The bronze horseman monument is dedicated to whom. Monument "Millennium of Russia
15.02.2016
Bronze Horseman- this is a monument to Peter the Great (the Great) in St. Petersburg, located on Senate Square. If you ask the natives of St. Petersburg what place they consider to be the heart of the city, many, without hesitation, will call this particular landmark of St. Petersburg. The monument to Peter the Great stands surrounded by the buildings of the Synod and the Senate, the Admiralty and St. Isaac's Cathedral. Tens of thousands of tourists who come to the city consider it their duty to take pictures against the background of this monument, so it is almost always crowded here.
Monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg - the history of creation.
Early sixties XVIII century Catherine II, wishing to emphasize her devotion to Peter's testaments, ordered to erect a monument to the great reformer Peter I. To carry out the work, she, on the advice of her friend D. Diderot, invited French sculptor Etienne Falcone. In the middle of autumn 1766, he arrived in St. Petersburg, and the work began to boil.
At the very beginning of the project, disagreements arose in the vision of the future monument to Peter the Great. His appearance the empress discussed with the great philosophers and thinkers of that time, Voltaire and Diderot. Everyone had different view about composition. But the sculptor Etienne Falcone managed to convince the powerful ruler and defended his point of view. As conceived by the sculptor, Peter the Great will symbolize not only the great strategist who won many victories, but also the greatest creator, reformer and legislator.
Monument to Peter the Great Bronze Horseman - description.
The sculptor Etienne Falcone depicted Peter the Great as a horseman, dressed in simple robes, characteristic of all heroes. Peter 1 sits on a rearing horse, covered with a bearskin instead of a saddle. This symbolizes the victory of Russia over dense barbarism and its formation as a civilized state, and the outstretched palm over it indicates under whose protection it is. The pedestal, depicting a rock on which the bronze horseman climbs, speaks of the difficulties that had to be overcome along the way. A snake entangled under the horse's hind legs depicts enemies trying to prevent moving forward. While working on the layout, the sculptor could not succeed in the head of Peter, his student brilliantly coped with this task. Falcone commissioned the work on the snake to the Russian sculptor Fyodor Gordeev.
The pedestal for the monument "The Bronze Horseman" in St. Petersburg.
To fulfill such grand design needed an appropriate pedestal. For a long time, the search for a stone suitable for this purpose did not bring results. I had to turn to the population through the newspaper "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti" for help in the search. The result was not long in coming. Not far from the village of Konnaya Lakhta, which is only 13 kilometers from St. Petersburg, the peasant Semyon Vishnyakov discovered such a block long ago and intended to use it for his own purposes. It was called "Thunderstone" due to the fact that it was repeatedly subjected to lightning strikes.
The found granite monolith weighing about 1500 tons delighted the sculptor Etienne Falcone, but now he faced difficult task move the stone to St. Petersburg. Promising a reward for a successful solution, Falcone received a lot of projects, from which the best one was chosen. Mobile trough-shaped rails were built, in which there were copper alloy balls. It was along them that a granite block, immersed on a wooden platform, moved. It is noteworthy that in the pit left after the extraction of the Thunder-Stone, soil waters accumulated, forming a reservoir that has survived to this day.
Having waited for the cold weather, we started transporting the future pedestal. In mid-autumn 1769, the procession moved forward. Hundreds of people were recruited to complete the task. Among them were masons, who, without wasting time, carried out the processing of a stone block. At the end of March 1770, the pedestal was delivered to the place of loading onto the ship, and six months later it arrived in the capital.
Creation of the monument "The Bronze Horseman".
The Bronze Horseman, a monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, conceived by the sculptor Falcone, was so grandiose in size that master B. Ersman, invited from France, refused to cast it. The difficulty was that the sculpture, having only three points of support, had to be cast in such a way as to lighten the front as much as possible. For this, the thickness of the bronze walls should not exceed 10 mm. The Russian caster Yemelyan Khailov came to the aid of the sculptor. During the casting, the unforeseen happened: the pipe burst through which the red-hot bronze entered the mold. Despite the threat to life, Emelyan did not quit his job and saved most of the statue. Only the upper part of the monument to Peter the Great was damaged.
After three years of preparation, a second casting was carried out, which turned out to be completely successful. To commemorate the success, the French master left an inscription among the numerous folds of the cloak, which reads "Sculpted and cast by Etienne Falconet, a Parisian of 1778." For unknown reasons, the relationship between the empress and the master went wrong, and he, without waiting for the installation of the bronze horseman, left Russia. Fedor Gordeev, who participated in the creation of sculpture from the very beginning, took over the leadership, and on August 7, 1782, the monument to Peter the Great in the city of St. Petersburg was inaugurated. The height of the monument was 10.4 meters.
Why is the monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg called "The Bronze Horseman"?
The monument to Peter the Great "The Bronze Horseman" immediately fell in love with the people of St. Petersburg, acquiring legends and funny stories, becoming a popular subject in literature and poetry. one of poetry it owes its current name. It was "The Bronze Horseman" by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. There is a belief among the townspeople, according to which one major during the war with Napoleon had a dream in which Peter the Great addressed him and said that as long as the monument stands in its place, no misfortunes threaten Petersburg. Listening to this dream, Emperor Alexander I canceled the upcoming evacuation of the monument. IN hard years blockade, the monument was carefully sheltered from bombing.
During the years of existence of the monument "The Bronze Horseman" in St. Petersburg, restoration work has been repeatedly carried out. The first time I had to release more than a ton of water that had accumulated in the horse's stomach. Later, in order to prevent this, special drainage holes were made. Already in Soviet time minor defects were eliminated and the pedestal was cleaned. The last work with the involvement of scientific specialists was carried out in 1976. The originally conceived statue did not have a fence. But perhaps soon the monument to Peter the Great "The Bronze Horseman" will have to be protected from vandals desecrating it for fun.
History of the monument
The equestrian statue of Peter was made by the sculptor Etienne Falcone in -. Peter's head was sculpted by Falcone's student, Marie-Anne Collot. Fyodor Gordeev fashioned the snake according to Falcone's plan. The casting of the statue was completed in 1778 under the guidance of master Yemelyan Khailov.
For the pedestal of the monument, a giant granite boulder was delivered from the vicinity of Lakhta, “ thunder stone". The stone weighed 1600 tons. Its transportation to the shore of the Gulf of Finland (about 8 miles) was carried out on a log platform along two special gutters, in which 30 five-inch bronze balls were laid. The platform was driven by several gates. This unique operation lasted from November 15, 1769 to March 27, 1770. The transportation of the stone by water was carried out on a ship specially built for this purpose according to the drawing of the famous shipbuilder Grigory Korchebnikov and began only in the fall. The giant "Thunder-stone" with a huge crowd of people arrived in St. Petersburg on Senate Square on September 26, 1770. In honor of the transportation of the stone, a commemorative medal with the inscription "It is like boldness" was knocked out.
In 1778 due to abrupt change relationship of Catherine II to Falcone, he was forced to leave Russia. And the work to complete the monument was entrusted to Yu. M. Felten. The monument was inaugurated on August 7, 1782. Ironically, Falcone was never invited to its opening.
It was the first equestrian monument to the Russian Tsar. In conditional attire, on a rearing horse, Peter is depicted by Falcone primarily as a legislator: in the hierarchy of classicism, legislators are higher than generals. Here is what Falcone himself wrote about this: “My monument will be simple ... I will limit myself only to the statue of this hero whom I do not interpret as either a great commander or a winner, although he, of course, was both. The personality of the creator of the legislator is much higher ... ”The sculptor portrayed Peter in an emphatically dynamic state, dressed him in simple and light clothes, and replaced the rich saddle with an animal skin so that all this would not be conspicuous and would not distract attention from the main thing. A pedestal in the form of a huge rock is a symbol of the difficulties Peter I overcame, and a snake under the feet of a rearing horse depicts hostile forces. And only a wreath of laurel crowning his head, and a sword hanging from his belt, indicate the role of Peter as a victorious commander.
Catherine II, Diderot and Voltaire took part in the discussion of the concept of the monument. The monument was supposed to depict the victory of civilization, reason, human will over wildlife. The pedestal of the monument was intended to symbolize nature, barbarism, and the fact that Falcone hewn the grandiose Thunder-stone, polished it, caused indignation and criticism of his contemporaries.
The inscription on the pedestal reads: “Catherine the Second to Peter the Great, summer 1782” on the one hand, and “Petro primo Catharina secunda” on the other, thus emphasizing the empress’s intention: to establish a line of succession, inheritance between the deeds of Peter and her own activities.
The monument to Peter I is already in late XVIII century became the object of urban legends and anecdotes, and in early XIX century - one of the most popular themes in Russian poetry.
Legend of Major Baturin
There is an assumption that the legend of Major Baturin formed the basis of the plot of A.S. Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman". There is also an assumption that the legend of Major Baturin became the reason that during the years of World War II the monument remained in place and was not hidden, like other sculptures.
Literature
- Architectural monuments of Leningrad. - Leningrad, Stroyizdat. 1975.
- Knabe G.S. Imagination of a Sign: The Bronze Horseman of Falcone and Pushkin. M., 1993.
- Toporov V. N. On the dynamic context of three-dimensional products visual arts(semiotic view). Falconet's monument to Peter I // Lotman's collection. 1. M., 1995.
- Proskurina V. Petersburg Myth and the Politics of Monuments: Peter the Great to Catherine the Second // New Literary Review. 2005. No. 72.
Footnotes
Links
- History of the Bronze Horseman. Photos, how to get there, what's nearby
- The Bronze Horseman in the Wedding Encyclopedia
Coordinates : 59°56′11″ N sh. 30°18′08″ in. d. / 59.936389° N sh. 30.302222° E d.(G)59.936389 , 30.302222
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See what the "Bronze Horseman (monument)" is in other dictionaries:
"Bronze Horseman"- Monument to Peter I ("The Bronze Horseman"). Monument to Peter I ("The Bronze Horseman"). Saint Petersburg. "The Bronze Horseman", a poetic designation of the monument to Peter I, sung by A. S. Pushkin in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" (1833). Monumental statue of a rider, ... ... Encyclopedic reference"Saint Petersburg"
The Bronze Horseman: The Bronze Horseman monument to Peter I in Saint Petersburg The Bronze Horseman poem by A. S. Pushkin The Bronze Horseman ballet to music by R. M. Glière The Bronze Horseman film award ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Bronze Horseman (meanings). Coordinates: 59° N sh. 30° in. / 59.9364° N sh. 30.3022° E etc. ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Bronze Horseman (meanings). Bronze Horseman ... Wikipedia
"Bronze Horseman"- THE BRASS HORSEMAN Pushkin's name. Monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg. After the publication of one. poems became popular. The monument, the first equestrian monument in Russia, was opened in 1782. Its creators are sculptors E. Falcone, M. A. Kollo, F. Gordeev, architect. YU.… … Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary
Poetic designation of the monument to Peter I, sung by A. S. Pushkin in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" (1833). A monumental statue of a rider, with an imperious hand clutching the reins of a horse reared in a swift impulse, personifying the growth of power ... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
- "The BRONZE HORSEMAN", a poetic designation of the monument to Peter I (see PETER I the Great) in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), sung by A. S. Pushkin (see PUSHKIN Alexander Sergeevich) in the poem "The Bronze Horseman" (1833). Bronze equestrian statue Petra, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
The city on the Neva is actually a museum under open sky. Monuments of architecture, history and art are concentrated in its central part and are mostly compositional. A special place among them is occupied by the monument, dedicated to Peter Great, - the Bronze Horseman. Any guide can give a detailed description of the monument, everything is interesting in this story: from the creation of a sketch to the installation process. Many legends and myths are associated with it. The first one refers to the origin of the name of the sculpture. It was given much later than the erection of the monument, but has not changed over the two hundred years of its existence.
Name
... Over the fenced rock
Idol with outstretched hand
Sitting on a bronze horse...
These lines are familiar to every Russian person, their author, A. S. Pushkin, describing in work of the same name called him the Bronze Horseman. The great Russian poet, who was born 17 years after the installation of the monument, did not imagine that his poem would give a new name to the sculpture. In his work, he gives the following description of the Bronze Horseman monument (or rather, whose image was displayed in it):
... What a thought on the forehead!
What power is hidden in it! ..
…O mighty lord of destiny!..
Peter appears not common man, not a great king, but practically a demigod. These epithets were inspired by Pushkin's monument, its scale and fundamentality. The rider is not made of copper, the sculpture itself is made of bronze, and a solid block of granite was used as a pedestal. But the image of Peter, created by Pushkin in the poem, was so consistent with the energy of the entire composition that one should not pay attention to such trifles. Before today description of the Bronze Horseman monument in St. Petersburg is inextricably linked with the work of the great Russian classic.
Story
Catherine II, wanting to emphasize her commitment reform activities Petra, decided to erect a monument to him in the city, the founder of which he was. The first statue was created by Francesco Rastrelli, but the monument did not receive the approval of the empress and was kept in the barns of St. Petersburg for a long time. The sculptor Etienne Maurice Falcone recommended to her worked on the monument for 12 years. His confrontation with Catherine ended with the fact that he left Russia without seeing his creation in its finished form. Having studied the personality of Peter according to the sources existing at that time, he created and embodied his image not as a great commander and king, but as the creator of Russia, who opened the way for her to the sea, bringing her closer to Europe. Falcone was faced with the fact that Catherine and all the top officials already had a ready-made image of the monument, he only had to create the expected forms. If this happened, then the description of the Bronze Horseman monument in St. Petersburg would be completely different. Perhaps then it would have had a different name. Falcone's work progressed slowly, this was facilitated by bureaucratic squabbles, the discontent of the empress and the complexity of the created image.
Installation
Even recognized masters of their craft did not undertake to cast the figure of Peter on horseback, so Falcone attracted Emelyan Khailov, who cast guns. The size of the monument was not the most main problem, it was much more important to maintain a weight balance. With only three points of support, the sculpture had to be stable. The original decision was the introduction of a snake into the monument, which was a symbol of defeated evil. At the same time, it provided additional support for the sculptural group. We can say that the monument was created in collaboration with the sculptor and his student Marie-Anne Collot (Peter's head, face) and the Russian master Fyodor Gordeev (snake).
thunder stone
Not a single description of the Bronze Horseman monument is complete without mentioning its foundation (pedestal). A huge granite block was split by lightning, which is why the local population gave it the name Thunder Stone, which was later preserved. As conceived by Falcone, the sculpture should stand on a base imitating a billowing wave. The stone was delivered to the Senate Square by land and water, while the work on hewing a granite block did not stop. The whole of Russia and Europe followed the extraordinary transportation, in honor of its completion, Catherine ordered a medal to be minted. In September 1770, a granite base was installed on the Senate Square. The location of the monument was also controversial. The empress insisted on erecting a monument in the center of the square, but Falcone placed it closer to the Neva, and Peter's gaze was also turned to the river. Although there is fierce debate on this subject to this day: where did the Bronze Horseman look? The description of the monument by various researchers contains great options response. Some believe that the king is looking at Sweden, with which he fought. Others suggest that his gaze is turned to the sea, access to which was necessary for the country. There is also a point of view, which is based on the theory that the lord surveys the city he founded.
Bronze Horseman, monument
A brief description of the monument can be found in any guide to historical and cultural sites St. Petersburg. Peter 1 sits on a rearing horse, stretching out one hand over the Neva flowing nearby. His head is decorated with a laurel wreath, and the horse's feet trample on a snake, personifying evil (in the broadest sense of the word). On the granite base, by order of Catherine II, the inscription "Catherine II to Peter I" was made and the date is 1782. These words are written in Latin on one side of the monument, and in Russian on the other. The weight of the monument itself is about 8-9 tons, the height is more than 5 meters, excluding the base. This monument has become calling card cities on the Neva. Every person who comes to see its sights definitely visits the Senate Square, and everyone has a own opinion and, accordingly, the description of the monument Bronze Horseman to Peter 1.
Symbolism
The power and grandeur of the monument does not leave people indifferent for two centuries. He made such an indelible impression on the great classic A. S. Pushkin that the poet created one of his most significant creations - The Bronze Horseman. The description of the monument in the poem as an independent hero attracts the reader's attention with its brightness and integrity of the image. This work was included in a number of symbols of Russia, like the monument itself. “The Bronze Horseman, a description of the monument” - an essay on this topic is written by high school students from all over the country. At the same time, the role of Pushkin's poem, his vision of sculpture appear in every essay. From the moment the monument was opened to the present day, there are mixed opinions about composition in general. Many Russian writers used the image created by Falcone in their work. Everyone found symbolism in it, which they interpreted in accordance with their views, but there is no doubt that Peter I personifies the movement of Russia forward. This is confirmed by the Bronze Horseman. The description of the monument has become for many a way of expressing their own thoughts about the fate of the country.
Monument
On the rock, in front of which the abyss opened up, a mighty horse runs swiftly. The rider pulls the reins, raising the animal on its hind legs, while its whole figure personifies confidence and calmness. According to Falcone, this was exactly what Peter I was like - a hero, a warrior, but also a reformer. With his hand he points to the distances that will be subject to him. The fight against the forces of nature, not too far-sighted people, prejudices for him is the meaning of life. When creating a sculpture, Catherine wanted to see Peter as a great emperor, that is, Roman statues could be a model. The king must sit on a horse, while holding in his hands the correspondence ancient heroes given through clothing. Falcone was categorically against it, he said that the Russian sovereign could not wear a tunic, just like Julius Caesar's caftan. Peter appears in a long Russian shirt, which is closed by a cloak fluttering in the wind - this is exactly what the Bronze Horseman looks like. The description of the monument is impossible without some of the symbols introduced by Falcone into the main composition. For example, Peter is not sitting in the saddle, in this capacity the skin of a bear acts. Its meaning is interpreted as belonging to the nation, the people, which the king leads. The snake under the horse's hooves symbolizes deceit, enmity, ignorance, defeated by Peter.
Head
The features of the king's face are slightly idealized, but the portrait resemblance is not lost. Work on the head of Peter lasted a long time, its results constantly did not satisfy the empress. Petra, taken by Rastrelli, helped the student Falcone to complete the face of the king. Her work was highly appreciated by Catherine II, Marie-Anne Collot was assigned a life annuity. The whole figure, the position of the head, the furious gesture, the inner fire expressed in the look, show the character of Peter I.
Location
Falcone paid special attention to the base on which the Bronze Horseman is located. on this topic attracted many talented people. A rock, a block of granite personifies the difficulties that Peter overcomes on his way. After he has reached the top, he acquires the meaning of subordination, subordination to his will of all circumstances. The granite block, made in the form of a rising wave, also indicates the conquest of the sea. Very indicative is the location of the entire monument. Peter I, the founder of the city of St. Petersburg, despite all the difficulties, creates a seaport for his state. That is why the figure is placed closer to the river and turned to face it. Peter I (the Bronze Horseman) seems to continue to peer into the distance, assess the threats to his state and plan new great achievements. In order to form your own opinion about this symbol of the city on the Neva and all of Russia, you need to visit it, feel the powerful energy of the place, the character reflected by the sculptor. Reviews of many tourists, including foreign ones, boil down to one thought: for a few minutes the gift of speech disappears. In this case, it is striking not only but also the awareness of its importance for the history of Russia.
Description
The Bronze Horseman monument has long been associated with the city of St. Petersburg, it is considered one of the main symbols of the city on the Neva.
Bronze Horseman. Who is depicted on the monument?
One of the most beautiful and famous equestrian monuments in the world is dedicated to the Russian Emperor Peter I.
In 1833, the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin wrote famous poem"The Bronze Horseman", which gave the second name to the monument to Peter I on Senate Square.
The history of the creation of the monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg
The history of the creation of this grandiose monument dates back to the reign of Empress Catherine II, who considered herself the successor and continuer of the ideas of Peter the Great. Wanting to perpetuate the memory of the reformer tsar, Catherine orders to erect a monument to Peter I. Being a fan of European ideas of education, the fathers of which she considered the great French thinkers Diderot and Voltaire, the Empress instructs Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn to turn to them for recommendations for choosing a sculptor who is capable of would erect a monument to Great Peter. The meters recommended the sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falcone, with whom a contract was signed on September 6, 1766 for the creation of an equestrian statue, for a rather small fee - 200,000 livres. To work on the monument, Etienne-Maurice Falcone, who by that time was already fifty years old, arrived with a young assistant of seventeen, Marie-Anne Collot.
Etienne Maurice Falcone. Bust by Marie-Anne Collot.
To Empress Catherine II, the monument was presented as an equestrian statue, where Peter I was supposed to be depicted as a Roman emperor with a rod in his hand - this was a generally accepted European canon, with its roots dating back to the time of the glorification of rulers ancient rome. Falcone saw a different statue - dynamic and monumental, equal in its inner meaning and plastic solution to the genius of the man who created the new Russia.
The sculptor’s notes remained, where he wrote: “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. Much higher is the personality of the creator, legislator, benefactor of his country, and this is what must be shown to people. My king does not hold any rod, he stretches out his beneficent right hand over the country he travels around. He rises to the top of the rock that serves as his pedestal - this is the emblem of the difficulties he has overcome."
Today, the Bronze Horseman monument, which is known all over the world as a symbol of St. Petersburg - the emperor with outstretched arms on a rearing horse on a pedestal in the form of a rock, was absolutely innovative for that time and had no analogues in the world. It took a lot of work for the master to convince the main customer of the monument, Empress Catherine II, of the correctness and grandeur of his brilliant decision.
Falcone worked on the model of the equestrian statue for three years, where the master's main problem was the plastic interpretation of the horse's movement. In the workshop of the sculptor, a special platform was built, with the same angle of inclination that was supposed to be at the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman, riders on horseback took off on it, rearing them up. Falcone carefully observed the movements of the horses and made careful sketches. During this time, Falcone made many drawings and sculptural models of the statue and found exactly that. plastic solution, which was taken as the basis for the monument to Peter I.
In February 1767, at the beginning of Nevsky Prospekt, on the site of the Temporary Winter Palace, erecting a building for casting the "Bronze Horseman".
In 1780, the model of the monument was completed and on May 19 the sculpture was opened for public viewing for two weeks. Opinions in St. Petersburg were divided - some liked the equestrian statue, others were critical of the future famous monument Peter I (the Bronze Horseman).
An interesting fact is that the head of the emperor was fashioned by Falcone's student Marie-Anne Collot, her version portrait image Catherine II liked Peter I and the Empress appointed the young sculptor a lifelong pension of 10,000 livres.
The Bronze Horseman pedestal has a separate history. According to the idea of the author of the monument to Peter I, the pedestal was supposed to be a natural rock, shaped like a wave, symbolizing Russia's access to the sea under the leadership of Peter the Great. The search for a stone monolith began immediately with the start of work on a sculptural model, and in 1768 a granite rock was found in the Lakhta region.
It is known that the peasant Semyon Grigorievich Vishnyakov reported about the discovery of the granite monolith. According to a legend that existed among the local population, once upon a time a lightning struck a granite rock, splitting it, from which the name “Thunder-stone” appeared.
To study the suitability of the stone for the pedestal, the engineer Count de Laskari was sent to Lakhta, who proposed using a solid granite mass for the monument, he also made a calculation of the transportation plan. The idea was this - to lay a road in the forest from the location of the stone and move it to the bay, and then deliver it by water to the installation site.
On September 26, 1768, work began on preparing the rock for moving, for which it was first completely dug up and the broken off part was separated, which was supposed to serve as a pedestal for the monument to Peter I (the Bronze Horseman) in St. Petersburg.
In the spring of 1769, Thunder-Stone was installed on a wooden platform with the help of levers, and throughout the summer they prepared and strengthened the road; when frost hit and the ground froze, the granite monolith began to be moved towards the bay. For these purposes, a special engineering device was invented and manufactured, which was a platform resting on thirty metal balls, moving along grooved wooden rails covered with copper.
View of the Thunder Stone during its transportation in the presence of Empress Catherine II.
On November 15, 1769, the movement of the granite colossus began. During the movement of the rock, it was hewn by 48 craftsmen, giving it the shape conceived for the pedestal. These works were supervised by the stone master Giovanni Geronimo Rusca. The movement of the block aroused great interest, and people from St. Petersburg specially came to see this action. On January 20, 1770, Empress Catherine II herself came to Lakhta and personally observed the movement of the rock, which was moved 25 meters under her. According to her decree, the transport operation to move the "Thunderstone" was marked by a minted medal with the inscription "Boldness is like. January, 20. 1770." By February 27, the granite monolith reached the coast of the Gulf of Finland, from where it was supposed to go by water to St. Petersburg.
From the side of the coast, a special dam was built through shallow water, which went nine hundred meters into the bay. To move the rock through the water, a large flat-bottomed vessel was made - pram, which moved with the help of the power of three hundred rowers. On September 23, 1770, the ship moored on the embankment near the Senate Square. On October 11, the pedestal for the Bronze Horseman was installed on Senate Square.
The casting of the statue itself took place with great difficulties and failures. Due to the complexity of the work, many master casters refused to cast the statue, while others requested too much high price for manufacturing. As a result, Etienne-Maurice Falcone himself had to study foundry business and in 1774 start casting the Bronze Horseman. According to the manufacturing technology, the inside of the statue must be hollow. The whole complexity of the work lay in the fact that the thickness of the walls in the front of the statue had to be thinner than the thickness of the walls in the back. Estimated to be heavier rear end gave the statue stability, which had three points of support.
It was possible to make the statue only from the second casting in July 1777, and work on its final finishing was carried out for another year. By this time, relations between Empress Catherine II and Falcone had deteriorated, the crowned customer was not happy with the delay in completing work on the monument. For the speedy completion of the work, the empress appointed master A. Sandoz to help the sculptor of watchmaking, who took up the final chasing of the surface of the monument.
In 1778, Etienne-Maurice Falcone, leaves Russia, without restoring the favor of the empress and without waiting for grand opening the most important creation in his life - the monument to Peter I, which the whole world now knows as the monument "The Bronze Horseman" in St. Petersburg. This monument was the last creation of the master; he did not create any more sculptures.
The completion of all works on the monument was led by the architect Yu.M. Felten - the pedestal was given its final form, after the installation of the sculpture, under the hooves of the horse appeared, designed by the architect F.G. Gordeev, sculpture of a snake.
Wishing to emphasize her commitment to Peter's reforms, Empress Catherine II ordered to decorate the pedestal with the inscription: "Catherine II to Peter I".
Opening of the monument to Peter I
On August 7, 1782, exactly on the centennial day of Peter I's accession to the throne, it was decided to coincide with the grand opening of the monument.
Opening of the monument to Emperor Peter I.
Many citizens gathered on Senate Square, foreign officials and high-ranking close associates of Her Majesty were present - everyone was waiting for the arrival of Empress Catherine II to open the monument. The monument was hidden from view by a special linen fence. Guards regiments under the command of Prince A. M. Golitsyn were lined up for the military parade. The Empress, dressed in ceremonial attire, arrived in a boat along the Neva, the people greeted her with applause. Rising to the balcony of the Senate building, Empress Catherine II gave a sign, the veil covering the monument fell and the figure of Peter the Great appeared before the enthusiastic people, sitting on a rearing horse, triumphantly stretching his right hand and looking into the distance. The Guards regiments marched in a parade along the Neva embankment to the beat of a drum.
On the occasion of the opening of the monument, the Empress issued a manifesto on forgiveness and granting life to all those sentenced to death; prisoners who had been languishing in prison for more than 10 years for public and private debts were released.
A silver medal depicting the monument was issued. Three copies of the medal were cast in gold. Catherine II did not forget about the creator of the monument; by her decree, the gold and silver medals were presented in Paris to the great sculptor by Prince D. A. Golitsyn.
The Bronze Horseman witnessed not only the celebrations and holidays that took place at its foot, but also tragic events December 14 (26), 1825 - Decembrist uprisings.
For the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Monument to Peter I was restored.
Nowadays, as before, it is the most visited monument in St. Petersburg. The Bronze Horseman on Senate Square often becomes the center for city celebrations and holidays.
Information
Architect
Yu. M. Felten
Sculptor
E. M. Falcone
Contacts
Address
St. Petersburg, Senatskaya Square
How to get there?
Metro
Admiralteyskaya
How to get there
From the stations "Nevsky Prospekt", "Gostiny Dvor", "Admiralteyskaya"
Trolleybuses: 5, 22
Buses: 3, 22, 27, 10
before St. Isaac's Square, then on foot to the Neva, through the Alexander Garden.
The war with monuments practically does not stop in Russia (and what about in Russia - in the USA they are also fighting right now). IN different times And different years they were different people who were demolished, then put up, and then demolished again. Personally, I am a supporter of the fact that any historical person that got into the history of the country can be marked as a monument. The person was - the monument shows it. And then they will come to them different groups people and they will be told different versions history and relationships with these people, tk. there will never be a single approved history.
But did you know that on the monument erected in Novgorod back in 1861 on the theme “Millennium of Russia” there is no one of the very bright historical characters of Russia. You know him for sure.
Guessed who?
The idea of erecting a monument to the 1000th anniversary of Russian statehood belonged to Alexander II and was supported by the Committee of Ministers. In 1859, a competition was held, for which 52 works were submitted. The winner was an unknown graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts, Mikhail Mikeshin, assisted by the sculptor Ivan Shreder.
It took almost a year and a half to create the monument. The laying of the monument took place on May 28, 1861 on the square between St. Sophia Cathedral and government offices.
The structure of the monument
The silhouette of the monument is associated with two important symbols of Russian and Novgorod history: the attribute royal power- Monomakh's cap - and a veche bell. The division of the monument into three levels emphasizes the famous formula of the official doctrine of that time: "Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality."
In the upper part - an angel, personifying Orthodoxy, blesses a kneeling woman - Russia. The second level consists of six groups. Each represents one of the stages in the development of Russian statehood: from Rurik (on the south side) to Peter I (on the north). The high-relief ribbon, running in a circle at the bottom, contains the entire history of Russia.
129 figures, approved by Alexander II, are grouped: statesmen, military and heroes, cultural figures, educators.
Interestingly, there is no figure of Ivan the Terrible on the monument - one of the most well-known representatives the Rurik dynasty. It was decided that it was unethical to place his image in Novgorod, because the tsar "became famous" for the brutal pogrom of this city. But on the monument there is a figure of Martha the posadnitsa, who defended the ancient Novgorod liberties and was expelled from the city by Ivan III for this. Among the great literary figures at the last moment, at the insistence of Mikeshin, Nikolai Gogol was included, but Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko Alexander II deleted from the list.
Monument to the 1000th anniversary of Russian statehood for a long time served as the subject of all sorts of discussions. Most of favorably received by the public unusual monument. Others, such as Herzen, actively criticized him. But even the Bolsheviks did not dare to demolish it.
"Millennium of Russia" during the war years and in the post-war period
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, during the Nazi occupation, the monument was dismantled by the Germans. They brought a narrow-gauge railway to the destroyed Novgorod Kremlin: it was planned to send the dismantled figures and reliefs of the monument to Germany. Entered the Kremlin soviet soldiers fragments were found half-covered with snow ...
Well, about Ivan the Terrible himself, there are such opinions: a statement that or, for example, well, about
If you are interested in learning about other plots on the monument, you can read it here: Monument Millennium of Russia in Veliky Novgorod. Interesting article and there is a picture from the grand opening plus a 3d panorama of how everything looks around.
Is it possible to erect monuments to all persons Russian history?
Yes, everyone who has been significantly noted in Russian history can be erected monuments
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