The author of the monument is a copper rider. Monument to the copper rider

Monument Copper Horseman (Russia) - description, history, location. Accurate address, telephone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The copper rider at the Senate Square is not the only monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg, but, undoubtedly, the most famous, which has long become a symbol of the northern capital. Already at the end of the 18th century, many urban legends and jokes were associated with him, and in century the 19th copper rider loved to mention the poet of that time in their works.

Contrary to his nickname, the monument is not copper, but bronze. And the popular name was a monument to Petra thanks to the poem of Pushkin.

As ideally, Catherine II, who ordered the sculpture, and its consultants, Voltaire and Didro, Peter had to appear in the solemn appearance of the Roman emperor-winner with a rod and a scepter in his hands. However, the French sculptor Etienne Falcone, invited to work on the monument, dreamed of arguing with crowded individuals and showed the world of another Peter, not at the same time, neither his headquarters nor his title of the wise ruler.

After 16 years of work on August 7, 1782, an equestrian statue of the young king was solemnly installed on the old style on a huge pedestal. The monument was the first to be installed on the city square. Peter confidently sends on a raised horse, covered by bearish skin. The animal personifies the rebellious, ignorant people who submitted to the emperor. Huge snakes are crushed with hooves, symbolizing opponents of reforms, as well as serving an additional support for the design. The figure of the king itself expresses strength, desire and unshakable. On the granite block, on the orders of Catherine, a dedication in two languages, Russian and Latin was carved: "Peter I Catherine II of Summer 1782".

On the granite block, on which the monument is established, a dedication in two languages, Russian and Latin is carved on the order of Catherine, Russian and Latin: "Peter I Catherine II of Summer 1782".

An interesting story is associated with a stone on which the monument is watered. He was found by the peasant Seed Vishnyakov at a distance of about 9 km from Square. The place of installation of the monument to the thunder was delivered with a truly unique tool for the rest of the bearing. Initially, there was about 1600 tons in the original bilyb. Then, by the Falcone project, she was trimmed and put the wave form, personifying the power of Russia as a marine power.

History of creating a monument

And many more stories and Baek still walk around the emperor gesture. The right hand of Peter is abandonedly stretched forward, the left he holds the reins firmly. Some say that the hand points down, in place where "the city will be laid." Others believe that Peter looks towards Sweden - the country with which he has fought so long and stubbornly. In the 19th century one of the most interesting versions was born. She argues that the right hand of Peter is actually facing the Neva. Eloron left, it is a stateless pointed in the direction of the Senate, which in the 19th century performed the function of the Supreme Court. Interpretation of the gesture is such: it is better to bother in the Neva than to sue in the Senate. It was very corrupt it was an institution in those days.

Address: Senate Square, M. Nevsky Prospekt, Admiralteyskaya.

Ringold Gliere - Waltz from Ballet "Copper Horseman"

The monument to Peter I, the bronze monument of the rider on a raised horse, soaring on the top of the rock, more famous thanks to the poem Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin as the "Copper Horseman" - an integral part of the architectural ensemble and one of the brightest symbols of St. Petersburg ...

The location of the monument to Peter I was not chosen by chance. The Admiralty, the building of the Chief Legislative Body of Tsarist Russia - the Senate is found by the emperor.

Catherine II insisted on the placement of a monument in the center of the Senate Square. The author of the sculpture, Etienne-Maurice Falcone, entered his own way, setting the "copper rider" closer to the Neva.

By order, Catherine II Falcone invited Prince Golitsyn to St. Petersburg. They advised to appeal to this master of Professor of the Paris Academy of Painting Didro and Voltaire, whose taste Catherine II trusted.

Falcone was already fifty years. He worked on a porcelain factory, but dreamed of great and monumental art. When an invitation was received on the construction of a monument in Russia, Falcone did not hesitate on September 6, 1766 signed a contract. Its conditions were determined: a monument to Peter should consist of "mainly the equestrian statue of the colossal size." The sculptor fee suggested quite modest (200 thousand livres), other masters asked twice as much.

In St. Petersburg, Falcée arrived with his seventeen-year-old Assistant Marie-Anne Collo. The vision of the monument to Peter I by the author of the sculpture was very different from the desire of the Empress and most Russian nobility. Catherine II was expected to see Peter I with a rod or a squeezed in his hand, squeezing on horseback like the Roman emperor.

The Stat Counselor Schlyanin saw the Figure of Peter surrounded by the allegory of prudence, hard work, justice and victory. I.I. Bezzka, who led by the work on the construction of the monument, represented him with a figure in full height, with a colonical rod held in his hand.

Falcone advised to direct the right eye of the emperor to the Admiralty, and the left - on the building of the twelve college. Sent in 1773 St. Petersburg Didro conceived a monument in the form of a fountain decorated with allegorical figures.
Falcone conceived completely different. He turned out to be stubborn and persistent.

Sculptor wrote:

"I will limit ourselves only to the statue of this hero, which I do not interrupt either the great commander, nor as a winner, although he was of course, and the other. Much higher than the personality of the creator, the legislator, the benefactors of its country, and here it is necessary to show people. My king does not hold any rod, he extends his benefactor's appointment over the country. He rises to the top of the cliff, who serves him a pedestal, is the emblem of difficulty defeated by him. "

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

"Could you imagine that the sculptor elected to create such a significant monument would be deprived of the ability to think and so that the movements of his hands ruled someone else's head, and not his own?"

Disputes arose around the clothes of Peter I. Sculptor wrote Didro:
"You know that I am not talking about Roman, just as Julia Caesar or Scipiona in Russian."

Over the model of the monument in the natural magnitude of Falcone worked for three years. Work on the "copper rider" was carried out at the site of the former temporary Winter Palace Elizabeth Petrovna. In 1769, passers-by could watch here, as the Guards officer took off on a horse on a wooden platform and put it on the piles. So went on a few hours a day.

At the window in front of the dyshill, Falcone was sitting and carefully sketched seen. Horses for working on the monument were taken from the imperial stables: diamond and caprication hitch. The sculptor elected for the monument to the Russian "Orlovskaya" breed.

A student Fa Cornea Marie-Anne Kollo climbed the head of the Copper Rider. The sculptor himself was taken three times for this job, but every time Ekaterina II advised to remake the model. Marie Same offered his sketch, which turned out to be accepted by the Empress. For his work, the girl was admitted to the members of the Russian Academy of Arts, Catherine II appointed a lifetime pension of 10,000 livres.

Snake under the leg of the horse sculpt Russian sculptor F.G. Gordeev.

Preparation of a gypsum model of a monument in full size took the whole twelve years, she was ready for 1778.

The model was opened for universal review in the workshop at the corner of the brick alley and a large sea street. Opinions were expressed very different. Ober Synod Prosecutor The project did not decide. Didro see himself was pleased. Catherine II turned out to be indifferent to the model of the monument - she did not like the self-defense of the Falcone in choosing the appearance of the monument.

For a long time, no one wanted to take the statue casting. Foreign masters demanded too much amount, and local craftsmen scared her size and difficulty of work. According to the calculations of the sculptor to preserve the monument equilibrium, the front walls of the monument should have been performed very subtle - no more centimeter. Even a specially invited founder from France has refused such work. He called Falcone Crazy and said that there was no such example of casting in the world that it would not be possible.

Finally found the founder - the worst deeds master Emelyan Hailov. Together with him, Falcore was picking up alloy, made samples. For three years, the sculptor was perfectly mastered the casting. Began to cast a "copper rider" in 1774.

The technology was very complex. The thickness of the front walls must have been less than the rear thickness. At the same time, the rear thing became harder that sustained the statue based on three points of the support.

One fill of the statue did not cost. During the first, the pipe was burst, according to which the split bronze came into the form. The upper part of the sculpture was spoiled. I had to cut her down and three years to prepare for the second fill. This time the work was a success. In memory of it, on one of the folds of Peter I, the sculptor left the inscription "Lepil and cast Etienne Falcone Parisian 1778".

About these events, St. Petersburg Vedomosti wrote:

"On August 24, 1775, Falcone poured here the statue of Peter the Great on Kon. The casting was opened in addition to two feet two at the top. This magnificent failure occurred through the case that was foreseen, and therefore it was not to prevent the possibilities at all.

The aforementioned case seemed so terrible that they feared, in order not to take everything the building, and, therefore, everything would not fail. Haylov remained still and spent molten metal into the form, without losing her nimalo with his nimalo when hazardous danger to life.

Such a courage of Falcone touched at the end of the case rushed to him and kissed him and gave him from himself with money. "

According to the sculptor, the base of the monument is the natural rock in the form of a wave. The waveform serves as a reminder that Petr I brought Russia to the sea. Foundation of the Stone Monolith Academy of Arts took up when it was not even ready for the monument model. We needed a stone, the height of which would be 11.2 meters.

Granite monolith was found in the Lacht area, at twelve versts from St. Petersburg. Once in local legends in the rock there was a zipper, forming a crack in it. Among the locals, the rock was called Thunder-Stone. So they began to call it when they were installed on the banks of the Neva under the famous monument.

Children's Valne - Estimated Sharny Stone

The initial weight of monolith is about 2000 tons. Catherine II announced a reward in 7,000 rubles to the one who comes up with the most effective way to deliver the rock to the Senate Square. A method proposed by some kind of carburi was chosen from a variety of projects. It was rumored that this project was overbought from some Russian merchant.

From the place of finding a stone to the shore of the bay, the grounds have strengthened. The cliff was freed from extra layers, she immediately flew to 600 tons. Thunder levers were watered on a wooden platform based on copper balls. These balls moved along wooden grain rails, upholstered copper. View was winding. The transportation of cliffs continued in the frost and in the heat.

Hundreds of people worked. Many Petersburgers came to watch this action. Some of the observers were collected by stone fragments and ordered themselves from their knobs on a cane or cufflinks. In honor of the extraordinary transportation operation, Catherine II commanded to crush the medal, on which it is written "to daring it is like. Genvarya, 20. 1770.

Poet Vasily Rubin wrote in the same year:

Independent here Roskaya Mountain,
Renting the Glass of God from the mouth of Catherine,
Preded in Hradtrov through Nevsky Puchin
And fell under the foot of the Great Peter.

By the time of the installation of the monument to Peter I, the relationship of the sculptor and the imperial yard was finally spoiled. It came to the point that Falcone began to attribute only technical attitude towards the monument. The insult master did not wait for the opening of the monument, in September 1778, along with Mari-Anne, Kollo went to Paris.

Installation of the "copper rider" on the pedestal was led by architect F.G. Gordeev. The solemn opening of the monument to Peter I was held on August 7, 1782 (according to the old style). The sculpture was closed from the eye of observers by a linen fence with the image of mountain landscapes. In the morning, it was raining, but he did not prevent themselves at the Senate Square to a significant number of people. By noon, the clouds scattered. Guard joined the square.

Military parade was ruled by Prince A.M. Golitsyn. In the fourth hour, Empress Empress II arrived on the boat. She climbed the balcony of the Senate building in the Crown and Porfire and gave a sign to the opening of the monument. The fence fell, under the drum fraction, the shelves moved along the Nevsky Embankment.

According to the command of Catherine II at the pedestal, inscribed: "Catherine II Peter I". Thus, the empress emphasized the commitment to Petrovsky reforms. Immediately after the appearance on the Senate Square of the "Copper Rider" Square was named Petrovskaya.

"Copper rider" sculpture in his eponymous poem called A.S. Pushkin, although in fact it is made of bronze. This expression has become so popular that it became practically official. And the monument to Peter I became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.

The weight of the "copper rider" is 8 tons, height - more than 5 meters.

Legend of the Copper Horseman

From the very day of installation, it became the subject for a variety of myths and legends. The opponents of Peter himself and his reforms warned that the monument depicts the "rider of the apocalypse", which bears the city and all Russia, death and suffering. Peter's supporters said that the monument symbolizes the grandeur and the glory of the Russian Empire, and that Russia will remain so while the rider does not come down from his pedestal.

By the way, legends also go about the pedestal of the copper rider. According to the plan of the sculptor, Falcone, it should have been performed in the form of a wave. The suitable stone was found near the village of Lakhta: allegedly pointed the local wealth. Some historians find it possible that this is exactly the stone for which Peter climbed into the course of the Northern War, in order to see the location of the troops.

Glory about the copper rider was broadening far beyond St. Petersburg. In one of the remote settlements, there was its own version of the monument. The version was that one day Peter the first was entertained by he jumped on his horse from one bank of the Neva to another.

For the first time he exclaimed: "All God and mine!", And jumped over the river. The second time repeated: "All God and mine!", And again the jump turned out to be successful. However, for the third time the emperor confused the words, and said: "All my and God!" At that moment he was overtaken by God's car: he petrified and forever remained a monument to himself.

Legend of Mayor Baturina

During the Patriotic War, 1812 as a result of the retreat of Russian troops arose a threat of seizure of St. Petersburg by French troops. Concerned about such a prospect, Alexander I ordered to take out of the city especially valuable works of art.

In particular, Statt-Secretary Molchanov was instructed to take a monument to Peter I to the Vologda province, and several thousand rubles were released on it. At this time, a certain Major Baturin achieved a date with the personal friend of the king of Knight Golitsyn and handed him that he, Baturin pursues the same dream. He sees himself in the Senate Square. Lick Peter turns. The rider moves with his cliff and heads through the St. Petersburg streets to the Stone Island, where Alexander I lived.

The rider enters the courtyard of the Kamenostrovsky Palace, from which the sovereign comes to him. "A young man, how did you bring my Russia," Peter is telling him the Great, "but I'm still in place, I have nothing to fear!" Then the rider turns back, and again he is "heavy-ringing jump." Baturin affected by the story, Prince Golitsyn handed the dream of a sovereign. As a result, Alexander I canceled his decision on the evacuation of the monument. The monument remained in place.

There is an assumption that the legend of Major Baturin was based on the plot of the poem A. S. Pushkin "Copper Horseman". There is also the assumption that the legend of Mayor Baturine was the reason for the fact that during the Great Patriotic War, the monument remained in place and was not, like other sculptures, hidden.

During the blockade of Leningrad, the "Copper Horseman" was hidden by bags with earth and sand, she was trimmed with logs and boards.

The restoration of the monument was held in 1909 and in 1976. With the last of them, sculpture was conducted using gamma rays. For this, the space around the monument was protected by sand bags and concrete blocks. Cobalt gun control was carried out from a nearby bus.

Thanks to this study it turned out that the framework of the monument can serve for many years. Inside the figure was laid a capsule with a note on the restoration and its participants, the newspaper of September 3, 1976.

Etienne-Maurice Falcone conceived a "copper rider" without a fence. But she was still created, it was not preserved to this day.

"Thanks to" Vandals, leaving their autographs on the thunder and sculpture itself, soon the idea of \u200b\u200brestoring the fence can be implemented.

compile material -

The copper rider in St. Petersburg is the most famous monument to Peter I. It is located in the open square in the Senate Square and is a unique product of Russian and world culture. The copper rider is surrounded by famous sights: from the west, the buildings of the Senate and Synod are located, from the East - Admiralty, from the South - Isaac Cathedral.

History of creating a monument
The initiative to create a monument to Peter I belongs to Catherine II. It was according to her order, Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn turned to professors of the Paris Academy of Painting and Sculpture Didro and Voltera, whose belief Catherine II completely trusted. Famous masters recommended Etienne Maurice Falcon for this work, who worked at that time the main sculptor in a porcelain factory. "It is the abyss of a thin taste, mind and delicacy, and at the same time he is bothering, harsh, nor what does not believe in anything. .. Core doesn't know, "Didro wrote about Falcone.

Etienne-Maurice Falconew always dreamed of monumental art and gaining a proposal to create an equestrian statue of colossal size, without hesitation agreed. On September 6, 1766, he signed a contract in which the reward for work was determined in the amount of 200 thousand livres, which was a rather modest amount - other masters asked much more. The 50-year-old master came to Russia with a 17-year-old assistant Marie-Anne Collo.
Opinions about the appearance of the future sculpture were the most different. So, who led by the creation of a monument, President of the Imperial Academy of Arts Ivan Ivanovich Belska represented the sculpture of Peter I, who was in full growth with a rod in his hand. Catherine II saw the emperor, squeezing on a horse with a rod or scepter, and there were other suggestions. Thus, Didro conceived a monument in the form of a fountain with allegorical figures, and the Stat Counselor Schlyanin sent the Belsky detailed description of his project, according to which Peter I had to be surrounded by allegorical statues of prudence and hard work, justice and victories, which support the feet of flavors ignorance and tape Cheating and envy. Falcone rejected the traditional appearance of the monarch-winner and refused the image of the allegory. "My monument will be simple. There will be neither barbarism, nor love of peoples, nor the personification of the people ... I will limit it only to the statue of this hero, whom I do not interrupt any of the great commander, nor as a winner, although he, of course, was and, the other. Much higher than the personality of the creator, the legislator, the benefactors of his country, and here it is necessary to show people, "he wrote to Didro.

Work on the monument to Peter I
Falcone created a model of sculpture on the territory of the former temporary Winter Palace Elizabeth Petrovna from 1768 to 1770. Of the imperial stables, two horses of the Oryol breed of Caprice and a diamond were taken. Falcone made sketches, looking as the Guards officer took off on the horse on the platform and put it on the piles. The model of the head of Peter I Falcone rewded several times, but did not achieve the approval of Catherine II and as a result of the head of the copper rider successfully cut off
Marie-Anne Colllo.

Peter I turned out to be courageous and volition, with widely open eyes and an in-depth thought.


For this work, the girl was admitted to the members of the Russian Academy of Arts and Catherine II appointed a lifetime pension of 10,000 livres.
Snake under the legs of the horse performed Russian sculptor Fyodor Gordeyev.

The gypsum model of the copper rider was made by 1778 and the opinions about the work were ambiguous. If Didro was satisfied, then Catherine II did not like an unauthorizedly chosen look of the monument.

Copper rider
The sculpture was conceived by the colossal sizes and the loovers did not take for this difficult work. Foreign masters for casting demanded great money, and some frankly said that the casting would not succeed. Finally, there was a founder, cannon cases Master Emelyan Haylov, who took the casting of the copper rider. Together with Falcone, they picked up the composition of the alloy and made samples. The difficulty was that the sculpture had three points of the support and therefore the thickness of the walls of the front of the statue should have been a small - no more than one centimeter.


During the first casting, the pipe, on which Bronze was flooded, burst. In desperation, Falcone ran out of the workshop, but the master Haylov was not confused, removed his Armyak and wet his water, culled the clay and attached as a patch to the pipe. Risching his life, he prevented a fire, although he himself got burns of hands and partially damaged eyesight. The upper part of the copper rider was still spoiled, she had to cut down. Preparing for a new casting took another three years, but this time she went well and in honor of the successful completion of the sculptor in one of the folds of Peter I, I left the inscription "Lepil and cast Etienne Falcone Parisant of 1788."

Installation of copper rider
Falcone wanted to establish a monument on a pedestal in the form of a wave, sharpened from a natural piece of rock. It was very difficult to find the right block of height of 11.2 meters and therefore, in the newspaper "St. Petersburg News", an appeal to individuals wishing to find a suitable piece of rock was published. And soon the peasant Semyon Vishnyakov responded, which had long adopted a suitable boulder near the village of Lakhta and who reported this to the head of the search engine.


The weight of the monolith is about 1600 tons and called a thunder, in the legend it got zipper and broke a piece of blocks. For the delivery of the stone, piles were clogged, the road was laid, the wooden platform moved along two parallel grooves, which were laid 30 copper balls made from alloy. This operation was carried out in the winter from November 15, 1769, when the land was Zealenaya and on March 27, 1770, the stone was taken to the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Then the monolith was immersed on a special raft, built by Master Gregory Kedechnikov, fortified between two ships. Thousands of people participated in the extraction and transportation of the stone. On September 25, 1770, the crowds of the people met the thunder on the banks of the Neva at the Senate Square. During the carriage, dozens of kamenotes attached to it the necessary form. This event was marked by the coincarnation of the medal "daring like. January 1770".
Overseas

Front side


In 1778, Falcone's relationship with Catherine II was finally spoiled and, together with Mari-Anne, he was forced to go to Paris.
Installation of the copper rider was led by Fyodor Gordeyev and on August 7, 1782, a solemn opening of the monument took place.
A military parade at the celebration was led by Prince Alexander Golitsyn, and Ekaterina II arrived in the jet in the boat and rose to the balcony of the Senate building. The Empress reached the crown and porphyre and gave sign to open a monument. Under the drum shot, shields that closed the monument were revealed, - shook the exclamation of admiration ... and the shelves of the Guards took place along the Neva embankment.


But there was no author among the enthusiastic public, he was not even invited to the celebration of discovery. Only later, the prince of Golitsyn in France presented Falcone with gold and silver medals from Catherine II. It became a clear recognition of his talent, which the queen could not appreciate earlier. It is said that at the same time Falcone, who spent 15 years of life on his main sculpture, began to cry.

Copper Horseman - Name
The name of the copper rider Monument was later thanks to the poem of the same name A.S. Pushkin, although in fact the monument is made of bronze.

Monument to the copper rider
Falcone depicted a figure of Peter I in a dynamics, on a raised horse, and thus wanted to show not a commander and a winner, but first of all the creator and legislator. We see the emperor in simple clothes, and instead of a rich saddle - the animal skins. On the winner and the commander, only the crowned head of a wreath of Lavra and Sword at the belt speaks us. The location of the monument on the top of the cliff indicates the difficulties overcome by Peter, and the snake is a symbol of evil forces. The monument is unique in that it has only three points of support. At the pedestal, "Peter Pervoma Catherine Two LѣTa 1782" was performed, and on the other side the same text is listed in Latin. The weight of the copper rider is eight tons, and the height is five meters.

Legends and myths about the copper rider
There is a legend that Peter I, being in the fun arrangement of the Spirit decided on his beloved horse Lizette to jump the Neva. Exclaimed: "All God and mine" and rearranged over the river. The second time shouted the same words and was also on the other side. And for the third time I decided to jump over the Neva, but I made a reservation and said: "All my and God" and immediately was punished - and petrified in the Senate Square, in the place where the copper rider is now.
They say that Peter I sick and lay in a fever and fell to him that the Swedes are coming. He jumped on the horse and wanted to rush to the Neva on the enemy, but here the snake crawled and wrapped her legs and stopped him, did not give Peter I jump into the water and die. So it is worth a copper rider in this place - a monument as a snake saved Peter I.
There are several myths and legends in which Peter I will prophete: "While I am in place, my city has nothing to fear." Indeed, the copper rider remained in his place during the Patriotic War of 1812 and during the Great Patriotic War. During the blockade of Leningrad, he was covered with logs and boards and the bags with sand and earth were laid around him.
Peter I hand points towards Sweden, and in the center of Stockholm there is a monument to Karla Xii, the enemy of Peter in the Northern War, whose left hand is directed towards Russia.

Interesting Facts About the Monument Copper Horseman
Transportation of pedestal stone was accompanied by difficulties and unforeseen circumstances and often emerged emergencies. The entire Europe was followed by all the Europe and in honor of the delivery of the Thunder-Stone on the Senate Square a commemorative medal was released with the inscription "Densulation like. Genvarya, 20, 1770 »
Falcone conceived a monument without a fence, although the fence was still installed, but it was not preserved to this day. Now there are people who leave inscriptions on the monument and spoil the pedestal and a copper rider. It is possible that in a short time, a fence will be established around the copper rider
In 1909 and 1976, a restoration of the copper rider was restored. The last examination carried out using the gamma rays has shown that the sculpture frame is in good condition. Inside the monument was laid by a capsule with a note on the restoration and a newspaper of September 3, 1976

The copper rider in St. Petersburg is the main symbol of the Northern Capital and admire one of the most famous sights of the city and numerous tourists come to the Senate Square.

Plot

In August 1782, a bronze horse with the bronze emperor in the saddle was silent over the coast of the Neva. Mother Catherine, who wanted to unobtrusively designate his greatness, ordered the pedestal to indicate: "Peter the first - Catherine Two." Read: From the student - the teacher.

Catherine II timed the opening of the copper rider immediately to two anniversaries

Clothes on Peter is simple and easy. Instead of a rich saddle - the skin, which, according to the idea, symbolizes the wild nation, a civilized sovereign. For the pedestal - a huge cliff in the form of a wave, which, on the one hand, spoke of difficulties, on the other, - about marine victories. The snake under the legs of the raised horse depicted "hostile forces." The Figure of Peter must, in thought, to express the combination of thought and strength, the unity of movement and peace.

Catherine expected to see Peter with a rod or a scepter in his hand, squeezing on horseback, like the Roman emperor, and not to Legion. Falcone was completely different: "My king does not hold any rod, he extends his benefactor's despondency over the country. He rises to the top of the cliff who serves him a pedestal. "

The idea of \u200b\u200bthe monument to Peter was born in Catherine's head under the influence of her friend of the philosopher Denis Didro. He advised Etienne Falcone: "In it, the abyss of a subtle taste, mind and delicacy, and at the same time he is bothering, harsh, nor what does not believe in anything ... do not know that they do not know."

To create a gypsum model, the Falcone posed the Guards officer who put a horse on underns. So went on a few hours a day. The horses for the work were taken from the imperial stables: the diamond and caprication hitch.

Gypsum sketch of the head of the copper rider

The plaster model was led to the whole world: Konya and Rider - Etienne Falcone himself, head - his student Marie Anne Collo, snake - Russian Master Fedor Gordeev. When the model was completed and approved, the question arose about casting. Falcone had never been engaged in such a way, therefore insisted that specialists were called from France. Caused. The French founder of Benoit Ersman and three submasters arrived in St. Petersburg not the fact that with their instruments, but even with her sand and clay - it was not possible, suddenly in the Wild Russia there is no right raw material. But it did not help him fulfill the order.

The situation was heated, the deadlines were pressed, Falcone nervous, Catherine was dissatisfied. Found Russian brave. The casting of the monument lasted for almost 10 years. Falcone himself did not find the completion of the work - in 1778 he had to go home. The solemn opening of the sculptor was not invited.

Context

The pedestal represents no less on the work of the work, the truth already performed by nature. Nicknamed in a thunder, it was found close to the village of Horse Lakhta (now it is the district of St. Petersburg). The pitted, formed after the extraction of the breed from the Earth, became a pond that exists today.

Petrovsky pond, arising after the seizure of thunder

The desired sample - weighing 2 thousand tons, a length of 13 m, 8 m high and 6 m wide - found a treated peasant Semyon Vishnyakov, who supplied the building stone to St. Petersburg. By legend, the breed spilled from the granite rock after the lightning strike, hence the name "Thunder-Stone".

The most difficult was to deliver the stone to the Senate Square - the future pedestal was supposed to overcome almost 8 km. The operation was carried out all winter 1769/1770.

The stone was brought to the shore of the Finnish Gulf, there was a special marina for its loading. A special vessel, built on unique drawings, was imputed and planted for pre-robbed piles, after which the stone was moved from the shore to the ship. The same operation in the reverse order was repeated on the Senate Square. The transportation was observed by the entire Petersburg, from Mala to Great. While the thunder was lucky, he was trimmed, giving him a "wild" look.

Action machine for the transport of thunder-stone. Engraving according to the drawings of Yuri Felten. 1770

Shortly after installation, urban legends and horror stories began to come around around the monument.

Pedestal of copper rider - Thunder-stone

One of them, while the copper rider is in its place, there is nothing to fear the city. It came from some major sleep during the Patriotic War of 1812. The nightmarik's nightmare passed Alexander I, who just gave the order about the removal of the monument in the Vologda province - to save from the approaching French. But after such prophecies, of course, the order was canceled.

The ghost of the copper rider allegedly saw Pavel I during one of the evening walks. And it happened before the installation of the monument. The future emperor himself told that in the Senate Square, he saw a ghost with Peter's face, who announced that they would soon meet again in the same place. After some time, a monument was opened.

For Etienne Falcone, the monument to Peter I became the main business of life. Before him, he worked mainly on orders Madame de Pompadour, Favoritsa Louis XV. By the way, she also contributed to the appointment of the sculptor by the director of the Sevre Porcelain Manufactory. It was a decade of modeling statuettes with the image of the allegories and mythological characters.

Etienne Falcone

"Only nature, living, spiritualized, passionate must embody the sculptor in marble, in bronze or in stone," these words were the motto of Falcone. The French aristocrats loved him for the ability to combine baroque theatricality with antique rigor. And Didro wrote that he appreciates Falcone's work primarily in nature.

After a fairly intense period, under the supervision of Catherine II Falcone was no longer invited to Russia. The last 10 years of life, broken by paralysis, he could not work and create.

In St. Petersburg, you can drink, eat, sleep, but most importantly - peering, listen. Most of all, in the world, I love to wander around the streets of this lonely ghost city in the evening, when the sun has almost dropped into the water, and the wind noise intensified. In such an atmosphere, it is very important to have a number of good companion and a faithful friend, it is better that he was a man and, in case of which he defended from hooligans and other mythical beings.

Once, when I just moved to St. Petersburg, I met such a gentleman. Of course, he was coming to my fathers, but we still meet with him to spend the day and meet the night. This stone man is not an ordinary monument, it is impossible to pass by him just like that without looking into the eyes without standing at its foundation, it has the energy that everyone should feel. It hides the true essence of the city, it is unlikely that you can unravel his secret, but I managed to open one of his faces. For me, the copper rider has become a friend, and for you?

History of creating a copper rider

Petersburg is a city with a big history, so there are so many architectural masterpieces and monuments. The most majestic for me is the copper rider.

hung on Alexander Macedonian and on his horse Bucophal or on Perun Thunder. Sometimes it comes to extremes, and you can hear about the fact that we have one of the riders of the apocalypse.

Mystic and music

The ambiguity of the personality assessment of Peter I is a copper rider Pugala Alexander I, and he decided to prohibit the stamp of the poems. But not only mysticism of the Pushkin Hero called the Emperor fear. In 1812, Napoleon was waiting in Petersburg, so the whole valuable entourage of the city was taken out, the copper rider should also get up in the ranks of nomads, but the mystical story, which the emperor learned through a friend Galicin, stopped him.

Major Baturin has long dreamed of the same dream for a long time, in which Peter I ghost was to him. He descended from his pedestal and burst into the palace to Alexander. This nightmare Major shared with Galicin. By the way, I read that the story was based on Pushkin's poem. Also, the monument pursued Paul and ordinary citizens, but all this fiction. Until now, the monument is in its place and protects the city. Perhaps someday he really will come to life, like, for example, to occur in the literature and in music.