I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,
People's path does not grow to him,
He has risen above he head of the disobedient
Alexandrian pillar.
One of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column is familiar to each of us literally from school. With the light hand of his beloved poet, the monument was called the Alexandrian Pillar, although in fact it is a poetic refinement, and the monument has been called the Alexander Column for almost 200 years.
And to remind a monument in height of 47, 5 m was about the victory of Russia over France in 1812. There was an idea to erect a monument in the center of the Palace Square from Charles Rossi, and as a result of an open competition was selected the project that we now have the pleasure to contemplate.
The name of the Alexander Column, on the one hand, is associated with Emperor Alexander I, who defeated Napoleon, and on the other, with the Faros (Alexandria) lighthouse, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, personifying the ultimate level of humanity's achievements . Alexandrova column had to surpass all existing columns in the world . Really, and to this day the Alexander Co lonn is the highest column in the world made of solid stone . And for the rise of this grand monolith on the pedestal the architects of St. Petersburg created a special lifting system .
At the top of the monument the work of B.Orlovski is an angel whose face the sculptor gave traits of Alexander I. The serpent spitting on the top of the column symbolizes the peace and peace that Russia brought to Europe, defeating Napoleon. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the Alexander Column in allegorical form represent the glory of the Russian arms and symbolize the courage of the Russian army: they depict Victory and Glory recording the dates of the memorable battles, Peace and Justice, Wisdom and Prosperity
Figures and Facts
Alexandrovskaya column is made of red granite, not processed in St. Petersburg, but in the Püterlak quarry near Vyborg, and the figure of the angel is made of polished pink granite. In order to deliver the column to St. Petersburg, it took a special vessel, which towed two steamers. Under the pedestal base of the Alexander Column, 1250 piles of 6 meters in length are hammered in each. The column was installed with the help of specially designed woods and cables in St. Petersburg
The column itself weighs 600 tons. It is not buried in the ground and is not supported on the foundation, but is kept solely by precise calculation and own weight.
The height of the angel crowning Alexander's column, 4, 26 m , in his hands he holds a cross at a height of 6, 4 m. The height of the pedestal, on which the Alexander Column rises, is 2, 85 m. And the weight of the whole structure is 704 tons. Such is the greatness of Russian weapons, a monument to the victory not only of the Russian army, but of the whole people, the victory over the fact that it was impossible to win others.
How to get there
The Alexander Column rises in the center of the Palace Square of St. Petersburg. To get to the square and monument, you need to use the underground transport and get to the station "Nevsky Prospekt", then move to the beginning of Nevsky Prospekt, focusing on the steeple of the Admiralty. From the intersection of the Nevsky and Admiralteysky avenues you can see the Palace Square with the Alexander Column in the center. Here is what you were looking for.
 |
| Alexandrovsky Column |
 |
| Angel Sculpture, Alexander Column |
 |
| Alexandrovsky Column at night |