Statue of the Bronze Horseman who. For everyone and about everything

History of the monument

The equestrian statue of Peter was made by sculptor Etienne Falconet in -. Peter's head was sculpted by Falcone's student, Marie-Anna Collot. According to Falconet's design, the snake was sculpted by Fyodor Gordeev. The casting of the statue under the direction of master Emelyan Khailov was completed in 1778.

For the pedestal of the monument, a giant granite boulder was brought from the outskirts of Lakhta, “ Thunder-stone" The stone weighed 1600 tons. Its transportation to the shore of the Gulf of Finland (about 8 versts) was carried out on a log platform along two special chutes, into which 30 bronze five-inch balls were placed. The platform was driven by several gates. This unique operation lasted from November 15, 1769 to March 27, 1770. Transportation of the stone by water was carried out on a vessel specially built for this purpose according to the drawing of the famous shipwright Grigory Korchebnikov and began only in the fall. The giant “Thunder Stone” arrived in St. Petersburg in front of a huge crowd of people. Senate Square September 26, 1770. In honor of the transportation of the stone, a commemorative medal was stamped with the inscription “Like daring.”

In 1778, due to a sharp change in Catherine II's attitude towards 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.

This was the first equestrian monument to the Russian Tsar. In conventional 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 either as a great commander or as a winner, although he, of course, was both. Much higher is the personality of the creator of the legislator...” The sculptor depicted 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. The pedestal in the form of a huge rock is a symbol of the difficulties Peter I overcame, and the snake under the feet of a rearing horse depicts hostile forces. And only the laurel wreath crowning the head and the sword hanging at the belt indicate Peter’s role 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 carved 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 one side, and “Petro primo Catharina secunda” on the other, thereby emphasizing the empress’s intention: to establish a line of succession, inheritance between the actions of Peter and her own activities.

The monument to Peter I is already in late XVIII century became the object of urban legends and jokes, and in early XIX century - one of the most popular themes in Russian poetry.

The 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 was the reason that during the Great Patriotic War 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: Bronze Horseman Falcone and Pushkin. M., 1993.
Toporov V. N. On the dynamic context of three-dimensional works visual arts(semiotic view). Falconet monument to Peter I // Lotmanov collection. 1. M., 1995.
Proskurina V. Petersburg myth and the politics of monuments: Peter the First to Catherine the Second // New literary review. 2005. № 72.

Footnotes

Links

The story of the Bronze Horseman. Photos, how to get there, what’s nearby
The Bronze Horseman in the Wedding Encyclopedia

Coordinates: 59°56′11″ n. w. 30°18′08″ E. d. / 59.936389° s. w. 30.302222° E. d.(G)59.936389 , 30.302222

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See what “Bronze Horseman (monument)” is in other dictionaries:

"Bronze Horseman"- Monument to Peter I (“Bronze Horseman”). Monument to Peter I (“Bronze Horseman”). Saint Petersburg. “The Bronze Horseman”, a poetic designation for the monument to Peter I, sung by A. S. Pushkin in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” (1833). Monumental statue of a horseman,... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"

Bronze Horseman: Bronze Horseman monument to Peter I St. Petersburg The Bronze Horseman poem by A. S. Pushkin The Bronze Horseman ballet to the music of R. M. Gliere The Bronze Horseman film award ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Bronze Horseman (meanings). Coordinates: 59° N. w. 30° E. d. / 59.9364° n. w. 30.3022° E. d. ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Bronze Horseman (meanings). Bronze Horseman ... Wikipedia

"Bronze Horseman"- CROSS HORSEMAN Pushkin's name. monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg. After publication by one. poems became widespread. The monument, the first equestrian monument in Russia, was opened in 1782. Its creators were sculptors E. Falcone, M. A. Collo, F. Gordeev, architect. YU.… … Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

Poetic designation for the monument to Peter I, sung by A. S. Pushkin in the poem “The Bronze Horseman” (1833). A monumental statue of a horseman, with an imperious hand squeezing the reins of a horse rearing in a swift rush, personifying the growth of power... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

- “BRONZE HORSEMAN”, a poetic designation for 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 of Peter,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The monument to Peter I ("Bronze Horseman") is located in the center of Senate Square. The author of the sculpture is the French sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falconet.
The location of the monument to Peter I was not chosen by chance. Nearby are the Admiralty, the building of the main legislative body founded by the emperor. Tsarist Russia- Senate. Catherine II insisted on placing the monument in the center of Senate Square. The author of the sculpture, Etienne-Maurice Falconet, did his own thing by installing the “Bronze Horseman” closer to the Neva.
By order of Catherine II, Falconet was invited to St. Petersburg by Prince Golitsyn. Professors of the Paris Academy of Painting Diderot and Voltaire, whose taste Catherine II trusted, advised to turn to this master.
Falcone was already fifty years old. He worked at a porcelain factory, but dreamed of great and monumental art. When an invitation was received to erect a monument in Russia, Falcone, without hesitation, signed the contract on September 6, 1766. Its conditions determined: the monument to Peter should consist of “mainly equestrian statue colossal size." The sculptor's fee was offered quite modest (200 thousand livres), other masters asked twice as much.

Falconet arrived in St. Petersburg with his seventeen-year-old assistant Marie-Anne Collot.
The vision of the monument to Peter I by the author of the sculpture was strikingly different from the desire of the empress and the majority of the Russian nobility. Catherine II expected to see Peter I with a rod or scepter in his hand, sitting on a horse like a Roman emperor. State Councilor Shtelin saw the figure of Peter surrounded by allegories of Prudence, Diligence, Justice and Victory. I. I. Betskoy, who supervised the construction of the monument, imagined it as a full-length figure, holding a commander’s staff in his hand. Falconet was advised to direct the emperor's right eye to the Admiralty, and his left to the building of the Twelve Colleges. Diderot, who visited St. Petersburg in 1773, conceived a monument in the form of a fountain decorated with allegorical figures.
Falcone had something completely different in mind. He turned out to be stubborn and persistent. The sculptor 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. The personality of the creator, legislator, benefactor of his country is much higher, and this is her and it is necessary to show it to people. My king does not hold any rod, he extends his beneficent right hand over the country he travels around. He rises to the top of the rock that serves him as a pedestal - this is an emblem of the difficulties he has conquered."

Defending the right to his opinion regarding the appearance of the monument, Falcone wrote to I. I. Betsky: “Could you imagine that a sculptor chosen to create such a significant monument would be deprived of the ability to think and that the movements of his hands would be controlled by someone else’s head, and not his your own?"
Disputes also arose around the clothes of Peter I. The sculptor wrote to Diderot: “You know that I will not dress him in the Roman style, just as I would not dress Julius Caesar or Scipio in the Russian style.”
Falcone worked on a life-size model of the monument for three years. Work on "The Bronze Horseman" was carried out on the site of the former temporary Winter Palace Elizaveta Petrovna. In 1769, passersby could watch here as a guards officer took off on a horse onto a wooden platform and reared it. This went on for several hours a day. Falcone sat at the window in front of the platform and carefully sketched what he saw. The horses for work on the monument were taken from the imperial stables: the horses Brilliant and Caprice. The sculptor chose the Russian “Oryol” breed for the monument.

Falconet's student Marie-Anne Collot sculpted the head of the Bronze Horseman. The sculptor himself took on this work three times, but each time Catherine II advised to remake the model. Marie herself proposed her sketch, which was accepted by the empress. For her work, the girl was accepted as a member Russian Academy arts, Catherine II assigned her a lifelong pension of 10,000 livres.

The snake under the horse’s foot was sculpted by the Russian sculptor F. G. Gordeev.
Preparation plaster model The life-size monument took twelve years to complete; it was ready by 1778. The model was open for public viewing in the workshop on the corner of Brick Lane and Bolshaya Morskaya Street. Various opinions were expressed. The Chief Prosecutor of the Synod resolutely did not accept the project. Diderot was pleased with what he saw. Catherine II turned out to be indifferent to the model of the monument - she did not like Falcone’s arbitrariness in choosing the appearance of the monument.
For a long time no one wanted to take on the task of casting the statue. Foreign masters demanded too much a large amount, and local craftsmen were frightened by its size and complexity of work. According to the sculptor's calculations, in order to maintain the balance of the monument, the front walls of the monument had to be made very thin - no more than a centimeter. Even a specially invited foundry worker from France refused such work. He called Falcone crazy and said that there was no such example of casting in the world, that it would not succeed.
Finally, a foundry worker was found - cannon master Emelyan Khailov. Together with him, Falcone selected the alloy and made samples. In three years, the sculptor mastered casting to perfection. They began casting the Bronze Horseman in 1774.

The technology was very complex. The thickness of the front walls had to be less than the thickness of the rear ones. At the same time, the back part became heavier, which gave stability to the statue, which rested on only three points of support.
Filling the statue alone was not enough. During the first, the pipe through which hot bronze was supplied to the mold burst. Was spoiled top part sculptures. I had to cut it down and prepare for the second filling for another three years. This time the job was a success. In memory of her, on one of the folds of Peter I’s cloak, the sculptor left the inscription “Sculpted and cast by Etienne Falconet, a Parisian in 1778.”
The St. Petersburg Gazette wrote about these events: “On August 24, 1775, Falconet cast a statue of Peter the Great on horseback here. The casting was successful except in places two feet by two at the top. This regrettable failure occurred due to an incident that could have been foreseen, and therefore prevented was not at all. The above-mentioned incident seemed so terrible that they were afraid that the entire building would catch fire, and, therefore, the whole business would fail. Khailov remained motionless and carried the molten metal into the mold, without losing his cheerfulness in the least at the danger presented to him for "Falcone, touched by such courage at the end of the case, rushed to him and kissed him with all his heart and gave him money from himself."
According to the sculptor’s plan, the base of the monument is a natural rock in the shape of a wave. The shape of the wave serves as a reminder that it was Peter I who led Russia to the sea. The Academy of Arts began searching for the monolith stone when the model of the monument was not yet ready. A stone was needed whose height would be 11.2 meters.
The granite monolith was found in the Lakhta region, twelve miles from St. Petersburg. Once upon a time, according to local legends, lightning struck the rock, forming a crack in it. Among local residents The rock was called "Thunder Stone". That’s what they later began to call it when they installed it on the banks of the Neva under the famous monument.
The initial weight of the monolith is about 2000 tons. Catherine II announced a reward of 7,000 rubles to the one who comes up with the most effective method deliver the rock to Senate Square. From many projects, the method proposed by a certain Carbury was chosen. There were rumors that he had bought this project from some Russian merchant.
A clearing was cut from the location of the stone to the shore of the bay and the soil was strengthened. The rock was freed from excess layers, and it immediately became lighter by 600 tons. The thunder-stone was hoisted with levers onto a wooden platform resting on copper balls. These balls moved on grooved wooden rails lined with copper. The clearing was winding. Work on transporting the rock continued in both cold and hot weather. Hundreds of people worked. Many St. Petersburg residents came to watch this action. Some of the observers collected fragments of stone and used them to make cane knobs or cufflinks. In honor of the extraordinary transport operation, Catherine II ordered the minting of a medal with the inscription “Like daring. January 20, 1770.”
The rock was dragged overland for almost a year. Further along the Gulf of Finland it was transported on a barge. During transportation, dozens of stonemasons gave it the necessary shape. The rock arrived at Senate Square on September 23, 1770.

By the time the monument to Peter I was erected, the relationship between the sculptor and the imperial court had completely deteriorated. It got to the point that Falcone was credited with only a technical attitude towards the monument. The offended master did not wait for the opening of the monument; in September 1778, together with Marie-Anne Collot, he left for Paris.
The installation of the Bronze Horseman on the pedestal was supervised by the architect F. G. Gordeev.
The grand opening of the monument to Peter I took place on August 7, 1782 (old style). The sculpture was hidden from the eyes of observers by a canvas fence with the image mountain landscapes. It had been raining since the morning, but it did not stop a significant number of people from gathering on Senate Square. By noon the clouds had cleared. The guards entered the square. The military parade was led by Prince A. M. Golitsyn. At four o'clock, Empress Catherine II herself arrived on the boat. She climbed onto the balcony of the Senate building in a crown and purple and gave a sign for the opening of the monument. The fence fell, and to the beat of drums the regiments moved along the Neva embankment.
By order of Catherine II, the following is inscribed on the pedestal: “Catherine II to Peter I.” Thus, the Empress emphasized her commitment to Peter's reforms.
Immediately after the appearance of the Bronze Horseman on Senate Square, the square was named Petrovskaya.
"Bronze Horseman" sculpture in his poem of the same name named by A.S. Pushkin. This expression has become so popular that it has become almost official. And the monument to Peter I itself became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.
The weight of the "Bronze Horseman" is 8 tons, the height is more than 5 meters.
During the siege of Leningrad, the Bronze Horseman was covered with bags of earth and sand, lined with logs and boards.
Restorations of the monument took place in 1909 and 1976. During the last of them, the sculpture was studied using gamma rays. To do this, the space around the monument was fenced off with sandbags and concrete blocks. The cobalt gun was controlled from a nearby bus. Thanks to this research, it turned out that the frame of the monument can still serve long years. Inside the figure was a capsule with a note about the restoration and its participants, a newspaper dated September 3, 1976.
Currently, "The Bronze Horseman" is popular place for newlyweds.
Etienne-Maurice Falconet conceived The Bronze Horseman without a fence. But it was still created and has not survived to this day. “Thanks to” the vandals who leave their autographs on the thunder stone and the sculpture itself, the idea of restoring the fence may soon be realized.

Where is the monument to Peter I “The Bronze Horseman” located, and why is it called that? Many will answer the first question, but almost everyone will probably think about the second. Meanwhile, the history of one of the symbols of St. Petersburg is worth knowing.

Since childhood, the famous lines “I love you, Peter’s creation...”, dedicated to St. Petersburg, “The Bronze Horseman”. The poem gave the “folk” name to one of the most famous monuments Russia - the monument to the Tsar-Reformer Peter the Great. This name has become firmly established in everyday life, and few people realize that in fact the equestrian statue of Peter is cast from bronze.

Perpetuate the memory of the creator northern capital conceived by Catherine the Second, who considered herself a follower of his reforms. The enlightened empress was in friendly correspondence with Voltaire and Diderot, who gave excellent recommendations to the French sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falconet. The contract was concluded without unnecessary delay, and in 1766 the sculptor arrived in Russia and began work.

It is interesting that the Frenchman’s creation was radically different from how Russian government officials and even Catherine herself imagined it. According to their idea, Peter the Great was to be depicted as a sovereign ruler, majestically sitting on a horse, like the Roman emperors. Incredibly, the author managed to defend his ideas. Who is depicted on the Bronze Horseman monument in the end? We see not just an autocrat and military leader, but a great king - the benefactor of his country, who turned its history towards development and prosperity.

It took more than ten years to create the masterpiece. First, a plaster statue of Peter sitting on horseback was created. Falconet's assistant Marie Anne Collot was entrusted with sculpting the emperor's head. The master himself was focused on the horse - the plasticity of the horse, the need to accurately convey its movement, were so important for the embodiment of his ideas. He sculpted from life - in the former wooden palace of Empress Elizabeth, a workshop was created with a special platform where riders reared their horses.

It took three years to complete the statue. The next 10 years were spent casting the statue, which was supervised first by the French master Ersman, then by Falcone himself, and the work was completed by the architect Yu.M. Felten and foundry master Ekimov. The process proceeded with great difficulties, and Falcone left Russia in 1778 without completing the casting.

The monument was first presented to the public in 1769, after work on the plaster statue was completed. The bronze monument was inaugurated on the centennial anniversary of Peter the Great's accession to the throne on August 7, 1782, in the supreme presence of Empress Catherine II. It is noteworthy that Falcone himself was not at the opening - he was simply not invited.

The huge Thunder Stone, found in a small village near St. Petersburg, was chosen as the pedestal. Delivery took six months. During this time, the Thunder Stone traveled almost eight kilometers by land, then was loaded onto a ship and transported across the Gulf of Finland to St. Petersburg. The stone, weighing 2,500 tons and 11 meters high, was unloaded on a specially built pier and delivered to the site where the monument was installed. All this time, many people worked on the stone to give it a certain form. But Catherine personally stopped this work, wanting the stone to retain its natural appearance and gigantic size.

The majestic monument was erected on Senate Square in St. Petersburg next to the Admiralty buildings. There are many interesting facts associated with it.

Falcone insisted that the monument should be erected without a fence. However, the barrier still appeared. But in our time it has been removed, and the monument fully corresponds to the author’s idea.
The snake, crushed by a horse's hoof, was sculpted by Fyodor Gordeev.
After the opening of the monument, the square was temporarily renamed Petrovskaya.
There is a legend that once walking along Senate Square, Grand Duke Paul met the ghost of Peter there. The emperor told the heir that he would definitely see him here again. This promise was fulfilled.
Falcone managed to insist on his own regarding the choice of installation location for his creation. Catherine the Second saw the monument in the center of the square, but the author was able to convince her to move the statue closer to the bank of the Neva.
During the founding of St. Petersburg, the first wooden St. Isaac's Church was located on the site of the monument.

The magnificent monument has repeatedly inspired poets, writers and artists. Passed at its foot. And now the Bronze Horseman is almost main symbol St. Petersburg, forever capturing the creator of one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.

P The monument to Peter I ("The Bronze Horseman") is located in the heart of St. Petersburg - on Senate Square.
The location of the monument to Peter I was not chosen by chance. Nearby are the Admiralty, founded by the emperor, and the building of the main legislative body of tsarist Russia - the Senate.

In 1710, on the site of the current Bronze Horseman, in the premises of the “drafting shed,” the very first wooden St. Isaac’s Church was located.

Catherine II insisted on placing the monument in the center of Senate Square. The author of the sculpture, Etienne-Maurice Falconet, did his own thing by installing the “Bronze Horseman” closer to the Neva.

Falconet was invited to St. Petersburg by Prince Golitsyn. Professors of the Paris Academy of Painting Diderot and Voltaire, whose taste Catherine II trusted, advised to turn to this master.
Falcone was already fifty years old. He worked at a porcelain factory, but dreamed of great and monumental art. When an invitation was received to erect a monument in Russia, Falcone, without hesitation, signed the contract on September 6, 1766. Its conditions determined: the monument to Peter should consist of “mainly an equestrian statue of colossal size.” The sculptor was offered a rather modest fee (200 thousand livres), other masters asked twice as much.

Falconet arrived in St. Petersburg with his seventeen-year-old assistant Marie-Anne Collot. Most likely, she also helped him in bed, but history is silent about this...
The vision of the monument to Peter I by the author of the sculpture was strikingly different from the desire of the empress and the majority of the Russian nobility. Catherine II expected to see Peter I with a rod or scepter in his hand, sitting on a horse like a Roman emperor. State Councilor Shtelin saw the figure of Peter surrounded by allegories of Prudence, Diligence, Justice and Victory. I. I. Betskoy, who supervised the construction of the monument, imagined it as a full-length figure, holding a commander’s staff in his hand.

Falconet was advised to direct the emperor's right eye to the Admiralty, and his left to the building of the Twelve Colleges. Diderot, who visited St. Petersburg in 1773, conceived a monument in the form of a fountain decorated with allegorical figures.

Falcone had something completely different in mind. He turned out to be stubborn and persistent. The sculptor 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. The personality of the creator, legislator, benefactor of his country is much higher, and this is what needs to be shown people. My king does not hold any rod, he extends 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 conquered."

Defending the right to his opinion regarding the appearance of the monument, Falcone wrote to I. I. Betsky:

“Could you imagine that the sculptor chosen to create such a significant monument would be deprived of the ability to think and that the movements of his hands would be controlled by someone else’s head, and not his own?”

Disputes also arose around the clothes of Peter I. The sculptor wrote to Diderot:

“You know that I will not dress him in Roman style, just as I would not dress Julius Caesar or Scipio in Russian.”

Falcone worked on a life-size model of the monument for three years. Work on “The Bronze Horseman” was carried out on the site of the former temporary Winter Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna.
In 1769, passersby could watch here as a guards officer took off on a horse onto a wooden platform and reared it. This went on for several hours a day. Falcone sat at the window in front of the platform and carefully sketched what he saw. The horses for work on the monument were taken from the imperial stables: the horses Brilliant and Caprice. The sculptor chose the Russian “Oryol” breed for the monument.

Falconet's student Marie-Anne Collot sculpted the head of the Bronze Horseman. The sculptor himself took on this work three times, but each time Catherine II advised to remake the model. Marie herself proposed her sketch, which was accepted by the empress. For her work, the girl was accepted as a member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Catherine II assigned her a lifelong pension of 10,000 livres.

The snake under the horse’s foot was sculpted by the Russian sculptor F. G. Gordeev.
Preparing the life-size plaster model of the monument took twelve years; it was ready by 1778. The model was open for public viewing in the workshop on the corner of Brick Lane and Bolshaya Morskaya Street. Various opinions were expressed. The Chief Prosecutor of the Synod resolutely did not accept the project. Diderot was pleased with what he saw. Catherine II turned out to be indifferent to the model of the monument - she did not like Falcone’s arbitrariness in choosing the appearance of the monument.

Bust of Falconet Marie-Anne Collot 1773

For a long time, no one wanted to take on the task of casting the statue. Foreign craftsmen demanded too much money, and local craftsmen were frightened by its size and complexity of work. According to the sculptor's calculations, in order to maintain the balance of the monument, the front walls of the monument had to be made very thin - no more than a centimeter. Even a specially invited foundry worker from France refused such work. He called Falcone crazy and said that there was no such example of casting in the world, that it would not succeed.

Finally, a foundry worker was found - cannon master Emelyan Khailov. Together with him, Falcone selected the alloy and made samples. In three years, the sculptor mastered casting to perfection. They began casting the Bronze Horseman in 1774.

Filling alone, which began on August 25, 1775, did not solve the problem. Khailov was entrusted with her supervision. 1,350 pounds of bronze were prepared, and when all of it, molten, flowed into the mold, the mold cracked and the metal poured onto the floor. A fire started. Falcone ran out of the workshop in horror, the workers ran after him, and only Khailov remained in place. Risking his life, he wrapped the mold in his homespun and coated it with clay, picked up the spilled bronze and poured it back into the mold. The monument was saved, and the errors that arose due to the accident were later corrected when polishing the statue.

The St. Petersburg Gazette wrote about these events:
“The casting was successful except in places about two feet by two at the top. This regrettable failure occurred through an incident that was not at all foreseeable, and therefore impossible to prevent. The above-mentioned incident seemed so terrible that they were afraid that the entire building would go up in flames, but, Therefore, the whole business would not have failed. Khailov remained motionless and carried the molten metal into the mold, without losing his courage in the least in the face of the danger to his life. Touched by such courage, Falconet, at the end of the matter, rushed to him and kissed him with all his heart and gave him a gift from himself money."

However, as a result of the accident, numerous large defects (underfilling, adhesions) were formed in the horse’s head and the figure of the rider above the waist.

A bold plan was developed to save the statue. It was decided to cut off the defective part of the statue and refill it, increasing new uniform directly onto the surviving parts of the monument. Using pieces of plaster mold, a wax model of the top of the casting was obtained, which was a continuation of the wall of the previously cast part of the statue.

The second filling was carried out in November 1777, and it was a complete success. In memory of this unique operation, on one of the folds of Peter I’s cloak, the sculptor left the inscription “Modeled and cast by Etienne Falconet, Parisian 1778.” Not a word about Khailov.

According to the sculptor’s plan, the base of the monument is a natural rock in the shape of a wave. The shape of the wave serves as a reminder that it was Peter I who led Russia to the sea. The Academy of Arts began searching for the monolith stone when the model of the monument was not yet ready. A stone was needed whose height would be 11.2 meters.

The granite monolith was found in the Lakhta region, twelve miles from St. Petersburg.

Once upon a time, according to local legends, lightning struck the rock, forming a crack in it. Among the locals, the rock was called "Thunder Stone".

That’s what they later began to call it when they installed it on the banks of the Neva under the famous monument. There were rumors that in the old days there was a temple on it. And sacrifices were made.

The initial weight of the monolith is about 2000 tons. Catherine II announced a reward of 7,000 rubles to the one who comes up with the most effective way to deliver the rock to Senate Square. From many projects, the method proposed by a certain Carbury was chosen. There were rumors that he had bought this project from some Russian merchant.

A clearing was cut from the location of the stone to the shore of the bay and the soil was strengthened. The rock was freed from excess layers, and it immediately became lighter by 600 tons. The thunder-stone was hoisted with levers onto a wooden platform resting on copper balls. These balls moved on grooved wooden rails lined with copper. The clearing was winding. Work on transporting the rock continued in both cold and hot weather. Hundreds of people worked. Many St. Petersburg residents came to watch this action. Some of the observers collected fragments of stone and used them to make cane knobs or cufflinks. In honor of the extraordinary transport operation, Catherine II ordered the minting of a medal with the inscription “Like daring. January 20, 1770.”

The poet Vasily Rubin wrote in the same year:
The Russian Mountain, not made by hands here, Hearing the voice of God from the lips of Catherine, Came to the city of Petrov through the Neva abyss. And she fell under the feet of the Great Peter.

Portrait of Marie-Anne Collot

The offended master did not wait for the opening of the monument; in September 1778, together with Marie-Anne Collot, he left for Paris.

And the monument, weighing about 10 tons, still had to be erected...

The installation of the Bronze Horseman on the pedestal was supervised by the architect F. G. Gordeev.

The grand opening of the monument to Peter I took place on August 7, 1782 (old style). The sculpture was hidden from the eyes of observers by a canvas fence depicting mountain landscapes.

It had been raining since the morning, but it did not stop a significant number of people from gathering on Senate Square. By noon the clouds had cleared. The guards entered the square. The military parade was led by Prince A. M. Golitsyn. At four o'clock, Empress Catherine II herself arrived on the boat. She climbed onto the balcony of the Senate building in a crown and purple and gave a sign for the opening of the monument. The fence fell, and to the beat of drums the regiments moved along the Neva embankment.

By order of Catherine II, the following is inscribed on the pedestal: “Catherine II to Peter I.” Thus, the Empress emphasized her commitment to Peter's reforms. Immediately after the appearance of the Bronze Horseman on Senate Square, the square was named Petrovskaya.

A. S. Pushkin called the sculpture “The Bronze Horseman” in his poem of the same name. This expression has become so popular that it has become almost official. And the monument to Peter I itself became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.
The weight of the "Bronze Horseman" is 8 tons, the height is more than 5 meters.

Neither the wind nor the terrible floods could defeat the monument.

Legends

One evening, Pavel, accompanied by his friend Prince Kurakin, walked through the streets of St. Petersburg. Suddenly a man appeared ahead, wrapped in a wide cloak. It seemed that he was waiting for the travelers and, when they approached, he walked next to them. Pavel shuddered and turned to Kurakin: “Someone is walking next to us.” However, he did not see anyone and tried to convince the Grand Duke of this. Suddenly the ghost spoke: “Paul! Poor Pavel! I am the one who takes part in you.” Then the ghost walked ahead of the travelers, as if leading them along. Approaching the middle of the square, he indicated the place for the future monument. “Goodbye, Pavel,” said the ghost, “you will see me here again.” And when, leaving, he raised his hat, Pavel saw Peter’s face with horror.

The legend is believed to date back to the memoirs of Baroness von Oberkirch, who details the circumstances under which Paul himself publicly told the story. Bearing in mind the high reliability of the memoirs based on many years diary entries and the friendship between the Baroness and Maria Feodorovna, Paul’s wife, most likely, the source of the legend is indeed the future sovereign himself...

There is another legend. During the War of 1812, when the threat of Napoleonic invasion was real, Alexander I decided to transport the monument to Peter to Vologda. A certain captain Baturin had a strange dream: as if the Bronze Horseman was moving off the pedestal and galloping towards Kamenny Island, where Emperor Alexander I was at that time. “Young man, what have you brought my Russia to?” Peter tells him. “But until then, as long as I stand in my place, my city has nothing to fear." Then the horseman, announcing the city with a “heavy ringing gallop,” returned to Senate Square. According to legend, the dream of the unknown captain was brought to the attention of the emperor, as a result of which the statue of Peter the Great remained in St. Petersburg.
As you know, the boot of a Napoleonic soldier, like a fascist one, did not touch the St. Petersburg pavements.

The famous mystic and spirit seer of the 20th century, Daniil Andreev, in “The Rose of the World,” described one of the hellish worlds. There he reports that in infernal Petersburg the torch in the hand of the Bronze Horseman is the only source light, while Peter sits not on a horse, but on a creepy dragon...

During the siege of Leningrad, the Bronze Horseman was covered with bags of earth and sand, lined with logs and boards.

When after the war the monument was freed from boards and bags, the Star of the Hero appeared on Peter’s chest Soviet Union. Someone drew it with chalk...

Restorations of the monument took place in 1909 and 1976. During the last of them, the sculpture was studied using gamma rays. To do this, the space around the monument was fenced off with sandbags and concrete blocks. The cobalt gun was controlled from a nearby bus. Thanks to this research, it turned out that the frame of the monument can serve for many years to come. Inside the figure was a capsule with a note about the restoration and its participants, a newspaper dated September 3, 1976.

Etienne-Maurice Falconet conceived The Bronze Horseman without a fence. But it was still created and has not survived to this day. “Thanks to” the vandals who left their autographs on the thunder stone and the sculpture itself, the idea of restoring the fence was realized.

Recent studies of the monument have brought two sensations:

1. The monument rests not on three points of support, as previously thought, but on two. The snake and the horse's tail do not carry any load.

The snake trampled by the horse and the tail serve only to separate air flow and reducing the windage of the monument.

2. Peter’s pupils are made in the shape of hearts. Peter looks at the city with loving eyes. So Falcone conveyed to his descendants the news of Peter’s love for his brainchild - St. Petersburg.

3. Thanks to Pushkin and his poem, the monument is called “Copper”, but it is not made of copper, but of bronze.

4. The monument was depicted on Yudenich’s money.

The monument is covered in myths and legends. It is also in foreign collections. This is how the Japanese imagined it.

Illustration from the 11th scroll "Kankai Ibun". The monument is painted Japanese artist from the words of the sailors)))

Late in the evening the monument is no less mysterious and beautiful...

Info and part of the photo (C) Wikipedia, the site "Legends of St. Petersburg" and other places on the Internet

B. P. Villevalde Opening of the monument to the 1000th anniversary of Russia in Novgorod in 1862

The monument “Millennium of Russia” was erected in 1862 in the center of Veliky Novgorod in honor of the 1,000th anniversary of the calling of the Varangian princes Rurik, Sineus and Truvor to Rus'.
The authors of the monument are sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin and Ivan Schroeder, architect Victor Hartman
Height: 15.7 meters, diameter of the pedestal - 9 meters, weight of bronze casting - 65.5 tons.
The monument is shaped like a bell and contains 128 human figures. Sculptures are divided into three levels.

Upper level of sculptures.

The monument is crowned by a figure kneeling in front of an angel with a cross (personification Orthodox Church) a woman personifying Russia. This group is installed at the top of the orb (the emblem of royal power), crowning the composition. The power is decorated with a relief ornament of crosses (a symbol of the unity of the church and autocracy) and is surrounded by the inscription: “To the accomplishment of the millennium of the Russian state in the prosperous reign of Emperor Alexander II, 1862.”

Average level The sculptures contain 6 groups of figures for a total of 17 figures around a ball - a power, symbolizing various periods of the history of the Russian state (according to the official historiography of that time). Each group is focused on a specific part of the world, which has symbolic meaning and shows the role of each sovereign in strengthening certain boundaries of the state. This part reflects the following the most important stages history of Russia:

calling of the Varangians to Rus' (862)
Baptism of Rus' (988-989)
Battle of Kulikovo (1380)
Formation of a united Rus' (late 14th century)
Beginning of the Romanov dynasty (1613)
Creation Russian Empire(1721)

The lower part of the monument.
It contains a frieze on which high reliefs of 109 figures of history, religion, science and culture are placed.
It was originally planned that the high relief (third tier) would repeat the plot of the second: six medallions, on which six eras Russian state should have been depicted in more detail - and reflected the participation of the people in the life of the country, thus completing the triad with “nationality”. However, this is what happened. Behind lower tier The sculptor Peter Klodt answered the monument - famous master of its time. While working on the monument, he found himself subordinate to his yesterday’s student - young artist Mikeshin, the author of the monument. When Klodt first showed Mikeshin and Emperor Alexander II sketches of his bas-reliefs for the monument, both immediately understood: this is not it! It turned out that Klodt simply repeated the plots of the second tier without developing them one bit.

Monument "Millennium of Russia". 1862

Mikeshin decided that Klodt, not wanting to be subordinate to his yesterday’s student, deliberately sabotaged the order or treated it carelessly. In reality, Klodt - a brilliant animal painter, the author of the famous horses on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg - was simply at a loss in front of an unusual task for him: to compose a plot from Russian history... It was impossible to accept Klodt’s sketches, it was absurd to explain the task to him again. Something had to be decided urgently. And then Mikeshin, out of despair, told the emperor the first thing that came to mind: “I could suggest representing everyone in the bas-relief worthy people, which in various fields of knowledge, intelligence and science contributed to the exaltation of Russia.” The idea was accepted. Thus, the monument turned into a chronicle of Russia in the faces and acquired its main highlight - 109 outstanding figures Russian figures. They can be divided into four groups:

Enlighteners. Monument "Millennium of Russia"

Enlighteners.
1. Saint Cyril. 2. Saint Methodius. 3. Princess Olga. 4. Prince Vladimir. 5. Saint Abraham of Rostov. 6. Anthony of Pechersky. 7. Theodosius of Pechersk. 8. Saint Kuksha of Pechersk. 9. Nestor the chronicler. 10. Kirill Belozersky. 11. Stefan Permsky. 12. Alexy Metropolitan. 13. Sergius of Radonezh. 14. Peter Mogila. Metropolitan of Kyiv. 15. Jonah. Metropolitan of Moscow. 16. Saint Savvaty of Solovetsky. 17. Saint Zosima of Solovetsky. 18. Maxim the Greek. 19. Gury. Archbishop of Kazan. 20. Konstantin Ostrogsky. 21. Patriarch Nikon. 22. Fedor Rtishchev. 23. Dmitry. Metropolitan of Rostov. 24. Grigory Konissky. Archbishop of Belarus. 25. Feofan Prokopovich. Archbishop of Novgorod. 26. Plato. Metropolitan of Moscow. 27. Innocent. Archbishop of Kherson and Tauride. 28. Macarius. Metropolitan of Moscow. 29. Barsanuphius. Archbishop of Tver. 30. Tikhon Zadonsky. 31. Mitrofan of Voronezh.

State people
1. Archpriest Sylvester. 2. Anastasia Romanova. 3. Okolnichy Alexey Adashev. 4. Patriarch Hermogenes. 5. Youth Mikhail Romanov. 6. Patriarch Filaret. 7. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. 8. Diplomat Ordyn-Nashchokin. 9. Boyar Artamon Matveev. 10. Peter the Great. 11. Prince Yakov Dolgoruky. 12. Privy Councilor Ivan Betskoy. 13. Catherine II. 14. State Chancellor Bezborodko. 15. Grigory Potemkin. 16. State Chancellor Prince Kochubey, 17. Alexander I. 18. Mikhail Speransky. 19. Field Marshal Vorontsov. 20. Nicholas I. 21. Yaroslav the Wise. 22. Vladimir Monomakh. 23. Gediminas, Prince of Lithuania. 24. Olgerd, Grand Duke of Lithuania. 25. Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. 26. Ivan III.

Military figures and heroes. Monument "Millennium of Russia"

Military figures and heroes
1. Svyatoslav Igorevich. 2. Mstislav Udaloy. 3. Daniil Galitsky. 4. Alexander Nevsky. 5. Prince Keistut. 6. Dmitry Donskoy. 7. Mikhail Tverskoy. 8. Daniil Kholmsky, Moscow governor 9. Mikhail Vorotynsky. 10. Daniil Shchenya, prince. 11. Marfa Boretskaya (Posadnitsa). 12. Ermak Timofeevich. 13. Mikhail Skopin-Shuisky. 14. Dmitry Pozharsky. 15. Abraham Palitsyn. 16. Bogdan Khmelnitsky. 17. Kuzma Minin. 18. Ivan Susanin. 19. Boris Sheremetev. 20. Mikhail Golitsyn. 21. Petr Saltykov. 22. Count Burchard Minich. 23. Alexey Orlov. 24. Petr Rumyantsev. 25. Alexander Suvorov. 26. Mikhail Barclay de Tolly. 27. Mikhail Kutuzov. 28. Admiral Senyavin. 29. Dovmont, Prince of Pskov. 30. Matvey Platov. 31. Peter Bagration. 32. Ivan Dibich. 33. Ivan Paskevich. 34. Admiral Lazarev. 35. Vice Admiral Kornilov. 36. Admiral Nakhimov.

Writers and artists. Monument "Millennium of Russia"

Writers and artists

1. Mikhail Lomonosov. 2. Denis Fonvizin. 3. Alexander Kokorinov. 4. Gavrila Derzhavin. 5. Fedor Volkov. 6. Nikolai Karamzin. 7. Ivan Krylov. 8. Vasily Zhukovsky. 9. Nikolai Gnedich. 10. Alexander Griboyedov. 11. Mikhail Lermontov. 12. Alexander Pushkin. 13. Nikolai Gogol. 14. Mikhail Glinka. 15. Karl Bryullov. 16. Dmitry Bortnyansky.
Ivan IV is not among those depicted. It was not included in the composition of the monument, remembering the bloody massacre committed by the guardsmen in Novgorod in 1570.

Interesting Facts.
52 projects took part in the competition for the monument project, which, according to the terms of the competition, were submitted anonymously, signing with mottos. The first prize to the winning project was 4,000 rubles (a fortune at that time). It was received by Mikhail Mikeshin.

A. Rokachevsky. Portrait of young M.O. Mikeshin. 1855

2. Sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin won the design competition for the monument to the Millennium of Russia when he turned 24! To a greater extent, Mikhail Mikeshin was known as a battle painter. He just brilliantly graduated from the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. His thesis, which depicted horse grenadiers, was bought by Emperor Nicholas I himself. Subsequently, he taught drawing of the Grand Duchesses, but remained in history as a great sculptor, the author of a number of outstanding monuments. Next famous monuments created according to his designs:
Kuzma Minina in Nizhny Novgorod
Alexander II in Rostov-on-Don
Catherine II in St. Petersburg

Statesmen. Monument "Millennium of Russia"

Mikhail Mikeshin and his friend, sculptor Ivan Schroeder, read about the competition for the construction of the monument in the newspaper while having lunch in a cafe. We decided to dare and show each other our ideas the next morning. Schroeder didn’t come up with anything and admitted defeat, saying that he was ready to work according to Mikeshin’s sketches. And Mikeshin immediately came up with an artistic solution - a three-tiered monument, the composition of which is based on the state. Here the fact that Mikeshin was a painter by profession played into his hands.
If he were a professional sculptor, his thoughts would inevitably revolve around images standard for sculpture of that time: figures, statues, equestrian groups, columns, etc. And this would inevitably diverge from the main condition of the competition: to depict the thousand-year history of Russia in development. Perhaps this task was only possible for someone like Mikeshin - an amateur in sculpture, not constrained by academic canons and therefore ready for any original solutions.

When, according to Mikeshin’s idea, the three-tiered power was surrounded by figures of people - historical characters— the silhouette of the monument began to resemble Monomakh’s hat (a symbol of royal power) and at the same time a bell (a hint of the veche bell of the Novgorod Republic).

3. The monument was inaugurated in 1862 in the presence of Emperor Alexander II. In connection with the construction and grand opening The Novgorod monument was repaired and re-paved. A solemn parade was organized, the celebrations lasted three days.
The entire august family with members of their closest retinue came to Novgorod for this event; up to 12 thousand soldiers and officers were brought, as well as just spectators. The population of Novgorod practically doubled for several days. The ceremony included: procession to the St. Sophia Cathedral after the liturgy in all churches of the Novgorod Kremlin and in the Church of the Sign, the transfer of the holy relics of the builder of the St. Sophia Cathedral, Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich, from a dilapidated wooden shrine to a new silver one (September 7); the next day the tsar received a deputation from the local nobles, then toured the troops lined up for the parade, and then, together with the empress and retinue, bell ringing went to St. Sophia Cathedral, where he celebrated the liturgy. After this, the procession moved from the cathedral to the monument, around which troops stood and the public was seated on specially constructed platforms. The veil was removed from the monument. This was followed by a 62-gun salute, a military parade, and a gala dinner. The third day of the celebration coincided with the birthday of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. After the prayer service in the cathedral, the tsar accepted bread and salt, presented to him by a peasant deputation on a wooden platter. He then visited the gymnasium and the orphanage, and this was followed by dinner, and in the evening a ball.

4. Destruction of the monument during the Great Patriotic War and subsequent recovery
In August 1941, the Germans entered Novgorod. German general von Herzog, who served at the headquarters of the German army that was besieging Leningrad, ordered the “Millennium of Russia” monument to be dismantled and taken to Germany, deciding to make a gift to his friend in his homeland. In the winter of 1943-1944, dismantling work began. The railway managed to take away the bronze lattice work of Professor Bosse that surrounded the monument, as well as bronze lanterns artistic work standing around him. The occupiers failed to remove the dismantled monument. On January 20, 1944, Novgorod was liberated by Soviet troops.
At this point, the monument was a completely bare pedestal, on which the lower half of the orb remained. Its upper part was dilapidated. The colossal figures that previously surrounded the ball were scattered around the monument. At the same time, many of them turned out to be damaged: a three-meter cross, standing on a ball-power, was cut down at the base and bent into an arc; the bronze fastenings were cut down or torn out of their places everywhere. Small details such as swords, staffs, and shields disappeared without a trace.

The Committee for Architectural Affairs under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and the executive committee of the Leningrad Regional Council of Working People's Deputies decided to restore the monument in its previous form at its most short term, and among the first objects of the devastated Novgorod. This was done by the Leningrad Regional Department of Architecture.
Nowadays, the monument “Millennium of Russia” is one of the most famous and popular in Russia. While traveling through the ancient Novgorod land, you cannot help but see Mikeshin’s creation; it is located in the heart of the city, in front of Sofia Novgorod. You can look at this monument for a long time. Does this interpretation of the monument agree with your perception? thousand years of history Russia, it's up to you to decide.