Architect of the rostral columns on the arrow. Vasilyevsky Island - arrow, rostral columns, stock exchange. See what "Rostral columns" are in other dictionaries

Not a single tour of the main sights of St. Petersburg bypasses the Rostral Columns - a kind of symbol of Russia's naval victories. A huge number of people who want to look at these wonderful sculptures come here during the days of Scarlet Sails and White Nights.

History and features of the columns

To complete the ensemble, when designing the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, architect Tom de Thomon designed and built two rostral columns in 1810. In the 19th century, they served as lanterns to illuminate the port of St. Petersburg.

At the foot of both columns are decorated with 4 huge figures - 2 men and 2 women. Do you think that they symbolize the rivers Volkhov, Neva, Dnieper and Volga. The outer part of the monuments is decorated with prows - rostra of ships. Inside each column is a staircase leading to observation deck at the very top of the statues. Until 1896, a special bowl with hemp oil was located here, which, when set on fire, gave a pillar of fire, thanks to which ships found their way to the port at night.

After supplying electricity to the facilities, the bowls of oil were replaced with electric light bulbs, but due to considerations of economy, they did not serve for a long time either. In 1957, gas was brought to the columns and up to today in the celebration of solemn events, the pillars of fire of the Rostral columns illuminate the central part of the city.

Interesting Facts About Rostral Columns

Throughout its history, the columns have been destroyed, restored, and sometimes even forgotten. Here are the facts about these huge maritime symbols of the city:

• Brickwork and all work related to stone were carried out not by world-famous sculptors, but by a simple native of the people - master S.K. Sukhanov.

• Most people who know about the existence of the columns believe that at first they served as lighthouses. This myth is dispelled by many historians, because lighthouses are not installed on the banks of rivers.

• In 1999, the last restoration of the Rostral Columns was completed. Craftsmen from the Hermitage were engaged in their restoration.

• During the days of White Nights and Scarlet Sails, hundreds of citizens and visiting tourists gather on Palace Square near the columns and release thousands of colorful balloons into the sky.

During walking tours of the city, tourists cannot ignore the bright architectural creations. Everyone wants to be photographed at the feet of the sculptures.

The tradition of erecting rostral columns after victorious battles dates back to ancient Roman times. At all times they were a symbol of maritime glory.

For many years, the St. Petersburg Rostras have also been a symbol of the city.

The first such structure was installed in the forum in ancient Rome, in honor of the victory over the fleet of Carthage in the battle of Mila (First Punic War, 260 BC).

The name Rostral comes from the Latin rostra, which was plural from rostrum, the prow of a ship.

Rostral columns are located at the most view point of St. Petersburg - on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

Against - Peter-Pavel's Fortress, to the right, across the Neva and the Palace Bridge - the Hermitage.

Behind - the buildings of the Stock Exchange and the Kunstkamera.

They were installed simultaneously with the construction of the Exchange building in 1805-1810.

The columns are decorated with rostra made of copper, that is, the prows of captured ships, anchors and naiads.

At the foot are two statues carved from Pudost stone. The figures symbolize rivers.

The southern rostral column is decorated with a female statue depicting the Neva, and a male statue depicting the Volkhov. The symbol of the river, a jug with water pouring from it, is held by a male statue.

At the foot of the northern rostral column there are also two statues: the Volga and the Dnieper, and again a man holds a symbolic jug.

All statues, with the exception of the Dnieper, made by the Antwerp master Kamberlen, the other three were created by the Frenchman Thibault.

According to the project, the figures were supposed to be cast iron, but at the beginning of the 19th century, casting technologies were still weak and there was no master who would take on such a difficult job.

The original purpose of the Rostral Columns is beacons.

In the dark, they helped to find the way for the ships entering the Petersburg sea ​​port.

On top of each were bowls on metal tripods. Climbing the spiral staircases inside the column, the caretaker poured oil or resin into them, and, at dusk, set them on fire.

Gas was brought in only in 1957. Now a fire is sometimes lit here, but this happens only on major holidays.

The rostral columns have been restored three times during their existence. The first time this happened in 1926-1928. Then, immediately after the war, in 1947-1949, when most of the city was destroyed or damaged by bombing.

Last time they were restored quite recently - in 1998-1999.

All sightseeing tours around St. Petersburg one way or another pass through this place, so that it is impossible for a tourist not to see the Rostral columns.

It is customary to take photographs at the feet of the sculptures, and you can sit nearby in an open-air summer cafe. Well, if you are unlucky and you arrived in St. Petersburg in bad weather, you can run to them even in the rain. as a last resort - to see from the window of the tourist bus.

This place is especially attractive during the days of white nights and Scarlet sails. Hundreds of graduates come to Vasilyevsky Island by bus to release thousands and thousands of colorful balloons into the sky on Strelka.

O. MOZGOVAYA, art critic (St. Petersburg)

St. Petersburg is getting ready for its 300th anniversary. And as is customary, the city preens for the holiday. For several years now, restoration work has been underway on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. In the 18th century it was one of the most significant places In Petersburg. It was convenient to moor ships here, so in 1733 the port moved here from Berezovy Island. The building of the Stock Exchange, Customs, warehouses and other port facilities were erected on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. At the end of the 18th century, more than a thousand ships came to Strelka every year.

Currently, the port is located on Gutuevsky Island, but the features of maritime grandeur are still preserved on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. And among them - Rostral columns.

IN Ancient Rome there was a custom: in honor of naval victories, triumphal columns were erected, decorated with rostra (prows) of enemy ships. In St. Petersburg, the Rostral Columns were built in 1810 according to the design of the French architect Jean-Francois Thomas de Thomon. There was a time when the columns served as beacons for ships coming to the port. The height of each column is 32 meters. To the upper platforms, where the tripods for signal lights are located, there are spiral staircases located inside. Hemp oil was burned in braziers upstairs, and hot spray fell on the heads of passers-by.

In 1896 electricity was brought to the lamps. But this method of illumination was not used for long "because of the great expense."

And only on the 250th anniversary of the city, in 1957 (the anniversary was celebrated with a delay), gas was supplied to the columns, and 7-meter fire torches blazed in powerful burners. The lights on the Rostral Columns are lit only on especially solemn occasions. They also lit up on November 30 last year, when the Rostral columns were inaugurated after restoration.

SCULPTURE NEEDS PROTECTION

Rostral columns are one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. Triumphal columns are traditionally associated with power and strength. The monumental figures placed at the foot of the columns became the personification of these qualities.

The sculpture decorating the Rostral columns was created in 1810-1811, simultaneously with the entire ensemble, in which the synthesis of arts, so characteristic of the era of classicism, was fully manifested. Architecture and sculpture are an inseparable unity here, complementing each other.

Initially, the author of the project, Thomas de Thomon, intended to cast all the sculptural decor in bronze, but due to the complexity of the work, the statues had to be made from Pudost limestone. This material was mined in quarries near St. Petersburg, not far from Gatchina, in the town of Bolshaya Pudost, from which it got its name. Easily workable immediately after extraction from the quarry - it can be cut with a knife, limestone quickly hardens in the open air. The structure of the stone does not allow detailed study of small volumes and polishing of the surface, so the master working with Pudost limestone is deprived of the opportunity to demonstrate to the viewer the effect of transferring the texture of various materials, fine ornamentation. At the same time, the Pudost stone has its own specific advantages: strength, a beautiful yellowish-grayish warm shade, which stands out especially effectively against the background of granite blocks and the reddish-ocher color of the columns.

IN last years it was established that the French sculptors J. Kamberlen and F. Thibaut worked on the creation of sculptures. The first was the male figure on the northern column, and the rest of the sculptures belong to the hand of Thibaut. A more careful study of the sculpture reveals differences in the style of performance: the work of J. Camberlain differs from the rest in greater dynamism and complexity of the silhouette.

What do the sculptures represent? The opinion that allegorical images representing four Russian rivers are presented at the foot of the columns (the Volkhov and the Neva near the south, the Dnepr and Volga near the north) is not supported by documents and arose relatively recently. Thomas de Thomon himself wrote that "the base of each column is decorated with huge figures that symbolize the deities of the sea and commerce." The attributes of the sculptures are rather sparse, and none of them can confirm or completely refute the version that we have before us allegories of specific four rivers.

Pudost limestone in more than other rocks, subject to the damaging effects of temperature changes, precipitation, industrial emissions, cold and damp climate. Therefore, a sculpture made of Pudost stone often has to be restored.

Before the restoration of the sculpture of the Rostral Columns, which was carried out in 1928, the largest specialist in the field of monumental and decorative sculpture I. V. Krestovsky wrote: "The sculptures by the time of their restoration, carried out after the October Revolution, turned out to be painted with oil paint, and not once, but several , and every time a new color<...>All sculptures made of Pudozh limestone were ugly plastered with plaster, cement or plaster, not only in places of breakage, but also in completely intact places. During the restoration of the stone figures of the Rostral Columns, two or three extraneous cement, gypsum and plaster coatings were removed from each of the figures.

However, this critical review did not affect the progress of the repair work, and Krestovsky repeatedly drew attention to the fact that the restoration was again being carried out incorrectly.

During subsequent repairs, which were usually carried out in a hurry on the eve of the celebration of anniversaries, iron pins and nails were driven into the stone in places of loss, which served as reinforcement for cement finishing. The destroyed parts of the figures were replaced with new ones, made of cement or cut out of another type of stone, and everything was covered with paint.

The state in which the sculpture of the columns was for decades is evidenced by the acts preserved in the archive State Museum urban sculpture. They were compiled based on the results of inspections carried out before the next stages of restoration. However, unfortunately, in the course of the work carried out from 1928 to 1979, there were no fundamental changes in technology.

No measures were taken to strengthen the Pudost limestone, there was no hydrophobization, that is, protection of the stone surface from moisture. The monument continued to deteriorate to the point that the lack of structures for attaching protruding parts led to the fall of these parts. In some places, ferrous metal reinforcement with traces of deep corrosion was exposed.

AND AGAIN - RESTORATION

In 1996, the question arose of another restoration, as the sculpture was in disrepair.

In Russian art, the closest analogues to the stone images of the Rostral Columns are the figures of Alexander the Great, Achilles, Ajax and Pyrrhus, located at the base of the Admiralty Tower, by the sculptor F. Shchedrin. They are also made of Pudost stone. During the restoration of these sculptures in 1997-1998, the Hermitage employees tried and applied for the first time the methodology developed by the Spetsproektrestavratsiya research institute. This technique was also used in the restoration of the sculpture of the Rostral Columns, but here the specialists faced a much more difficult task.

First of all, the sculpture was washed, the persistent sooty pollution formed as a result of the influence of the city's atmosphere was removed, and then the biodamage that covered the surface in many places was neutralized with a special composition.

One of essential measures undertaken by the restorers was the removal of late completions. Distinguished in their physical properties from the Pudost stone, foreign materials contributed to the destruction of the sculpture. In addition, the Kolomna limestone (dolomite), which was used in numerous restorations, has a different color and surface texture than the Pudost stone. Therefore, parts of the sculptures made of dolomite were clearly out of place.

The cleaned stone was strengthened, and exact repetitions of the lost parts were installed in the damaged places. They were carried out according to the surviving drawings and photographs, fixing their original appearance. First, the missing details were made in plasticine, then in plaster, and when the Restoration Council approved the shape of the model, they were made in Pudost limestone.

The fastening of the missing parts, the elimination of small chips and cracks were carried out with a special composition of lime and marble chips. This mixture, in terms of its porosity and strength, is most consistent with natural Pudost stone. Used as far back as the 4th century by the architects of the Northern Black Sea region for processing architectural limestone details, the composition of lime and marble chips is still distinguished by its strength and good compatibility with the limestone surface.

To fix the lost elements, hollow corundum ceramic rods were used. The core manufacturing technology was developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Refractories. Employees of the Research Institute "Spetsproektrestavratsiya" suggested using corundum ceramics, commonly used in medicine, and in restoration practice. This ceramic is inert to weathering and has an expansion coefficient close to stone, has high strength and low thermal conductivity. All this excludes the processes of destruction in the thickness of the stone. Accessible areas of metal parts that cannot be removed and replaced were cleaned and painted with an anti-corrosion compound.

The last stage of sculpture restoration is tinting and hydrophobization. Toning of the limestone sculpture is carried out aqueous solution slaked lime. Application after this of the composition that protects the stone from moisture, allows the tinting to be firmly fixed on the stone. This method was developed specifically to protect the Pudost stone and has no analogues in world restoration practice.

To save the sculpture of the Rostral Columns, researchers, professional restorers, employees of the monument protection authorities and patrons have joined their efforts. The restoration work was financed by Baltonexim Bank. There was hope that patronage in Russia was being revived.

"Petersburg - the city of stone" - so named special program to save monumental sculpture. Next in line is the restoration of compositions on the pediment of the Stock Exchange building. The exchange celebrates its anniversary at the same time as St. Petersburg: in 1703, Peter I signed a decree on the creation of the Russian exchange.

Rostral columns of St. Petersburg have long been not only a symbol of the city on the Neva, but also a symbol of victories and glorious traditions of the Russian fleet. For the first time, monuments of this kind appeared in ancient Rome, the Romans were proud of their victories at sea and tried to perpetuate them in the form of monuments. These monuments got their name from the rosters, that is, the decorations with which the bowsprits of ships were covered. It was they who necessarily participated in the overall composition of the monument.

Monuments of naval prowess in the city on the Neva

Rostral columns as an element of decoration are present not only in the Northern capital, but also in other large port cities. However, it was in St. Petersburg that they reached the highest architectural level. This is due to the fact that this particular city was created by Peter the Great as the sea capital of Russia, so everything in it had to form an appropriate atmosphere filled with outward grandeur and a victorious spirit.

External characteristics of the creation of J. de Thomon

Rostral columns appeared in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to the efforts of the famous architect J. de Thomon.

Interestingly, initially they were considered not so much as decorations, but from quite utilitarian positions: for quite a long time these monuments were used as active lighthouses. All columns were 32 meters high and were decorated with eight rostra and several anchors. True, it is worth noting that both anchors and rostra are decorative.

Current state and functional load

And today the rostral columns of St. Petersburg are illuminated from time to time by bright torches.

This is done in days major holidays- City Day, Victory Day, on the day last call when a bright show called " Scarlet Sails". Only now, instead of wood or coal, they use natural gas, which was carried out already during the years of Soviet power.

The main characteristics of the monuments

Rostral columns are distinguished by thoughtfulness and clear adherence to a certain plot. So their feet are given over to the power of four monumental sculptures - two male and two female.
According to the author's idea, they should symbolize four mighty rivers - the Volga, Neva, Volkhov and Dnieper. These sculptures themselves were made by order of de Thomon by famous European masters - the Dutchman Kamberlen and the Frenchman Thibault. Due to the difficulties of installation, the original plan to cast them in bronze had to be abandoned, so the sculptures were made from the so-called Pudost stone. This material is quite easy to handle, but also resist moist air the Baltic coast for a long time not able to. That is why these monuments have to be regularly updated: the last major restoration was carried out in 1996.

One of the symbols of the Northern capital

Rostral columns today are perceived as an indispensable attribute of the arrow of Vasilyevsky Island. It's hard to imagine without them appearance historical center of the city.

He made a breakthrough in the architecture of Europe. He turned the water area into a square, thus closing the main St. Petersburg triangle, the top of which was the Peter and Paul Fortress, Winter Palace, rostral columns and stock exchange.

Start of development

Peter the Great, being wary of an attack from the sea, at the beginning of the 18th century ordered the establishment of a seaport for merchant ships on Vasilevsky Island, and not on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. The royal decree was executed in 1710. However, by the end of the century it became obvious that the port needed to be expanded.

The rounded outlines of the cape of Vasilevsky Island, the largest in the Neva delta, are called "arrows". At the beginning of the 19th century, there was nothing here but a flood wasteland. In the place where the Exchange building is located today, there was a swamp, and in the place of the current rostral columns, the waters of the Neva splashed at all.

Thinking about trade

When the architect de Thomon started building the island, he raised the bank and pushed it forward by more than 100 meters. Thus, the entire architectural composition was completed. However, the French architect pursued not only an aesthetic goal.

His main concern was the construction of a convenient port on Vasilyevsky Island. For this reason, this entire territory was built up with purely functional buildings: warehouses where goods were stored, customs, Gostiny Dvor, and the Stock Exchange.

In the first third of the 19th century, the arrival of foreign ships in the port was a real event. On the embankment, where the rostral columns towered, a huge number of metropolitan residents gathered, considering overseas goods. Vasilyevsky Island was the place where all trading operations were carried out, until in 1885 the port moved to Gutuevsky Island.

History of creation

During the work, the arrow was raised by adding soil to avoid flooding by the Neva waters. In addition, the river was “pushed back” by about 100 meters.

According to the project of de Thomon, lighthouse columns were included. The French architect carefully and for a long time worked on the perfection of their proportions. Rostral columns in St. Petersburg on Vasilevsky Island were installed in 1810. One of them showed the way to the Bolshaya Neva, while the other served as a beacon for ships sailing along the Malaya Neva.

Everything related to rostral columns, construction and design work controlled by the Council of the Academy of Arts, which was headed by famous architect Zakharov. Everything was discussed: both the practical purpose and the artistic appearance, which testified to the importance of these structures.

According to the original design of de Thomon, the lighthouse columns were small and located closer to the Stock Exchange building. This shortcoming was rightly pointed out to him by the architect Zakharov. Later, changes were made to the project, the lighthouses gained their current height and were installed further from the Stock Exchange.

Powerful columns with an expressive silhouette and clear proportions stood out well against the background of the northern sky and were visible from a distant perspective. Lighthouses were lit in foggy weather and at night, for this purpose they were used until 1885.

Why are the columns rostral?

Even in ancient times, elements of enemy ships were used as parts of parade structures. Rostrum was the name given to the forward part of the prow of a ship. From Latin it is translated as "beak". It was used as a battering ram during an attack on an enemy ship.

Initially, rostra was used to decorate the speaker's tribune, which was set up in the ancient Roman forum. Then they began to decorate the triumphal columns with which it was customary to celebrate naval victories. They were decorated with the noses of captured enemy ships.

Similarly, the rostral columns in St. Petersburg served as an allegory for the triumph of Russian maritime navigation, they symbolized the power of the country as a commercial and military power.

general description

When creating lighthouses, de Thomon used pillars of the Doric order, the appearance of which is determined by restraint, rigor and lack of a base. Rostral columns in St. Petersburg are made of stone and reach a height of 32 meters. Inside them there is a spiral staircase, on the upper platform there is a metal tripod holding the bowl of the lamp, as was done in ancient altars.

Burning wicks of lamps served as beacons. Initially, these were tar torches, then they tried to burn hemp oil in the braziers, but hot splashes rained down on the heads of passers-by. connected to lamps in 1896, but this lighting method was also rejected due to high consumption. Finally, in 1957, powerful gas burners were installed in the lamp bowls.

Since then in holidays bright orange 7-meter torches are lit on rostral columns in St. Petersburg. On ordinary days, these are just symbols of the Northern capital known to the whole world.

decorative design

At the foot of the columns are monumental sculptures. Seated two female and two male figures symbolize 4 rivers: Volkhov, Dnieper, Volga and Neva. The statues were modeled by Jacques Thibault and Joseph Cumberlain, French sculptors well known to the architect de Thomon. He originally wanted the statues to be cast in bronze. However, no one wanted to take on such a complex project.

As a result, they were made of Pudost stone - soft and pliable during processing, but with one drawback: it is very easily destroyed. Ultimately, this became the dignity of the sculptures. Although some of their parts crumble from time to time, but this is precisely what gives them a certain antiquity.

Samson Sukhanov, the legendary stonemason, took part in the creation of the triumphant lighthouse columns. He carved out of stone the figures sitting at the base of the columns. At that time, Sukhanov collaborated with the very capitals, but then went bankrupt and died in complete obscurity.

The columns are also decorated with rosters in memory of how Peter the Great came out to Baltic Sea waged war with Sweden for 20 years. At the bottom is the first pair, fortified in such a way that one ship's prow is facing the Birzha, and the other is facing the Neva. These rostra are decorated with figures of winged mermaids. The second pair is located perpendicular to the first one, it is decorated seahorses, crocodile head and fishes. The third pair is decorated with a merman's head, and the fourth, the top one, is decorated with images seahorses.

Summarizing

Several interesting facts are connected with the lighthouse columns:

• Branson Deco, who visited Leningrad in 1931, captured them on color slides.

• The image of rostral columns in St. Petersburg can be seen today on a 50-ruble bill.
• The last reconstruction of the lighthouses was carried out in 1999.
• In the 1990s, an episode of the film "White Nights of St. Petersburg" was filmed here.

The panorama of Vasilyevsky Island with its invariable brick-colored lighthouses is often found on postcards of the Northern Capital. This is quite natural, since the history of the rostral columns is inseparable from the history of St. Petersburg.