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 this kind of monument that was able to 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 who could not accept them; 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 Carboniere. Senators: Count Kutaisov, Gladkov, Vasilchikov and Bezrodny. The construction 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 also the newly stamped 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. Carboniere, A. Vasilchikov. The construction was carried out according to the drawings of the same architect Augustine de Montferande." [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 rebidding 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 took upon himself 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 mason master 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 gates, so that the ropes are pulled as equally 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 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 - to academicians preparing for the art of architecture. and 4th - to 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 was likened to the amphitheater of Ancient Rome, accommodated more than 10,000 people. Nicholas I and his family were located in a special pavilion. In another, envoys of Austria , England, France, ministers, commissioners for affairs, constituting the foreign diplomatic corps.Then there are special places for the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts, university professors, for foreigners, persons 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 last 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 his assistants, on the day of 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 go hungry, took baskets of breakfast with them and sat in the front row. The opening ceremony of the monument, as far as I remember, did not represent anything special and was very similar to ordinary May parades, with 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. What involuntarily caught our eye most of all was the Chief of Police (if I’m not mistaken, then the Chief of Police 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 rear, 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
1834 - Auguste Montferrand
The height of the Alexander Column monolith is over 25.5 m, the lower diameter is 3.66 m, the upper diameter is 3.19 m, the weight is about 600 tons. The column is crowned with a bronze figure of an Angel trampling a snake with a cross - a symbol of the victory of good over evil (sculptor B.I. . Orlovsky). The face of the Angel is given the features of Emperor Alexander I. The height of the Angel is 4.26 m. The pedestal is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs of allegorical content (sculptor P. V. Svintsov, I. Leppe, according to sketches by J. B. Scotti). The total height of the Alexander Column is 47.5 m.
View of the Puterlag quarry
during work *
View of the Puterlag quarry
during work*
Loading the column
to the bot "Saint Nicholas"*
Transportation
granite blocks
along the Neva*
Delivery of granite
block on Dvortsovaya
square*
Granite block on
transportation
platform*
Granite processing
block in place
column installation*
Lifting the column by
construction platform
for transportation
on Palace Embankment*
Lifting the column by
construction platform
for transportation*
Transportation of the column
on the construction platform
to the installation site*
Transportation of the column
on the construction platform
to the installation site*
Transportation of the column
on the construction platform
to the installation site*
Raising of the column on August 30
(namesake day
Alexander I) 1832.
Tribunes for spectators*
Construction scheme
scaffolding for installation
columns*
Lifting the column by
granite pedestal.
Guard from the company
guards grenadiers*
Top casting
bronze part*
Pedestal and
decorative parts
Alexandrovskaya
columns*
Projects
sculptural
decorations
Alexandrovskaya
columns*
Alexander Column,
Vendôme Column,
Trajan's monuments and
Antonia, Pompey's Column*
** see below
in St. Petersburg. (GRM)
August 30, 1834
Added-
Chernetsov G. G. Parade on the occasion
opening of the monument to Alexander I
in St. Petersburg on August 30, 1834
Added-
View of Alexandrovskaya
columns on Dvortsovaya
area*
View of
Alexandrovskaya
column*
1860-1870
From pastvu.com
1866-1870
From pastvu.com
* Auguste Montferrand "Plans and details of a monument dedicated to the memory of Emperor Alexander." Paris. 1836
**N Evsky archive: Historical and local history collection. Vol. V. St. Petersburg: “Faces of Russia”, 2001 insert
The center of the composition of the Palace Square ensemble is the “Alexandria Column” monument, dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. This event took place during the reign of Alexander I, therefore the monument was created in his honor and bears the name “Alexander Column”.
The decision to perpetuate the era of the reign of Alexander I was made by his brother, Emperor Nicholas I. Work on the construction of the memorial column was entrusted to the Commission on the Construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral and its chief architect Auguste Montferrand.
Initially, Montferrand conceived the monument in the form of an obelisk 35 m high and presented several options that differed only in the design of the pedestal. In one case, it was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs and on the front side to depict Alexander I as a victorious victor riding a quadriga. In the second case, on the sides of the pedestal with a dedicatory inscription there were figures of Glory and Abundance. The third option was unusual - with figures of elephants supporting the obelisk. In the same 1829, the architect developed another option - in the form of a triumphal column topped with a cross. This option, which contains all the elements of the executed composition, with the exception of the completion of the column, was adopted as the basis.
The Alexander Column reproduces the type of triumphal structure from Antiquity (the famous Trojan Column in Rome), but it is the largest structure of its kind in the world. The monument on Palace Square became the tallest column made from a monolithic block of granite.
Montferrand planned to make a column of enormous size, proposing to make the base and granite trunk from Finnish granite, and cast individual parts from bronze. They decided to cut the blank for the granite trunk of the column at the Peterlak quarry, which was at the disposal of the Commission, located 36 versts from the city of Friedrichsgam (now Hamina, Finland). It was extremely difficult not only to prepare the monolith weighing more than 600 tons, but also to deliver it to St. Petersburg and install it. Montferrand had to prove the correctness of the calculations based on his wealth of experience. The Commission found his explanations convincing, and at the beginning of November of the same year, the Montferrand project was approved, and on November 13, a plan for Palace Square indicating the location for the monument was submitted for approval. Finally, at the beginning of December 1829, “The Sovereign Emperor deigned to order the monument to Emperor Alexander I to be erected in the same place as shown on the indicated plan.”
Montferrand’s explanatory note stated: “The foundation of this monument will be made of solid granite, lined on the sides with Tosno slab on four sides to a depth of 3 fathoms. Lay such a bottle on piles of pine logs 6 to 7 vershoks thick and 3 fathoms long, positioned at a distance of one arshin from center to center. Directly on the piles, place one row of granite in the form of flats throughout the entire space... The pedestal, which will be overlaid with bronze, will be made of granite..."
The work, which was carried out according to the method of S.K. Sukhanov, was supervised by masters S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev. According to the archival document, “the granite was overturned... on September 19 at 6 pm in the presence of the chief architect...” In St. Petersburg, in the absence of Montferrand, “All duties related to the building” were to be performed by the architect A. Adamini. The separated monolith still needed to be trimmed, which took six months. An average of 250 people worked on the hewing every day.
On April 1, 1832, Vasily Yakovlev reported: “This work is now completely finished.” It was necessary to deliver the column to the pier, and on April 26 the merchant asked for gunpowder to clear the road at the granite break for rolling the column. Gunpowder was released from the Friedrichsham artillery garrison. The rollover began on June 19 at 7 a.m. and was completed at 8 p.m. the same day. Three days later, in the presence of the Chairman of the Commission, Count Yu. P. Litta, sent by the Emperor, the column was loaded onto a ship, the flat boat “St. Nikolay”, built according to the drawings of naval engineer Lieutenant Colonel K. A. Glazyrin at the Particular Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Transportation by water was not easy. On the way, the cast iron shaft of the steamship broke, and with the help of another steamship "Alexander" the ship and the column were towed for repairs, and then continued on their way in difficult weather conditions.. On July 1 at 4 o'clock in the morning the ship passed St. Isaac's Bridge and moored to the pier near the Winter Palace . On July 12, “in the presence of Their Majesties the Sovereign Emperor and the Sovereign Empress, the Highest Family, as well as in the accompaniment of His Royal Highness Prince Wilhelm of Prussia with a large crowd of people gathered for this extraordinary spectacle,” the convoy was safely unloaded ashore. 640 workers were involved in unloading.
After the location for the column was approved in December 1829, 1,250 6 m long pine piles were driven under the foundation. About 392 square fathoms of granite blocks, laid in 13 rows, were used for the foundation, not counting the large foundation stone. The work was carried out by the same Vasily Yakovlev, finishing it in October 1830 under the supervision of Montferrand. In the center of the foundation, consisting of granite blocks, they laid a bronze box with medals minted in honor of the victory of 1812, coins of the 1830 model and a mortgage board. The inscription on the board was engraved “St. Petersburg tradesman Vasily Danilovich Berilov.” At the beginning of November 1831, Nicholas I, having listened to the proposal of the Chairman of the Commission, allowed a second bronze and gilded foundation board to be placed at the base of the monument, ordering “to place a newly embossed medal for the storming of Warsaw. This time, the famous bronzesmith A. Guerin was entrusted with making the mortgage board. On January 31, 1832, the finished plaque was sent to Montferrand, and on February 13, it was placed in place along with the medal for the capture of Warsaw in the presence of all members of the Commission.
On August 30, 1832, the 600-ton monolith was lifted with the help of 60 capstans and a system of blocks and installed on a pedestal without any fastenings. 3 thousand people took part in the lifting work, including 1440 soldiers and sailors. The gates were placed in two rows around the scaffolding. 29 people were placed on each gate: “16 soldiers at the levers, 8 in reserve, 4 sailors for pulling and cleaning the rope as the column was raised, 1 non-commissioned officer... To achieve the correct movement of the gates, so that the ropes pulled as equally as possible, 10 people will be stationed foremen." 120 working people were stationed at the top of the scaffolding to monitor the blocks, and 60 below “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 its raising had 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 workers will be placed under the bridge with ropes holding the gates. 6 masons will be used to add lime mortar between the column and the base; 15 carpenters and 1 foreman will be on standby in case of an unforeseen... The doctor assigned to the construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral will be at the production site during the entire raising of the column.”
The architect worked a lot on the design of the column. Sketches of the four bas-reliefs on the pedestal were presented to the Emperor as early as April 1830, who approved them, expressing the desire that they should be life-size. Montferrand asked to provide this work to the painter Scotti. By the end of July 1830 D.-B. Scotty completely finished one cardboard, and started the other two. To speed up the work, the Academy of Arts assigned him assistants. F. P. Brullo performed allegorical figures of Victory and Peace, T. A. Markov - the Neva. The allegorical figure of the Volga was entrusted to Y. F. Yanenko. In connection with Scotti's death in 1830, his work was continued by his student, the painter Vasily Soloviev. Under the supervision of Montferrand and according to his instructions, Solovyov drew trophies on three unfinished cardboards. In February 1831, the Emperor expressed a desire to make changes to the cardboards, which consisted of replacing all the depicted antique military fittings with ancient Russian ones. Brullo was assigned to make changes to the cardboards. Nicholas I also ordered that the double-headed eagles decorating the corners of the pedestal should have an imperial crown on top of their heads. The corrected cardboards received the emperor's approval on March 12.
To make models of the base, capital, architrave and decorations of the pedestal, Montferrand recommended the stucco master Eustathius Balin. On September 27, 1830, a contract was awarded to him, and on January 28 of the following year the work was completed. The models were sent to the manufacturer C. Byrd for metal casting.
Instead of the originally conceived cross, the architect in 1830 proposed completing the column with the figure of an Angel, presenting a drawing and model, recommending the sculptor I. Leppe. However, at the insistence of Olenin, a competition was announced, as a result of which the model of the sculptor B.I. Orlovsky was approved in 1832. In June 1832, he was offered to sculpt a life-size statue 6 arshins high. Approving the model, the Emperor ordered “to give a face to the statue of the late Emperor Alexander.” The main parts of the life-size model figure of an Angel were made from wood by the merchant Vasily Stolyarov with his working people. Only the head, arms and legs were cast from plaster. This was followed by numerous debates about the size and number of angels on the column, as a result of which on August 2, 1833, Nicholas I decisively ordered “to make the figure 6 arshins in height... and to end all debate about the figure, so as not to make any more representations.” On January 5, 1834, Orlovsky announced the final readiness of the plaster statue of the Angel. A week later the statue was at the Byrd factory, which also took upon itself the production of all the bronze decorations of the column. On August 28, 1833, Montferrand inspected Byrd's work: all things were cast, minted, attached and completely ready to be put into place; four large bas-reliefs are also cast, and minting is done above them. All that remained was to make the figure of the Angel, but the issue of the figure’s orientation was not resolved. Only at the end of May 1834 did Nicholas I order that the figure of the Angel be placed facing the Winter Palace. At the beginning of June, the main parts of the figure (the arm and wings were cast separately) were ready and assembled together with the cross under the supervision of Orlovsky.
The figure of an angel with a cross and a snake is cast together with a platform, shaped like the completion of the dome. The dome, in turn, is crowned by a cylinder mounted on a rectangular platform - the abacus. Inside the bronze cylinder is the main supporting mass, consisting of multilayer masonry: granite, brick and two layers of granite at the base. A metal rod runs through the entire massif, which was supposed to support the sculpture. The most important condition for reliable fastening of the sculpture is the tightness of the casting and the absence of moisture inside the support cylinder.
On the day of the raising of the column, platforms were prepared for spectators.
On August 30, 1834, at the grand opening of the Alexander Column, a parade of guards regiments took place, and a memorial medal was knocked out in honor of this event.
The Alexander Column immediately became one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg. Montferrand also proposed installing a bronze decorative fence and a “candelabra with copper lanterns and gas lighting,” but these works were not carried out at that time. They wanted to make the grille out of wrought iron with gilded bronze decorations and twelve crystal balls on three-headed eagles mounted on captured cannons. On December 17, 1834, Montferrand informed the Commission that he had received 12 Turkish cannons from the arsenal. All work on the lattice was undertaken by Byrd, who at the beginning of February 1835 also proposed to provide gas lighting to the balls by constructing a gasometer in the General Headquarters or near the Exertsirhaus. On November 30, 1835, the grid was adopted. In the autumn and winter of 1835 and 1836, the monument was illuminated by 12 glass balls made at the Imperial Glass Factory. Oil burned in them, but in some lamps it leaked, leaving traces of rust on the eagles and cannons; several balls were blackened by soot. To top it off, on December 25, 1835, at 11 pm, one balloon burst “with a great crash” and three months later fell apart from a strong wind. On October 11, 1836, “the Highest order followed to arrange at the monument... cast-iron candelabra with lanterns according to approved designs for gas lighting.” Bird took charge of the manufacture and installation of candelabra on granite pedestals, and also undertook to replace the glass balls in the fence with bronze crowns. Montferrand designed each candelabra to have 5 lamps. The candelabra, 2 fathoms 1 arshin 6 vershoks high, were decided to be painted three times and bronzed, and the lamps were made of bronze. After consultations with an engineer who arrived from England, it turned out that it was necessary to greatly increase the outer thickness of the candelabra, Montferrand had to make a new design. Because of this, the production of the candelabra was postponed to June 1837. The crystal balls were replaced with crowns in early October 1836. In addition to the 36 small crowns, Byrd placed on the lattice “12 large imperial bronze crowns,” also made according to Montferrand’s design. Since the laying of gas pipes was completed only in August 1837, the candelabras were accepted at the end of October of the same year.
In the post-revolutionary period, the Angel was covered with a tarpaulin cap, painted red, and camouflaged with balls lowered from a hovering airship. A project was being prepared to install a huge statue of V.I. Lenin instead of an angel. But providence wanted the angel to survive. During the Great Patriotic War, the monument was covered only 2/3 of the height and the angel was injured: there was a shrapnel mark on one of the wings.
(From the article by N. Efremova “Alexander’s Column” “Science and Life” No. 7, 2002)
During the blockade, the monument was damaged by shell fragments. In 1963, restoration took place (foreman N.N. Reshetov, work manager - restorer I.G. Black). In 1977, the asphalt covering around the Alexander Column was replaced with diabase paving stones, and the four lanterns at its corners were recreated in their original forms. In 2002-2003 a comprehensive restoration was carried out. In 2004, the historical fence was restored.
Literature:
Article by V. K. Shuisky “The Alexander Column: the history of creation” in the Nevsky Archive: Collection of Historical and Local Lore. Vol. V. St. Petersburg: “Faces of Russia”, 2001 P. 161-185
St. Petersburg: Encyclopedia. - 2nd ed., rev. and additional - St. Petersburg: Business Press LLC; M.: “Russian Political Encyclopedia” (ROSSPEN), 2006 P. 34
Isachenko V. G. Monuments of St. Petersburg. Directory. - St. Petersburg: “Paritet”, 2004 P. 42-48
View from the northwest,
from the Zimny
palace
View from the southeast,
from the arch side
General Staff
View from the northeast,
from the river Sinks
View from the southwest,
from the outside
Alexander's Garden
Photo - 07.2018.
From the roof of the Singer House
Photo - 06.2017.
Alexander Column - (often mistakenly called the Alexandria Pillar, after A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Monument”, where the poet talks about the famous Alexandria Lighthouse) is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg.
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.
Monument to Alexander I (Alexander Column). 1834. Architect O.R. Montferand
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 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.
1. General view of the building structure
2. Foundation
3. Pedestal
4. Ramp and platform
5. Lifting the column
6. Ensemble of Palace Square
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 with a project to erect a grandiose granite obelisk, but this option was rejected by the emperor.
A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library of the Institute of Railway Engineers. Montferrand proposed installing a huge granite obelisk 25.6 meters (84 feet or 12 fathoms) high on a granite plinth 8.22 meters (27 feet). The front side of the obelisk was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions 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 saw a rider 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 monoliths known in the world in its height (secretly highlighting the obelisk installed by D. Fontana in front of St. Peter's Cathedral). The artistic part of the project is excellently executed using watercolor techniques and testifies to Montferrand’s high skill in various areas of fine art.
Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the limits of subordination, dedicating his essay “Plans et details du monument consacr è à la mémoire de l'Empereur Alexandre” to Nicholas I, but the idea was still rejected and Montferrand was clearly pointed to the column as the desired one the shape of the monument.
Final project
The second project, which was subsequently implemented, was to install a column higher than that of Vendôme (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Montferrand was offered Trajan's Column in Rome as a source of inspiration.
Trajan's Column in Rome
The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of world-famous examples, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. The artist expressed his individuality by refusing to use additional decorations, like the bas-reliefs spiraling around the core of the ancient Trajan's Column. Montferrand showed the beauty of a giant polished pink granite monolith 25.6 meters (12 fathoms) high.
Vendôme Column in Paris - a monument to Napoleon
In addition, Montferrand made his monument taller than all existing ones. In this new form, on September 24, 1829, the project without sculptural completion was approved by the sovereign.
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 responsible for the installation of the column
Preparatory work
For the granite monolith - the main part of the column - the rock that the sculptor outlined during his previous trips to Finland was used. Mining and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Pyuterlak quarry, which was located between Vyborg and Friedrichsgam. These works were carried out according to the method of S.K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by masters S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev.
View of the Puterlax quarry during work
From the book by O. Montferrand "Plan and details of the memorial monument dedicated to Emperor Alexander I", Paris, 1836
After the stonemasons examined the rock and confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, which was significantly larger in size than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates to move the block from its place and tip it onto a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches.
After separating the workpiece, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed about 25,000 poods (more than 400 tons). Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this purpose a barge of a special design was used.
The monolith was duped on site and prepared for transportation. Transportation issues were dealt with by naval engineer Colonel Glasin, who designed and built a special boat, named “St. Nicholas,” with a carrying capacity of up to 65,000 poods (1,100 tons). To carry out loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, which coincided in height with the side of the ship.
Arrival of ships with stone blocks in St. Petersburg
Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith went to Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamships, from there to go to the Palace Embankment of St. Petersburg.
The arrival of the central part of the column in St. Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832. The contractor, merchant son V. A. Yakovlev, was responsible for all of the above work; further work was carried out on site under the leadership of O. Montferrand.
Yakovlev's business qualities, extraordinary intelligence and management were noted by Montferrand. Most likely, he acted independently, “at his own expense” - taking upon himself all financial and other risks associated with the project. This is indirectly confirmed by the words
Yakovlev's case is over; the upcoming difficult operations concern you; I hope you have as much success as he did
— Nicholas I, to Auguste Montferrand regarding the prospects after unloading the column in St. Petersburg
Works in St. Petersburg
Construction of granite pedestal and scaffolding with stone base for column installation
Since 1829, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The work was supervised by O. Montferrand.
Model of the rise of the Alexander Column
First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, which resulted in the discovery of a suitable sandy continent near the center of the area at a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m). In December 1829, the location for the column was approved, and 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the base. Then the piles were cut to fit the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water table, which ensured that the site was horizontal.
Denisov Alexander Gavrilovich. The rise of the Alexander Column. 1832
This method was proposed by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt, an architect and engineer, organizer of construction and transport in the Russian Empire. Previously, using a similar technology, the foundation of St. Isaac's Cathedral was laid.
The foundation of the monument was built from stone granite blocks half a meter thick. It was extended to the horizon of the square using planked masonry. In its center was placed a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812.
The work was completed in October 1830.
Construction of the pedestal
After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith, brought from the Pyuterlak quarry, was erected on it, which serves as the base of the pedestal.
General view of building structures
The engineering problem of installing such a large monolith was solved by O. Montferrand as follows:
1. Installation of the monolith on the foundation
* The monolith was rolled on rollers through an inclined plane onto a platform built close to the foundation.
* The stone was dumped on a pile of sand, previously poured next to the platform.
“At the same time, the earth shook so much that eyewitnesses - passers-by who were in the square at that moment, felt something like an underground shock.”
* Supports were placed, then workers scooped 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.
2. Precise installation of the monolith
* Ropes thrown over blocks were pulled with nine capstans, and the stone was raised 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.
Column installation
By July 1832, the monolith of the column was on its way, and the pedestal had already been completed. It's time to begin the most difficult task - installing the column on the pedestal.
Bishebois, L. P. -A. Bayo A. J. -B. - Raising of the Alexander Column
Based on the developments of Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt for the installation of columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in December 1830, an original lifting system was designed. It included: scaffolding 22 fathoms (47 meters) high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks, and he took advantage of all this in the following way:
Column lifting
* 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.
On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this, the windows and roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the raising.
To bring the column into a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A. A. Betancourt needed to attract the forces of 2000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour 45 minutes.
The block of stone 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 shouted loudly “Hurray!” The sovereign himself was very pleased with the successful completion of the matter.
Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!
Original text (French)
Montferrand, vous vous êtes immortalise!
— Nicholas I to Auguste Montferrand regarding the completed work
Grigory Gagarin. Alexandria Column in the woods. 1832-1833
After installing the column, all that remained was to attach the bas-relief slabs and decorative elements to the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was surmounted by a bronze capital of the Doric order with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze facing. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it.
In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830, O. Montferrand worked on a statue intended to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the original design, the column was completed with a cross entwined with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for compositions of figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was an option to install the figure of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky.
Sketches of figures and groups crowning the column. Projects
From the book by O. Montferrand
As a result, the figure of an angel with a cross was accepted for execution, made by the sculptor B.I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism - “By this victory!” These words are connected with the story of the acquisition of the life-giving cross:
The Roman Emperor (274-337) Constantine the Great, entrusting Mother Helen with a trip to Jerusalem, said:
“During three battles, I saw a cross in the sky, and on it the inscription “By this victory.” Find him!
“I’ll find it,” she answered.
The finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.
St. Petersburg. Alexandria Column.
"Guildburg mid-19th century.
Mid-19th century Steel engraving.
Opening of the monument
The opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11), 1834 and marked the completion of work on the design of Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, a hundred thousand Russian troops and representatives of the Russian army. It was carried out in a distinctly Orthodox setting and was accompanied by a solemn service at the foot of the column, in which kneeling troops and the emperor himself took part.
Bishebois, L. P. -A. Bayo A. J. -B. - Grand opening of the Alexander Column
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), 1814.
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
— Message from V. A. Zhukovsky “to Emperor Alexander”, revealing the symbolism of this act and giving an interpretation of the new prayer service
Chernetsov Grigory and Nikanor Grigorievich. Parade to mark the opening of the monument to Alexander I in St. Petersburg. August 30, 1834. 1834
Parade at the opening of the Alexandria Column in 1834. From a painting by Ladurneur
Then a military parade was held on the square. Regiments that distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812 took part in it; In total, about one hundred thousand people took part in the parade:
... 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
— From the memoirs of the poet V. A. Zhukovsky
Ruble with a portrait of Alexander I in honor of the opening of the Alexandria Pillar in 1834.
In honor of this event, a memorial ruble was issued in the same year with a circulation of 15,000.
Description of the monument
The Alexander Column 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:
Grateful Russia to Alexander I
It is the tallest monument in the world, made of solid granite, and the third tallest after the Column of the Grand Army in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar (Nelson's Column) in London. It is taller than similar monuments in the world: the Vendôme Column in Paris, Trajan's Column in Rome and Pompey's Column in Alexandria.
Comparison of Alexander's Column, Trajan's Column, Napoleon's Column, Marcus Aurelius' Column, and the so-called "Pompey's Column"
Characteristics
* The total height of the structure is 47.5 m.
o The height of the trunk (monolithic part) of the column is 25.6 m (12 fathoms).
o Pedestal height 2.85 m (4 arshins),
o The height of the angel figure is 4.26 m,
o The height of the cross is 6.4 m (3 fathoms).
* The lower diameter of the column is 3.5 m (12 ft), the upper diameter is 3.15 m (10 ft 6 in).
* The size of the pedestal is 6.3×6.3 m.
* The dimensions of the bas-reliefs are 5.24×3.1 m.
* Fence dimensions 16.5×16.5 m
* The total weight of the structure is 704 tons.
o The weight of the stone column shaft is about 600 tons.
o The total weight of the column top is about 37 tons.
The column itself stands on a granite base without any additional supports, only under the influence of its own gravity.
The pedestal of the column, decorated on four sides with bronze bas-reliefs, was cast at the C. Byrd factory in 1833-1834.
Column pedestal, front side (facing the Winter Palace).
At the top is the All-Seeing Eye, in the circle of the oak wreath is the inscription of 1812, below it are laurel garlands, which are held in the paws of double-headed eagles.
On the bas-relief there are two winged female figures holding a board with the inscription Grateful Russia to Alexander I, under them are the armor of Russian knights, on both sides of the armor are figures personifying the Vistula and Neman rivers
A large team of authors worked on the decoration of the pedestal: sketch drawings were made by O. Montferrand, based on them on cardboard the artists J.B. Scotti, V. Solovyov, Tverskoy, F. Brullo, Markov painted 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.
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 ancient Russian chain mail, cones and shields stored 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 completely doubtful, the shield Oleg of the 10th century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.
These ancient Russian images appeared on the work of the Frenchman Montferrand through the efforts of the then president of the Academy of Arts, a famous lover of Russian antiquities A. N. Olenin.
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.
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.
— O. Montferrand
Sculpture of an angel on a cylindrical pedestal
Column and angel sculpture
The stone column is a solid polished element made of pink granite. The column trunk has a conical shape.
The top of the column is crowned with a bronze capital of the Doric order. Its upper part, 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 at the base.
The monument is crowned with a figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In his left hand the angel holds a four-pointed Latin cross, and raises his right hand to heaven. The angel's head is tilted, his gaze is fixed on the ground.
According to the original design of Auguste Montferrand, the figure at the top of the column rested on a steel rod, which was later removed, and during the restoration in 2002-2003 it turned out that the angel was supported by its own bronze mass.
Alexander Column top
Not only is the column itself taller than the Vendôme Column, but the figure of the angel surpasses in height the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendôme Column. In addition, 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.
19th century color photolithograph, view from the east, showing a guard's box, fence and lantern candelabra
Fence and surroundings of the monument
The Alexander Column was surrounded by a decorative bronze fence designed by Auguste Montferrand. The height of the fence is about 1.5 meters. The fence was decorated with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 captured cannons (4 in the corners and 2 framed by double-leaf gates on four sides of the fence), which were crowned with three-headed eagles.
Between them were placed alternating spears and banner poles, topped with guards' double-headed eagles. There were locks on the gates of the fence in accordance with the author's plan.
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 box, in which there was a disabled person dressed in a full guards uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order in the square.
The entire space of Palace Square was paved with ends.
Saint Petersburg. Palace Square, Alexander Column.
Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column
* It is noteworthy that the installation of the column on the pedestal and the opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11, new style). This is not a coincidence: this is the day of the transfer of the relics of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg, the main day of the celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky.
Alexander Nevsky is the heavenly protector of the city, so the angel looking from the top of the Alexander Column has always been perceived primarily as a protector and guardian.
* To hold a parade of troops on Palace Square, the Yellow (now Pevchesky) Bridge was built according to the design of O. Montferrand.
* 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. These fears were based both on the fact that the column was not fixed, and on the fact that Montferrand was forced to make changes to the project at the last moment: the blocks of the power structures of the top - the abacus, on which the figure of the angel is installed, were originally conceived in granite ; but at the last moment it had to be replaced with brickwork with a lime-based bonding mortar.
In order to dispel the fears of the townspeople, the architect Montferrand made it a rule to walk every morning with his beloved dog right under the pillar, which he did almost until his death.
Sadovnikov, Vasily. View of the Palace Square and the General Staff building in St. Petersburg
Sadovnikov, Vasily. View of the Palace Square and Winter Palace in St. Petersburg
* During perestroika, magazines wrote that there was a project to install a huge statue of V.I. Lenin on the pillar, and in 2002 the media spread a message that in 1952 the figure of an angel was going to be replaced with a bust of Stalin.
"Alexander's Column and General Staff". Lithograph by L. J. Arnoux. 1840s
* During the construction of the Alexander Column, there were rumors that this monolith turned out by chance in a row of columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral. Allegedly, having received a column longer than necessary, they decided to use this stone on Palace Square.
* The French envoy to the St. Petersburg court reports interesting information about this monument:
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.
- Baron P. de Bourgoin, French envoy from 1828 to 1832
* After the restoration began in 2002-2003, unauthorized newspaper publications began to spread information that the column was not solid, but consisted of a certain number of “pancakes” so skillfully adjusted to each other that the seams between them were practically invisible.
* The newlyweds come to the Alexander Column, and the groom carries the bride in his arms around the pillar. According to legend, the number of times the groom walks around the column with the bride in his arms, the number of children they will have.
Alexander Column in St. Petersburg
Engraving by G. Jorden from the original by A. G. Vickers. 1835. Etching on steel, hand coloring. 14x10 cm
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 attached 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 40 years after the 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 tarpaulin cap or camouflaged with balloons lowered from a hovering airship.
The fence was dismantled and melted down for cartridge casings in the 1930s.
During the siege of Leningrad, the monument was covered only 2/3 of its height. Unlike Klodt's horses or the sculptures of the Summer Garden, the sculpture remained in its place and the angel was injured: a deep fragmentation mark remained on one of the wings, in addition to this, the monument suffered more than a hundred minor damage from shell fragments. One of the fragments got stuck in a bas-relief image of the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, from where it was removed in 2003.
Arch of the General Staff and Alexandrian Column
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.
Raev Vasily Egorovich. Alexander Column during a thunderstorm. 1834.
V. S. Sadovnikov. Around 1830
St. Petersburg and suburbs
If we talk about the sights of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column cannot be ignored. This is a unique architectural masterpiece that was erected in 1834. Where is the Alexander Column located in St. Petersburg? On Palace Square. In 1828, Emperor Nicholas I issued a decree on the construction of this majestic monument, designed to glorify the victory of his predecessor on the throne and elder brother Alexander I, won in the war with Napoleon Bonaparte. Information about the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg is presented to your attention in this article.
Birth of a plan
The idea of constructing the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg belonged to the architect Carl Rossi. He was faced with the task of planning the entire architectural complex of Palace Square and the buildings located on it. Initially, the idea of building an equestrian statue of Peter I in front of the Winter Palace was discussed. It would have become the second after the famous Bronze Horseman, located nearby on Senate Square, erected during the reign of Catherine II. However, Carl Rossi eventually abandoned this idea.
Two versions of the Montferrand project
In order to decide what will be installed in the center of Palace Square and who will manage this project, an open competition was organized in 1829. The winner was another St. Petersburg architect - the Frenchman Auguste Montferrand, who became famous for the fact that he had the opportunity to supervise the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Moreover, the initial version of the project proposed by Montferrand was rejected by the competition commission. And he had to develop a second option.
Montferrand, like Rossi, already in the first version of his project abandoned the construction of a sculptural monument. Since Palace Square is quite large in size, both architects reasonably feared that any sculpture, unless it was absolutely gigantic in size, would be visually lost in its architectural ensemble. A sketch of the first version of Montferrand's design has been preserved, but the exact date of its production is unknown. Montferrand was going to build an obelisk similar to those installed in Ancient Egypt. On its surface it was planned to place bas-reliefs illustrating the events of the Napoleonic invasion, as well as an image of Alexander I on a horse in the costume of an ancient Roman warrior, accompanied by the Goddess of Victory. Rejecting this option, the commission pointed out the need to erect the structure in the form of a column. Taking this requirement into account, Montferrand developed a second option, which was subsequently implemented.
The height of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg
According to the architect's plan, the height of the Alexander Column surpassed the Vendôme Column in the capital of France, which glorified the military triumphs of Napoleon. It generally became the tallest in history of all similar columns made of a stone monolith. From the base of the pedestal to the tip of the cross, which the angel holds in his hands, is 47.5 meters. The construction of such a grandiose architectural structure was not a simple engineering task and took many stages.
Material for construction
Construction took 5 years, from 1829 to 1834. The same commission that supervised the construction of the Cathedral of St. Isaac was involved in this work. The material for the column was made from a monolithic rock chosen by Montferrand in Finland. The extraction methods and methods of transporting the material were the same as during the construction of the cathedral. A huge monolith in the shape of a parallelepiped was cut out of the rock. Using a system of huge levers, it was laid on a previously prepared surface, which was densely covered with spruce branches. This ensured softness and elasticity during the fall of the monolith.
The same rock was also used to cut granite blocks from it, intended for the foundation of the entire designed structure, as well as to create a sculpture of an angel, which was to crown its top. The heaviest of these blocks weighed about 400 tons. To transport all these granite blanks to Palace Square, a ship specially built for this task was used.
Laying the foundation
After examining the site where the column was to be installed, laying the foundation of the structure began. 1,250 pine piles were driven under its foundation. After this, the site was filled with water. This made it possible to create a strictly horizontal surface when cutting off the top of the piles. According to ancient custom, a bronze box filled with coins was placed at the base of the foundation. All of them were minted in 1812.
Construction of a granite monolith
In the work to implement the Montferrand project, a unique engineering lifting system developed by Major General A. A. Betancourt was used. It was equipped with dozens of capstans (winches) and blocks.
Exactly how this lifting system was used to install the granite monolith in a vertical position is clearly illustrated on the model on display at the St. Petersburg Museum, which is located in the house of the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The erection of the monument in the designated place took place on August 30, 1832. This involved the labor of 400 workers and 2,000 soldiers. The ascent process took 1 hour 45 minutes.
A great crowd of people came to the square to observe this unique event. Not only Palace Square was filled with people, but also the roof of the General Staff building. When the work was successfully completed and the column stood in its intended place, a unanimous “Hurray!” was heard. According to eyewitnesses and the sovereign, the emperor, who was present at the same time, was also very pleased and warmly congratulated the author of the project on its success, telling him: “Montferrand! You have immortalized yourself!”
After successfully erecting the column, slabs with bas-reliefs and decorative elements had to be installed on the pedestal. In addition, it was necessary to grind and polish the surface of the monolithic column itself. Completion of all this work took another two years.
Guardian angel
Simultaneously with the construction of the Alexander Column on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, since the autumn of 1830, work was underway on the sculpture that, according to Montferrand’s plan, was to be installed at the top of the structure. Nicholas I wanted this statue to be placed facing the Winter Palace. But what its appearance would be was not immediately determined. Quite a few different options were considered. There was also an option, according to which the Alexander Column would be crowned with only one cross with a snake entwined around it. It would decorate the fastening elements. According to another option, it was planned to install a statue depicting Prince Alexander Nevsky on the column.
In the end, the option with a sculpture of a winged angel was approved. In his hands is the Latin Cross. The symbolism of this image is quite clear: it means that Russia crushed the power of Napoleon and thereby established peace and prosperity for all European countries. The work on this sculpture was carried out by B.I. Orlovsky. Its height is 6.4 meters.
The opening ceremony
The official opening of the monument was scheduled for the symbolic date of August 30 (September 11). In 1724, on this day, the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred to the Alesandro-Nevsky Lavra, who has since been considered the protector and heavenly patron of the city on the Neva. The angel crowning the Alexander Column is also treated as the guardian angel of the city. The opening of the Alexander Column completed the final design of the entire architectural ensemble of Palace Square. The celebrations marking the official opening of the Alexander Column were attended by the entire imperial family, headed by Nicholas I, army units numbering up to 100 thousand and foreign diplomats. A church service was held. The soldiers, officers and emperor knelt. A similar service involving the army was held in Paris at Easter in 1814.
This event is immortalized in numismatics. In 1834, 15 thousand memorial coins with a face value of 1 ruble were minted.
Description of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg
The model for Montferrand's creations was the columns erected in the era of Antiquity. But the Alexander Column surpassed all its predecessors in both height and massiveness. The material for its manufacture was pink granite. In its lower part there is a bas-relief depicting two figures of women with wings. In their hands is a board with the inscription: “Russia is grateful to Alexander I.” Below is an image of armor, to the left of it is a young woman, and to the right is an old man. These two figures symbolize two rivers located in the territory of military operations. The woman represents the Vistula, the old man represents the Neman.
Fence and surroundings of the monument
Around the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, a brief description of which is presented to your attention above, a one and a half meter fence was built. Double-headed eagles were placed on it. Their total number is 136. It is decorated with spears and flag poles. Along the fence there are military trophies - 12 French cannons. There was also a guard box near the fence, in which a disabled soldier was on duty around the clock.
Legends, rumors and beliefs
When the construction of the Alexander Column was underway, persistent rumors spread among St. Petersburg residents, clearly untrue, that a huge granite blank for its construction was obtained by chance during the manufacture of columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral. This monolith allegedly by mistake turned out to be larger in size than required. And then, so that it would not disappear, the idea supposedly arose - to use it to build a column on Palace Square.
After the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg (everyone who is interested in the history of the city knows briefly about it) was erected, in the first years many noble persons who were not accustomed to such a spectacle feared that it would collapse. They did not believe in the reliability of its design. In particular, Countess Tolstaya strictly ordered her coachman not to approach the column. M. Yu. Lermontov’s grandmother was also afraid to be near her. And Montferrand, trying to dispel these fears, often took long walks near the column at the end of the day.
Baron P. de Bourgoin, who served as French envoy to Russia in 1828-1832, testified that Montferrand allegedly proposed to Nicholas I to create a spiral spiral staircase inside the column, which would allow one to climb to its top. This required cutting out a cavity inside the column. Moreover, Montferrand allegedly claimed that to implement such a plan, one master, armed with a chisel and a hammer, and an apprentice boy with a basket in which he would carry out fragments of granite would be enough. The two of them would have done the work, according to the calculations of the author of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, Montferrand, in 10 years. But Nicholas I, fearing that such work could damage the surface of the structure, did not want to implement this plan.
In our times, a wedding ritual has arisen in which the groom carries his chosen one in his arms around a column. It is believed that the number of circles he walks, the number of children there will be in their family.
According to rumors, the Soviet authorities allegedly hatched plans to dismantle the statue of the Guardian Angel on the Alexander Column. And instead it was supposedly supposed to place a sculpture of Lenin or Stalin. There is no documentary evidence of this, but the fact that in the pre-war years, on the holidays of November 7 and May 1, the angel was hidden from human eyes is a historical fact. Moreover, two methods were used to hide it. Either it was covered with a cloth that was lowered from the airship, or it was covered with balloons filled with helium and rising from the surface of the earth.
"Wounding" of an angel during the Leningrad siege
During the Great Patriotic War, unlike many other architectural masterpieces, the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg, interesting facts about which we have collected in this article, was not completely disguised. And during the shelling and bombing, she received numerous hits from shell fragments. The guardian angel himself had his wing pierced by a shrapnel.
In 2002-2003, the largest restoration work since the creation of the Alexander Column was carried out, during which about fifty fragments that had remained there since the war were removed from it.
One of the most impressive architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg is Palace Square, in the center of which is the Alexandrian Pillar, or Alexander Column.
It symbolizes the victory of Russia over Napoleonic France in the Patriotic War of 1812.
The idea of installing a monument on Palace Square was put forward by Karl Rossi, who, assessing its architectural ensemble, felt that such a huge space needed bright compositional accents.
The main requirement of the competition announced by Emperor Nicholas I is formulated in a few words - to create a monument in memory of the “unforgettable brother.”
The Alexander Column had another background.
It is known that back in 1814, Auguste Montferrand presented to Alexander I in Paris “An Album of Various Architectural Projects Dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia Alexander I.”
The album contained drawings of a triumphal arch, an equestrian statue, and a huge obelisk. All drawings were accompanied by brief descriptions and even an indication of the cost of the work.
Alexander I drew attention to the talented young man, which was followed by an official invitation to Russia.
In his second homeland, Auguste Montferrand achieved enormous success. When the competition was announced in 1829, he was busy building St. Isaac's Cathedral. Nevertheless, Montferrand nominated two projects at once to participate in the competition.
The first option involved the installation of a granite obelisk with bas-reliefs on the theme of the Patriotic War and an allegorical image of Alexander I as a Roman warrior.
This project was rejected, but the architect was told that the option with a column was the most preferable. Montferrand proposed installing a triumphal column, focusing on the examples of the Vendôme Column in Paris and the Column of Trajan in Rome and Pompey in Alexandria. Nicholas I liked this proposal - it is its embodiment in granite that is today on Palace Square.
The monument became a semantic addition to the triumphal Arch of the General Staff, also dedicated to the victory of Russian weapons over the Napoleonic army.
The Alexander Column serves as the final visual accent of the Palace Square ensemble.
The Alexandria Pillar surprises with its simplicity of appearance and monumentality.
Getting to know the technological solutions and architectural features of the column surprises you even more and makes you look at it with new eyes.
The granite monument of this kind is the largest in the world and weighs 600 tons.
Due to the mass and precise calculations, the Alexander Pillar has been in its place since its erection, not secured by anything and devoid of any external support.
There was no need to search for material for the column for a long time. Montferrand knew well the granite from the quarry in Pueterlax, which was used for the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Over the course of two years, 250 workers, led by Samson Sukhanov, hewed out the blanks of the column itself and the pedestal from the rock monolith found here.
At each stage of the work it was necessary to solve complex technical problems.
The finished granite block was given the required shape on site. Then, using a complex system of rollers, it was moved to a special pier and loaded onto the barge “St. Nicholas” built for this purpose, which was towed through Kronstadt to St. Petersburg.
Since 1829, preparatory work was simultaneously underway on Palace Square, almost in the center of which, during geological exploration, a suitable site was found.
1,250 six-meter piles were driven into the prepared pit, on which granite blocks 50 centimeters thick were laid. A monolithic granite pedestal weighing 400 tons was installed on top.
The operations of installing the pedestal and lifting the Pillar of Alexandria to the place prepared for it were carried out using a system developed by Augustine Betancourt. It consisted of scaffolding, capstans, many lifting blocks, winches and ropes.
This method has already been tested and showed excellent results when installing the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral, although the Alexandria Pillar significantly exceeded them in mass.
All mechanisms were put into action by 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers. According to eyewitnesses who gathered in large numbers in the square, the entire installation of the column took about one hundred minutes, that is, less than two hours.
Nicholas I, who was present, congratulated the architect and said the words: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”
The column installed in its intended place still needed to be processed, polished, and slabs with bas-reliefs and decorative elements mounted.
And most importantly, at the initial stage of discussion of the project, Montferrand had not yet imagined the final form of the monument; in particular, there was no sculpture crowning the column.
Several options were discussed: a cross entwined with a snake, figures of angels with a cross, a sculpture of Alexander Nevsky. As a result, they settled on a figure of an angel more than six meters high, which was made by the sculptor Boris Orlovsky.
The angel is installed on a cylindrical pedestal, he tramples on a snake, symbolizing evil, his right hand rises to the sky, and his left holds a cross.
The monument was inaugurated on August 30, 1834. The ceremony was not only solemn, but also grandiose.
In the presence of the royal family, foreign representatives and numerous guests, Nicholas I took part in the service directly at the base of the Alexandria Pillar along with the kneeling troops.
The celebrations ended with a military parade, in which regiments that glorified themselves in the Patriotic War took part. For two hours, an army of one hundred thousand marched in orderly rows to the beat of drums in front of those gathered.
The architectural form of a triumphal column has certain canons that are difficult to deviate from. However, Montferrand managed, while remaining within the framework of tradition, not to repeat the details of famous monuments: he abandoned bas-reliefs, spiral decorations and other details.
The architect developed his own original system for thinning the column core, which determines its visual perception.
As a result, Montferrand gave his creation classical purity of lines, laconicism, proportionality of all parts, proportions and symbolic sound, surpassing existing examples in height.
The height of the granite part of the column is 25.6 meters; together with the pedestal and the figure of an angel, the Alexandrian Pillar rises to a height of 47.5 meters. There is no taller monument in the world made of solid granite.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, restoration work was carried out, which was mainly cosmetic in nature. However, careful studies carried out at the beginning of the 21st century showed the need for serious restoration work.
In addition to eliminating the damage caused by time, several dozen fragments that fell into it during the siege of Leningrad were removed from the monument.
An original drainage system has been developed to protect the monument from the rainy St. Petersburg weather. The restoration was completed in 2003, and today the Alexander Column again appears in the solemn form that it had at the time of its opening.
