Solemn Celebration Ceremony of 175th Anniversary of the Alexander Column

10 September 2009, a solemn celebration ceremony of 175th anniversary of the Alexander Column took place at Palace Square. The monument was created upon the project of Auguste Montferrand and constructed in 1834 upon the order of Emperor Nicholas I in honour of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon.

The monument completed the ensemble of the Arch of the General Staff building dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 and became the central element of the composition of Palace Square.

Montferrand faced a difficult task - to create a column that would surpass in its grandeur theìVendome Column erected in honour of Napoleon’s victories. Famous Trajan’s Column in Rome was taken as a model. The architect succeeded with the concept - thevAlexander Column is indeed unique. Its height is 47.5 metres (the height of the Vendome Column is 44 metres). It is made out of whole granite monolith (the Vendome Column and the Trajan’s Column are made of stone blocks and are hollow inside) and stands due to its weight and brilliant planning. The stem of the column is cone-shaped and is mounted upon massive pedestal decorated with bronze bras-reliefs that praise victory of the Russian weapon and symbolize courage of the Russian Army in allegorical form.

Bronze capital crowns the column top. Its upper part is a rectangular abacus made of brickwork with bronze lining. A bronze pedestal, inside of which there is an enclosed main supporting block consisting of multilayer brickwork - granite, brick and two more granite layers in the foundation, is mounted upon it. The monument is crowned with the figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. The angel holds four-point Latin cross in its left hand and raises its right hand high up to the sky. The head of the angel is inclined and its eyes are turned to the ground. The sculpture stands due to its own bronze mass.

The Alexander Column itself is taller than the Vendome Column and the figure of the angel surpasses the figure of Napoleon crowning the French monument in its height. The angel tramples the snake with the cross thus symbolizing peace and quiet that Russia brought to Europe by winning a victory over the Napoleon army. Light figure of the angel, falling clothes folds, well-defined vertical line of the cross continue vertical line of the monument and emphasize gracefulness of the column. The monument is surrounded by decorated bronze fence made upon the project of Auguste Montferrand.

The Alexander column indeed became an expression of spiritual power and military glory of the Imperial Russia. 175 years ago the unveiling of the monument celebrated by ceremonial public prayer and military parade took place.

During the anniversary celebration ceremony organized by the State Hermitage and the command of the Leningrad Military District formation and ceremonial passing of columns of representatives of military educational institutions as well as carrying out of historical banners of participating regiments of the Patriotic war of 1812 took place.

At present the transfer process of the Alexander Column from the Museum of City Sculpture to the State Hermitage is in progress. Works on manufacturing of additional metal fence around the monument to provide its safety are being conducted.

Solemn ceremony at the Palace Square		At the celebration of 175th anniversary of the Alexander Column
Ceremonial passing of students of military educational institutions of St Petersburg garrison		Military parade at Palace Square

Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum

Commander of the Leningrad Military District Lieutenant-General Nikolay Bogdanovsky

Alexander Vakhmistrov, Vice-Governor of St Petersburg

General Alexander Galkin is in charge of the parade

Carrying out of symbols of Life Guards regiments, that participated in the Patriotic war of 1812 and in foreign campaigns of the Russian army in 1813-1814, from the collection of the State Hermitage

Company of guard of honour of the Leningrad Military District

Combined military orchestra of the Headquarters of the Leningrad Military District and Naval Academy