The Pillar of Alexandria - history, construction, legends. The Alexander Column is an artifact that refutes the official version of history When the Alexandrian Column was installed

The Alexander Column is one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,
The folk path will not grow to it,
He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious
Of the Alexandrian pillar ...

A.S. Pushkin

If I remember correctly from school, then the poem sounds like this) After that, with the light hand of Alexander Sergeevich, they began to call the Alexander Column a pillar, moreover, Alexandria =) How did it appear and why is it so remarkable?

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

This monument supplemented the composition of the Arch of the General Staff, which was dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The idea for the construction of the monument came from 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 the “unforgettable brother”. Auguste Montferrand responded to this challenge by erecting 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 high on a granite plinth 8.22 meters. The obelisk's face was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the 1812 war in photographs from the famous medallions by Count F.P. Tolstoy. On the pedestal, it was planned to carry the inscription "Blessed - grateful Russia". On the pedestal, the architect saw a rider on a horse trampling a serpent with his feet; a double-headed eagle flies in front 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. The artistic part of the project is superbly executed with watercolor technique and testifies to Montferrand's high skill in various areas of visual arts. Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the subordination, dedicating his essay “Plans et details du monument consacr? ? la m? moire de l'Empereur Alexandre ”, but the idea was still rejected and Montferrand was unequivocally pointed to the column as the desired shape of the monument.

The second project, which was later implemented, consisted in the installation of a column higher than Vendôme (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Below in the photo - a fragment of a column from the Place Vendome (author - PAUL)

As a source of inspiration for Auguste Montferrand was offered Trajan's Column in Rome

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape from the influence of world famous designs, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. The artist expressed his individuality by refusing to use additional decorations, like the bas-reliefs that spirally wrapped around the pivot of Trajan's antique column. Montferrand showed the beauty of a giant polished pink granite monolith 25.6 meters high. 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.

For the granite monolith - the main part of the column, a rock was used, which the sculptor had outlined in his previous trips to Finland. Extraction and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Puterlak quarry, which was located between Vyborg and Friedrichsgam. These works were carried out according to the method of S. K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by the foremen 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, which was much larger than the future column. Gigantic devices were used: huge levers and gates in order to move the block from its place and topple it onto a soft and resilient bed of spruce branches. After separating the blank, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed more than 400 tons. Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this a barge of a special design was involved. The monolith was duped on the spot and prepared for transportation. The ship's engineer, Colonel Glasin, was in charge of the transportation, who designed and built a special boat, named “Saint Nicholas”, with a carrying capacity of up to 1100 tons. A special pier was built to carry out loading operations. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, which coincides in height with the side of the vessel. Having overcome all difficulties, the convoy was loaded aboard, and the monolith set off for Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamers to go from there to the Palace Embankment of St. Petersburg. Arrival of the central part Alexander Column Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832.

In 1829, on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column. The work was supervised by O. Montferrand. First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, as a result of which a suitable sandy continent was discovered near the center of the area at a depth of 5.2 m. In December 1829, the site for the column was approved, and 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven into the base. Then the piles were cut under the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut at the level of the water table, which ensured the horizontal position of the platform. 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 the same technology, the foundation was laid for St. Isaac's Cathedral. The foundation of the monument was built of half-meter thick stone granite blocks. It was brought out to the horizon of the square with plank masonry. A bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812 was laid in its center. In October 1830, the work was completed.

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith was erected on it, brought from the Puterlak quarry, which serves as the base of the pedestal. Of course, at that time, installing a 400-ton stone was, to put it mildly, not easy) But I don’t think that this article should be described this process, I’ll just note that it was hard for them ... By July 1832, the column monolith was on its way and the pedestal has already been completed. Now is the time to begin the most difficult task - placing the column on a pedestal. This part of the work was also carried out by Lieutenant General A.A. Betancourt. In December 1830 he designed the original lifting system. It included: scaffolding 47 meters high, 60 capstans and a block system, and he took advantage of all this in the following way: the column was rolled along an inclined plane onto a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding and wrapped with many rings of ropes to which the blocks were attached ; another block system was at the top of the forest; a large number of ropes, encircling the stone, skirted the upper and lower blocks and, with their free ends, were wound on capstans placed in the square. At the end of all the preparations, the day of the solemn ascent was appointed. On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this, the windows and the roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the lift. To bring the column to a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A.A. Betancourt needed to attract the forces of 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The stone block rose obliquely, slowly crawled, then lifted off the ground and was brought to a position above the pedestal. On command, the ropes were released, the column smoothly lowered and fell into place. The people loudly shouted "Hurray!" And Nicholas I then declared to Montferrand that he had immortalized himself.

After the column was installed, it remained to fix the bas-relief slabs and decorative elements on the pedestal, as well as to carry out the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was crowned with a bronze Doric capital with a rectangular brickwork abacus with bronze cladding. A cylindrical bronze pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it. In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830 O. Montferrand worked on the statue, supposed to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the initial project, 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 a variant with the installation of the figure of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. As a result, the figure of an angel with a cross, made by the sculptor B. I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism, was accepted for execution - “Win ​​this!”. These words are associated with the story of the acquisition of the life-giving cross. The finishing and polishing of the monument took two years.

The opening of the monument took place on August 30, 1834 and marked the end of the work on the design of the Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, the one hundred thousandth Russian army and representatives of the Russian army. It was carried out in an emphatically Orthodox setting 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 historic prayer service of the Russian troops in Paris on the day of Orthodox Easter, March 29, 1814. In honor of the opening of the monument, a commemorative ruble was issued with a circulation of 15,000 coins.

The Alexander Column resembles samples of the triumphal structures of antiquity; the monument has an amazing clarity of proportions, laconic form, beauty of silhouette. On the plaque of the monument is engraved "Alexander I grateful Russia". It is the tallest monument in the world, made of solid granite and the third highest after the Column of the Great Army in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar in London (Column of Nelson). It is higher than similar monuments in the world: the Vendome Column in Paris, Trajan's Column in Rome and the Pompey Column in Alexandria.

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 in his right hand he raises to the sky. The angel's head is tilted, his gaze fixed on the ground. According to the original design by 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, the figure of an angel is taller than the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendome column. The sculptor gave the facial features of the angel a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. In addition, the angel tramples the 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 defined vertical of the cross, continuing the vertical of the monument, emphasize the slenderness of the column.

"Pillar of Alexandria" 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 trophy cannons, which were crowned with three-headed eagles. Between them were placed alternating spears and flagstaffs, crowned with guards' double-headed eagles. Locks were hung on the gate of the fence in accordance with the author's plan. In addition, the project involved the installation of a candelabrum 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 northeastern corner of the fence there was a sentry box, in which there was a disabled person dressed in a full guard uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order on the square. The entire space of the Palace Square was paved with end faces.

Imperial fine linen
And the chariot motors
In the black pool of the capital
The pillar-angel is lifted up ...

Osip Mandelstam

Amazing in its simplicity, but also striking, the column on the Palace Square is the tallest triumphal building in the world. Among the likes of him there is no equal.

The architect Montferrand created it by order of Nicholas I, who wanted to perpetuate the memory of the victory of his brother, Alexander I, in the battle with Napoleon.

In 1834, according to Montferrand's design, a 47.5-meter high pink granite column was erected in the very center of the square. This is the height of the column with the statue mounted on top of it.

The pink granite from which the column was made was mined near Vyborg in the Puterlak quarry, but initially it was planned to make one of the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral from it.

Finding that the length of the monolith is much longer than necessary, they decided not to spoil it and start up something more impressive.

For delivery to St. Petersburg in 1832, a special barge was constructed. The Alexandrian pillar, in addition to its size, is also unique in that it stands unsecured and unsupported. For more than a century and a half, it has been held upright by its own weight and the calculations of a talented architect. And its weight is no less than 600 tons.

It is incredible not so much that the column does not fall (its base is wide enough), but that the foundation did not shrink for a century and a half, and there was no deviation from the vertical.

The installation work went quickly. It was lifted to an upright position in a little more than an hour and a half. Almost 2.5 thousand soldiers and workers were involved in the operation.

1250 pine logs were used as levers (on the advice of Archimedes).

The years of construction of the monument are 1830-1834.

Knowing that the pillar was not secured by anything, the townspeople, especially the ladies, were at first afraid to approach. What if the ingenious calculations turned out to be wrong somewhere and the obelisk still falls?

Auguste Richard Montferrand, in order to dispel all doubts of the inhabitants, every morning, until his death, began the day with a morning walk along the Palace Square around the column. But the pillar has not fallen until now, and in fact more than 170 years have passed. He even survived enemy bombing, although the shells fell in the immediate vicinity.

The Alexander Column is crowned with the figure of an angel by the former serf sculptor Boris Orlovsky.

The angel's left hand holds the classic Latin cross, and the right one is lifted up to heaven. The head is tilted down, and the gaze is fixed on the ground.

The pedestal is decorated with military ornaments. Bronze bas-reliefs on the pedestal depict military armor and Russian weapons.

During construction, the figure was secured with a metal rod, which was later removed through an oversight.

Only in 2002 did restorers discover that the angel, like the column, is held by its weight.

A decorative cast-iron fence is set around, the ends of which are crowned with small figures of two-headed imperial eagles.

Periodically, these eagles are broken and stolen, which indicates a certain level of the brain of a part of the townspeople.

For this case, there are several ready-made copies in the storerooms, which quickly replace those that have been out of order.

Alexander Column dimensions and weight:

The total height is 47.5 meters.

The height of the monolithic part is 25.6 meters

Pedestal height - 2.85 meters

The height of the angel figure is 4.26 meters

Cross height - 6.4 meters

Column bottom diameter -3.5 meters

Column top diameter - 3.15 meters

Pedestal size - 6.3 x 6.3 meters

Fence dimensions - 16.5 x 16.5 meters

The total weight of the structure is 704 tons

Monolith weight about 600 tons

The total weight of the angel with the base at the top of the column is about 37 tons

How to get there:

Walk to the Palace Square and find its center.

If it does not work out the first time, ask passers-by

This monument supplemented the composition of the Arch of the General Staff, which was dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The idea for the construction of the monument came from 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 by erecting a grandiose granite obelisk. Taking into account the size of the square, Montferrand did not consider the options for the sculptural monument, realizing that, not having a colossal size, he would simply be 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 to erect a granite obelisk similar to the ancient Egyptian obelisks on a granite base. The total height of the monument was 33.78 meters. The obverse was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the war of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions by the medalist Count FP Tolstoy.

On the pedestal it was planned to make the inscription "Blessed - grateful Russia". On the pedestal, the architect placed bas-reliefs (the author of which was the same Tolstoy) depicting Alexander as a Roman soldier on a horse trampling a snake with his feet; a double-headed eagle flies in front 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. The artistic part of the project is superbly executed with watercolor technique and testifies to Montferrand's high skill in various areas of visual arts. The project itself was also done "with great skill."

Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the subordination, dedicating his work to Nicholas I “ Plans et details du monument consacré à la mémoire de l'Empereur Alexandre”, But the idea was still rejected and Montferrand was unequivocally pointed to the column as the desired shape of the monument.

Final project

The second project, which was later implemented, consisted in the installation of a column higher than Vendôme (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). As sources for his project, Montferrand used the columns of Trajan and Antoninus in Rome, Pompey in Alexandria and, finally, the Parisian Vendome column.

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape from the influence of world famous designs, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. Montferrand refused to use additional decorations, like the bas-reliefs spirally wrapped around the core of Trajan's antique column, since, according to him, contemporary artists could not compete with the ancient masters, and opted for a column with a smooth core made of a giant polished pink granite monolith high 25.6 meters (12 fathoms). He copied the pedestal and base almost unchanged from Trajan's column.

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

Construction was carried out 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

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

The monolith was duped on the spot and prepared for transportation. The ship engineer Colonel KA Glazyrin was in charge of the transportation, who designed and built a special boat named "Saint Nicholas" with a carrying capacity of up to 65 thousand poods (about 1100 tons). To carry out loading operations, a pier and a pier (its dimensions are 50 x 40 m) were built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform that completes the pier and coincides in height with the side of the vessel.

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

The central part of the column arrived in St. Petersburg 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 site under the leadership of O. Montferrand.

Yakovlev's business qualities, extraordinary intelligence and discretion were noted by Montferrand. Most likely he 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:

The Yakovlev case is over; the upcoming difficult operations concern you; I hope that you will be as successful as he was.

Nicholas I, to Auguste Montferrand on the prospects after the unloading of the column to St. Petersburg

Works in St. Petersburg

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

The foundation of the monument was built of half-meter thick stone granite blocks. It was brought out to the horizon of the square with plank masonry. A bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812 was laid in its center.

The work was completed in October 1830.

Pedestal construction

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith was erected on it, brought from the Puterlak quarry, 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 piled on a pile of sand, previously poured next to the platform.

"At the same time, the earth shook so strongly that the bystanders - passers-by, who were on the square at that moment, felt like an underground blow."

After the supports were placed under the monolith, the workers raked out the sand and placed the rollers. The props were chopped off, and the lump fell onto the rollers. The stone was rolled onto the foundation and precisely set. The ropes, thrown over the blocks, were pulled with nine capstans and raised the stone to a height of about one meter. They took out the rollers and poured a layer of a slippery, very peculiar in its composition solution, on which the monolith was planted.

Since the work was carried out in the winter, I ordered to mix cement with vodka and add a tenth of soap. Due to the fact that the stone initially sat down 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, which I ordered to be mixed into the solution.

O. Montferrand

The setting of the upper parts of the pedestal was a much simpler task - despite the higher lifting height, the subsequent steps consisted of stones of much smaller sizes than the previous ones, and the workers gradually gained experience. The rest of the pedestal (hewn granite blocks) were installed on the plinth with mortar and fastened with steel brackets.

Column installation

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

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

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, turned towards the Winter Palace. In the initial project, 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 a variant with the installation of the figure of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky.

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

The finishing and polishing of the monument took two years.

Opening of the monument

The opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11) of the year and marked the end of the work on the design of the Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, the one hundred thousandth Russian army 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 the Russian troops in Paris on the day of Orthodox Easter on March 29 (April 10) of the year.

It was impossible to look without deep emotional emotion 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 all<…>How amazing at that moment was this opposition of worldly greatness, magnificent, but transient, with the greatness of death, gloomy but unchanging; and how eloquent was this angel in view of the one and the other, who, having nothing to do with everything that surrounded him, stood between earth and sky, belonging to one with his monumental granite, depicting something that is no longer there, and to the other with his radiant cross, a symbol of that always and forever

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

Description of the monument

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

The text on the plaque of the monument:

ALEXANDER IMU BLAGODARNAYA 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 Great Army in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar (Nelson's Column) in London; The Alexander Column above the Vendome 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 in the form of a column or obelisk vertically, and one of the greatest (the fifth in history and the second - after the Thunder Stone - in modern times) monoliths displaced by man.

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).
  • Pedestal height 2.85 m (4 arshins),
  • The height of the angel figure is 4.26 m,
  • The height of the cross is 6.4 m (3 sazhens).
• The lower column diameter is 3.5 m (12 ft), the upper one 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 column of the column is about 600 tons.
  • The total weight of the column top is about 37 tons.

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

Pedestal

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

A large team of authors worked on the decoration of the pedestal: sketches were made by O. Montferrand, who proved to be an excellent draftsman here. His drawings 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 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, shishaks and shields stored in the Armory 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 quite doubtful that the shield Oleg of the X century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.

Based on Montferrand's drawings, the artists J.B. Scotti, V. Soloviev, Tverskoy, F. Brullo, Markov made life-size cardboards for bas-reliefs. Sculptors P.V. Svintsov and I. Leppe sculpted bas-reliefs for casting. Models of double-headed eagles were made by the sculptor I. Leppe, models of the base, garlands and other decorations were made by the 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 well-known 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 (obverse) side: winged female figures are holding a rectangular board, on which the inscription in civilian script: "Alexander the First, grateful Russia." An exact copy of the armor samples from the armory is shown under the board.

Symmetrically located figures on the sides of the arms (on the left - a beautiful young woman leaning on an urn, from which water is poured out and on the right - an old Aquarius) personify the Vistula and Neman rivers, which were forced by the Russian army during the pursuit of Napoleon.

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

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

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

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

Column and sculpture of an angel

The stone pillar is a one-piece polished piece of pink granite. The column shaft is tapered.

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

The column itself is higher than Vendôme, and the figure of an angel is higher in height than the figure of Napoleon I in the latter. An angel tramples on a snake with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe by defeating the Napoleonic troops.

The sculptor gave the facial features of the angel a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. According to other sources, the figure of the angel is a sculptural portrait of the Petersburg poet Elisabeth Kuhlman.

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 transferred the pedestal and base of Trajan's column, as well as the lower diameter of the rod - 12 feet (3.66 m), to his project without changes. The height of the rod of the Alexander Column was taken 3 feet less than Trajan's column - 84 feet (25.58 m), and the top diameter - 10 feet 6 inches (3.19 m). As in the Roman Doric order, the height of the column was eight of its diameters. The architect has developed his own system of thinning the column rod - an important element that affects the overall perception of the monument. Contrary to the classical system of thinning, 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 the segments of the arc of the base section. In addition, he used more divisions than usual - twelve. As Nikitin notes, the thinning system of the Alexander Column is Montferrand's undoubted success.

Fence and surroundings of the monument

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 are framed by double gates on four sides of the fence), which were crowned with three-headed eagles.

Between them were placed alternating spears and flagstaffs, crowned with guards' double-headed eagles. Locks were hung on the gate of the fence in accordance with the author's plan.

In addition, the project involved the installation of a candelabrum 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 northeastern corner of the fence there was a sentry box, in which there was a disabled person dressed in a full guard uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order on the square.

An end pavement was made throughout the entire space of the 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 excision, transportation and staging, namely: he proposed to the emperor to drill a spiral staircase inside this column and required only two workers for this: a man and a boy with a hammer, a chisel and a basket in which the boy would carry out the fragments of granite as he drilled it; 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 a little) would have finished their spiral staircase; but the emperor, justly proud of the construction of this one-of-a-kind monument, feared, and perhaps thoroughly, that this drilling would not pierce the outer sides of the column, and therefore rejected this proposal.

Completion 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 topping of the granite column, spoiling the appearance of the monument.

In 1841, Nicholas I ordered an examination of the flaws noticed on the column at that time, 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 Investigation 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, the column contains cracks originally characteristic of the monolith, but it was feared that an increase in their number and size "could cause the column to collapse."

Discussions were going on about the materials that should be used to seal these cavities. The Russian "grandfather of chemistry" A. A. Voskresensky proposed a composition "which was supposed to give the covering 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 at the column were made 40 years after the opening - in 1876 by the architect K. K. Rachau.

From the moment of its opening until the end of the 20th century, the column has undergone five cosmetic restoration works.

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 launched from a hovering airship.

The fence was dismantled and re-melted into cartridge cases in the 1930s.

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 beginning of the work was the activities for the study of the column. They were forced to produce on the recommendation of specialists from the Museum of Urban Sculpture. The specialists 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 "trooper" at the top of the column with the help of a special fire hydrant "Magirus Deutz".

Having secured themselves at the top, the climbers took photographs and videos of the sculpture. The conclusion was made about the need for urgent restoration work.

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

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

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

Carrying out works

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 apart 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 water accumulation 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 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 cavities of the monument were connected, as a "chimney" used a cross cavity about 15.5 meters high. The created drainage system provides for the removal of all moisture, including condensation.

The brick surcharge of the tops of the abacus was replaced by granite, self-wedging structures without binding agents. Thus, the original plan of Montferrand was again realized. The bronze surfaces of the monument were protected by patinating.

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

The forests were removed from the monument in March 2003.

Fence repair

... “jewelry work” was carried out and during the reconstruction of the fence “iconographic materials, old photographs were used”. "Palace Square received the finishing touch."

The fence was made according to a project carried out 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 opening, part of the grating was stolen as a result of two "raids" of vandals - hunters for non-ferrous metals.

The theft was not prevented, despite the 24-hour video surveillance cameras on the Palace Square: they did not record anything in the dark. To monitor the area at night, you need to use special expensive cameras. The leadership of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg decided to establish a round-the-clock 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, a defective statement was drawn up for all losses of elements. It recorded:

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

• 28 eagles
• 26 peak.

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

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

References in art

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 Alexander Pushkin "". The Alexandrian pillar of Pushkin 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 VA Zhukovsky out of fear of censorship for "Napoleons" (meaning the Vendôme column).

In addition, contemporaries attributed the couplet to Pushkin:

Everything breathes with military craft in Russia
And the angel makes a cross on guard

Commemorative coin

On September 25, 2009, the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative 25-ruble coin dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg. The coin is made of 925 sterling silver with a circulation of 1000 copies and weighing 169.00 grams

The Alexander Column was made in another civilization 15 thousand years ago

The Column of Alexandria in St. Petersburg was made in another civilization 12-15 thousand years ago.
https://konhobar.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/Alexandrian-column-made-in-dr/

Petersburg with Georgy Sidorov (Property of the Planet)

Researchers of the secrets of antiquity have repeatedly drawn attention to the many oddities of the architecture and symbolism of the northern capital of Russia. Oddly enough, one of the youngest cities in our country leads in the number of objects, whose origin raises many questions. Historian writer and traveler Georgy Sidorov commented on the most striking of them. This is the symbol of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column (aka the "Alexandrian Pillar"), the Atlanteans of the Hermitage and St. Isaac's Cathedral. “As always, Georgy Alekseevich put forward his own sensational assumptions. Stay in St. Petersburg became the starting point for a long expedition across the waters of the Arctic Ocean.

St. Petersburg has always had a mystical reputation. This city attracts seekers of secrets of various directions. Riddles in St. Petersburg are found literally at every step: there are houses with bad fame, and an extensive network of dungeons, and the sign of the unfortunate Emperor Paul I, and even its own Bermuda triangle, not to mention the countless Masonic symbols on the architectural structures of the northern capital. For a researcher of artifacts of ancient civilizations, Petersburg is a real treasure chest, but the writer-historian Georgy Sidorov, staying true to himself, went the path not yet traveled and presented a radically new look at the secrets of Petersburg.

The first object of Georgy Sidorov's visit was the famous Alexander Column. This gigantic monument, almost fifty meters high and weighing more than 600 tons, was erected about two centuries ago in 1834. According to official data, the blanks for the column and pedestal were mined in the Puterlak quarry, then transported by water to St. Petersburg, where, under the leadership of the architect Auguste Montferrand, further processing of the stone monoliths was carried out. However, the point of view of Georgy Sidorov on the origin of this monument differs significantly from the generally accepted one.

Georgy Sidorov: If you look at it, it is surprising that it is chiseled. To carve such a column out of a solid block of granite, firstly, at least, our civilization is needed, electricity is needed, electrical energy is needed, special machines are needed. We need a machine that could hone such a huge block. Well, for example, a column itself, 750 tons, can hardly be rotated, even in our time, now we do not have such technology. Most likely, this huge block was standing, fixed, and some kind of mechanism moved along it, segment by segment, honing it to its full length and making it tapered. The fact is that if you look at it, you can see, here is one segment, the second segment, it is all cut into segments, the sharpening went like this. Now the question is - how could this be done? After all, this was done by the mechanism, because the glare of light is falling, there is not a single wave, it is made like a ruler. It was made, preserved somewhere, most likely, they found it and decided to adapt it for this purpose, to perpetuate the power of the Russian Empire. Montferrand brilliantly managed to deliver it, establish, but the fact that it was made in another civilization, not in our civilization, it was made a very long time ago, maybe 12-15 thousand years ago, because even now, as far as I am managed to ask architects and builders, those who know stone, work on stone, they shrug their shoulders. Currently, there is no technology for manufacturing such a column. They just never existed. You can put it, you can bring it, but it's almost impossible to do it. Here a lot of questions arise. On the one hand, why were Hittite eagles needed, not Russian, but Hittite eagles, they are not Byzantine, Byzantine eagles, they are already with crowns, here is a pure Hittite two-headed eagle, on four sides, and it is not clear where it came from here.

Just like that! The column glorifying the victory of Russia over Napoleon, in fact, contains symbols of completely different peoples and completely different times, which may indicate its ancient origin. By the way, you can read about some of the little-known details of the death of the Hittite Empire and the appearance of the two-headed eagle in Russia in the books of Georgy Sidorov.

Passing the building of the new Hermitage, Georgy Sidorov drew attention to the magnificent figures of the Atlanteans, holding a massive balcony on their shoulders. The keen eye of the researcher was attracted not so much by the artistic merit of these majestic sculptures as by the way they were made.

Georgy Sidorov: They are all one to one, all one. For interest, look, all this is one. Do you understand? Bodies, bodies, the impression is that they are simply cast from the same mold, everything is made.

Woman: Hair too, they are slightly different.

Georgy Sidorov: What is left for the sculptor to finish? Here, loincloths, hair, that's what sets them apart. Toes, feet, proportions - everything about the body itself, it's all one to one, down to maybe one tenth of a millimeter. That is, it is practically one figure, it is one figure everywhere. So, it turns out that those who once made them, they owned the secret of liquid granite, managed to make the granite liquid, poured it, then some parts that caught the eye, they changed, here are the loincloths, they changed their hair, that is, there the sculptor's cutter was already working. And it turns out that they seem to be the same, at the same time slightly different, but the proportions are absolute. The structure of the knees, the structure of the legs, the structure of the veins, the veins are all the same absolutely on the legs, as it were, here they are from the same shape. It is all one form. Here's how to explain it? Only in one case can it be explained that the Atlanteans were cast, they were not made of solid granite, granite slabs or stones, they were cast from the same mold, and then they were finished, the difference was made only here where the work went on the wool, that is wool, loincloths, hair on the head, everything, everything else is the same.

The last point outlined by Georgy Sidorov to visit was St. Isaac's Cathedral. This magnificent architectural structure was erected in the middle of the 19th century according to the project of the same Auguste Montferrand, the author of the Alexander Column. Is it possible that they have a common ancient origin?

Georgy Sidorov: This part here, the large steps are an exact copy of the May pyramids, the Aztec pyramids, they are circular, this is a piece of the pyramid. It goes there, I don't know, the depth, maybe there is a depth of 20 meters, maybe more. And this is the temple. Here, too, these steps, they are already modern, they are made for the modern, that is, it was done recently. And those steps, too, but they are made for people not of our race, two, two twenty, two thirty, two fifty, approximately, height. The construction has been done, and these steps have been made for other people, this is done for giants, for a very large four-meter man, and this was then adapted for us.

You can see that this is the same technology as the Alexandrian pillar, that these columns, the only difference is that they are lighter, much lighter than the pillar. Each column weighs approximately 110 tons. This is a huge weight too, and it is not clear how these columns were delivered, it is not clear how they were installed, because you can describe everything, as we say, “paper will endure everything,” but, in fact, in those times when there was no electricity, it was all done. They were carved, then polished, but now, if you look closely at the steps and columns, you can see that, both along the steps and along the columns, such ripples have gone through the polishing, that is, the process of weathering is underway. And the weathering for a century, for two such levels cannot be, it is clear that these columns and steps are gigantic, they were not made in the 18th century, not in the 17th or even in the 15th, that is, it was a very long time ago. All this is a single complex of some kind.

The tour of St. Petersburg has come to an end. In the port of Georgy Sidorov, a boat "Mercury" is waiting, on which he, together with his companions-in-arms, will sail along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The purpose of the expedition is to search for traces of the ancient civilization of Hyperborea, which existed on the disappeared continent of Arctida. We will tell you about what Georgy Sidorov will discover during the expedition on the channel "Property of the Planet"

The Alexander Column appeared on Palace Square in 1834, but this was preceded by a long and complex history of its construction. The idea itself belongs to Karl Rossi - the author of many sights of the Northern capital. He suggested that one detail is missing to decorate the Palace Square - the central monument, and also noted that it must be high enough, otherwise it will be lost against the background of the General Staff building.

Emperor Nicholas I supported this idea and announced a competition for the best design of a monument for Palace Square, adding that it should symbolize the victory of Alexander I over Napoleon. Among all the projects sent to the competition, the attention of the emperor was attracted by the work of Auguste Montferrand.

However, his first sketch was never realized. The architect proposed to erect a granite obelisk with bas-reliefs on a military theme on the square, but Nicholas I liked the idea of ​​a column, similar to the one that was installed by Napoleon. This is how the project of the Pillar of Alexandria came about.

Taking Pompey's and Trajan's columns for samples, as well as the already mentioned monument in Paris, Auguste Montferrand developed a project for the highest (at that time) monument in the world. In 1829, this sketch was approved by the emperor, and an architect was assigned to lead the construction process.

Construction of the monument

Implementing the idea of ​​the Alexander Column turned out to be difficult. A piece of rock, from which the granite base of the monument was carved, was brought from, and processed in the Vyborg province. A system of levers was developed specifically for lifting and transporting it, and to send the stone block to it, it was necessary to design a special barge and a pier for it.

In the same 1829, the foundation of the future monument began to be laid on the Palace Square. It is interesting that practically the same technology was used for its construction as for the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. For an even cut of wooden piles, driven in as the base of the foundation, water was used - it filled the foundation pit with it, the workers cut the piles at the level of the water surface. This innovative method at that time was proposed by Augustine Bettencourt, a famous Russian engineer and architect.

The most difficult task was the installation of the column of the Alexander Column. For this, an original lift was created from capstans, blocks and unprecedentedly high scaffolding, which grew 47 meters up. Hundreds of spectators watched the procedure for raising the main part of the monument, and the emperor himself arrived with his entire family. When the granite column landed on the pedestal, a loud "Hurray!" Was heard over the square. And, as the emperor noted, Montferrand acquired immortality with this monument.

The final stage of construction was no longer particularly difficult. From 1832 to 1834, the monument was decorated with bas-reliefs and other decorative elements. The author of the capital in the Roman-Doric style was the sculptor Yevgeny Balin, he also developed models of garlands and profiles for the Alexander Column.

Disagreement was caused only by the statue, which was supposed to crown the monument - Montferrand proposed to install a cross entwined with a snake, but in the end the emperor approved a completely different project. At the top of the column was installed the work of B. Orlovsky - a six-meter angel with a cross, in whose face you can recognize the features of Alexander I.

Opening of the Pillar of Alexandria

Work on the Alexander Column was fully completed in the summer of 1834, and the grand opening was scheduled for August 30, or September 11, according to the old style. Prepared for this event in advance - Montferrand even created special stands for important guests, which were made in the same style as the Winter Palace.

A divine service was held at the foot of the monument in the presence of the emperor, foreign diplomats and thousands of Russian troops, and then a military parade took place in front of the stands. In total, more than 100,000 people were involved in the celebration, and this is not counting the numerous spectators from St. Petersburg. In honor of the Alexander Column, the mint even issued a commemorative ruble with a portrait of Alexander I.

How to get there

The Alexander Column is located on the Palace Square in the historical part of the city. Many public transport routes pass here and it is also very popular for walking. The nearest metro stations are Admiralteyskaya and Nevsky Prospekt.

The exact address: Palace Square, Saint Petersburg

Option 1

Metro: take the blue or green line to the station Nevsky Prospect.

On foot: head towards the spire of the Admiralty until the intersection with Admiralteisky Prospekt, and then on the right you will see the Alexander Column.

Option 2

Metro: along the violet line to the Admiralteyskaya station.

On foot: go out to Malaya Morskaya street and walk to Nevsky prospect. Then within 5 minutes you can walk to the intersection with Admiralteisky Prospekt and to the Palace Square.

Option 3

Bus: routes No. 1, 7, 10, 11, 24 and 191 to the stop "Palace Square".

Option 4

Bus: routes number 3, 22, 27 and 100 to the stop "Metro Admiralteyskaya".

On foot: walk 5 minutes to Palace Square.

Option 5

Minibus: route No. K-252 to the stop "Palace Square".

Option 6

Trolleybus: routes No. 5 and 22 to the stop "Nevsky Prospect".

On foot: walk 7 minutes to Palace Square.

Also, the Alexander Column is a 5-minute walk from the Palace Bridge and the embankment of the same name.

Alexander Column on the map

• Some numbers: the Alexandrian pillar, together with the angel at its top, is 47.5 meters high. The very figure of an angel with a cross is 6.4 meters high, and the pedestal on which it is installed is 2.85 meters. The total weight of the monument is about 704 tons, of which 600 tons are allocated to the stone pillar itself. Its installation required the simultaneous participation of 400 workers and the assistance of 2,000 soldiers.
• The Alexander Column, which is a solid piece of granite, rests on a pedestal due to its own weight. It is practically not fixed in any way and is not buried in the ground. The strength and reliability of the monument for so many centuries have been ensured by the precise calculations of the engineers.

• When laying the foundation, a bronze box with 105 coins issued in honor of the victory over Napoleon in 1812 was placed in the base of the Alexander Column. They are still kept there together with a commemorative plaque.
• In order to accurately establish the monolithic base of the column on the foundation, Montferrand came up with a special "slippery" solution with the addition of soap. This allowed the huge boulder to be moved several times until it was in the correct position. And so that the cement would not freeze longer during winter work, vodka was added to it.
• The angel at the top of the Alexander Column symbolizes the victory of the Russian troops over the French, and while working on this statue, the emperor wished it to look like Alexander I. The snake trampled by the angel was supposed to resemble Napoleon. Indeed, many recognize a certain similarity of the angelic face with the features of Alexander I, but there is another version that in fact the sculptor sculpted it from the poetess Elizabeth Kuhlman.

• Even during the construction of the Alexander Column, Montferrand proposed to make a secret spiral staircase inside the pillar to climb to the top. According to the architect's calculations, this would require one stone carver and one apprentice to take out the trash. The work itself could take up to 10 years. However, Nicholas I rejected the idea, because he feared that as a result, the walls of the column might be damaged.
• At first, Petersburgers perceived the new landmark with apprehension - its unprecedented height raised doubts about its stability. And to prove the safety of the column, Auguste Montferrand began to walk at the monument every day. It is not known whether this measure convinced the distrustful townspeople or whether they simply got used to the monument, but within several years it became one of the most popular attractions in St. Petersburg.
• One funny story is connected with the lanterns surrounding the Alexander Column. In the winter of 1889, the northern capital was flooded with rumors that with the onset of darkness the mysterious letter N appears on the monument, and in the morning it disappears without a trace. Foreign Minister Count Vladimir Lamsdorf became interested in this and decided to check the information. And what was his surprise when the luminous letter really appeared on the surface of the column! But the count, who was not inclined to mysticism, quickly figured out the riddle: it turned out that the glass of the lanterns had the brand of the manufacturer - the company Simens, and at a certain moment the light fell so that the letter N was reflected on the monument.
• After the October Revolution, the new authorities decided that the figure of an angel over the city where the cruiser Aurora is standing is an inappropriate phenomenon that needs to be urgently eliminated. In 1925, they tried to cover the top of the Alexander Column with a cap from a balloon. However, over and over again the wind blew him to the side, and as a result, this venture was abandoned, without achieving success. In addition, it is believed that at one time they wanted to replace the angel with Lenin, but this idea did not reach implementation.
• There is a legend that after the announcement of the first flight into space in 1961, the inscription “Yuri Gagarin! Hooray!". But the question of how its author was able to climb almost to the top of the column, and even remaining unnoticed, was never answered.
• During the Great Patriotic War, they tried to disguise the column in order to protect it from destruction (like other St. Petersburg monuments). However, due to the enormous height of the monument, it was possible to do this only by 2/3, and the peak with the angel was slightly damaged. In the post-war years, the figure of the angel was restored, and it also underwent restoration in the 1970s and 2000s.
• One of the relatively new legends associated with the Alexander Column is the rumor that it actually covers an ancient oil field discovered in the 19th century. Where this belief came from is difficult to say, but in any case, it is completely not supported by the facts.

Around the monument

Since the Pillar of Alexandria is located in the heart of the city, most of the famous St. Petersburg sights are located next to it. You can devote more than one day to walks in these places, because, in addition to architectural monuments, there are museums here that will be interesting to see not only from the outside.

So, next to the Alexander Column you can visit:

Winter Palace- one of the masterpieces of the architect B.F. Rastrelli, created in 1762. Until the October Revolution, it served as the winter residence of several Russian emperors (hence, in fact, its name originated).

The grandiose museum complex, founded by Catherine II, is literally a stone's throw from the column. His rich collections of paintings, sculptures, weapons, ancient household items are known not only in, but all over the world.

Museum of A.S. Pushkin- the former mansion of the Volkonsky princes, where the poet once lived and where his original things have been preserved.

Museum of Printing- an interesting place where you can learn about the history of printing in Russia. It is located 5-7 minutes walk from the Alexander Column on the other bank of the Moika River.

House of Scientists- the former Vladimir Palace and the former Soviet club of the scientific intelligentsia. Several scientific sections work in it today, conferences and business meetings are held.

Even more historical monuments and simply interesting places to walk can be found on the other side of Nevsky Prospect and Palace Proezd.

The closest to the Alexander Column are located:

"Bringing Down the House"- an entertainment center that includes several rooms with an inverted interior. Visitors come here mainly for funny photos.

Alexander Garden- a park founded in 1874 and today is under the protection of UNESCO. Full of green lawns, alleys, flower beds, it will be a great place to relax after an excursion to the Alexander Column and before exploring new sights.

Bronze Horseman- the famous monument to Peter I, made by Etienne Falcone in 1770 by order of Catherine II. From the time of the 18th century to the present day, he is the main symbol of St. Petersburg, the hero of fairy tales and poems, as well as the object of numerous signs, beliefs and legends.

Admiralty is another well-known symbol of the Northern capital, the spire of which serves as a landmark for many tourists and guests of the city. Originally built as a shipyard, today this building is considered a masterpiece of world architecture.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral- a unique example of late classicism and the largest church in St. Petersburg. Its façade is decorated with over 350 sculptures and bas-reliefs.

If you walk from the Alexander Column along the Palace Bridge to the other bank of the Neva, you can get to Vasilievsky Island, which is considered one big attraction. The building of the Stock Exchange, the Kunstkamera, the Zoological Museum, Menshikov's baroque palace and much more are located here. The island itself, with its amazing layout, strictly parallel street-lines and rich history, is worthy of a separate excursion.

In a word, wherever you go from the Alexander Column, in any case you will find yourself at one of the important historical monuments. As one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, it is surrounded by the same iconic monuments and ancient buildings. The very Palace Square, where the column is located, is included in the UNESCO list and is one of the best architectural ensembles in Russia. The Winter Palace, the headquarters of the Guards Corps and the General Staff Building here form a luxurious necklace of architectural masterpieces. On holidays, the square becomes a playground for concerts, sports and other events, and in winter a huge skating rink is filled here.

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