Alexander Column (Alexandrian Pillar)
This is not only a world-famous symbol of St. Petersburg, but the tallest free-standing triumphal column in the world (its total height is 47.5 m). That is, the column, carved from a monolithic piece of granite, is not secured in any way - it is held on the pedestal solely by its own weight, which is over 600 tons.
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 Alexander Column was designed by the architect Henri Louis Auguste Ricard de Montferrand, a native of France, who in Russia was called August Augustovich. Working at the turn of the era, Montferrand defined the path further development Russian architecture - from classicism to eclecticism.
Two thousand soldiers installed the finished column on the square in front of the Winter Palace in 1832. Manual labor and ropes were used.
After the “Alexandrian Pillar” stood on the pedestal, a thunderous “Hurray!” swept across the square, and the sovereign, turning to the architect, said: “Montferrand, you have immortalized yourself.”
Over the next two years, the monument was completed.
The column was completed with an allegorical figure of an angel trampling a snake with a cross. His light figure, flowing folds of clothing, and the strict verticality of the cross emphasize the slenderness of the column. The author of the statue is sculptor Boris Ivanovich Orlovsky.
And here’s what’s interesting: the monument on Palace Square, originally dedicated to Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812, almost immediately began to be perceived as a monument to the founding Russian state. This happened also thanks to the pedestal.
Alexander Column
The pedestal of the monument is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs depicting allegorical figures and military armor.
On three bas-reliefs there are allegories of Peace, Justice, Wisdom, Abundance and images of military armor. The armor is reminiscent of the military glory of the Russian people and the era of Rurikovich and the era of the Romanovs. There's a shield here prophetic Oleg, which he nailed to the gates of Constantinople-Constantinople, the helmet of the hero of the Battle of the Ice, the blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, and the helmet of the conqueror of Siberia Ermak, the armor of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov.
The pedestal ends with bronze garlands supported by double-headed eagles.
The base of the column is decorated in the form of a laurel wreath. After all, it is the wreath that is traditionally crowned with the winners.
On the bas-relief facing the Winter Palace, two figures are symmetrically placed - a woman and an old man. They personify the rivers – the Vistula and the Neman. These two rivers were crossed by the Russian army during the pursuit of Napoleon.
On August 30, 1834, a meeting took place on Palace Square in St. Petersburg Grand opening Alexander Column. August 30 was not chosen by chance. Since the time of Peter I, this day has been celebrated as the Day of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky - the heavenly defender of St. Petersburg. On this day, Peter I concluded “ eternal peace with Sweden,” on this day the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg. That is why the angel crowning the Alexander Column has always been perceived primarily as a protector.
The memory of this event by the poet Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky has been preserved: “No pen can describe the greatness of that moment when, following three cannon shots, suddenly from all the streets, as if from the ground, in slender bulks, with the thunder of drums, to the sounds of the Paris March, columns of the Russian army began to march. ... This splendor lasted for two hours, the only spectacle in the world. 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 a majestic colossus with its sentry remained in a deserted square.”
By the way, even then a legend arose that this very sentry - the angel crowning the column - has a portrait resemblance to Emperor Alexander I. And it did not arise by chance. The sculptor Orlovsky had to redo the sculpture of the angel several times before Nicholas I liked it. According to Orlovsky, the emperor wanted the angel’s face to be given a resemblance to Alexander I, and the head of the snake, trampled by the angel’s cross, had to certainly resemble the face of Napoleon.
Imitating his grandmother, Catherine II, who inscribed “Peter I - Catherine II” on the pedestal of the Bronze Horseman, and his father, who wrote “Great-grandfather - great-grandson” on the monument to Peter I at the Mikhailovsky Castle, Nikolai Pavlovich in official papers called the new monument “Pillar of Nicholas I” - Alexander I." By the way, it was the monument to Peter I at the Mikhailovsky Castle, made under Elizabeth Petrovna, that was once planned to be installed in the center of Palace Square.
According to legend, 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. And, they say, then 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.
But still, the townspeople fell in love with the monument. And, naturally, around the pillar, as one of the symbols of the city, its own mythology began to take shape. And, of course, the monument began to be perceived as a natural dominant of the city’s main square and a symbol of the entire Russian Empire.
And the angel crowning the Alexander Column was, first of all, a protector and guardian for the townspeople. The angel seemed to be protecting and blessing the city and its inhabitants.
But it was the angel, the guardian angel, who became the cause of the more than amazing events that unfolded around the Alexander Column. These are little known pages. So, only chance saved the monument in 1917. Here, on Palace Square, they wanted to establish the main churchyard of the country. The column, as a monument to tsarism, should be toppled, and a number of memorial graves should be built along the Winter Palace.
But it turned out that collapsing a 600-ton column is not so easy. The move of the government to Moscow in the spring of 1918 saved us from further projects of turning the main square of the city and empire into a cemetery. The idea of creating a graveyard in the center of the capital, which failed in Petrograd, was implemented on the Mother See's Red Square, near the Kremlin wall.
But the most incredible events unfolded in 1924 after Lenin's death.
On November 11, 1924, the Leningrad authorities made a decision “On the reconstruction of the so-called Alexander Column, built by the architect Montferrand and standing in the middle of Uritsky Square, and erecting on it, instead of the figure of an angel with a cross now standing, a statue of the Great Leader of the Proletariat, Comrade. Lenin..." Uritsky Square is the renamed Palace Square. Only People's Commissar of Education A.V. Lunacharsky managed to convincingly prove to the city authorities the absurdity of the idea of installing Lenin on the Alexander Column.
The angel remained standing on the largest in the world (among such monuments) “Alexandria Pillar,” as A.S. called the column. Pushkin. The last time there was an attempt on his life was in 1952. There was a series of massive Stalinist renamings: the Stalinsky district appeared in the city, Moskovsky Avenue became Stalinsky. On this wave, the idea arose to install a bust of Joseph Stalin on our column. But we didn’t have time.
This text is an introductory fragment.On Palace Square stands the Pillar of Alexandria, a masterpiece of the engineering genius, Auguste Montferrand. It stands unsupported by anything, only due to its mass, which is almost 600 tons.
In memory of Russia's victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812, the majestic Alexander Column was erected, built in 1829-1834 according to the design and direction of the architect O. Montferrand. The architect A. U. Adamini also took part in the construction.
The Pillar of Alexandria is the unofficial name of the structure, which arose after the publication, several years after the completion of construction, of Pushkin’s poem “Monument”
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
Although formally, apparently, the famous wonder of the world, the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria, is meant, many see in these lines the poet’s unambiguous allusion to the recently erected monument. Some researchers dispute the reliability of this interpretation, but the fact remains that the name is firmly entrenched in the culture of St. Petersburg.
Gigantic, even modern ideas, the monolith was hewn out of dark red granite near Vyborg and, with the help of many ingenious technical devices, was transported by water to St. Petersburg. In a solemn atmosphere, with a force of more than two thousand soldiers and sailors, among whom were those who distinguished themselves during Patriotic War 1812, the Alexander Column was installed on a pedestal, after which its final finishing began.
Immediately after the construction of the Alexandria Column, St. Petersburg residents refused to appear on Palace Square, assuming that such a colossus would sooner or later fall on someone. To dispel the doubts of the townspeople, the architect Montferrand made it a habit to walk under his brainchild every day.
The Alexandria pillar with the figure of an angel is on the list of the most recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg. The height of the structure is 47.5 meters and is the highest among similar monuments in the world, for example: the Roman Trajan Column, the Parisian Vendôme Column and the Alexandrian Column of Pompey. The monolith is held on the pedestal only by gravity, due to its own weight of 841 tons, no additional fastenings are used. A huge number of piles, each 6.4 meters long, were driven under the base of the monument for stability; a granite platform was laid on them, decorated with four floor lamps.
The column is crowned with a six-meter angel with a cross in his hand, trampling on a snake (the figure represents the world; the snake is a symbol of defeated enemies), the work of the Russian sculptor Boris Orlovsky, a former serf. The sculptor gave the angel’s face the portrait features of Emperor Alexander I.
On the pedestal of the Alexander Column there are bronze bas-reliefs on military themes. When creating them, authentic ancient Russian chain mail, shields and cones, which are stored in the Moscow Armory, were used as samples for depicting military armor. From the side of the Winter Palace, the rivers that the Russian army crossed while pursuing the defeated French are symbolically depicted: the Neman - in the form of an old man and the Vistula - in the form of a young woman. The inscription “Grateful Russia to Alexander I” is also located here. The western side, facing the Admiralty, represents an allegory of “Justice and Mercy”, the eastern one - “Wisdom and Plenty”, and the southern one - “Glory” and “Peace”
And today we have the pleasure of observing on the main square in St. Petersburg a giant pink granite column on a square pedestal, personifying glory Russian weapons. Like the triumphal structures of antiquity, the Pillar of Alexandria amazes with its clear proportions and laconic form.
The Alexandria Pillar (Alexandrovsky, Alexandrinsky) is 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.
The Pillar of Alexandria 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 brief history 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 somewhat differently, with a group of cavalry below and many architectural details, but it 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 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.
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 under the spirit level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut to the level of the water surface, which ensured the horizontality of the site. 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. Carboniere, A. Vasilchikov. The construction was carried out according to the drawings of the same architect Augustine de Montferande."
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..."
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 came to the raising and all imperial family.
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 topped with a bronze capital of the Doric order with a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze lining. 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, 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 “carved master” 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.
It must be said that the monument, which now seems perfect, sometimes aroused criticism from contemporaries. Montferrand, for example, was reproached for allegedly wasting marble intended for the column on construction own home, and used 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 coin was minted commemorative coin 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.
On December 15, 1889, an almost mystical story happened - Foreign Minister Lamsdorff reported in his diary that at nightfall, when the lanterns were lit, a luminous letter “N” appeared 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. spaceship. 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.
The Alexander Column appeared on Palace Square in 1834, but this was preceded by a long and complicated story its construction. The idea itself belongs to Karl Rossi, the author of many attractions of the Northern capital. He suggested that one detail was missing for the design of Palace Square - the central monument, and also noted that it should be high enough, otherwise it would be lost against the background of the General Staff building.
Emperor Nicholas I supported this idea and announced a competition for best project monument for Palace Square, adding that it should symbolize the victory of Alexander I over Napoleon. Among all the projects sent to the competition, the work of Auguste Montferrand attracted the emperor's attention.
However, his first sketch was never brought to life. The architect proposed erecting a granite obelisk on the square with bas-reliefs on a military theme, but Nicholas I liked the idea of a column similar to the one installed by Napoleon more. This is how the project of the Alexandria Pillar came about.
Taking as examples the columns of Pompey in and Trajan in, as well as the already mentioned monument in Paris, Auguste Montferrand developed a project for the tallest (at that time) monument in the world. In 1829, this sketch was approved by the emperor, and the architect was assigned to manage the construction process.
Implementing the idea of the Alexander Column turned out to be a difficult task. The piece of rock from which the granite base of the monument was hewn was brought from and processed in the Vyborg province. A system of levers was developed specifically for lifting and transporting it, and in order to send the stone block it was necessary to construct a special barge and a pier for it.
In the same 1829, they began to lay the foundation of the future monument on Palace Square. It is interesting that almost the same technology was used for its construction as during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral. For smooth cut wooden piles, driven as the basis of the foundation, water was used - filling the foundation pit with it, workers cut the piles to the level of the water surface. This method, innovative at that time, was proposed by Augustine Betancourt, a famous Russian engineer and architect.
The very same challenging task It turned out to be the installation of a pillar of the Alexander Column. For this purpose, an original lift was created from capstans, blocks and unprecedentedly high scaffolding, grown 47 meters up. Hundreds of spectators watched the procedure for raising the main part of the monument, and the emperor himself arrived with his entire family. When the granite column sank onto the pedestal, a loud “Hurray!” was heard over the square. And, as the emperor noted, with this monument Montferrand acquired immortality.
The final stage of construction was no longer particularly difficult. From 1832 to 1834, the monument was decorated with bas-reliefs and other decorative elements. The author of the capital in the Roman Doric style was the sculptor Evgeniy Balin, who also developed models of garlands and profiles for the Alexander Column.
The only thing that caused disagreement was the statue that was supposed to crown the monument - Montferrand proposed installing a cross entwined with a snake, but in the end the emperor approved a completely different project. The work of B. Orlovsky was installed on the top of the column - a six-meter angel with a cross, in whose face you can recognize the features of Alexander I.
Work on the Alexander Column was completely completed in the summer of 1834, and the grand opening was scheduled for August 30, or September 11 according to the old style. They prepared for this event in advance - Montferrand even created special stands for important guests, which were made in the same style as the Winter Palace.
A service was held at the foot of the monument in the presence of the emperor, foreign diplomats and thousands of Russian troops, and then a military parade took place in front of the stands. In total, more than 100,000 people were involved in the celebration, and this does not count the numerous spectators from St. Petersburg. In honor of the Alexander Column, the mint even issued a commemorative ruble with a portrait of Alexander I.
The Alexander Column is located on Palace Square in the historical part of the city. Many routes pass here public transport, and this place is also very popular for hiking. The nearest metro stations are Admiralteyskaya and Nevsky Prospekt.
The exact address: Palace Square, St. Petersburg
Option 1
Metro: take the blue or green line to Nevsky Prospekt station.
On foot: head towards the Admiralty spire until it intersects with Admiralteysky Prospekt, and then on the right you will see the Alexander Column.
Option 2
Metro: Take the purple line to Admiralteyskaya station.
On foot: go out onto Malaya Morskaya Street and walk to Nevsky Prospekt. Then within 5 minutes you can walk to the intersection with Admiralteysky Prospekt and to Palace Square.
Option 3
Bus: routes No. 1, 7, 10, 11, 24 and 191 to the “Palace Square” stop.
Option 4
Bus: routes No. 3, 22, 27 and 100 to the Admiralteyskaya Metro stop.
On foot: walk 5 minutes to Palace Square.
Option 5
Route: route No. K-252 to the “Palace Square” stop.
Option 6
Trolleybus: routes No. 5 and 22 to the Nevsky Prospekt stop.
On foot: walk 7 minutes to Palace Square.
Also, the Alexander Column is a 5-minute walk from the Palace Bridge and the embankment of the same name.
Since the Pillar of Alexandria is located in the heart of the city, most of St. Petersburg's famous attractions are located nearby. You can spend more than one day walking around these places, because, in addition to architectural monuments, there are museums here that will be interesting to see not only from the outside.
So, next to the Alexander Column you can visit:
Winter Palace- one of the masterpieces of architect B.F. Rastrelli, created in 1762. Until the October Revolution, it served as the winter residence of several Russian emperors(this is where its name actually comes from).
The grandiose museum complex, founded by Catherine II, is located literally a stone's throw from the column. Its rich collections of paintings, sculptures, weapons, and ancient household items are known not only in Russia, but throughout the world.
Museum A.S. Pushkin- the former mansion of the Volkonsky princes, where the poet once lived and where his original things were preserved.
Museum of Printing - interesting place, where you can learn about the history of printing in Russia. It is located a 5-7 minute walk from the Alexander Column on the other bank of the Moika River.
House of Scientists- the former Vladimir Palace and the former Soviet club of scientific intelligentsia. Even today, several scientific sections operate there, conferences and business meetings are held.
Even more historical monuments and simply interesting places for a walk can be found on the other side of Nevsky Prospekt and Dvortsovy Proezd.
The closest places to the Alexander Column are:
"Bringing Down the House"- an entertainment center, including several rooms with an “inverted” interior. Visitors come here mainly for fun photos.
Alexander Garden- a park founded in 1874 and today under the protection of UNESCO. Full of green lawns, alleys, flower beds, it will become great place for relaxation after an excursion to the Alexander Column and before visiting new sights.
Bronze Horseman- the famous monument to Peter I, made by Etienne Falconet in 1770 by order of Catherine II. From the 18th century to the present day, it has been the main symbol of St. Petersburg, the hero of fairy tales and poems, as well as the object of numerous superstitions, beliefs and legends.
Admiralty- another famous symbol of the Northern capital, whose spire serves as a landmark for many tourists and guests of the city. Originally built as a shipyard, today this building is considered a masterpiece of world architecture.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral - a unique example of late classicism and the largest temple in St. Petersburg. Its facade is decorated with more than 350 sculptures and bas-reliefs.
If you walk from the Alexander Column along the Palace Bridge to the other bank of the Neva, you can get to Vasilievsky Island, which is considered one big attraction. The Exchange building, the Kunstkamera, the Zoological Museum, the Baroque Menshikov Palace and much more are located here. The island itself, with its amazing layout, strictly parallel streets-lines and rich history, is worthy of a separate excursion.
In short, no matter where you go from the Alexander Column, you will in any case end up at one of the important historical monuments. Being one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, it is surrounded by the same iconic monuments and ancient buildings. The Palace Square itself, where the column is located, is included in the UNESCO list and is one of the best architectural ensembles Russia. The Winter Palace, the headquarters of the Guards Corps and the General Staff form here a luxurious necklace of architectural masterpieces. On holidays, the square becomes a venue for concerts, sports competitions and other events, and on winter time A huge skating rink is being filled here.
Palace Square, St. Petersburg, Russia
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