column during the restoration period

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

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

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

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

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

Carrying out work

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

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

The restorers were given the following tasks: to remove water from the cavities of the pommel, to prevent the accumulation of water in the future, and to restore the structure of the abacus support. The work was carried out mainly in winter at high altitudes without dismantling the sculpture, both outside and inside the structure. Control over the work was carried out by both core and non-core structures, including the administration of St. Petersburg.

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

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

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

The scaffolding from the monument was removed in March 2003.

Fence repair

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

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

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

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

Roller around the column

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

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

• 28 eagles
• 26 peak

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

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

Mentions in art

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

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

Column in literature

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

In addition, contemporaries attributed the following couplet to Pushkin:

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

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

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

Alexander I did not support this idea:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The date for raising the column to the pedestal (August 30 - the name day of Alexander I) was approved on March 2, 1832, as well as a new estimate for the construction of the monument totaling 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 erected on Palace Square, which occupied it almost completely. For the ascent, 60 gates were used, arranged in two rows around the scaffolding. Each gate was driven by 29 people: " 16 soldiers at the levers, 8 in reserve, 4 sailors for pulling and cleaning the rope as the column rises, 1 non-commissioned officer... To achieve the correct movement of the gate, so that the ropes are pulled as equally as forcefully as possible, 10 foremen will be stationed"[Quoted from: 5, p. 171]. The blocks were monitored by 120 people at the top of the scaffolding and 60 at the bottom "to look after the idler pulleys. 2 foremen with 30 carpenters will be placed on large scaffolding at different heights to position the log supports on which the column will lie, in case the raising of it needed to be stopped. 40 workers will be placed near the column , on the right and left sides, to remove the rollers from under the sleigh and to drag them into place, 30 people of workers will be placed under the platform with the ropes holding the gate, 6 people of masons will be used to add lime mortar between the column and the base, 15 people of carpenters and. 1 foreman will be on standby in case of an unforeseen... The doctor assigned to the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral will be at the production site during the entire raising of the column"[Ibid].

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

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

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

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

“The streets leading to Palace Square, the Admiralty and the Senate were completely crowded with the public, attracted by the novelty of such an extraordinary spectacle. The crowd soon grew to such an extent that horses, carriages and people mixed into one whole. The houses were filled with people to the very roofs. Not a single window, not a single ledge 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 were accommodated in a special pavilion. In another, the envoys of Austria were located. , England, France, ministers, commissioners for affairs, constituting the foreign diplomatic corps. Then special places for the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts, university professors, for foreigners, people close to art, who arrived from Italy, Germany, to attend this ceremony. .." [Quoted. from: 4, p. 124, 125].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the memoirs of the romantic poet Vasily Zhukovsky:

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

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

“Opposite the Hermitage, on the square, on the corner where the state archive building currently stands, high walkways 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. The prudent girls of the Academy, fearing to get hungry, took breakfast baskets with them 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. adding only the clergy and prayers. It was quite difficult to see what was happening near the column itself, because we were still sitting quite far from it, the chief of police (if I’m not mistaken, then the chief of police) involuntarily caught our eye. was Kokoshkin), who was especially zealous about something, hilariously galloping on his big horse, rushing around the square and yelling at the top of his lungs.
So we looked and looked, got hungry, unpacked our boxes and began to destroy the provisions we had taken with us. The public, sitting on the walkways next to us, stretching all the way to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed our good example and also began to unfold pieces of paper and chew something. The zealous chief of police now noticed these disorders during the parade, became furious, galloped up to the bridge and, forcing his horse to break and stand up, began shouting in a thunderous voice:
- Unscrupulous, heartless people! How, on the day when the monument to the war of 1812 was erected, when all the grateful Russian hearts gathered here to pray, you, you hearts of stone, instead of remembering the holy soul of Alexander the Blessed, the liberator of Russia from twelve languages, and sending up ardent words to heaven prayers for the health of the now safely reigning Emperor Nicholas I, you couldn’t think of anything better than to come here to eat! Down with everything from the bridge! Go to church, to the Kazan Cathedral, and fall on your face before the throne of the Almighty!
- Fool! - someone's voice shouted from above, behind us.
- Fool, fool, fool! - they picked up, like an echo, in a gulp of unknown whose voices, and the embarrassed uninvited preacher, in impotent anger, was forced to give spurs to his horse to the music of the troops and frantic laughter on the bridge, as if nothing had happened, beautifully bending, galloped somewhere further" [Cit. from: 4, pp. 129-131].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alexander Column (Alexandrian Pillar)

This is not only a world-famous symbol of St. Petersburg, but the tallest free-standing triumphal column in the world (its total height is 47.5 m). That is, the column, carved from a monolithic piece of granite, is not secured in any way - it is held on the pedestal solely by its own weight, which is over 600 tons.

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

The Alexander Column was designed by the architect Henri Louis Auguste Ricard de Montferrand, a native of France, who in Russia was called August Augustovich. Working at the turn of the era, Montferrand determined the paths for the further development of Russian architecture - from classicism to eclecticism.

Two thousand soldiers installed the finished column on the square in front of the Winter Palace in 1832. Manual labor and ropes were used.

After the “Alexandrian Pillar” stood on the pedestal, a thunderous “Hurray!” swept across the square, and the sovereign, turning to the architect, said: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself.”

Over the next two years, the monument was completed.

The column was completed with an allegorical figure of an angel trampling a snake with a cross. His light figure, flowing folds of clothing, and the strict verticality of the cross emphasize the slenderness of the column. The author of the statue is sculptor Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky.

And here’s what’s interesting: the monument on Palace Square, originally dedicated to Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812, almost immediately began to be perceived as a monument to the founding of the Russian state. This happened also thanks to the pedestal.

Alexander Column

The pedestal of the monument is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs depicting allegorical figures and military armor.

On three bas-reliefs there are allegories of Peace, Justice, Wisdom, Abundance and images of military armor. The armor is reminiscent of the military glory of the Russian people and the era of Rurikovich and the era of the Romanovs. Here is the shield of the prophetic Oleg, which he nailed to the gates of Constantinople-Constantinople, the helmet of the hero of the Battle of the Ice, the blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the helmet of the conqueror of Siberia Ermak, the armor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov.

The pedestal ends with bronze garlands supported by double-headed eagles.

The base of the column is decorated in the form of a laurel wreath. After all, it is the wreath that is traditionally crowned with the winners.

On the bas-relief facing the Winter Palace, two figures are symmetrically placed - a woman and an old man. They personify the rivers – the Vistula and the Neman. These two rivers were crossed by the Russian army during the pursuit of Napoleon.

On August 30, 1834, the grand opening of the Alexander Column took place on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. August 30 was not chosen by chance. Since the time of Peter I, this day has been celebrated as the Day of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky - the heavenly defender of St. Petersburg. On this day, Peter I concluded “eternal peace with Sweden”; on this day the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg. That is why the angel crowning the Alexander Column has always been perceived primarily as a protector.

The memory of this event by the poet Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky has been preserved: “No pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if from the ground, in slender bulks, with the thunder of drums, to the sounds of the Paris March, columns of the Russian army began to march. ... This splendor lasted for two hours, the only spectacle in the world. In the evening, noisy crowds wandered through the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally, the lighting went out, the streets were empty, and a majestic colossus with its sentry remained in a deserted square.”

By the way, even then a legend arose that this very sentry - the angel crowning the column - has a portrait resemblance to Emperor Alexander I. And it did not arise by chance. The sculptor Orlovsky had to redo the sculpture of the angel several times before Nicholas I liked it. According to Orlovsky, the emperor wanted the angel’s face to be given a resemblance to Alexander I, and the head of the snake, trampled by the angel’s cross, had to certainly resemble the face of Napoleon.

Imitating his grandmother, Catherine II, who inscribed “Peter I - Catherine II” on the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman, and his father, who wrote “Great-grandfather - great-grandson” on the monument to Peter I at the Mikhailovsky Castle, Nikolai Pavlovich in official papers called the new monument “Pillar of Nicholas I” - Alexander I." By the way, it was the monument to Peter I at the Mikhailovsky Castle, made under Elizabeth Petrovna, that was once planned to be installed in the center of Palace Square.

According to legend, after the opening of the column, the residents of St. Petersburg were very afraid that it would fall and tried not to get close to it. And, they say, then 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.

But still, the townspeople fell in love with the monument. And, naturally, around the pillar, as one of the symbols of the city, its own mythology began to take shape. And, of course, the monument began to be perceived as a natural dominant of the city’s main square and a symbol of the entire Russian Empire.

And the angel crowning the Alexander Column was, first of all, a protector and guardian for the townspeople. The angel seemed to be protecting and blessing the city and its inhabitants.

But it was the angel, the guardian angel, who became the cause of the more than amazing events that unfolded around the Alexander Column. These are little known pages. So, only chance saved the monument in 1917. Here, on Palace Square, they wanted to establish the main churchyard of the country. The column, as a monument to tsarism, should be toppled, and a number of memorial graves should be built along the Winter Palace.

But it turned out that collapsing a 600-ton column is not so easy. The move of the government to Moscow in the spring of 1918 saved us from further projects of turning the main square of the city and empire into a cemetery. The idea of ​​creating a graveyard in the center of the capital, which failed in Petrograd, was implemented on the Mother See's Red Square, near the Kremlin wall.

But the most incredible events unfolded in 1924 after Lenin's death.

On November 11, 1924, the Leningrad authorities made a decision “On the reconstruction of the so-called Alexander Column, built by the architect Montferrand and standing in the middle of Uritsky Square, and erecting on it, instead of the figure of an angel with a cross now standing, a statue of the Great Leader of the Proletariat, Comrade. Lenin..." Uritsky Square is the renamed Palace Square. Only People's Commissar of Education A.V. Lunacharsky managed to convincingly prove to the city authorities the absurdity of the idea of ​​​​installing Lenin on the Alexander Column.

The angel remained standing on the largest in the world (among such monuments) “Alexandria Pillar,” as A.S. called the column. Pushkin. The last time there was an attempt on his life was in 1952. There was a series of massive Stalinist renamings: the Stalinsky district appeared in the city, Moskovsky Avenue became Stalinsky. On this wave, the idea arose to install a bust of Joseph Stalin on our column. But we didn’t have time.

6. Egyptian obelisk, serpent column, Gothic column, knight's statue of Emperor Justinian, name of Moscow Let's return to the Egyptian appearance of Thutmes III, which we described above. It can still be seen today in Istanbul, not far from the Church of St. Sophia, on the square where once