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

The Alexandria Column in St. Petersburg was made in another civilization 12 - 15 thousand years ago.
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St. Petersburg with Georgy Sidorov (Property of the Planet)

Researchers of the mysteries of antiquity have more than once drawn attention to the numerous oddities of the architecture and symbolism of the northern capital of Russia. Oddly enough, one of the youngest cities in our country leads in the number of objects whose origin raises many questions. The writer-historian and traveler Georgy Sidorov commented on the most striking of them. This is the symbol of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column (aka " Alexandria pillar"), the Atlantes of the Hermitage and St. Isaac's Cathedral. "As always, Georgy Alekseevich put forward his own sensational assumptions. The stay in St. Petersburg became the starting point for a long expedition through the waters of the Arctic Ocean.

St. Petersburg has always had a mystical reputation. This city attracts seekers of the most secrets different directions. Mysteries in St. Petersburg are found literally at every step: there are houses with a bad reputation, and an extensive network of dungeons, and the sign of the unfortunate Emperor Paul I, and even his own Bermuda Triangle, not to mention the countless Masonic symbols on the architectural structures of the northern capital. For a researcher of artifacts of ancient civilizations, St. Petersburg is a real chest of jewels, but the writer-historian Georgy Sidorov, remaining true to himself, went a path not yet taken and presented a radical A New Look on the secrets of St. Petersburg.

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

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

That's it! The column glorifying Russia's victory over Napoleon actually contains symbols of completely different peoples and completely different times, which may indicate its ancient origin. By the way, you can read about some little-known details of the death of the Hittite Empire and the appearance of the double-headed eagle in Rus' in the books of Georgy Sidorov.

Walking past the building of the new Hermitage, Georgy Sidorov drew attention to the magnificent figures of Atlanteans holding a massive balcony on their shoulders. The keen eye of the researcher was attracted not so much by the artistic merits of these majestic sculptures, but by the method of their manufacture.

Georgy Sidorov: They are all one to one, all one. For fun, look, it’s all one. Do you understand? Bodies, bodies, it seems that they are simply cast from one mold, all made.

Woman: Hair too, they are a little different.

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

The last point Georgy Sidorov planned to visit was St. Isaac's Cathedral. It's majestic architectural structure was erected in the mid-19th century according to the design of the same Auguste Montferrand, the author of the Alexander Column. Is it possible that they have a common ancient origin?

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

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

The tour of St. Petersburg has come to an end. In the port, the Mercury boat is waiting for Georgy Sidorov, on which he and his comrades will go along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The purpose of the expedition is to search for traces ancient civilization Hyperborea, which existed on the disappeared continent of Arctida. We will tell you about what Georgy Sidorov will discover during the expedition on the “Planet Heritage” channel.

It seems that the history of the Pillar of Alexandria cannot have any dark spots, since the monument was created only about two hundred years ago. However, besides the official...

From Masterweb

The lines below from the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin are known to almost everyone.

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

The people's path to him will not be overgrown,

He ascended with his head rebellious

Pillar of Alexandria."

Of course, today it is difficult to say what the author’s intention was when he wrote this work. However, most historians are sure that the poet had in mind the very same Alexandria pillar that stands on Palace Square and is one of the attractions of St. Petersburg. This amazing creation evokes admiration among our contemporaries, so it’s easy to imagine how significant event was the installation of this monument dedicated to the victory over Napoleon. It seems that the history of the Pillar of Alexandria cannot have any dark spots, since the monument was created only about two hundred years ago. However, apart from the official version of its manufacture and installation, as well as small drawn albums that give a very vague idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe technologies of the nineteenth century, nothing has survived. Surprisingly, during the construction of St. Petersburg, the architects created incredible accurate maps, and construction technologies were described in specialized documentation. But the history of the creation of the Pillar of Alexandria is devoid of such details, and upon a closer look, it is completely replete with inconsistencies and outright blunders. All this gives historians a lot of reasons to doubt the official version of the appearance of the monument. It is overgrown with myths and legends, which we will definitely mention today, not forgetting to talk about the official version.

Sights of St. Petersburg: Pillar of Alexandria

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

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

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

The height of the Alexandria Pillar is forty-seven and a half meters. To the pride of Russian craftsmen, it should be noted that the column is significantly larger than all similar structures in the world. The photo below shows Trajan's columns in Rome, Pompeii in Alexandria and Vendôme Column, installed in Paris, in comparison with the monument on Palace Square. This drawing alone gives an idea of ​​this miracle of engineering, which delights all tourists without exception.

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

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

Background to the appearance of the column

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

Nicholas I had great respect for Russia's advice, but decided to use the free space of the square in his own way. He announced a competition for best project monument. The authors' imagination was not limited by anything; the only nuance was compliance with the thematic focus. Nicholas I set out to immortalize his ancestor, who managed to defeat the French.

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

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

The first stage of creating the monument

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

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

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

Delivery of a monolithic column

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

Another incident occurred at the time of unloading the column. Under it, the logs placed for movement along the pier bent and cracked. One end of the column almost fell into the water, but it was held in place by timely ropes passed from below. The monument was kept in this position for two days. During this time, a messenger was sent to the neighboring garrison asking for help. About four hundred soldiers, in the unimaginable heat, were able to overcome the forty-kilometer distance separating them from the pier in four hours and, with their joint efforts, saved the six-hundred-ton column.

A few words about the pedestal

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

While working on the pit, workers came across already installed piles. As it turned out, they were dug into the ground on the orders of Rastrelli, who planned to erect a monument here. It's amazing that seventy years later the architect managed to choose the same place. The dug hole was filled with water, but more than a thousand piles had been driven into it first. In order to correctly align them relative to the horizon, the piles were cut exactly along the water surface. Workers then began laying the foundation, which consisted of several granite blocks. A pedestal weighing four hundred tons was placed on it.

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

Column installation

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

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

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

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

The final stage of work

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

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

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

Grand opening of the monument

Thirty in August fourth year The opening of a monument in honor of the victory of the Russian people over the French troops took place. The event was held on a truly imperial scale.

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

Myths, legends and interesting facts

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unofficial version of the appearance of the monument

The most fierce debates are ongoing on this topic. Particularly meticulous and attentive archaeologists, historians and architects carefully studied the official version of the construction of the monument and found a huge number of inconsistencies in it. We will not list them all. Any readers who are interested will be able to find such information. And we will tell you only about the most obvious of them.

For example, experts cast great doubt on the very fact of raising the column in less than two hours. The fact is that not so long ago in Astana the lifting and installation of the big tent in the world. It weighed one and a half thousand tons and the process took about two days. The most modern machines and technologies were used. After this, it seems strange how Russian craftsmen were able to do something like this by hand.

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

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

It is not for nothing that the great Pushkin immortalized this monument in his work. After all, all information about it requires careful study, but it is already clear that scientists, in the form of a structure known to everyone, are faced with the greatest of the mysteries of the nineteenth century.

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Alexander Column (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands,
The people's path to him will not be overgrown,
He ascended higher with his rebellious head
Alexandrian Pillar.

A. S. Pushkin

One of famous monuments Petersburg, the Alexander Column is familiar to each of us literally from school. WITH light hand Everyone began to call the beloved poet the monument - the Alexander Column, although, in fact, this is a poetic delight, and the monument has been called the Alexander Column for almost 200 years.

The Alexandria Column was erected on Palace Square under Nicholas I in 1834 by the architect Auguste Montferrand.

And the 47.5 m high monument was supposed to remind of Russia’s victory over France in 1812. The idea arose to erect a monument in the center of Palace Square near Karl Rossi, and as a result of an open competition, exactly the project that we now have the pleasure of seeing was selected .

The Alexander Column is the tallest column in the world made of solid stone.

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 Pharos (Alexandria) lighthouse, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, personifying the ultimate level of human achievement. Alexander's column was supposed to surpass all existing columns in the world. Indeed, to this day the Alexander Column is the tallest column in the world made of solid stone. And to lift this grandiose monolith onto a pedestal, the architects of St. Petersburg created a special lifting system.

At the top of the monument, the work of B. Orlovsky is an angel, whose face the sculptor gave the features of Alexander I. The angel trampling on a snake at the top of the column symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe after defeating Napoleon. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the Alexander Column in allegorical form represent the glory of Russian weapons and symbolize courage Russian army: They depict Victory and Glory, recording the dates of memorable battles, Peace and Justice, Wisdom and Prosperity.

Figures and facts

The Alexander Column is made of red granite, processed not in St. Petersburg, but in the Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg, and the figure of the angel is made of polished pink granite. In order to deliver the convoy to St. Petersburg, a special vessel was needed, which was towed by two steamships. 1250 piles, each 6 meters long, were driven under the base of the pedestal of the Alexander Column. The column was installed using scaffolding and capstans specially constructed in St. Petersburg.

It is curious that the installation took only 1 hour and 45 minutes, and 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers took part in lifting the column onto the pedestal.

The column itself weighs 600 tons. It is not dug into the ground or fixed to a foundation, but is supported solely by precise calculations and its own weight.

The sculptor gave the face of the angel on top of the monument the facial features of Alexander I.

The height of the angel crowning the Alexander Column is 4.26 m, in his hands he holds a cross 6.4 m high. The height of the pedestal on which the Alexander Column rises is 2.85 m. And the weight of the entire structure is 704 tons. Such is the greatness of Russian weapons, a monument to the victory not only of the Russian army, but also of the entire people, victory over what was impossible for others to defeat.

How to get there

The Alexander Column rises in the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg. To get to the square and the monument, you need to use underground transport and get to the Nevsky Prospekt station, then move to the beginning of Nevsky Prospekt, focusing on the Admiralty spire. From the intersection of Nevsky and Admiralteysky Prospekts there is a view of Palace Square with the Alexander Column in the center. This is what you were looking for.

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

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

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

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

Construction of the monument

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

In the same 1829, they began to lay the foundation of the future monument on Palace Square. It is interesting that almost the same technology was used for its construction as during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. To ensure an even cut of the wooden piles driven as the basis of the foundation, water was used - filling the foundation pit with it, the workers cut the piles to the level of the water surface. This method, innovative at that time, was proposed by Augustine Betancourt, a famous Russian engineer and architect.

The very same challenging task It turned out to be the installation of a pillar of the Alexander Column. For this purpose, an original lift was created from capstans, blocks and unprecedentedly high scaffolding, which rose 47 meters upward. Hundreds of spectators watched the procedure for raising the main part of the monument, and the emperor himself arrived with his entire family. When the granite column sank onto the pedestal, a loud “Hurray!” was heard over the square. And, as the emperor noted, with this monument Montferrand acquired immortality.

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

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

Discovery of the Pillar of Alexandria

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

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

How to get there

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

The exact address: Palace Square, St. Petersburg

Option 1

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

On foot: head towards the Admiralty spire until it intersects with Admiralteysky Prospekt, and then on the right you will see the Alexander Column.

Option 2

Metro: Take the purple line to Admiralteyskaya station.

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

Option 3

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

Option 4

Bus: routes No. 3, 22, 27 and 100 to the Admiralteyskaya Metro stop.

On foot: walk 5 minutes to Palace Square.

Option 5

Route: route No. K-252 to the “Palace Square” stop.

Option 6

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

On foot: walk 7 minutes to Palace Square.

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

Alexander Column on the map

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

• When laying the foundation, a bronze box with 105 coins issued in honor of the victory over Napoleon in 1812 was placed at the base of the Alexander Column. They are still kept there along with a memorial plaque.
• In order to accurately install the monolithic base of the column on the foundation, Montferrand came up with a special “slippery” solution with the addition of soap. This made it possible to move the huge block of stone several times until it took the correct position. And to prevent the cement from freezing longer during winter work, vodka was added to it.
• The angel on top of the Alexander Column symbolizes the victory of Russian troops over the French, and while working on this statue, the emperor wanted it to look like Alexander I. The snake, which the angel tramples, was supposed to resemble Napoleon. Indeed, many recognize a certain similarity of the angelic face with the features of Alexander I, but there is another version that in fact the sculptor sculpted it from the poetess Elizaveta Kulman.

• Even during the construction of the Alexander Column, Montferrand proposed making a secret spiral staircase inside the column to climb to the top. According to the architect's calculations, this would require one stone carver and one apprentice to remove garbage. The work itself could take up to 10 years. However, Nicholas I rejected the idea because he feared that the walls of the column might eventually be damaged.
• At first, St. Petersburg residents perceived the new attraction with caution - it unprecedented height raised doubts about its sustainability. And to prove the safety of the column, Auguste Montferrand himself began to walk near the monument every day. It is not known whether this measure convinced the distrustful townspeople or whether they simply got used to the monument, but within a few years it became one of the most popular attractions in St. Petersburg.
• There is a funny story connected with the lanterns surrounding the Alexander Column. In the winter of 1889, the Northern capital was flooded with rumors that with the onset of darkness a mysterious letter N appeared on the monument, and in the morning it disappeared without a trace. Foreign Minister Count Vladimir Lamsdorf became interested in this and decided to check the information. And imagine his surprise when a luminous letter actually appeared on the surface of the column! But the count, who was not prone to mysticism, quickly figured out the mystery: it turned out that the glass of the lanterns had the mark of the manufacturer - the Siemens company, and at a certain moment the light fell so that the letter N was reflected on the monument.
• After October revolution the new authorities decided that the figure of an angel over the city where the cruiser Aurora is located is an inappropriate phenomenon that urgently needs to be gotten rid of. In 1925, they tried to cover the top of the Alexander Column with a cap with hot air balloon. However, over and over again the wind blew him aside, and as a result, this venture was abandoned without achieving success. In addition, it is believed that at one time they wanted to replace the angel with Lenin, but this idea did not come to fruition.
• There is a legend that after the announcement of the first flight into space in 1961, the inscription “Yuri Gagarin! Hooray!". But the question of how its author was able to climb almost to the top of the column, and even without being noticed, has never been answered.
• During the Great Patriotic War they tried to disguise the column in order to protect it from destruction (like other St. Petersburg monuments). However, due to the enormous height of the monument, this was only 2/3 done, and the top with the angel was slightly damaged. IN post-war years The figure of the angel was restored, and it was also restored in the 1970s and 2000s.
• One of the relatively new legends associated with the Alexander Column is the rumor that it actually covers an ancient oil field discovered back in the 19th century. It’s difficult to say where this belief came from, but in any case, it is not at all supported by facts.

Around the monument

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

So, next to the Alexander Column you can visit:

Winter Palace- one of the masterpieces of architect B.F. Rastrelli, created in 1762. Until the October Revolution, it served as the winter residence of several Russian emperors(this is where its name actually comes from).

Grandiose museum complex, founded by Catherine II, is literally a stone's throw from the column. Its rich collections of paintings, sculptures, weapons, and ancient household items are known not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

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

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

House of Scientists- the former Vladimir Palace and the former Soviet club of scientific intelligentsia. Even today, several scientific sections operate there, conferences and business meetings are held.

Even more historical monuments and simply interesting places for a walk can be found on the other side of Nevsky Prospekt and Dvortsovy Proezd.

The closest places to the Alexander Column are:

"Bringing Down the House"- an entertainment center, including several rooms with an “inverted” interior. Visitors come here mainly for fun photos.

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

Bronze Horseman - famous monument Peter I, executed by Etienne Falconet in 1770 by order of Catherine II. From the 18th century to the present day, it has been the main symbol of St. Petersburg, the hero of fairy tales and poems, as well as the object of numerous superstitions, beliefs and legends.

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

Saint Isaac's Cathedral- unique sample late classicism and the largest temple in St. Petersburg. Its facade is decorated with more than 350 sculptures and bas-reliefs.

If you walk from the Alexander Column along Palace Bridge on the other side of the Neva, you can get to Vasilyevsky Island, which is considered one big attraction. Here is the building of the Exchange, the Kunstkamera, Zoo museum, Baroque Menshikov Palace and much more. The island itself, with its amazing layout, strictly parallel streets-lines and rich history, is worthy of a separate excursion.

In short, no matter where you go from the Alexander Column, you will in any case end up at one of the important historical monuments. Being one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, it is surrounded by the same iconic monuments and ancient buildings. The Palace Square itself, where the column is located, is included in the UNESCO list and is one of the best architectural ensembles Russia. The Winter Palace, the headquarters of the Guards Corps and the General Staff form here a luxurious necklace of architectural masterpieces. On holidays, the square becomes a venue for concerts, sports competitions and other events, and in winter there is a huge ice skating rink.

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Amazing in its simplicity, but also striking, the column on Palace Square is the tallest triumphal structure in the world. There are no equals among his kind.

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

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

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

Having discovered that the length of the monolith significantly exceeded the necessary one, we decided not to spoil it and use it for something more impressive.

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

What is incredible about this is not so much that the column does not fall (its base is quite wide), but that the foundation has not shrinked in a century and a half, and there has been no deviation from the vertical.

The installation work went quickly. IN vertical position it was raised in a little more than an hour and a half. Almost 2.5 thousand soldiers and workers were involved in the operation.

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

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

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

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

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

Left hand the angel is holding a classic Latin cross, and the right one is raised to heaven. The head is tilted down and the gaze is fixed on the ground.

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

During construction, the figure was secured with a metal rod, which was later inadvertently removed.

Only in 2002 did restorers discover that the angel, like the column, was supported by its own weight.

There is a decorative cast-iron fence around it, the ends of which are crowned with small figures of double-headed imperial eagles.

From time to time, these eagles are broken and stolen, which indicates a certain brain level of some of the townspeople.

In this case, there are several ready-made copies in the storerooms, which quickly replace those that have failed.

Alexander Column dimensions and weight:

The total height is 47.5 meters.

The height of the monolithic part is 25.6 meters

Pedestal height - 2.85 meters

The height of the angel figure is 4.26 meters

The height of the cross is 6.4 meters

The lower diameter of the column is 3.5 meters

The upper diameter of the column is 3.15 meters

Pedestal size - 6.3 x 6.3 meters

Fence dimensions - 16.5 x 16.5 meters

Total weight of the structure - 704 tons

The weight of the monolith is about 600 tons

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

How to get there:

Walk to Palace Square and find its center.

If you don’t succeed the first time, ask passers-by