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Rostral columns are architectural structures in the center of St. Petersburg, on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. In the 19th century, they served as lanterns for the port of the capital.
Where do four great Russian rivers meet? Probably every Russian
schoolchild knows the answer to this question - on the Spit of
Vasilyevsky Island. It is here that the Rostral Columns are located,
at the base of which there are four sculptures representing the
Volga, Volkhov, Neva and Dnieper rivers.
When the port of St.
Petersburg was transferred to Vasilievsky Island in the 1730s, a
square began to form in its eastern part. Simultaneously with the
construction of the new Exchange building, the architect
Jean-Francois Thomas de Thomon is designing two columns that
effectively fit into the overall architectural ensemble of the
Strelka. Rostral columns were installed in 1810, and at first they
served as lanterns. They are lit at night or in heavy fog to ease
the way for ships. The southern column shows the direction to the
Bolshaya Neva, and the northern one - to the Malaya. Inside the
column, in free space, there is a steep spiral staircase. It leads
to a platform on which a huge bowl is installed. The whole structure
is supported by a metal tripod. In the old days, hemp oil was poured
into bowls and set on fire: during combustion, a huge column of
flame formed, while burning spray flew on the heads of passers-by.
In 1896, for security reasons and for ease of maintenance,
electricity is supplied to the columns, but such lighting turns out
to be very expensive. After the events of the October Revolution,
the lanterns were inactive for a long time. And only in 1957, for
the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city, the
lighthouses were gasified. And on June 23, 1957, for the first time,
pillars of fire seven meters high broke out over the Rostral
Columns. Nowadays, you can admire the burning lighthouses on
holidays.
According to the plan of Thomas de Thomon, rosters
were placed on the columns, made of metal, hollow inside and
decorated with figures of various river gods. In ancient Rome,
solemn columns were decorated with the prows of defeated enemy
ships. It is these parts of the courts that are called “rostr”.
Decorating the columns with rostra, the architect sought to
emphasize the power and greatness of the Russian Navy. History has
preserved for us the names of the blacksmiths who made the rosters
and anchors: Vasiliev, Shapov, Korolkov. Working on the project for
a long time, the architect eventually chose the ideal proportions -
the height of the Rostral columns is thirty-two meters.
The
well-known nugget stonemason Samson Sukhanov, who also worked on the
colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral, the Alexander Column, worked on
the creation of the Rostral Columns. It was he who, without using
any measuring instruments, carved huge balls of granite, installed
on the descent of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. The columns
themselves were made of red brick by an artel under his control.
Buildings rise on foundations made of granite, which at the same
time are pedestals for four sculptures. The models of the figures
were made by the architects Joseph Cumberlain and Jean Thibault.
Sculptures of the Dnieper and Volga are located near the northern
column, and the Neva and Volkhov are located near the southern
column. The male figure, symbolizing the Dnieper, was made by
Kamberlen, the rest - by Thibaut. Initially, it was supposed to cast
statues from metal, cast iron or bronze, but this turned out to be
expensive and laborious. Then it was decided to make figures from
stone. But where to get decent material? The choice fell on a stone
with an interesting property. In the village of Pudost, Gatchina
region, calcareous tuff was mined, which has a pleasant yellow color
and a soft porous structure. Freshly mined stone is quite soft and
easy to process. In the air, it hardens, creating durable
sculptures. The same Samson Sukhanov was entrusted with carving
figures from Pudost limestone. And the master did not disappoint:
for more than 200 years, the statues have been admired by St.
Petersburg residents and guests of the city. Alas, the tuff is not
able to withstand the St. Petersburg climate and polluted
atmosphere, so now the figures have lost their original light yellow
color.
The first restoration of the Rostral columns was
carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, in 1928. At the
same time, the lost metal parts were restored and the extraneous
material of the sculpture was cleaned. According to eyewitnesses,
two or three carts of gypsum, cement, plaster were removed from each
of the figures, and the columns themselves were painted with oil
paints.
The next restoration work took place after the Great
Patriotic War. The monument was badly damaged by shelling, some of
the decorations were destroyed by fragments, and they had to be
replaced. And finally, the last restoration took place in 1998-1999.
Now the monument is available for inspection at any time. The
rostral columns always look impressive: both during the white nights
and in bright sunlight, both at night with artificial lighting, and
in the usual gloomy St. Petersburg rain.