Памятники Славы Екатерининского парка Царского Села

                                     Records Glory

                                           Dear guests!

My name is Nastya and I,d like suggest to your attention an  excursion  devoted to the monuments of  Russian martial glory in Tsarskoe selo in Catherin Park.

Tsarskoe Selo is often called “The Pantheon of Russian glory”.  I,d like to represent your attention the complex of memorial structures in the Caterin Park.This unique complex consists of the Crimean Column. The Kagul Obelisk, The Chesme and Morea Columns. Created in the 1770s, it became the single wonderful narrative, majestic poem about the glory of the Russian arms.

Let,s start our excusion from the Kagul obelisk. The world-famous architect Antonio Rinaldi created out the project of the obelisk in 1771-1772. The height of obelisk is about 11 metres.The signifcance of this monument is revealed not only by the emblems but mostly by concise lines carved on its pedestal. I,d like to pay your attention that the unusual ,specific feature of Russian,s martial glory monuments in Tsarkoe Selo is a synthesis of sculpture, architecture and the written words –dedicatory inscriptions. This concise lines, written on the obelisk, narrate us about the glorious victory of Russian army in july 21, 1770, when 17 thousand Russian soldiers, headed by the commander Rumyantsev, won the victory over the 150 thousand Turkish army and forced it to run.

We are following to another glorious monument, errected in 1771, the Morea Column, known also as the Small Rostral column, dedicated to the battles won both on the sea and on the land. It was put up simultaneously with the Kagul obelisk. From the dedicated inscriptions on the obelisk we can learn about a lot of successful battles and victories of the Russian army and the navy in 1770s on Peloponessky penincula, called Morea in the past.

Let,s continue our excursion and go to another monument of Russian glory, which Alexander Pushkin,s contemporaries compeared to epich poem to the courage and bravery of Russian soldiers. This majestic monument is The Chesme  Rostral column. This masterpiece was errected in 1778 by the architect Rinaldi and the sculptor Schvarch in honor of Russian naval victories in the Mediterranean. We can,t admire the harmony of its sculptural and architectoral forms, the perfection and purity of its elements. It,s considered to rank with the best memorial works by Antonio Rinaldi in the style of European classicism of the second half of the 18th century. The historic significance of the battles is underlined by the location of the Rostal column in the middle of the lake, by its decor, by its size.We can see a bronze depiction of an eagle, which holds  a crescent in its paws as a symbol of the defeated fleet of the Turkish sulton. Our eagle crowns the column and reminds us about the hero of Chessmen battle –Alexey Orlov, the commander of Russian army. Young Pushkin expressed his unforgettable expression from this majestic monument by his raised lines:

Протекшие года мелькают пред очами,

И в тихом восхищеньи дух.

Он видит: окружён волнами,

Над твёрдой мшистою скалой

Вознёсся памятник. Ширяяся крылами,

Над ним сидит орёл младой

И цепи тяжкие и стрелы громовые

Вкруг грозного столпа трикратно обвились;

Кругом подножия, шумя валы седые

В блестящей пене унеслись.

The restrained but expressive finish of Russian glory,s complex is the Crimean Column. This obelisk has features of others Rinaldi,s works in Ttsarskoe Selo and an integral part of Catherin Park ensemble. It was errrected in 1777, 2 years later after accessions of Crimea to Russia.There are some interesting facts from the history of this monument. The monolith for the column was  delivered from Siberia and later in the workshops of Issac Cathedral was completed and brougt to perfection. Later, as the contemporary newspapesr wrote, it was laid on the sledge, made of bars 16 arshins long, and 120 horses together carried it to Tsarskoe Selo within 8 hours

 My short excursion has come to an end –thank  you for your attention.