Column on the palace square history. The Pillar of Alexandria: history, construction features, interesting facts and legends. “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”

Alexander Column, or the Alexandria Pillar, was built in honor of the Russian victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. It is made of polished red granite and has a height of 47.5 m. The weight of the column is more than 600 tons. It is unique in that it rests on a pedestal without fastenings, only under the weight of its own weight.

Story

The history of the column begins during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, who wished to perpetuate the memory of his brother Alexander I. In 1832 the column was raised by 2,000 soldiers. Only ropes and manual labor were used. Various improvements took place over the course of 2 years.

On August 30, 1834, on the day of St. Alexander Nevsky, the grand opening ceremony took place. The residents of St. Petersburg immediately dubbed the angel at the top of the column their guardian.

The column was considered “the vertical that determines the greatness of Russia.” Almost immediately it began to be perceived as a monument to the founding of the Russian state.

The Emperor called it “The Pillar of Nicholas I to Alexander I,” imitating Catherine the Great and his father Paul, who decorated outstanding sculptures with commemorative inscriptions

After the revolution of 1917, the Alexander Column miraculously survived. They planned to build a graveyard on the main square of the former imperial capital, and along the Winter Palace there are memorial graves. However, the 600-ton column did not simply fall. Fortunately, in the spring of 1918 the government moved to Moscow and the column was left alone.

In 1924, after the death of Lenin, the authorities decided to erect a statue of the great leader Comrade on the Alexander Column instead of an angel with a cross. Lenin. The absurdity of this idea was conveyed to the top of the government by Lunacharsky, the then People's Commissar of Education. So the column survived the second time.

In 1952, another “attempt” was made on the Alexander Column. In a series of Stalinist renamings of streets, squares, avenues, it was planned to install a bust of I. Stalin on it. However, due to the death of the leader in March 1953, such an idea lost all meaning.

Architect

The column was built according to the design of the outstanding French architect Henri Auguste Ricard de Montferrand- the author of the now existing St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Features of the composition

The column is supported on a base without internal fastenings. Its own gravity attracts it to the center of the Earth. The radial geometry of the earth's sphere will make it possible to understand how a monolithic foundation that is not attached to the foundation does not fall.

Despite its massiveness and material, the column seems light and weightless, as if soaring upward. The reason is its ideal proportions: height and diameter have a ratio of 84:12, i.e. 7:1. Entasis is used - technique ancient architecture, with a decrease in diameter from bottom to top, so that a slimming effect is created.

The magnificence of the proportions of the column provides a beautiful view from all sides of the viewed vertical

At the base of the column is a majestic pedestal made of stone granite blocks and plank masonry, decorated with 4 bronze bas-reliefs and the inscription “To Alexander I - grateful Russia.” In the center is a bronze box filled with ancient coins from the early 19th century.

On the bas-reliefs are placed:

• allegories of Peace and Abundance, Wisdom and Justice
• images of military armor
• laurel garlands, which are supported by 2-headed eagles, and a laurel wreath
• 2 figures - a woman and an old man, personifying the Vistula and Neman rivers, which played a decisive role in the victory of the Russian army

The column is topped with the figure of an angel, who embraces a large cross with his hands. The sculpture has a height of 4.2 m, the cross is 6.3 m. The author Boris Orlovsky borrowed the grace of the angel pose from Russian ballerinas.

Where is

Address

Palace Square

Metro

• Admiralteyskaya
• Nevsky Avenue
• Gostiny Dvor

How to get there

To the Alexander Column The easiest way to get out of Nevsky Prospekt is to turn onto Malaya Morskaya Street towards the famous Arch of the General Staff. It is visible from Nevsky Prospect itself. If you walk under the arch, you have a panoramic view of the spacious and discreet Palace Square and the Alexander Column in its center.

Interesting Facts

• An ancient St. Petersburg legend connects the sculpture of Archangel Michael on the Alexander Column with one of the 3 angel pillars. As long as they “hover” over the city, it will stand, it will live. The second angel is at the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the third is at the Church of St. Catherine on Vasilyevsky Island, near Tuchkov Bridge.
• The column is dedicated to the victories of Russia during the time of Alexander I, and the face of the angel is given the facial features of this emperor. The sculptor Orlovsky remade the statue several times until Nicholas I liked it. The head of the snake, trampled by a cross, must certainly resemble Napoleon’s face.
• Local residents were afraid for a long time that the column would fall and did not approach it. The architect Montferrand introduced into his exercise routine the rule of walking around it with his dog every day.

Alexander Column (Russia) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, 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 the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column is familiar to each of us literally from school. With the light hand of the beloved poet, everyone began to call 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 Faros (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 on 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 represent in allegorical form the glory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the 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.

Alexandria Pillar (Alexandrovsky, Alexandrinsky) - a monument to Alexander I, the winner of Napoleon in the war of 1812-1814. The column, designed by Auguste Montferrand, was installed on August 30, 1834. It is crowned with the figure of an Angel, made by the sculptor Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky.

A the lexandrian pillar is not only architectural masterpiece in the Empire style, but also an outstanding achievement of engineering. The tallest column in the world, made of monolithic granite. Its weight is 704 tons. The height of the monument is 47.5 meters, the granite monolith is 25.88 meters. It is taller than Pompey's Column in Alexandria, Trajan's Column in Rome and, what is especially nice, the Vendôme Column in Paris - a monument to Napoleon.

Let's start with a brief history of its creation

The idea of ​​​​building the monument was proposed by the famous architect Carl Rossi. When planning the space of Palace Square, he believed that a monument should be placed in the center of the square. From the side, the installation point of the column looks like the exact center of Palace Square. But in fact, it is located 100 meters from the Winter Palace and almost 140 meters from the arch of the General Staff building.

The construction of the monument was entrusted to Montferrand. He himself saw it a little differently, with a group of cavalry below and with many architectural details, but he was corrected)))

For the granite monolith - the main part of the column - the rock that the sculptor outlined during his previous trips to Finland was used. Mining and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Pyuterlak quarry, which was located in the Vyborg province (the modern city of Pyterlahti, Finland).

These works were carried out according to the method of S.K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by masters S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev. It took half a year to trim the monolith. 250 people worked on this every day. Montferrand appointed mason master Eugene Pascal to lead the work.

After the stonemasons examined the rock and confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, which was significantly larger in size than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates to move the block from its place and tip it onto a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches.

After separating the workpiece, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed about 25 thousand poods (more than 400 tons). Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this purpose a barge of a special design was used.

The monolith was duped on site and prepared for transportation. Transportation issues were dealt with by naval engineer Colonel K.A. Glazyrin, who designed and built a special boat, named “Saint Nicholas”, with a carrying capacity of up to 65 thousand poods (almost 1065 tons).

During loading, an accident occurred - the weight of the column could not be supported by the beams along which it was supposed to roll onto the ship, and it almost collapsed into the water. The monolith was loaded by 600 soldiers, who completed a forced march of 36 miles from a neighboring fortress in four hours.

To carry out loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, which coincided in height with the side of the vessel.

Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith set off for Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamships, in order to go from there to Palace Embankment St. Petersburg.

The arrival of the central part of the column in St. Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832. The contractor, merchant son V. A. Yakovlev, was responsible for all of the above work.

Since 1829, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The work was supervised by O. Montferrand.

First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, which resulted in the discovery of a suitable sandy continent near the center of the area at a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m).

The contract for the construction of the foundation was given to the merchant Vasily Yakovlev. By the end of 1829, the workers managed to dig a foundation pit. While strengthening the foundation for the Alexander Column, workers came across piles that had strengthened the ground back in the 1760s. It turned out that Montferrand repeated, after Rastrelli, the decision about the location for the monument, landing on the same point!

In December 1829, the location for the column was approved, and 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the base. Then the piles were cut to fit the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water table, which ensured that the site was horizontal. Previously, using a similar technology, the foundation of St. Isaac's Cathedral was laid.

The foundation of the monument was built from stone granite blocks half a meter thick. It was extended to the horizon of the square using planked masonry. In its center was placed a bronze box with 0 105 coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812. A platinum medal minted according to Montferrand’s design with the image of the Alexander Column and the date “1830” was also placed there, as well as a mortgage plaque with the following text:

“In the summer of Christ 1831, the construction of a monument began, erected to Emperor Alexander by grateful Russia on a granite foundation laid on the 19th day of November 1830. In St. Petersburg, the construction of this monument was presided over by Count Yu. Litta. Volkonsky, A. Olenin, Count P. Kutaisov, I. Gladkov, L. Carbonier, A. Vasilchikov. The construction was carried out according to the drawings of the same architect Augustine de Montferand.

The work was completed in October 1830.

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith, brought from the Pyuterlak quarry, was erected on it, which serves as the base of the pedestal.

The engineering problem of installing such a large monolith was solved by O. Montferrand as follows: the monolith was rolled on rollers through an inclined plane onto a platform built close to the foundation. And the stone was dumped on a pile of sand, previously poured next to the platform.

“At the same time, the earth shook so much that eyewitnesses - passers-by who were in the square at that moment, felt something like an underground shock.” Then it was moved on rollers.

Later O. Montferrand recalled; “Since the work was carried out in winter, I ordered cement and vodka to be mixed and a tenth of soap added. Due to the fact that the stone initially sat incorrectly, it had to be moved several times, which was done with the help of only two capstans and with particular ease, of course , thanks to the soap that I ordered to be mixed into the solution..."

Album with drawings by Montferrand.

By July 1832, the monolith of the column was on its way, and the pedestal had already been completed. It's time to begin the most difficult task - installing the column on the pedestal.

Based on the developments of Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt for the installation of columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in December 1830, an original lifting system was designed. It included: scaffolding 22 fathoms (47 meters) high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks.

On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this, the windows and roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the raising.

To bring the column into a vertical position on Palace Square, it was necessary to attract the forces of 2,000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

After installation, people shouted "Hurray!" And the delighted emperor said: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!”

The granite pillar and the bronze angel standing on it are held together solely by their own weight. If you come very close to the column and, raising your head, look up, it will take your breath away - the column is swaying.

After installing the column, all that remained was to attach the bas-relief slabs and decorative elements to the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column.

The column was surmounted by a bronze capital of the Doric order with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze facing. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it.

In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830, O. Montferrand worked on a statue intended to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing Winter Palace. In the original design, the column was completed with a cross entwined with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for compositions of figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was an option to install the figure of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky, but the first option that was approved was a cross on a ball without an angel, in this form the column is even present in some old engravings..

But in the end, the figure of an angel with a cross was accepted for execution, made by the sculptor B.I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism - “By this victory!”

Orlovsky had to redo the sculpture of the Angel several times before Nicholas I liked it. The Emperor wanted the Angel’s face to be given a resemblance to Alexander I, and the face of the snake trampled by the Angel’s cross must certainly resemble Napoleon’s face. If he does sweat, it is only remotely.

Initially, the Alexander Column was framed by a temporary wooden fence with lamps in the form of antique tripods and plaster lion masks. The carpentry work for the fence was carried out by the “carver” Vasily Zakharov. Instead of a temporary fence, at the end of 1834 it was decided to install a permanent metal one “with three-headed eagles under the lanterns,” the design of which was drawn up by Montferrand in advance.

Parade at the opening of the Alexander Column in 1834. From a painting by Ladurneur.

To accommodate the guests of honor, Montferrand built a special grandstand in front of the Winter Palace in the form of a three-span arch. It was decorated in such a way as to architecturally connect with the Winter Palace.

A parade of troops took place in front of the podium and the column.

It must be said that the monument, which now seems perfect, sometimes aroused criticism from contemporaries. Montferrand, for example, was reproached for allegedly using the marble intended for the column to build his own house, and using cheap granite for the monument. The figure of the Angel reminded the people of St. Petersburg of a sentry and inspired the poet to write the following mocking lines:

“Everything in Russia breathes military craft:
And the Angel puts a cross on guard.”

But the rumor did not spare the emperor himself. Imitating his grandmother, Catherine II, who inscribed “Peter I - Catherine II” on the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman, Nikolai Pavlovich in official papers called the new monument “Pillar of Nicholas I to Alexander I,” which immediately gave birth to the pun: “Pillar of a pillar of a pillar.”

In honor of this event, a commemorative coin was minted in denominations of 1 ruble and one and a half rubles

The grandiose structure inspired admiration and awe in St. Petersburg residents from the moment of its foundation, but our ancestors were seriously afraid that the Alexander Column would collapse and tried to avoid it.

To dispel philistine fears, the architect Auguste Montferrand, fortunately living nearby, on the Moika, began to exercise daily around his brainchild, demonstrating complete confidence in his own safety and the correctness of his calculations. Years have passed, wars and revolutions have passed, the column still stands, the architect was not mistaken.

December 15, 1889 happened almost mystical story- Foreign Minister Lamsdorf reported in his diary that at nightfall, when the lanterns are lit, a luminous letter “N” appears on the monument.

Rumors began to spread around St. Petersburg that this was an omen of a new reign in the new year, but the next day the count figured out the reasons for the phenomenon. The name of their manufacturer was etched on the glass of the lanterns: "Simens". When the lamps were working from the side of St. Isaac's Cathedral, this letter was reflected on the column.

There are many tales and legends associated with it)))

In 1925, it was decided that the presence of an angel figure on the main square of Leningrad was inappropriate. An attempt was made to cover it with a cap, which attracted enough attention to Palace Square. a large number of passers-by A hot air balloon hung above the column. However, when he flew up to the required distance, the wind immediately blew and drove the ball away. By evening, attempts to hide the angel stopped.

There is a legend that at that time, instead of the angel, they seriously planned to erect a monument to Lenin. It would have looked something like this))) Lenin was not appointed because they could not decide in which direction to extend their hand to Ilyich...

The column is beautiful both in winter and summer. And it fits perfectly into Palace Square.

There's another one interesting legend. This happened on April 12, 1961, after a solemn TASS message about the launch of the first manned spacecraft was heard on the radio. There is general rejoicing on the streets, real euphoria on a national scale!

The very next day after the flight, a laconic inscription appeared at the feet of the angel crowning the Alexandria Pillar: “Yuri Gagarin! Hurray!”

Which vandal was able to express his admiration for the first cosmonaut in this way and how he managed to climb to such a dizzying height will remain a mystery.

In the evening and at night the column is no less beautiful.

Alexander Column - (often mistakenly called the Alexandria Pillar, after A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Monument”, where the poet talks about the famous Alexandria Lighthouse) is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg.
Erected in the Empire style in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the architect Auguste Montferrand by order of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon.

Monument to Alexander I (Alexander Column). 1834. Architect O.R. Montferand

History of creation
This monument complemented the composition of the Arch of the General Staff, which was dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The idea of ​​​​building the monument was proposed by the famous architect Carl Rossi. When planning the space of Palace Square, he believed that a monument should be placed in the center of the square. However, he rejected the proposed idea of ​​​​installing another equestrian statue of Peter I.

1. General form building structure
2. Foundation
3. Pedestal
4. Ramp and platform
5. Lifting the column
6. Ensemble of Palace Square

An open competition was officially announced on behalf of Emperor Nicholas I in 1829 with the wording in memory of the “unforgettable brother.” Auguste Montferrand responded to this challenge with a project to erect a grandiose granite obelisk, but this option was rejected by the emperor.

A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library of the Institute of Railway Engineers. Montferrand proposed installing a huge granite obelisk 25.6 meters (84 feet or 12 fathoms) high on a granite plinth 8.22 meters (27 feet). The front side of the obelisk was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the War of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions by medalist Count F. P. Tolstoy.

On the pedestal it was planned to carry the inscription “To the Blessed One - Grateful Russia.” On the pedestal, the architect saw a rider on a horse trampling a snake with his feet; a double-headed eagle flies in front of the rider, the goddess of victory follows the rider, crowning him with laurels; the horse is led by two symbolic female figures.

The sketch of the project indicates that the obelisk was supposed to surpass all monoliths known in the world in its height (secretly highlighting the obelisk installed by D. Fontana in front of St. Peter's Cathedral). The artistic part of the project is excellently executed using watercolor techniques and testifies to Montferrand’s high skill in various areas of fine art.

Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the limits of subordination, dedicating his essay “Plans et details du monument consacr è à la mémoire de l'Empereur Alexandre” to Nicholas I, but the idea was still rejected and Montferrand was clearly pointed to the column as the desired one the shape of the monument.

Final project
The second project, which was subsequently implemented, was to install a column higher than that of Vendôme (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Montferrand was offered Trajan's Column in Rome as a source of inspiration.

Trajan's Column in Rome

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of world-famous examples, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. The artist expressed his individuality by refusing to use additional decorations, like the bas-reliefs spiraling around the core of the ancient Trajan's Column. Montferrand showed the beauty of a giant polished pink granite monolith 25.6 meters (12 fathoms) high.

Vendôme Column in Paris - a monument to Napoleon

In addition, Montferrand made his monument taller than all existing ones. In this new form, on September 24, 1829, the project without sculptural completion was approved by the sovereign.

Construction took place from 1829 to 1834. Since 1831, Count Yu. P. Litta was appointed chairman of the “Commission on the Construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral”, which was responsible for the installation of the column

Preparatory work

For the granite monolith - the main part of the column - the rock that the sculptor outlined during his previous trips to Finland was used. Mining and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Pyuterlak quarry, which was located between Vyborg and Friedrichsgam. These works were carried out according to the method of S.K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by masters S.V. Kolodkin and V.A. Yakovlev.

View of the Puterlax quarry during work
From the book by O. Montferrand "Plan and details of the memorial monument dedicated to Emperor Alexander I", Paris, 1836

After the stonemasons examined the rock and confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, which was significantly larger in size than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates to move the block from its place and tip it onto a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches.

After separating the workpiece, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed about 25,000 poods (more than 400 tons). Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this purpose a barge of a special design was used.

The monolith was duped on site and prepared for transportation. Transportation issues were dealt with by naval engineer Colonel Glasin, who designed and built a special boat, named “St. Nicholas,” with a carrying capacity of up to 65,000 poods (1,100 tons). To carry out loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, which coincided in height with the side of the vessel.

Arrival of ships with stone blocks in St. Petersburg

Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith went to Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamships, from there to go to the Palace Embankment of St. Petersburg.

The arrival of the central part of the column in St. Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832. The contractor, merchant son V. A. Yakovlev, was responsible for all of the above work. further work were produced locally under the direction of O. Montferrand.

Yakovlev's business qualities, extraordinary intelligence and management were noted by Montferrand. Most likely, he acted independently, “at his own peril and expense” - taking upon himself all financial and other risks associated with the project. This is indirectly confirmed by the words

Yakovlev's case is over; the upcoming difficult operations concern you; I hope you have as much success as he did

— Nicholas I, to Auguste Montferrand regarding the prospects after unloading the column in St. Petersburg

Works in St. Petersburg

Construction of granite pedestal and scaffolding with stone base for column installation

Since 1829, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The work was supervised by O. Montferrand.

Model of the rise of the Alexander Column

First, a geological survey of the area was carried out, which resulted in the discovery of a suitable sandy continent near the center of the area at a depth of 17 feet (5.2 m). In December 1829, the location for the column was approved, and 1,250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the base. Then the piles were cut to fit the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water table, which ensured that the site was horizontal.

Denisov Alexander Gavrilovich. The rise of the Alexander Column. 1832

This method was proposed by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt, an architect and engineer, organizer of construction and transport in Russian Empire. Previously, using a similar technology, the foundation of St. Isaac's Cathedral was laid.

The foundation of the monument was built from stone granite blocks half a meter thick. It was extended to the horizon of the square using planked masonry. In its center was placed a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812.

The work was completed in October 1830.

Construction of the pedestal

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith, brought from the Pyuterlak quarry, was erected on it, which serves as the base of the pedestal.

General view of building structures

The engineering problem of installing such a large monolith was solved by O. Montferrand as follows:

1. Installation of the monolith on the foundation
* The monolith was rolled on rollers through an inclined plane onto a platform built close to the foundation.
* The stone was dumped on a pile of sand, previously poured next to the platform.

“At the same time, the earth shook so much that eyewitnesses - passers-by who were in the square at that moment, felt something like an underground shock.”

* Supports were placed, then workers scooped out the sand and placed rollers.
* The supports were cut down and the block was lowered onto the rollers.
* The stone was rolled onto the foundation.
2. Precise installation of the monolith
* Ropes thrown over blocks were pulled with nine capstans, and the stone was raised to a height of about one meter.
* They took out the rollers and added a layer of slippery solution, very unique in its composition, on which they planted the monolith.

Since the work was carried out in winter, I ordered cement and vodka to be mixed and a tenth of soap added. Due to the fact that the stone initially sat incorrectly, it had to be moved several times, which was done with the help of only two capstans and with particular ease, of course, thanks to the soap that I ordered to be mixed into the solution
— O. Montferrand

Setting up the upper parts of the pedestal was a much simpler task - despite the greater height of the rise, subsequent steps consisted of stones of much smaller sizes than the previous ones, and besides, the workers gradually gained experience.

Column installation

By July 1832, the monolith of the column was on its way, and the pedestal had already been completed. It's time to begin the most difficult task - installing the column on the pedestal.

Bishebois, L. P. -A. Bayo A. J. -B. - Raising of the Alexander Column

Based on the developments of Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt for the installation of columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in December 1830, an original lifting system was designed. It included: scaffolding 22 fathoms (47 meters) high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks, and he took advantage of all this in the following way:

Column lifting

* The column was rolled along an inclined plane onto a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding and wrapped in many rings of ropes to which blocks were attached;
* Another block system was located on top of the scaffolding;
* A large number of ropes encircling the stone went around the upper and lower blocks and the free ends were wound on capstans placed in the square.

After all the preparations were completed, the day of the ceremonial ascent was set.

On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this, the windows and roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the raising.

To bring the column into a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A. A. Betancourt needed to attract the forces of 2000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour 45 minutes.

The block of stone rose obliquely, slowly crawled, then lifted off the ground and was brought to a position above the pedestal. On command, the ropes were released, the column smoothly lowered and fell into place. The people shouted loudly “Hurray!” The sovereign himself was very pleased with the successful completion of the matter.

Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself!
Original text (French)
Montferrand, vous vous êtes immortalise!
— Nicholas I to Auguste Montferrand regarding the completed work

Grigory Gagarin. Alexandria Column in the woods. 1832-1833

After installing the column, all that remained was to attach the bas-relief slabs and decorative elements to the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was surmounted by a bronze capital of the Doric order with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze facing. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it.

In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830, O. Montferrand worked on a statue intended to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the original design, the column was completed with a cross entwined with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for compositions of figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was an option to install the figure of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky.

Sketches of figures and groups crowning the column. Projects
From the book by O. Montferrand

As a result, the figure of an angel with a cross was accepted for execution, made by the sculptor B.I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism - “By this victory!” These words are connected with the story of the acquisition of the life-giving cross:

The Roman Emperor (274-337) Constantine the Great, entrusting Mother Helen with a trip to Jerusalem, said:

“During three battles, I saw a cross in the sky, and on it the inscription “By this victory.” Find him!

“I’ll find it,” she answered.

The finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.

St. Petersburg. Alexandria Column.
"Guildburg mid-19th century.
Mid-19th century Steel engraving.

Opening of the monument

The opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11), 1834 and marked the completion of work on the design of Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, one hundred thousand Russian army and representatives of the Russian army. It was carried out in a distinctly Orthodox setting and was accompanied by a solemn service at the foot of the column, in which kneeling troops and the emperor himself took part.

Bishebois, L. P. -A. Bayo A. J. -B. - Grand opening of the Alexander Column

This open-air service drew a parallel with the historical prayer service of Russian troops in Paris on the day of Orthodox Easter on March 29 (April 10), 1814.

It was impossible to look without deep emotional tenderness at the sovereign, humbly kneeling in front of this numerous army, moved by his word to the foot of the colossus he had built. He prayed for his brother, and everything at that moment spoke of the earthly glory of this sovereign brother: the monument bearing his name, and the kneeling Russian army, and the people among whom he lived, complacent, accessible to everyone.<…>How striking was at that moment the contrast between the greatness of life, magnificent, but fleeting, with the greatness of death, gloomy, but unchangeable; and how eloquent was this angel in view of both, who, unrelated to everything that surrounded him, stood between earth and heaven, belonging to the one with his monumental granite, depicting what no longer exists, and to the other with his radiant cross, a symbol of what always and forever

— Message from V. A. Zhukovsky “to Emperor Alexander”, revealing the symbolism of this act and giving an interpretation of the new prayer service

Chernetsov Grigory and Nikanor Grigorievich. Parade to mark the opening of the monument to Alexander I in St. Petersburg. August 30, 1834. 1834

Parade at the opening of the Alexandria Column in 1834. From a painting by Ladurneur

Then a military parade was held on the square. Regiments that distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812 took part in it; In total, about one hundred thousand people took part in the parade:

... no pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if born from the earth, in slender bulks, with the thunder of drums, to the sounds of the Paris March, columns of the Russian army began to march... For two hours this magnificent, unique in world spectacle... In the evening, noisy crowds wandered through the streets of the illuminated city for a long time, finally the lighting went out, the streets were empty, and in a deserted square the majestic colossus was left alone with its sentry
— From the memoirs of the poet V. A. Zhukovsky

Ruble with a portrait of Alexander I in honor of the opening of the Alexandria Pillar in 1834.

In honor of this event, a memorial ruble was issued in the same year with a circulation of 15,000.

Description of the monument

The Alexander Column is reminiscent of examples of triumphal buildings of antiquity; the monument has amazing clarity of proportions, laconism of form, and beauty of silhouette.

Text on the monument plaque:
Grateful Russia to Alexander I

It is the tallest monument in the world, made of solid granite, and the third tallest after the Column of the Grand Army in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar (Nelson's Column) in London. It is taller than similar monuments in the world: the Vendôme Column in Paris, Trajan's Column in Rome and Pompey's Column in Alexandria.

Comparison of Alexander's Column, Trajan's Column, Napoleon's Column, Marcus Aurelius' Column, and the so-called "Pompey's Column"

Characteristics

* Overall height structures 47.5 m.
o The height of the trunk (monolithic part) of the column is 25.6 m (12 fathoms).
o Pedestal height 2.85 m (4 arshins),
o The height of the angel figure is 4.26 m,
o The height of the cross is 6.4 m (3 fathoms).
* The lower diameter of the column is 3.5 m (12 ft), the upper diameter is 3.15 m (10 ft 6 in).
* The size of the pedestal is 6.3×6.3 m.
* The dimensions of the bas-reliefs are 5.24×3.1 m.
* Fence dimensions 16.5×16.5 m
* The total weight of the structure is 704 tons.
o The weight of the stone column shaft is about 600 tons.
o The total weight of the column top is about 37 tons.

The column itself stands on a granite base without any additional supports, only under the influence of its own gravity.

The pedestal of the column, decorated on four sides with bronze bas-reliefs, was cast at the C. Byrd factory in 1833-1834.

Column pedestal, front side (facing the Winter Palace).
At the top is the All-Seeing Eye, in the circle of the oak wreath is the inscription of 1812, below it are laurel garlands, which are held in the paws of double-headed eagles.
On the bas-relief there are two winged female figures holding a board with the inscription Grateful Russia to Alexander I, under them are the armor of Russian knights, on both sides of the armor are figures personifying the Vistula and Neman rivers

A large team of authors worked on the decoration of the pedestal: sketch drawings were made by O. Montferrand, based on them on cardboard the artists J.B. Scotti, V. Solovyov, Tverskoy, F. Brullo, Markov painted life-size bas-reliefs. Sculptors P.V. Svintsov and I. Leppe sculpted bas-reliefs for casting. Models of double-headed eagles were made by sculptor I. Leppe, models of the base, garlands and other decorations were made by sculptor-ornamentalist E. Balin.

The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the column in an allegorical form glorify the victory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the Russian army.

The bas-reliefs include images of ancient Russian chain mail, cones and shields stored in the Armory Chamber in Moscow, including helmets attributed to Alexander Nevsky and Ermak, as well as the 17th century armor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and that, despite Montferrand's assertions, it is completely doubtful, the shield Oleg of the 10th century, nailed by him to the gates of Constantinople.

These ancient Russian images appeared on the work of the Frenchman Montferrand through the efforts of the then president of the Academy of Arts, a famous lover of Russian antiquities A. N. Olenin.

In addition to armor and allegories, allegorical figures are depicted on the pedestal on the northern (front) side: winged female figures hold a rectangular board with the inscription in civil script: “Grateful Russia to Alexander the First.” Below the board is an exact copy of armor samples from the armory.

The symmetrically located figures on the sides of the weapons (on the left - a beautiful young woman leaning on an urn from which water is pouring out and on the right - an old Aquarius man) represent the Vistula and Neman rivers, which were crossed by the Russian army during the persecution of Napoleon.

Other bas-reliefs depict Victory and Glory, recording the dates of memorable battles, and, in addition, on the pedestal are depicted the allegories “Victory and Peace” (the years 1812, 1813 and 1814 are inscribed on the Victory shield), “Justice and Mercy”, “Wisdom and Abundance” "

At the upper corners of the pedestal there are double-headed eagles; they hold in their paws oak garlands lying on the ledge of the pedestal cornice. On the front side of the pedestal, above the garland, in the middle - in a circle bordered by an oak wreath, is the All-Seeing Eye with the signature “1812”.

All bas-reliefs depict weapons of a classical nature as decorative elements, which

...does not belong to modern Europe and cannot hurt the pride of any people.
— O. Montferrand

Sculpture of an angel on a cylindrical pedestal

Column and angel sculpture

The stone column is a solid polished element made of pink granite. The column trunk has a conical shape.

The top of the column is crowned with a bronze capital of the Doric order. Its upper part, a rectangular abacus, is made of brickwork with bronze cladding. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top is installed on it, inside which is enclosed the main supporting mass, consisting of multi-layer masonry: granite, brick and two more layers of granite at the base.

The monument is crowned with a figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In his left hand the angel holds a four-pointed Latin cross, and raises his right hand to heaven. The angel's head is tilted, his gaze is fixed on the ground.

According to the original design of Auguste Montferrand, the figure at the top of the column rested on a steel rod, which was later removed, and during the restoration in 2002-2003 it turned out that the angel was supported by its own bronze mass.

Alexander Column top

Not only is the column itself taller than the Vendôme Column, but the figure of the angel surpasses in height the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendôme Column. In addition, an angel tramples a serpent with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe, having won the victory over Napoleonic troops.

The sculptor gave the angel’s facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. According to other sources, the figure of the angel is sculptural portrait Petersburg poetess Elisaveta Kulman.

The light figure of an angel, the falling folds of clothing, the clearly defined vertical of the cross, continuing the vertical of the monument, emphasize the slenderness of the column.

19th century color photolithograph, view from the east, showing a guard's box, fence and lantern candelabra

Fence and surroundings of the monument

The Alexander Column was surrounded by a decorative bronze fence designed by Auguste Montferrand. The height of the fence is about 1.5 meters. The fence was decorated with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 captured cannons (4 in the corners and 2 framed by double-leaf gates on four sides of the fence), which were crowned with three-headed eagles.

Between them were placed alternating spears and banner poles, topped with guards' double-headed eagles. There were locks on the gates of the fence in accordance with the author's plan.

In addition, the project included the installation of candelabra with copper lanterns and gas lighting.

The fence in its original form was installed in 1834, all elements were completely installed in 1836-1837.

In the north-eastern corner of the fence there was a guard box, in which there was a disabled person dressed in a full guards uniform, who guarded the monument day and night and kept order in the square.

The entire space of Palace Square was paved with ends.

Saint Petersburg. Palace Square, Alexander Column.

Stories and legends associated with the Alexander Column

* It is noteworthy that the installation of the column on the pedestal and the opening of the monument took place on August 30 (September 11, new style). This is not a coincidence: this is the day of the transfer of the relics of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky to St. Petersburg, the main day of the celebration of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Alexander Nevsky is the heavenly protector of the city, so the angel looking from the top of the Alexander Column has always been perceived primarily as a protector and guardian.

* To hold a parade of troops on Palace Square, the Yellow (now Pevchesky) Bridge was built according to the design of O. Montferrand.
* After the opening of the column, the residents of St. Petersburg were very afraid that it would fall and tried not to get close to it. These fears were based both on the fact that the column was not fixed, and on the fact that Montferrand was forced to make changes to the project at the last moment: the blocks of the power structures of the top - the abacus, on which the figure of the angel is installed, were originally conceived in granite ; but at the last moment it had to be replaced with brickwork with a lime-based bonding mortar.

In order to dispel the fears of the townspeople, the architect Montferrand made it a rule to walk every morning with his beloved dog right under the pillar, which he did almost until his death.

Sadovnikov, Vasily. View of the Palace Square and the General Staff building in St. Petersburg

Sadovnikov, Vasily. View of the Palace Square and Winter Palace in St. Petersburg

* During perestroika, magazines wrote that there was a project to install a huge statue of V.I. Lenin on the pillar, and in 2002 the media spread a message that in 1952 the figure of an angel was going to be replaced with a bust of Stalin.

"Alexander's Column and General Staff". Lithograph by L. J. Arnoux. 1840s

* During the construction of the Alexander Column, there were rumors that this monolith turned out by chance in a row of columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral. Allegedly, having received a column longer than necessary, they decided to use this stone on Palace Square.
* The French envoy to the St. Petersburg court reports interesting information about this monument:

Regarding this column, one can recall the proposal made to Emperor Nicholas by the skillful French architect Montferrand, who was present at its cutting, transportation and installation, namely: he suggested that the emperor drill a spiral staircase inside this column and demanded for this only two workers: a man and a boy with a hammer, a chisel and a basket in which the boy would carry out fragments of granite as he drilled it out; finally, two lanterns to illuminate the workers in their difficult work. In 10 years, he argued, the worker and the boy (the latter, of course, would grow up a little) would have finished their spiral staircase; but the emperor, justifiably proud of the construction of this one-of-a-kind monument, feared, and perhaps with good reason, that this drilling would not pierce the outer sides of the column, and therefore refused this proposal.

- Baron P. de Bourgoin, French envoy from 1828 to 1832

* After the restoration began in 2002-2003, unauthorized newspaper publications began to spread information that the column was not solid, but consisted of a certain number of “pancakes” so skillfully adjusted to each other that the seams between them were practically invisible.
* The newlyweds come to the Alexander Column, and the groom carries the bride in his arms around the pillar. According to legend, the number of times the groom walks around the column with the bride in his arms, the number of children they will have.

Alexander Column in St. Petersburg
Engraving by G. Jorden from the original by A. G. Vickers. 1835. Etching on steel, hand coloring. 14x10 cm

Addition and restoration work

Two years after the installation of the monument, in 1836, under the bronze top of the granite column, white-gray spots began to appear on the polished surface of the stone, spoiling appearance monument.

In 1841, Nicholas I ordered an inspection of the defects then noticed on the column, but the conclusion of the examination stated that even during the processing process, the granite crystals partially crumbled in the form of small depressions, which are perceived as cracks.

In 1861, Alexander II established the “Committee for the Study of Damage to the Alexander Column,” which included scientists and architects. Scaffolding was erected for inspection, as a result of which the committee came to the conclusion that, indeed, there were cracks on the column, originally characteristic of the monolith, but fear was expressed that an increase in the number and size of them “could lead to the collapse of the column.”

There have been discussions about the materials that should be used to seal these caverns. The Russian “grandfather of chemistry” A. A. Voskresensky proposed a composition “which was supposed to impart a closing mass” and “thanks to which the crack in the Alexander Column was stopped and closed with complete success” (D. I. Mendeleev).

For regular inspection of the column, four chains were attached to the abacus of the capital - fasteners for lifting the cradle; in addition, the craftsmen had to periodically “climb” the monument to clean the stone from stains, which was not an easy task, given the large height of the column.

The decorative lanterns near the column were made 40 years after the opening - in 1876 by the architect K. K. Rachau.

During the entire period from the moment of its discovery until the end of the 20th century, the column was subjected to restoration work five times, which was more of a cosmetic nature.

After the events of 1917, the space around the monument was changed, and on holidays the angel was covered with a red tarpaulin cap or camouflaged with balloons lowered from a hovering airship.

The fence was dismantled and melted down for cartridge casings in the 1930s.

During the siege of Leningrad, the monument was covered only 2/3 of its height. Unlike Klodt's horses or the sculptures of the Summer Garden, the sculpture remained in its place and the angel was injured: a deep fragmentation mark remained on one of the wings, in addition to this, the monument suffered more than a hundred minor damage from shell fragments. One of the fragments got stuck in a bas-relief image of the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, from where it was removed in 2003.

Arch of the General Staff and Alexandrian Column

The restoration was carried out in 1963 (foreman N.N. Reshetov, the head of the work was restorer I.G. Black).

In 1977, restoration work was carried out on Palace Square: historical lanterns were restored around the column, the asphalt surface was replaced with granite and diabase paving stones.

Raev Vasily Egorovich. Alexander Column during a thunderstorm. 1834.

V. S. Sadovnikov. Around 1830

St. Petersburg and suburbs

Artifacts of another story. Alexander Column

It is no longer a secret to anyone that something is wrong with our modern science called “History”. Many have heard about artifacts hidden and open, hushed up, stored in special storage facilities and in personal collections. Let's talk today about the most prominent artifact in St. Petersburg, the Alexander Column. Official historians are telling us a fairly logical tale.

Nicholas I decided to put on Palace Square column in honor of the victory over Napoleon. They entrusted the implementation of this idea in 1829 to the Frenchman Auguste Montferrand. To begin with, let us imagine that Stalin, after the victory in the Great Patriotic War, finds a former Nazi architect and instructs him in Russia to build an unrivaled monument to the victory of the Soviet people over fascism. As they say today: it’s cool, isn’t it? So I looked at it, so it’s ours Frenchman V Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg a pebble, or rather a piece of rock.

Judging by the drawing given to us by official sources, a pebble supposedly weighing 1600 tons was not only sawed out of the rock with something, but they also managed to break it off, resulting in approximately the same megalith as lies in Baalbek and has surprised the entire scientific community for hundreds of years.

Here, for general development, we need to remember that today is a miracle of modern technology, the most powerful self-propelled crane in the world, at its smallest reach, the miracle arrow only slightly lifts 1200 tons. So our guys, who are so proud, dug it out of the rock by hand and made it out of a granite block with the help of water, sand and rags perfectly smooth polished cylinder lower diameter 3.5 meters upper diameter 3.15 meters, height 25.6 meters and weight 600 tons.

Then, using their hands, they loaded the pole onto a supposedly special barge. What is the specialty of this barge, why did it not capsize during loading, how did the deck withstand such weight, and where are the drawings of this masterpiece? Question? They only say that it was used to transport 210 km column to St. Petersburg. There she is too on hands unloaded ashore. True, the embarrassment occurred during unloading, original. The boards are broken, but the bulk is ours hung in the air and waited until new boards were placed under it. Such a flexible column turned out to be. Then, with the help of ropes, logs and something else intangible, they rolled it along a specially built ramp to the installation site. Like this.

Proton-M, close to her in starting weight, modern guys roll on special cars on special rails, but our serfs, led by Auguste Montferand so dashingly on ropes the hemp ones did it. Here it should also be mentioned that these drawings showing and proving were taken from two albums published in France, and still the same Auguste Montferand.

The “old” album was published in 1832, the “new” one in 1836. So, “reliable” sources appeared. What happens next is even more interesting. What’s more interesting is that, according to some sources, 1,250 pine pillars were driven into the base of the column. According to other sources, while digging a pit on Palace Square for a foundation for a column, we were very happy to stumble upon the ones already driven in in the 1760s piles. So it’s not clear what kind of piles there are, we only know that they were leveled by pouring water.

Imagine, we drove 1250 6-meter piles into the pit one to one, and then poured the required level of water, and took I don't know what tool exactly 1250 in terms of water level and trimmed. Then, again, according to one version, granite slabs were laid on them, according to another, a huge monolith was brought from the same quarries. This monolith, weighing 400 tons, was made on site and sent to St. Petersburg by sea on a small boat.

Upon arrival, as usual, the peasants, using ropes and wooden rollers, dragged this block into place, and safely, having poured sand and poured vodka into the solution on Auguste’s advice, they placed it on the piles. There is not much left to do, namely to put the column in place.

True, it is not explained here that probably in order to deliver the foundation monolith it was necessary to first build one wooden ramp for the entire Palace Square, and then dismantle it completely another one, this time for transporting the column. Well, they also draw us some inconceivable structure, with the help of which the column was supposedly placed in a vertical position 2400 soldiers in less than 2 hours.

The wooden structure very convincingly shows that this is supposedly possible. However, the question of this possibility remains purely rhetorical, since there are no hunters trying to repeat it.

After the joyful installation of the column in its place, after two years of finalizing the masterpiece, September 11, 1834 The grand opening of the column and a grand parade took place.

In this dark story, something completely incomprehensible emerges, namely the artist’s watercolor Grigory Gagarin 1832-1833 “Alexander's Column in the woods” . This watercolor by a completely realistic artist depicts Palace Square with some kind of structure being dismantled, from which a column sticks out in the scaffolding.

This somehow doesn’t fit into the official version. If we remember here that the upper part of the monument is not granite, but brick, then it becomes clear why in the watercolor of Prince Gagarin there are forests nothing like a lifting mechanism. Rather they are for restoration works, or construction of the upper part on an already standing column. After all, if Montferan could manufacture, deliver and install a granite column 600 tons, what it cost him to make the top part out of granite.

It is also important to mention that the column was allegedly installed in 1832, and inaugurated in 1834 on the same day: August 30 according to the old style, September 11 according to the new style. For our contemporaries, this is not just a day, but after the terrorist attacks in New York, a day designated as the beginning of a new era in the history of our civilization. Appointed by whom?: you ask. We can only guess how long all these events 11 September associated with beheading John the Baptist the ruler of Galilee and by whom this unjust death of a holy man is celebrated, and for whom this is a day of mourning and why. Let's leave this information for thought.

To complete the picture, it should be noted that modern stone processors boast as their greatest achievement the production of granite columns for cities of military glory by decree of President Putin. These columns do not exceed 6 meters and weigh no more than 16 tons. And almost 200 years ago, without electricity, modern cranes, modern diamond stone-cutting tools and other technologies, they could make and transport columns weighing 600 tons. Seems like a very impressive comparison. Is not it?

There are many ways to control a person's consciousness and manipulate society. But one of the most effective is history. Juggling and rearranging, inventing historical facts, the construction of myths and legends is one of the most powerful tools for managing people. According to the law of time, we live when the global source of information the Internet gives a person the opportunity to build on many issues not a kaleidoscopic idea of ​​the events of the past, but mosaic.

This circumstance significantly reduces the possibility of manipulating us. The main thing is that we finally wanted not to be deceived, we have ceased to be masses and individuals who can easily be led where we do not want to go. A person must become aware, must create a community of creation, and for this today everything is there.

Distortion of history. Part 4. Alexandria Column

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