Rostral columns are a symbol of Russia's maritime power. Rostral columns Where are the rostral columns located?

Rostral columns are an integral part of the ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. They were built according to the design of the architect Thomas de Thomon at the same time as the Exchange building in 1805-1810.

On the trunks of the columns there are metal images of rostras - the bows of ships. Hence their name, since the sailors called the bow of the ship with the Latin word “rostrum”, which translates as “beak”. This metal-clad “beak” was used to ram the enemy during naval battles. Subsequently, even in ancient Rome, triumphal columns were decorated with rostras in honor of naval victories.

When working on the architectural ensemble of the arrow, Thomas de Thomon created several different versions of its image. The scale and decorative design of the Rostral columns changed from project to project. The Russian architect A.D. Zakharov helped the Frenchman in finding the best solution. He advised: " Rostral columns or beacons cannot be built to a confirmed scale, because the stairs in them will be so cramped that even a person will not be able to climb them, and their walls will be thin and fragile; if you want to build them, then you definitely need to do it on a larger scale". [Quoted from: 3, pp. 22, 23]

To create the sculptural decoration of the Rostral Columns, the “Commission for the construction of the stock exchange building and lining the Neva bank with stone” turned to the Academy of Arts. Her council decided to entrust this order to the sculptors V. I. Demut-Malinovsky, S. S. Pimenov, A. S. Anisimov, I. A. Kashchenkov, I. I. Vorotilov, I. I. Terebenev, P. P. Sokolov , M. P. Alexandrov and I. M. Moiseev. However, the Commission considered the price they asked to be too high. The order was put up for auction. There were people willing to do the work for less money. According to the financial reports of the Commission, the authors of the allegorical figures at the Rostral columns were I. Camberlain and J. Thibault. The production of anchors and rostras was carried out by the blacksmiths Shapov, Vasilyev and Korolkov.

The brickwork of the Rostral columns and stone cutting work were carried out by the team of master S.K. Sukhanov.

The four figures at the foot of the Rostral columns are carved from Pudost stone. Initially, Thomas de Thomon intended to place cast iron sculptures here, but there were no performers for such a complex work. In 1809, it was decided to create sculptures from stone, which was done in 1809-1813. The figures are considered to be allegories of Russian rivers: the Volga and Dnieper near the northern Rostral Column, the Volkhov and Neva near the southern. However, two of the statues lack the attributes of rivers (vessels with flowing water), which allows one to argue about the actual interpretation of the sculptures. The figure of the Dnieper was made by a master from Antwerp, Camberlain. The other three are by the Frenchman F. Thibault.

It is believed that initially the Rostral Columns, 32 meters high, served as beacons for ships heading to the once nearby trading port. Resin was poured into a bowl on top and set on fire. Some historians question this. After all, lighthouses are usually placed on the seashore or ocean. Near the river - very rarely. And even more so, the need for lighthouses in the center of a large city is not obvious. Perhaps the Rostral Columns, as now, were always just triumphal columns, and their torch burned only on holidays.

The decorations of the Rostral columns were significantly damaged during the Great Patriotic War. They were pierced by bomb and shell fragments and completely rusted. In 1947-1948 they were replaced by duplicates made of patinated copper sheets. Then the quadrangular platforms on which the bowl-lamps rest were replaced. The restoration of the sculptural groups at the Rostral columns was supervised by the sculptor I. V. Krestovsky.

In 1957, gas was supplied to the burners of the Rostral Columns.

In 1926-1928 and 1947-1949, restoration of the Rostral columns was carried out. Lost metal parts were replaced with their copies. The last restoration work took place in 1998-1999.

Address: St. Petersburg, Spit of Vasilyevsky Island

How to get there from the metro: from the Nevsky Prospekt metro station by bus No. 7 or trolleybus No. 10, 11 towards the Neva, get off at the first stop after the Palace Bridge, 15 minutes
From the Admiralteyskaya metro station - to Nevsky Prospekt, then left across the Palace Bridge. 10 minutes walk

Today this fact is perceived with some difficulty, but it is worth recalling that the majestic ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is, first of all, a port. Yes, there are no cranes, docks and other port attributes we are used to, but it was here, under the windows of the Winter Palace, that trade and passenger ships arrived for more than 150 years. And all the grandiose buildings that together make up the Strelka ensemble have a purely utilitarian purpose: the Exchange, warehouses (the Zoological Museum and the Museum of Soil Science are now located there), customs (Pushkin House). Even the famous granite ramp leading down to the water was built for quick and easy unloading of goods. And of course, it is difficult to imagine a port without lighthouses, which the architect Thomas de Thomon stylized as Rostral columns.

For the first time, such columns appeared in Ancient Rome. They served as a symbol of naval triumph and were decorated with rostras (nose decorations) of enemy ships. The appearance of Rostral columns in St. Petersburg emphasized the greatness of the Russian fleet of that time and the naval glory of the country (later, rostral columns were installed in other cities of Russia from Tomsk to Vladivostok). This was especially true after the extremely unsuccessful Anglo-Russian War of 1808 for the Russian naval forces.

The builder of the column was the French architect Thomas de Thomon, but in addition to him, what we would say today was a large team of craftsmen.

Initially, Thomas de Thomon sketched several options for columns. They differed in scale and decorative design. The famous Russian sculptor Andrei Zakharov spoke very critically about one of these options: “Rostral columns or beacons cannot be built on a confirmed scale, because the stairs in them will be so cramped that a person will not be able to climb them, and the walls they will be thin and fragile; If you want to build them, then you definitely need to do it on a larger scale...”

In its final form, the trunk of each tower was decorated with applied anchors and four pairs of metal rostra. The height of the columns reached 32 meters. Spiral staircases located inside led to the upper platforms, where the tripods for signal lights were located.

At the foot of the columns there are seated monumental statues: two male and female figures, personifying the four Russian rivers - the Dnieper, Volga, Neva, and Volkhov (at the southern column - “Volkhov” and “Neva”, at the northern - “Dnepr” and “Volga” "). The figure of the Dnieper was made by the Antwerp architect I. Camberlain. The other three are by the Frenchman F. Thibault. By the way, the generally accepted “river” interpretation of these images appeared 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."

Initially, Thomas de Thomon intended to cast all the sculptures in bronze or cast iron, but due to the complexity of the work, this idea had to be abandoned. Calcareous tuff from near the village of Pudost (near Gatchina), also known as Pudost stone, was chosen. When fresh, just mined, the stone has a beautiful bright yellow color. Thanks to its porous structure, it was easy to process, which earned it a special favor among sculptors. However, the Pudost stone, alas, is unable to withstand the St. Petersburg climate and polluted air. Today the sculptures on the Rostral columns have already lost their original color.

The columns themselves were made of brick by the artel of S.K. Sukhanov. The anchors and rostra were made by blacksmiths Vasilyev, Shapov and Korolkov.

There is still debate among historians and local historians whether the Rostral columns were used as lighthouses, or from the very beginning they had only a decorative purpose. But the fire on top of the columns could always be lit. Originally hemp oil was burned in braziers, but in 1896 the columns were electrified. After the Revolution, the lighthouses on the columns did not function for a long time, until in 1957, on the 250th anniversary of the city, gas was supplied to the columns. Since then, on holidays and special days, seven-meter flames flare up on the tops of the Rostral columns.

Jean-François Thomas de Thomon

There are discrepancies about the place and date of birth of this French architect. Some claim that he was born in 1759 in Nancy, while other sources say that Jean Francois de Thomon was born in 1760 in Bern.

Thomas de Thomon graduated from the Paris Academy of Architecture, and as the best student received the right to an internship in Italy. Then, the young architect was accepted to the court of Count d'Artois as a draftsman and architect, but the outbreak of the Great French Revolution radically changed his fate.

Fleeing from the horrors of liberalism, Tomon decided to flee to a normal feudal country, and after several years of wandering around Poland and Hungary he came to Russia.
Initially, the Frenchman worked for Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsin.

The main creation of Thomas de Thomon in Russia, of course, is the ensemble of the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, but the French architect also built other objects. He rebuilt the interiors of the Winter Palace, built a new imperial residence on Kamenny Island, and worked in Pavlovsk, Odessa and Tsarskoe Selo.

The master's life ended tragically. On January 1, 1811, Thomas de Thomon was inspecting the building of the Bolshoi Theater, which was damaged after a fire, fell from the scaffolding and was seriously injured. He was no longer able to recover from his injuries, and on August 23, 1813, Thomas de Thomon died. Initially, the architect was buried at the Smolensk cemetery, but in 1940, his ashes were transferred to the Necropolis of Masters of Arts in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

In 1928, the first major restoration of the Rostral columns was carried out. Sculptor I.V. Krestovsky wrote: “By the time of their restorations, carried out after the October Revolution, the sculptures turned out to be painted with oil paint, and not just once, but several times, and each time with a new color<...>All the Pudozh limestone sculptures were ugly smeared with plaster, cement or plaster, not only in places where they were broken, but also in completely intact places. During the restoration of the stone figures of the Rostral columns, two or three carloads of extraneous cement, plaster and plaster coatings were removed from each of the figures.”

During World War II, the Rostral Columns were heavily damaged by bombs and shrapnel. This entailed new restoration work in 1948-1949. The last time the creation of Thomas de Thomon was restored was in 1998-1999.

Of course, there were funny moments in the history of the Rostral Columns. In the 1990s, one of the episodes of the legendary film “White Nights of St. Petersburg” was filmed on them. And in 2011, the Rostral Columns became the object of an invasion by fans of extreme entertainment. On June 7, 2011, roofing enthusiasts climbed the southern Rostral Column. And two months later, on August 23, an unknown person penetrated inside one of the rostral columns where he lit a gas torch. All these incidents did not result in casualties or destruction.

Not a single excursion to the main attractions of St. Petersburg avoids the Rostral Columns - a unique 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 the Scarlet Sails and White Nights.

History and features of the columns

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

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

After electricity was supplied to the buildings, the bowls of oil were replaced with light bulbs, but due to reasons of economy, they did not last long. In 1957, gas was supplied to the columns and to this day, when celebrating special events, the fiery pillars of the Rostral Columns illuminate the central part of the city.

Interesting facts about the rostral columns

Throughout their history, the columns have been destroyed, restored, and at times even forgotten. Here are the facts known about these huge sea symbols of the city:

• Brickwork and all work related to stone were carried out not by world-famous sculptors, but by a simple person from 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 river banks.

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

• On 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 multi-colored balls into the sky.

During walking tours of the city, tourists cannot ignore the striking architectural creations. Everyone wants to take a photo at the feet of the sculptures.

The 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. Monuments of this type first 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 rostra, that is, the decorations that covered the bowsprits of ships. It was they who necessarily participated in the overall composition of the monument.

Monuments of naval valor 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 external greatness 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.

What’s interesting is that initially they were viewed not so much as decoration, but from a completely utilitarian standpoint: for quite a long time, these monuments were used as working lighthouses. All columns were 32 meters high and were decorated with eight rostras and several anchors. However, it is worth noting that both anchors and rostra are decorative in nature.

Current status and functional load

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

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

Main characteristics of the monuments

The rostral columns are distinguished by their thoughtfulness and strict adherence to a specific plot. So their feet are given over to 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 Camberlain and the Frenchman Thibault. Due to installation difficulties, 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 process, but it is not able to withstand the humid air of the Baltic coast for a long time. 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 Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Without them it is already difficult to imagine the appearance of the historical city center.