The Alexander Column (Pillar of Alexandria) was built on August 30, 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the architect Auguste Montferrand, commissioned by Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his older brother, Emperor Alexander I, over Napoleon. The column was to compete with the Vendome Column, established in Paris in honor of Napoleon’s victories and demolished in 1871.
The granite monument weighs over 600 tons. On the pedestal the column is held by the force of its own gravity, without any fastenings. The sculpture is crowned by a sculpture by B. Orlovsky – a gilded angel with the features of the face of Emperor Alexander I. In his left hand, the angel holds a cross, and his right hand raises to the sky.
The height of the column with the statue is 47.5 meters. It is the tallest monolith in the world. In his poem “Monument” poet A.S. Pushkin puts his work above the monument: “He ascended above the head of the rebellious Alexandrian pillar …”.
Location : ALEXANDER COLUMN
Saint Petersburg.