In 1782 on Senate Square A monument to the founder of St. Petersburg, Peter the Great, was unveiled. The bronze monument, which later became one of the symbols of the city, is shrouded in legends and secrets. Like everything in this amazing city on the Neva, it has its own history, its own heroes and its own special life.
The architect of the Bronze Horseman, the Frenchman Etienne Maurice Falconet, dreamed all his life of creating a unique monument, and it was in Russia that he made his dream come true. With my work famous sculptor did a brilliant job. Looking at this ten-meter monument, it immediately becomes clear to whom the Bronze Horseman monument is dedicated.
We learn the history of its origin, as well as the mystical events that accompanied the creation of the monument, from this article.
Monument to Peter I
After the death of Peter the Great in 1725, the throne was passed “from hand to hand”, and nothing “great” happened during these years. Until the wife of Peter the Third (grandson of Peter the Great), Catherine the Second, seized power through a coup. It was she who in 1762 became the only equal empress of Russia.
Catherine the Second admired Peter the Great; she wanted to create something equally great and large-scale for her predecessor. So in 1766, she instructs her favorite Prince Golitsyn to find a sculptor abroad to work on the Peter the Great monument.
The history of the creation of the Bronze Horseman monument begins in Paris. It's there Grand Duke found a sculptor who met the empress’s needs. It was from there that Etienne-Maurice Falconet arrived with his young assistant, the talented seventeen-year-old Marie-Anne Collot.
Catherine saw the monument in accordance with the European fashion of the time: Peter in the form of a Roman conqueror with a staff in his hand. However, the sculptor convinced the empress: Russia has its own history and its own heroes.
As a result, the monument, which took sixteen years to create, turned out to be completely innovative, special and ingenious.
History of creation
Etienne Maurice Falconet set to work with enthusiasm. It took the master three years to create the horse statue! The sculptor's workshop was located in the former throne room of Elizabeth's winter palace. A huge platform was installed in the center of the hall, with the same angle of inclination as was intended for the future pedestal of the statue. Experienced riders rode onto this platform, raising their horses on their hind legs. The artist, in turn, made sketches of horses to choose the ideal option for the monument. Falcone made thousands of drawings before finding the one that would go down in the history of the great monument of St. Petersburg.
When the ideal horse of Peter the Great was ready, a building was built in St. Petersburg to cast the statue. The process was monitored the best masters Foundry of St. Petersburg. The statue was cast in bronze for a year.
However, the history of the creation of the Bronze Horseman monument is interesting not only because of the creation of the horse: Peter the Great himself, seated on a bearskin, personifies the spirit of the victorious people! Few people notice the snake under the horse’s hooves, a symbolic evil that was trampled by the emperor.
"Thunder Stone"
Initially, Falcone planned to erect a huge monument on a rock, natural and solid. Moreover, the rock was supposed to be in the form of a wave, symbolizing the great sea power that Peter the Great created.
Finding such a stone turned out to be difficult. We can say that the whole world was looking for the stone. And so an ordinary peasant, Semyon Grigorievich Vishnyakov, found a suitable monolith in the village of Lakhta. This monolith was popularly nicknamed “Thunder Stone” due to its long history. Old-timers claimed that lightning somehow struck the stone and split it in two. According to rough calculations, the stone weighed about 2000 tons. That's a lot. After the stone was removed, a reservoir was formed in its place, called Petrovsky Pond.
A dilemma arose about how to deliver the rock to St. Petersburg (about eight kilometers). Catherine announced a competition, and a person was found who came up with the method. Using levers and jacks, the stone was loaded onto a pre-prepared platform. From the place where the stone was located, they dug a canal, strengthened it and sent the cargo through the water.
The “Thunder Stone” turned out to be made of extremely dense and high-quality granite with veins of crystallization. It was transported to the city for about a year, during which time it was given the desired shape and outline by 48 craftsmen.
When the granite block for the Bronze Horseman monument was delivered to the city, local residents They broke off pieces from it to make tips for their canes.
The length of the stone was 13.5 m, width - 6.5 m, height - 8 m. However, when the mass was cleared of moss and hewn, it turned out that its length was not enough. As a result, the monolith was built up in front and behind from the broken pieces.
About a thousand people worked daily to transport the huge stone.
Description of the monument
Looking at the monument on Senate Square, its grandeur and symbolism immediately catches your eye. Behind Peter the Great is St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peter himself looks at the Neva, behind which the Peter and Paul Fortress rises. The same one with which the construction of the city began.
A huge block of stone on which a bronze monument is installed - high-quality granite, weighing about a ton. On both sides of the monument it is written “Catherine the Second to Peter the Great in the summer of 1782”, moreover, the inscription on one side is in Russian, on the other - in Latin.
The bronze monument itself stands on only two points of support - these are the horse’s hind hooves. Neither the tail nor the snake provide stability to the statue.
The horse reared up, Peter the Great sat on it, inspecting his possessions from above. He looks at the city he built: beautiful, majestic, strong. Right hand he points into the distance, to the expanses of the Neva River. The left one holds the reins. The emperor has a sword with the head of a snake in its sheath. On the head is a crown of thorns. The face is calm but decisive. According to Falconet's idea, "The Bronze Horseman" looks at his city with loving eyes; in Peter's eyes the pupils are made in the shape of hearts.
An important episode in the monument is the snake, which is crushed by the hooves of the rider’s horse. It contains evil, which the great sovereign trampled and overcame with the power of his power and spirit.
The monument to Peter 1 in St. Petersburg - "The Bronze Horseman" - is one of the most striking attractions of the city.
Opening
Work on the monument lasted 12 years. The most difficult thing was to deliver the giant granite rock to the city and install it in the chosen location. No less difficult task consisted of casting the monument in bronze. Throughout the work, many force majeure situations occurred. Pipes broke during the casting of the monument. The bronze sculpture was cast more than a year, and managed to do everything only on the second try. The difficulty was that the back of the monument had to be heavier than the front. This task was achieved through the colossal efforts and labor of the sculptor.
The stone for the pedestal fell several times from the wooden platform on which it was delivered to the city. Delivery also took more than a year. A lot of money was spent to deliver part of the sculpture to St. Petersburg.
But in the end all the difficulties were behind us, and the day finally came grand opening monument - August 7, 1782.
The event was large-scale. A huge canvas depicting mountains covered the monument. A fence was installed around the monument. The military guard entered the square, and a parade began, led by Golitsyn. After lunch, Empress Catherine the Second herself arrived by boat on the Neva. She solemnly spoke from the balcony of the Senate and gave permission for the opening of the monument. At that moment the fence fell, and under drum roll and cavalry shots removed the canvas, revealing to the eyes of thousands of people a brilliant work dedicated to the founder of St. Petersburg. The opening of the Bronze Horseman monument, and then the monument to Peter the Great, took place. The imperial regiments moved along the Neva embankment to the roar and admiring cries of onlookers.
Sadly, the architect of the Bronze Horseman himself, Etienne Maurice Falconet, was not present at the opening. At the end of his work, his relationship with Catherine II deteriorated greatly. She hurried the master, but circumstances did not give the sculptor the opportunity to finish the work faster. Falcone had practically no assistants; many were afraid to work on such an important task, but most asked too much large amounts and fees. As a result, the artist had to learn and do a lot himself. The sculpture of the snake was created by the St. Petersburg sculptor Gordeev, and the architect Felten was involved in all the preparations for the opening and installation of all the details of the monument.
It is noteworthy that Falcone did not see the Bronze Horseman and did not create another sculpture. The stress that the architect experienced during the creation of the monumental work had an effect.
Etienne Maurice Falconet
French sculptor Maurice Falconet was born and died in Paris. He lived for 75 years, becoming famous in Russia as the architect of the Bronze Horseman. The sculptor's uncle was a marble maker, which was the main reason for choosing future profession. At the age of 28, Etienne Maurice entered the Paris Academy of Arts, having previously gained experience from the court sculptor.
At court, Falconet's work is highly valued; he becomes the favorite of Madame Pompadour (the favorite of Louis 15), who orders him many marble figurines. In the 18th century, Paris was drowning in European classicism and Rococo style. Thin, graceful silhouettes of beautiful girls and angels were in great demand.
In the period from 1750 to 1766, the artist created many works in marble, which are highly valued in Paris. Today they can be seen in the most famous museums peace. But truly worthwhile and significant work The master received an order for a monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg. On the recommendation of his friend, Falcone goes to Russia. He faces the most important work of his life, which will last 14 years. Unfortunately, the artist will not be able to evaluate the result of his creation. Because of difficult relationships with the customer, Catherine II, he will have to leave St. Petersburg and not be present at the opening. However, the Empress will send him a commemorative coin depicting the sculptor’s great work.
Etienne Maurice Falconet's dream came true in "The Bronze Horseman", this is exactly the work that the artist dreamed of all his life. Unfortunately, upon returning to his homeland, the old master’s health deteriorated. The St. Petersburg climate did not in any way contribute to the improvement of the condition. In France, Falconet suffered from paralysis, which did not allow the sculptor to create anymore. Ironically, the artist's "life's work" became his last creation.
Architect's works
The sculptures of Etienne Falconet, created before his trip to Russia, can today be seen in the Hermitage and the Louvre. His most famous works, before The Bronze Horseman, are Seated Cupid (1757) and Winter (1763). Falcone was a follower of European classicism; all his porcelain statues are delicate and romantic. Smooth lines, complex poses and realistic images - the classic vision of 18th century art.
A small cherub can also be seen on the statue “Pygmalion and Galatea”.
Today, looking at early works Falcone, it is difficult to imagine that it was he who became the architect of the Bronze Horseman. A monumental sculpture, breathing with its power, huge in size, aggressive and at the same time very strong, cannot be compared with the gentle images of naked maidens. This is the genius of its creator.
Symbol of St. Petersburg
The city on the Neva was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. This city has become truly unique. He amazed with his architectural ensembles, luxury facades and unique architectural monuments. After the death of Peter, the city not only did not lose its uniqueness, but also flourished and transformed. 300 years is not a long time for a city, but it was St. Petersburg that suffered the most terrible events in the history of Russia.
Of course, during its life, St. Petersburg became overgrown with symbols, legends and brilliant people who lived there in different periods history. One of these symbols was the “Bronze Horseman”. It is noteworthy that it received its name much later than its appearance. One of the most important people in the history of Russia there was Alexander Pushkin, it was he who sang the legendary monument in his work of the same name.
It is impossible to imagine St. Petersburg without all kinds of legends and myths. Many of them are associated with monuments, which, as superstitious people believe, can come to life and store the souls of dead heroes in their bronze crypts.
The legends did not ignore the famous “Bronze Horseman”. The most common of them is associated with Pavel the First, the great-grandson of Peter the Great. It was he who saw the ghost of his famous relative, who pointed him to the place where a monument in his honor would be erected in the future.
Another mystical story happened much later, in 1812. When the threat French attack led by Napoleon has become quite real, the current Tsar Alexander the First decides to take the “Bronze Horseman” away from St. Petersburg. Then the emperor’s comrade-in-arms has a dream about how the bronze horseman breaks off from his stone pedestal and rushes towards Stone Island. Peter the Great indignantly shouts to Alexander: “Young man, what have you brought my Russia to? But as long as I stand in my place, my city has nothing to fear.” This dream made such a strong impression on the emperor that he decides to leave the monument in its place.
Except mystical stories There are very real things in the life of a monument. For example, Catherine II liked the head of Peter the Great, sculpted by Marie Anne Colot, so much that she awarded her a salary for life. And this despite the fact that the sculptor of the Falconet monument nevertheless changed the plaster cast made by the girl.
There are also many myths associated with the pedestal. One of the most famous, which looks quite real, is the origin of the "Thunder Stone". As scientists and art historians found out, such granite, which the rock is made of, did not exist in St. Petersburg and the region. It was assumed that glaciers brought a huge block of stone to this area. And it was on it that the ancient people performed their pagan rituals. Thunder split the rock in two, and the people gave it the name “Thunder-Stone”.
Another story is connected with the death of Peter. As you know, the emperor caught a cold during his trip to Lake Ladoga. It was there that an event occurred that finally crushed Peter. In the very village of Lakhta where the stone was found, Peter was waist-deep in water rescuing a stranded boat with his soldiers. While resting after a serious incident, Peter lay precisely on this “Thunder Stone,” which would later become the pedestal for the great monument in his honor! So the stone took the king’s soul in order to forever preserve it in itself and in the city created by him.
However, the monument was cursed more than once; it was mainly residents of the surrounding villages who did not like the transformations of the new sovereign. When the monument was opened, someone called Peter the Great "Horseman of the Apocalypse" bringing evil and destruction. But, as we know, a curse cannot destroy a beautifully created work of art. At the forefront is the common sense and professionalism of the people who worked on the bronze sculpture.
Also interesting facts about the Bronze Horseman monument are associated with difficult war times. During the siege of Leningrad, all significant objects of St. Petersburg were hidden so that the Nazis could not destroy them during the bombing. The Bronze Horseman was carefully covered with bags of earth and sand, and boarded up on top with wooden boards. After the blockade was lifted, the monument was freed and they were surprised to discover that the Hero’s Star had been drawn in chalk on the chest of Peter the Great. Soviet Union.
Monument in culture
When you get to one of the most beautiful cities in Russia and walk through central and significant places, you will never be able to ignore St. Isaac's Cathedral and the monument to Peter the Great.
And today it amazes with its beauty and grandeur. Many Russians who have never visited the city on the Neva have read Pushkin, and The Bronze Horseman is familiar to them from the work of the same name.
When the bronze monument was opened, Catherine the Second ordered commemorative coins to be made. Later, commemorative coins with the “Bronze Horseman” will appear in numismatics of the Soviet period. Currently we can see our hero on 5 kopecks.
In St. Petersburg, the Bronze Horseman is monument number one. Descriptions of the sculpture dedicated to Peter the Great are often found in stories and poems famous writers and poets. At all times, the city has been inextricably linked with its creator and the most beautiful monument in his honor.
The Bronze Horseman was not spared from philately. Famous sculpture can be seen on stamps from 1904.
And, perhaps, the most beautiful embodiment in culture is the Faberge egg. Commissioned by Nicholas II, this masterpiece was presented by the Tsar to his wife for Easter. The surprise is that when the egg is opened, the mechanism raises a golden miniature statue of the Bronze Horseman.
Not only the townspeople, but also the guests of St. Petersburg know where the monument is located: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The initiative to create a monument to Peter I belongs to Catherine II. It was on her orders that Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn turned to the professors of the Paris Academy of Painting and Sculpture Diderot and Voltaire, whose opinion Catherine II completely trusted. Famous masters Etienne-Maurice Falconet, who at that time worked as the chief sculptor at a porcelain factory, was recommended for this work. "There is an abyss in him delicate taste, intelligence and delicacy, and at the same time he is uncouth, stern, and does not believe in anything. .. He does not know self-interest,” Diderot wrote about Falcon.
Etienne-Maurice Falconet always dreamed of monumental art and received an offer to create equestrian statue colossal in size, he agreed without hesitation. On September 6, 1766, he signed a contract in which the remuneration for the work was set at 200 thousand livres, which was a fairly modest amount - other masters asked for much more. The 50-year-old master came to Russia with his 17-year-old assistant Marie-Anne Collot.
Opinions about the appearance of the future sculpture were very different. Thus, the President who supervised the creation of the monument Imperial Academy arts Ivan Ivanovich Belskoy presented a sculpture of Peter I, standing in full height with a rod in his hand. Catherine II saw the emperor sitting on a horse with a staff or scepter, and there were other proposals. Thus, Diderot conceived a monument in the form of a fountain with allegorical figures, and State Councilor Shtelin sent Belsky detailed description his project, according to which Peter I was supposed to appear surrounded by allegorical statues of Prudence and Hard work, Justice and Victory, which support the vices Ignorance and Laziness, Deception and Envy with their feet. Falcone rejected the traditional image of a victorious monarch and abandoned the depiction of allegories. “My monument will be simple. There will be no Barbarism, no Love of peoples, no personification of the People... I will limit myself only to the statue of this hero, whom I do not interpret either as a great commander or as a winner, although he, of course, was both. The personality of the creator, legislator, benefactor of his country is much higher, and this is what needs to be shown to people,” he wrote to Diderot.
Work on the monument to Peter I - Bronze Horseman
Falconet created a model of the sculpture on the territory of the former temporary Winter Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna from 1768 to 1770. Two horses of the Oryol breed, Caprice and Brilliant, were taken from the imperial stables. Falcone made sketches, watching how the guards officer flew up on his horse onto the platform and reared it. Falconet redid the model of the head of Peter I several times, but never achieved the approval of Catherine II, and as a result, the head of the Bronze Horseman was successfully sculpted by Marie-Anne Collot. The face of Peter I turned out to be courageous and strong-willed, with a wide with open eyes and illuminated by deep thought. For this work the girl was accepted as a member Russian Academy arts and Catherine II assigned her a lifelong pension of 10,000 livres. The snake under the horse’s feet was created by Russian sculptor Fyodor Gordeev.
The plaster model of the Bronze Horseman was made by 1778 and opinions about the work were mixed. While Diderot was pleased, Catherine II did not like the arbitrarily chosen appearance of the monument.
Casting of the Bronze Horseman
The sculpture was conceived to be of colossal size and the foundry workers did not undertake this difficult work. Foreign craftsmen demanded huge amounts of money for casting, and some openly said that the casting would not be successful. Finally, a foundry worker was found, cannon master Emelyan Khailov, who took up the casting of the Bronze Horseman. Together with Falcone, they selected the composition of the alloy and made samples. The difficulty was that the sculpture had three support points and therefore the thickness of the walls of the front part of the statue had to be small - no more than one centimeter.
During the first casting, the pipe through which bronze was poured burst. In despair, Falconet ran out of the workshop, but Master Khailov was not at a loss, took off his coat and wet it with water, coated it with clay and applied it as a patch to the pipe. Risking his life, he prevented the fire, although he himself suffered burns to his hands and partially damaged his eyesight. Upper part The Bronze Horseman was still damaged and had to be cut down. Preparation for the new casting took another three years, but this time it went well and in honor of the successful completion of the work, the sculptor left the inscription “Sculpted and cast by Etienne Falconet, Parisian 1788,” in one of the folds of Peter I’s cloak.
Installation of the Bronze Horseman
Falcone wanted to install the monument on a pedestal in the shape of a wave, carved from a natural piece of rock. It was very difficult to find the required block with a height of 11.2 meters, and therefore an appeal was published in the St. Petersburg News newspaper to individuals wishing to find a suitable piece of rock. And soon the peasant Semyon Vishnyakov responded, having long noticed a suitable block near the village of Lakhta and reported this to the head of the search work.
The stone, weighing about 1,600 tons and called the Thunder Stone, was delivered first on a platform to the coast of the Gulf of Finland, then by water to Senate Square. Thousands of people were involved in extracting and transporting the stone. The stone was placed on a platform that moved along two parallel gutters, into which 30 balls made of copper alloy were placed. This operation was carried out in winter from November 15, 1769, when the ground was frozen and on March 27, 1770 the stone was delivered to the shore of the Gulf of Finland. In the fall, the block was loaded onto a ship specially built by master Grigory Korchebnikov, and on September 25, 1770, crowds of people greeted the Thunder Stone on the banks of the Neva near Senate Square.
In 1778, Falconet's relationship with Catherine II finally deteriorated and, together with Marie-Anne Collot, he was forced to leave for Paris.
The installation of the Bronze Horseman was led by Fyodor Gordeev and on August 7, 1782, the grand opening of the monument took place, but its creator was never invited to this event. The military parade at the celebration was led by Prince Alexander Golitsyn, and Catherine II arrived along the Neva in a boat and climbed to the balcony of the Senate building. The Empress came out wearing a crown and purple and gave the sign to open the monument. To the beat of drums, the canvas fence from the monument fell and regiments of guards marched along the Neva embankment.
Monument to the Bronze Horseman
Falconet depicted the figure of Peter I in dynamics, on a rearing horse, and thereby wanted to show not a commander and a winner, but first of all a creator and legislator. We see the emperor in simple clothes, and instead of a rich saddle - an animal skin. Only the laurel wreath crowning the head and the sword at the belt tell us about the winner and commander. The location of the monument on the top of the rock indicates the difficulties Peter overcame, and the snake is a symbol of evil forces. The monument is unique in that it has only three support points. On the pedestal there is an inscription “To PETER the first EKATHERINE second summer 1782”, and on the other side the same text is indicated in Latin. The weight of the Bronze Horseman is eight tons, and the height is five meters.
Bronze Horseman - title
The monument received the name Bronze Horseman later thanks to the poem of the same name by A.S. Pushkin, although in fact the monument is made of bronze.
Legends and Myths about the Bronze Horseman
- There is a legend that Peter I, being in a cheerful mood, decided to cross the Neva on his favorite horse Lisette. He exclaimed: “Everything is God’s and mine” and jumped over the river. The second time he shouted the same words and was also on the other side. And for the third time he decided to jump over the Neva, but he misspoke and said: “Everything is mine and God’s” and was immediately punished - he was petrified on Senate Square, in the place where the Bronze Horseman now stands
- They say that Peter I, who was ill, lay in a fever and imagined that the Swedes were advancing. He jumped on his horse and wanted to rush to the Neva towards the enemy, but then a snake crawled out and wrapped itself around the horse’s legs and stopped him, preventing Peter I from jumping into the water and dying. So the Bronze Horseman stands in this place - a monument to How a snake saved Peter I
- There are several myths and legends in which Peter I prophesies: “As long as I am in place, my city has nothing to fear.” And indeed, the Bronze Horseman remained in his place during Patriotic War 1812 and during the Great Patriotic War. During the siege of Leningrad, it was lined with logs and boards and bags of sand and earth were placed around it
- Peter I points with his hand towards Sweden, and in the center of Stockholm there is a monument to Charles XII, Peter’s opponent in Northern War, left hand which is directed towards Russia
Interesting facts about the Bronze Horseman monument
- Transportation of the stone pedestal was accompanied by difficulties and unforeseen circumstances, and emergency situations often occurred. The whole of Europe followed that operation, and in honor of the delivery of the Thunder Stone to Senate Square, a commemorative medal was issued with the inscription “Like daring. Genvarya, 20, 1770"
- Falcone conceived a monument without a fence, although the fence was still installed, but has not survived to this day. Now there are people who leave inscriptions on the monument and damage the pedestal and the Bronze Horseman. It is possible that a fence will soon be installed around the Bronze Horseman
- In 1909 and 1976, restoration of the Bronze Horseman was carried out. The latest examination, carried out using gamma rays, showed that the sculpture's frame is in good condition. Inside the monument was placed a capsule with a note about the restoration carried out and a newspaper dated September 3, 1976
Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg - main symbol Newlyweds and numerous tourists come to Senate Square in the northern capital to admire one of the most famous sights of the city.
In August 1782, a monument to Peter the Great, now better known as the “Bronze Horseman,” was inaugurated in St. Petersburg. The inscription on the pedestal reads: “Peter I - Catherine II, summer 1772” on one side, and “Petro primo Catharina secunda” (Latin) on the other, thereby emphasizing the empress’s intention: to establish a line of succession, inheritance between the actions of Peter and her own activities...
1. Contrary to its name, “The Bronze Horseman” does not contain a single gram of copper. The monument to Peter the Great was cast from bronze, as originally intended. The explanation for this oddity is the simplest - in XVIII-XIX centuries in Russian, the word “copper” was also allowed to be used in relation to bronze.
2. Officially, the author of the monument is considered to be the French sculptor Etienne Falconet, who was recommended to Empress Catherine Great philosopher Denis Diderot.
However, a whole team of authors worked on the creation of the “Bronze Horseman”: the head of the statue was sculpted by Falconet’s student Marie Anne Collot, the snake was created by the Russian sculptor Fyodor Gordeev, and the casting of the statue was done by the foundry master Fyodor Gordeev.
The monolith from which the pedestal was created weighs about 1600 tons. The “Thunder Stone” was found 12 versts from St. Petersburg, in the village of Lakhta.
3. Today the “Bronze Horseman” is unthinkable without its majestic foundation - the Thunder Stone. The block received its name from local residents for a wide crack that appeared as if from a lightning strike. At one time, for reporting about him, state-owned peasant Semyon Vishnyakov received a bonus of 100 rubles - a very large sum For Russia XVIII century.
In its original form, the stone weighed about 2000 tons, measuring about 13 m in length, 8 m in height and 6 m in width. To transport the giant megalith to St. Petersburg, architect Yuri Felten developed a unique machine that made it possible to successfully solve an unusual problem.
The action of the machine for transporting the “Thunder Stone”. Engraving based on drawings by Yuri Felten. 1770
4. Before The Bronze Horseman, Etienne Falconet did not personally cast a bronze monument. The invited French casting master, however, was unable to fulfill the sculptor's demands. From now on everything preparatory work Falconet himself carried out the casting.
In 1778, he left Russia without completing the project. Yuri Felten had to complete the construction of the monument. Falcone himself was not even invited to the opening of the monument.
Yuri Matveevich (Georg Friedrich) Felten
5. “The Bronze Horseman” is a classic example of Russian slowness when building something. 16 years passed from the development of the first sketches to the opening of the monument.
Empress Catherine II, having put forward the idea of a monument to Peter the Great, was able to get what she wanted only on the 20th anniversary of her reign. But the opportunity arose to coincide the opening of the monument with the 100th anniversary of the accession of Peter I to the throne.
Opening of the monument to Peter the Great. Engraving by A.K. Melnikov, 1782
6. For the first half century of its existence, the monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg did not have any special name. Alexander Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman,” written in 1833 and first published in 1837, changed everything. The name turned out to be extremely successful, and now the equestrian statue of Peter the Great is not called anything else.
7. During its history, the Bronze Horseman has undergone several restorations. During the first of them, in 1909, a hatch in the horse's rump was opened, after which 150 buckets of water, which had penetrated inside through numerous cracks, were removed.
During a large-scale restoration in 1976, in which the best Soviet specialists were involved, most of the cracks that threatened the monument were repaired.
8. According to legend, St. Petersburg will not fall or be destroyed while the Bronze Horseman takes his place. During the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War, the monument to Peter I was sheathed with logs and boards and bags of sand and earth were placed around it. The monument itself escaped hits from Nazi bombs and shells, and the city was not taken by the Germans.
And the history of the appearance of which is outlined in this article is one of the most beautiful monuments in the capital. Moreover, it can be called one of the world's grandiose works of art. The monument is located in the center of the capital. It was installed in the 90s. Not all Muscovites approved the construction and the monument still causes controversy.
History of creation
One of the most famous Russian tsars- Peter 1. The monument to him in Moscow was unveiled on September 5, 1997. According to official documents, this event is timed to coincide with the tricentenary of the creation of the Russian fleet, although the anniversary was celebrated a year earlier. At the same time, another project was initially approved, but Tsereteli’s version won.
The legend about the appearance of the monument
Despite the fact that the monument is still quite “young”, it already has its own legend. Once upon a time in Russian means mass media There were reports that the Peter 1 monument (a monument in Moscow) was converted from a statue of the discoverer of America, Columbus. Tsereteli, the creator of this structure, was unable to sell his masterpiece to the United States, and it ended up in the hands of the Russians.
Fact or Fiction
Indeed, there is clearly an undeniable similarity between the figures. Both statues stand on the ship's deck. Moreover, the figures have their right hands raised up. The pedestal in both versions is complex in structure. But there are also significant differences, which can only be seen by comparing both projects. They are on display in the Tsereteli Gallery.
Description of the monument
The monument to Peter 1 on the Moscow River is a unique structure. The supporting frame of the pedestal with bronze cladding is made of stainless steel. The pedestal, the figure of the king and the ship were assembled separately. Peter and the ship were installed last. Ship shrouds are also made of stainless steel.
All of them are securely fastened with thick cables. To reduce the weight of copper sails, they have a metal frame inside them. Bronze was taken to make the monument highest quality. First it was sandblasted and then platinized. Then the bronze was covered with wax and a special varnish. They protect the source material from bad weather.
The king holds a gilded scroll in his hands. St. Andrew's crosses are made in the same color. The flags on which they are located are made in the form of weather vanes. A staircase was built inside the monument, with the help of which the structure is maintained.
The artificial island on which “Peter 1” (a monument in Moscow) is installed is made of a reinforced concrete foundation. There are fountains all around that create the feeling that a ship is cutting through the waves.
Interesting facts during the creation of a masterpiece
It took almost a year to design and recreate Peter the Great. The mock-up was purged in the MSU wind tunnel. This helped improve the characteristics of the monument. The installation was carried out by 120 specialized specialists, led by leading surveyor V. Makhanov and foreman V. Maksimov.
Passion around the monument
The pedestal of the monument is decorated with rostras. Each is decorated with St. Andrew's flag. It turns out to be a contradiction that Peter the Great fought with his own fleet. The monument became tenth on the list of the ugliest pedestals in the world. This rating was published on the Internet portal “Virtual Tourist” in 2008.
In July 1997, the place where the monument to Peter 1 was erected in Moscow became famous. The Revolutionary Military Council group tried to undermine the monument. According to one version, explosives had already been planted. But due to the fact that passers-by and surrounding buildings could have been injured, the explosion was stopped by the group itself. According to another version, the bombing was foiled thanks to an anonymous call. Since then, there is no longer close access to the monument.
Modern “battle” for Peter the Great
According to information published in printed edition“Izvestia”, at the “Arch Moscow” exhibition, which is held annually, a project appeared according to which the Peter 1 monument (a monument in Moscow) should be enclosed in a “packaging” of glass. Moreover, such that the masterpiece could not be seen through it.
This was in 2007. The author of the project, Boris Bernasconi, proposed building a monument to Peter the Great into a skyscraper. As a result, the monument would be hidden from human eyes. Even Tsereteli would be pleased. The skyscraper would become a museum for Tsereteli’s masterpiece, and Muscovites and city guests could enjoy the new observation deck, turning it into a place for cultural recreation.
In 2010, it got to the point that it was proposed to demolish the monument to Peter 1 completely. This happened after Luzhkov’s resignation from the post of mayor of the capital. Monument to Peter I in Moscow, where is it located? It is installed above the waters of the Moscow River, on Krymskaya Embankment, 10. Nearby are the Park Kultury and Oktyabrskaya metro stations.
In 2010, after the proposal to demolish "Petra", the acting mayor, Vladimir Resin, seriously thought about moving the monument from this site to another area. Information came from the Moscow City Duma commission that such a “relocation” of the monument could cost the treasury 1 billion rubles.
Marat Gelman, who proposed to destroy the monument, even intended to find sponsors for such a transfer. It turned out that the monument was not so bad, since many (and not only Russian) cities were happy to take it over: Arkhangelsk, Tiraspol, Berdyansk, etc.
The heated debate ended in 2011, when Moscow Prefect S. Baidakov “put an end to it” right at a press conference. He announced that the monument would remain where it stood on at the moment. In his opinion, everything created by ancestors is worthy of respect. As a result, Peter 1 (the monument in Moscow) remained in the same place and still stands on the Crimean embankment.
Monument to Peter I, called the Bronze Horseman light hand Alexander Pushkin, is one of the symbols of the Northern capital. Erected by the will of Catherine II, it has been decorating Senate Square for more than 200 years.
Today I will tell you about interesting facts and the most mysterious legends associated with the Bronze Horseman.
Bronze Horseman: Catherine II to Peter I.
The creation of the monument turned out to be very troublesome: the plan of the famous Parisian sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falconet, specially invited to Russia by Catherine to work on the monument to Peter the Great, was grandiose. To perpetuate the figure of the Russian reformer, it was decided to create a sculpture of him on a horse. According to the plan, the rider climbed a high cliff, leaving behind all enemies and thereby overcoming all life's difficulties.
Transportation of Thunder Stone
The first test was to find a stone that would serve as a pedestal. At first it was supposed to be assembled from individual stones, but attempts were still made to find a block of appropriate size. For this purpose, they even placed an advertisement in the newspaper: and, lo and behold, an ordinary peasant agreed to deliver a boulder to St. Petersburg. It is believed that a holy fool helped him find the right rock; the stone itself was called the Thunder Stone because it had long ago suffered from a lightning strike. Delivery of the pedestal lasted 11 months; the block weighing 2,400 tons had to be moved in the winter, as it pushed through literally everything in its path. According to another legend, the stone was named Horse because it was found on the island of the same name and in ancient times lay at the entrance to the gates of another world. According to legends, local residents sacrificed horses to the gods at this stone.
Illustration for the poem The Bronze Horseman by A. Pushkin, painted by Alexander Benois.
When the Thunder Stone was delivered to St. Petersburg, Falcone began working on the sculpture of the horseman. To achieve maximum realism, he built a pedestal with the same angle of inclination, and over and over again asked the rider to ride on it. Observing the movements of the horse and rider, the sculptor gradually created a sketch. Over the next eight years, the statue was cast in bronze. The name "Bronze Horseman" is artistic technique Pushkin, in fact, the figure is bronze.
Unveiling of the monument to Peter I on Senate Square in St. Petersburg. Paper, engraving with chisel. Mid-19th century
Despite the fact that Catherine was delighted with Falcone’s project, the protracted work on casting the statue put her at odds with the sculptor. The Frenchman left for Paris without waiting for the grand opening. In fairness, we note that when the monument was presented to the public, at the behest of Catherine II, the coins minted on the occasion of the celebration were gratefully delivered to Falcone.