Report-message on the outside world for grades 2-3 on the topic "The Statue of Liberty"

History

The Statue of Liberty was built in October 1886. The monument is a symbol of the freedom of the people of America, a symbol of the country and New York.

The sculpture was created by the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. The sculpture had to be made by 1876. They wanted to time its completion with the centenary of America's Declaration of Independence. The creation of the statue is a collaborative effort between the French and the Americans. The pedestal was created by the Americans, and the statue was made in France. In New York, the statue was assembled piece by piece.

It took more money than expected. For this reason, they organized a large-scale fundraising campaign and various events. To calculate the dimensions of the structure of a huge monument, the help of a specialist was needed. A.G. Eiffel developed the design of a reliable support made of iron and a frame that allowed the copper shell to move freely and at the same time maintain the balance of the statue.

American citizens were not willing to donate money. For this reason, there were difficulties in collecting the required amount. D. Pulitzer published several articles in the World newspaper in which he appealed to the Americans for the allocation of funds for a good cause. The criticism turned out to be very harsh, and this led to the desired result.

By the beginning of August 1885, the necessary amount was obtained in America. By this time, the French had completed their work and delivered parts of the monument to New York. The Statue of Liberty had three hundred and fifty pieces that took up two hundred and fourteen boxes. Within four months, all parts of the statue were collected. With a very large number of people, on October 26, 1886, the legendary monument was unveiled. The centenary gift was delayed by ten years. It should be noted that the hand and the torch were collected even earlier and were exhibited in 1876 in Philadelphia.

Location

The statue is installed on a pedestal on the grounds of Fort Wood, built for the war of 1812. It has the shape of a star. Initially, for several decades, the monument was served by the service of America's lighthouses. And only in 1924 it received the status of a National Monument. In 1937, the site was expanded to cover the entire area of ​​Bedlow Island. Nineteen years later, Bedlow was renamed Liberty Island.

Restoration

In 1982, the monument was restored. US leader R. Reagan himself watched this process. They organized a fundraiser again and raised eighty-seven million dollars. It took much less time to collect these funds than last time. In 1984, the landmark was included in a number of monuments of world importance. In early July 1986, the complex was reopened to the public. This was done to commemorate the statue's centenary.

To climb the top of the statue, you need to climb three hundred and fifty-four steps. And to climb to the top of the pedestal - one hundred and ninety-two steps. The crown has twenty-five windows. They symbolize the jewels of the Earth and the rays of the sun that illuminate the world. There are seven rays on the crown. They symbolize seas and continents. Thirty-one tons of copper were spent on the ebb of the statue. The total weight of the steel structure is one hundred and twenty-five tons.

One of the most famous sights of the United States, which is known not only by the indigenous population of the country, but also by each of us. The Statue of Liberty is located in New York - a monument that is especially often seen in movies, as well as photographs of American tourists.

The opening of the memorial site accompanied by a cannon salvo, fireworks and sirens blaring. The long-awaited event happened back in 1886. Since that time, ships entering the port of New York are greeted by a stone statue of a woman holding the torch of freedom.

As paradoxical as it may sound, but symbol of america was the brainchild of French craftsmen. It was there that the statue appeared to the light for the first time. Disassembled in parts, she was sent on a voyage straight across the Atlantic Ocean. Already in New York, it was assembled and placed on a powerful plinth, already made by Native Americans. The statue was installed on Bedlow Island, which was later renamed Liberty Island.

The monument was conceived by academician Edouard de Laboulaye in 1865, and the author of the work was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor from Alsace. The sculptor chose Bedlow Island for his own reasons, but in general, he represented a monument not only on it, but also in Port Said (Suez Canal). Bartholdi did not manage to realize his project "Egypt, Bringing Light to Asia", but for America the idea came in handy.

The project was approved in Congress in 1877, even though, according to the plan, the sculpture was supposed to appear already in 1876 on the day of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. Nevertheless, it was not immediately possible to collect the necessary amount of money for the construction of the masterpiece, the terms were delayed. Lady Liberty reached New York by July 17, 1885. For four months, the monument was put together. There is one interesting fact related to the opening of the monument on October 28, 1886. The ceremony was held in the company of some men, and this despite the fact that the statue personifies a symbol of freedom. Only a little girl of eight years old and one woman were able to visit the island that day - Lessens' daughter and Bartholdi's wife.

What is the Statue of Liberty? The monument forms a steel frame weighing 125 tons. To design and build the structure, Gustav Eiffel was called in to help, who was replaced a little later by Maurice Kechlin. Inside the structure, you can move and climb to the very top along a spiral staircase. To get to the observation deck, you have to overcome 354 steps. This path will seem easy after peeking into one of the 25 windows at the very top and seeing an incredible panoramic view.

The top of the steel skeleton is covered with copper plates that form the silhouette of the monument. Copper for them was supplied from Russia. The broken shackle at one of the legs of the statue is also a symbol of freedom.

She was originally nicknamed "Freedom bringing light to the world", then renamed to the current one. The height of the sculpture is 46 meters. If we count all the elements of the sculpture together with the torch, then the height will be 93 meters. The weight reaches 205 tons.

The statue received national monument status in 1924, followed by Bedlow Island itself. The monument was restored several times, adding the latest lighting.

Many may have a question: "Who was the prototype of the statue?"... There are two versions. According to one of them, it is believed that Bartholdi was inspired by the image of Isabella Bayer (Isaac Singer's widow). In another, they claim that the image belongs to his mother Charlotte.

Inside the statue opened a museum in 1972, which can be reached by elevator. The museum provides information about the history of the settlement of the country. There are many conflicting opinions about the symbol of America. Someone spoke about the high technique of execution, clarity and gracefulness of the lines, and someone thinks that it is impossible to talk about this statue as a symbol of freedom, it is too dispassionate and cold. Only opinions do not prevent the residents of the United States, and the whole world in particular, from considering the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of the country.

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Perhaps, not only a Native American, but also any inhabitant of our planet, when asked what is the symbol of the United States, without hesitation, will answer: the Statue of Liberty. It is no coincidence that this particular monument is most often seen in American cinema; it is no coincidence that, being tourists, we buy up in souvenir shops and take home copies of the Statue of Liberty.

Emphasizing the greatness of the monument, the Statue of Liberty is often compared to the Colossus of Rhodes, an ancient Greek statue that has not survived to this day. Poetess Emma Lazarus wrote a sonnet "New Colossus" on the day of the opening of the Statue of Liberty. Since 1903, a special tablet with the lines of this work has adorned the pedestal of the monument.

By the way, not everyone knows that the full name of the Statue of Liberty sounds like "Liberty Enlightening the World". The 46-meter (93-meter pedestal) Statue of Liberty, proudly towering on the island of the same name, is a gift presented to the United States on behalf of the French people, who once supported the Americans in the struggle for independence. The idea of ​​creating the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of independence and democracy was born in 1865 and belongs to the famous French scientist and lawyer Edouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye. The concept of the monument was developed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.

The original model of the Statue of Liberty was made by Bartholdi in 1870; today this first copy of the legendary monument can be seen in the Luxembourg Gardens near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Place for the Statue of Liberty or an interesting fact

In which corner of American soil the monument will rise, Bartholdi chose. In his opinion, it was simply impossible to find a place more ideal than Bedlow Island, located 3 km southwest of the southern border of Manhattan. However, historians lift the curtain and reveal to us some secrets.

It turns out that Bartholdi perfectly represented his giant sculpture not only on an island near New York, but also in Port Said, located in the Suez Canal, which connects the Red and Mediterranean Seas. The project "Egypt Bringing Light to Asia" was not destined to come true, but Bartholdi's works were not in vain, the sculptor successfully realized his idea in the United States, moreover, the builder of the Suez Canal Lessens was put in charge of the committee for the creation of the Statue of Liberty in the United States ...

A bit of history

The project for the erection of a monument on Bedlow Island was approved by the US Congress only in 1877, and this despite the fact that, according to the plan of the French, the unusual present was supposed to be ready by the hundredth anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence, that is, by July 4, 1876. However, the fundraising was delayed, and by this time only a copper hand with a torch was ready, which was sheltered in New York on Madison Square until the completion of work on the statue. By July 1878, Lady Liberty's head was ready. At the same time, the head was presented at an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Paris.

It should be noted that funds for the construction of the monument were collected in all possible ways: balls, sports competitions, exhibitions and lotteries were organized. The eloquent Pulitzer, publisher of the New-York World newspaper, provided significant help in financing the construction of the monument.

The first presentation of the finished Statue of Liberty took place on July 4, 1884 in France, after which the monument was dismantled and sent to the United States. The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York on July 17, 1885. The assembly of the monument took about 4 months. However, the official opening of the Statue of Liberty in New York by US President Grover Cleveland took place only on October 28, 1886. Only men attended the opening ceremony. And this despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of democracy. As an exception, only Lessens' eight-year-old daughter and Bartholdi's wife were allowed on the island that day.

By the way, Bedlow Island was officially renamed Liberty Island only in 1956, although Bartholdi suggested doing this back in the 19th century, 80 years before the event.

Statue of Liberty inside and out

The Statue of Liberty is a steel frame with a total weight of 125 tons. Gustav Eiffel was invited to design and build the steel structure, and Maurice Kechlin continued his work. The frame is built in such a way that inside the monument you can easily move around and even climb up spiral staircases. The main observation deck, located in the crown, is 354 steps away. From there, 25 gem-symbolized windows offer amazing views of New York Harbor. By the way, the seven rays of the crown symbolize the seven seas and seven continents, as is commonly believed in the West.

The top of the steel skeleton is covered with copper sheets, skillfully minted in wooden molds, only 2.37 mm thick and with a total weight of 31 tons. Copper plates spliced ​​together form the silhouette of the statue. By the way, copper was supplied to France from Russia. It is worth noting that one leg of the statue stands on the broken chains - this is how Bartholdi symbolically showed the acquisition of freedom. The plaque in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty indicates the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776: JULY IV MDCCLXXVI.

The monument's plinth was designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt. Work on its construction began in the summer of 1885 and was completed in April 1886. The cement base of the Statue of Liberty weighs 27 thousand tons. To get to the top of the pedestal, you need to climb 192 steps. There is a museum inside the pedestal, which can be reached by elevator.

In 1924, the Statue of Liberty was listed as a national monument; in the 30s of the 20th century, the entire Bedlow (Liberty) island became a national park. In 1984, the UN declared the Island of Liberty and the legendary monument located on it as a monument of world importance.

The Statue of Liberty has been repeatedly restored, new lighting elements have been added. Currently, the monument is equipped with laser illumination.

Who is Lady Liberty?

Who was Bartholdi's model, whose face illuminates the world? Whom has the great sculptor captured in the image of the Roman Goddess Libertas forever and ever? Surely, these questions are being asked by the Americans themselves and by guests from all over the world.

On this score, there are two opinions. Someone thinks that Bartholdi captured in his work the face of the Frenchwoman Isabella Boyer, the widow of Isaac Singer. Others are of the opinion that the Statue of Liberty inherited the image of the sculptor's mother, Charlotte. Which opinion is true, still remains a mystery, which is unlikely to ever be able to unravel.

How to get there

Over 4 million tourists from all over the world visit the Statue of Liberty annually. The entrance to the National Park of the island is free, however, to get to it you will have to spend money on the ferry, as well as go through a thorough inspection at the marinas.

Ferries leave from New York. You can go on a trip to the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park in Manhattan, or from Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The entrance to the statue is free, for the ferry you will have to pay 25 USD for adults, 15 USD for children 4-12 years old. Prices on the page are for September 2018.

For us, Paris is inextricably linked with the Eiffel Tower, Berlin with the Brandenburg Gate, Moscow with the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, and London with Big Ben. Once in these cities, we immediately look around: where are these city symbols so important to us? So New York for all its guests is inseparable from the Statue of Liberty. Although it has long belonged not only to this wonderful city. Over time, the Statue of Liberty has become an unconditional and indisputable symbol of a huge country. And even to some extent - the whole world.

There is a wonderful excursion route in France - "Wine Route of Alsace". The highlight of this tour is a visit to the ancient half-timbered town of Colmar. Once in it, it is impossible not to look into a beautiful and spacious mansion located in the very center. It was here in a fairly wealthy family that Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the future author of the famous Statue of Liberty, was born in 1834.

Nowadays, there is a museum of the famous sculptor, on the top floor of which there are numerous models of the "Statue", in various robes and headdresses, as well as photographs of all stages of its production and installation.

From here, after the death of his father, Frederic went to study in Paris, and then returned here as an architect.

Then, in the 1850s, he went on a trip to Egypt. Pyramids, Sphinx, Luxor Temple and huge sculptural images amaze and enchant him. And Frederick fired up the idea to create something just as majestic and grandiose.

Here he also meets a famous diplomat and businessman. Ferdinand de Lesseps Om, who then entered into negotiations with the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Said Pasha, about obtaining permission to begin work on the construction of the Suez Canal.

And when in 1869 this construction was already approaching completion, Bartholdi received information that the Egyptian government was planning to install a lighthouse in the Port Said area, at the very exit of the channel to the Mediterranean Sea. Frederic urgently goes to the construction manager Lesseps with an interesting proposal. Roughly speaking, the basis of his idea was a kind of interpretation of the sixth wonder of the world - the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, which was a grandiose structure (lighthouse) in the form of a huge sculpture of the sun god - Helios. His 36-meter figure, facing the sea and supposedly installed at the entrance to the harbor of the Greek island of Rhodes, was crowned with a crown with rays on his head and held a torch in his outstretched hand.

Bartholdi proposed to make a similar statue in Port Said, but with the image of an Egyptian woman in traditional dress, also with a torch in her hand, calling it the "Light of Asia" or "Egypt bringing the light of Asia", as a symbol of the special role and progress that brought the Middle East of the Suez Canal.

And although Lesseps accepted this idea with enthusiasm and adequately presented it to the new ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, it was never realized. Most likely because the country's authorities did not want to incur additional costs for its construction. Ultimately, an ordinary lighthouse was built there, which has served faithfully to this day. Meanwhile, Bartholdi returned to his French projects and customers.

France. Birth of an idea

Erupted soon after Franco-Prussian War, followed by the Paris Commune. During these years, the ideas of republican America were especially close to the French. Moreover, a round date was approaching - the 100th anniversary of the adoption of America's Declaration of Independence. It is for this anniversary that the chairman of the Franco-American society, Edouard de Laboulay, a lawyer, historian and author of a three-volume work on American history, decides to create a thematic museum.

At this very time, after the triumphant completion of the construction of the Suez Canal, Lesseps returned to his homeland. He immediately takes an active part in the work of the society. Since it was assumed that by such a significant date the Americans would want to erect a corresponding monument at their place, at the same time the idea arose to do it together.

Naturally, the well-known sculptor Frederic Bartholdi is also involved in this work. As we know, there have already been certain elaborations in this regard. And he is revising his Suez project, although then he will in every possible way deny this relationship.

Of course, in some ways he was right. Using only the basic idea - the "woman-symbol", Bartholdi thoroughly rethought and reworked that old project. First of all, Frederick gave the figure a certain dynamics.

Then in Paris, the painting by Eugene Delacroix was especially popular, in the foreground of which was depicted a beautiful woman with a tricolor republican banner in her right hand and a gun with a bayonet in her left, striving to step through the powder smoke onto the barricade - "Freedom leading the people."

It is this striving forward, towards the goal, and Bartholdi tried to convey in his new work.Therefore, the sculpture's right foot is already in motion, while the left tramples on the shackles torn at its feet, as a symbol of liberation from oppression, tyranny and slavery. This topic was then especially close to American society.

In the outstretched right hand of the sculpture, he placed a torch that sanctifies the path, and in his left - a kind of tablets with the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States - July 4, 1776, engraved in Roman numerals "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI", which is perceived quite naturally.

Which felt completely natural. After all, this heroic woman, like the ancient Roman goddess of freedom Libertas (Libertas ) , was dressed by him in a loose toga and shod in sandals. The image presented by him actually embodied the symbolic figures of Colombia from the United States and French Marianne.

A crown was placed on her head, framed (like diamonds) by 25 windows, with a halo of seven rays, personifying the seven parts of the world.

But the most important thing is the face. And Bartholdi portrays his mother. Later, the legend that the beautiful Frenchwoman Isabella Boyer, widow of the founder of the sewing machine company Isaac Singer, served as a model for him. But this version does not stand up to criticism. Indeed, to create the integrity of the image, Bertholdi needed not just a beautiful Raphael Madonna with her maternal tenderness and concern for the fate of the child; and not even a beautiful Frenchwoman inspired by a revolutionary impulse, calling to the barricades; but a determined and purposeful woman, corresponding to the image of Libertas.This was exactly what his mother was - Charlotte Baser, in whose portrait he only toughened up the features a little.

The "face" of the Statue of Liberty. Photo: Depositphotos

Frederick was so inspired by this Franco-American project that with drawings and letters of recommendation in 1871 he went to America, where he met with many Americans who were kind to him and his project. It was probably then that he received orders for the production of the Figures of the Four Trumpeting Angels for the church in Boston and the statue of General Lafayette in New York, which he completed in 1874 and 1876, respectively.

Observing then the work of New York Harbor, Bartholdi drew attention to the fact that all ships arriving in New York sailed past Bedlow Island. And therefore, during a visit to President Ulysses Grant, he discussed with him the possibility of installing the future Statue of Liberty there. To which I received a generally positive response. Bartholdi then still thought in the categories of a lighthouse, familiar to him - a kind of symbol of the water gate to the city. After all, these are the figures that the ships were supposed to meet at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes, or the Suez Canal.

While Frederick was working on the technical side of this project, his organizational issues were being resolved "at the highest level". In the end, already in 1895, it was decided that for the 100th anniversary of the adoption of America's Declaration of Independence, the French side would present America with the Statue of Liberty and organize its production, delivery and installation. The Americans, for their part, had to find a place for its installation and erect a pedestal.

In both states, fundraising committees have been set up. The French committee was headed by Ferdinant Lessens, and the American was headed by lawyer William Evarts. An experienced entrepreneur, Lessens organizes banquets, parties, social events, concerts, charitable donations and lotteries in France to attract influential circles to the campaign. The French opera even organized a musical performance, for which the famous composer Charles Gounod specially wrote an oratorio dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. He also conducted the orchestra. All this made it possible for Bartholdi to start making sculptures very soon.

When erecting a structure of such height and power, the most important thing was considered to be the solution to the problems of its strength, rigidity and stability. Initially, it was assumed that the bottom of the statue (up to its middle) would be filled with sand, and only then work would follow to install the metal frame. Moreover, the folds of the toga on the statue could serve as a kind of stiffening ribs.

But the famous designer Gustave Eiffel (later the author of the Eiffel Tower) and his collaborators, attracted to these works, proposed a different scheme: the installation of massive vertical steel supports, with an intermediate supporting frame. It was to it that the flexible skeleton of the statue made of iron was then to be attached, to which light copper sheets of the fence, easily amenable to assembly and processing, were hung. Moreover, both Eiffel and Bartholdi were well aware of the monuments of San Carlo Borromeo in Italy and Arminius in Germany, where similar solutions with copper cladding had already been used. True, the dimensions of these structures were significantly inferior to the Statue of Liberty.

The adopted constructive solution could also ensure the complete stability of the sculpture during its fluctuations from the pressure of the wind (now the oscillation range of the figure itself reaches 7.6 cm, and the torch - 12.7 cm). In fact, this project was one of the first examples of a structure in which the external elements did not fulfill the load-bearing function provided by the internal structures.

Since at that time the Statue of Liberty was the tallest structure in the world, it is natural that many other technical problems arose during its manufacture. But they were gradually resolved, and soon the French side approached the completion of the work.

America. Dream Realization

In the United States, the situation was completely different. Fundraising was slow and openly boycotted by many. Since the construction was to be carried out in New York, many cities withdrew from collecting money. In fact, the committee was active in only three locations: New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. An attempt was made to pass a bill to allocate money for construction from the New York budget, but the Governor of Cleveland vetoed it. An attempt to receive part of the funds from the state was also unsuccessful. In the commissions of the US Congress, the prevailing opinion was that it was untimely to erect an "allegorical" monument at a time when the country needed monuments to the heroes of the Civil War.

The only issue that was finally resolved was the allocation of space for construction. After Bartholdi's own visit to New York, the question of erecting a statue inside the city was lifted, and the military Fort Wood on Bedlow Island was finally accepted as the site of construction.

In order to somehow stir up the Americans, Bartholdi in 1876 brought to the World Exhibition in Philadelphia a model of the statue and its detail - a life-size hand with a torch.

However, the demonstration of this characteristic detail of the future sculpture did not make the proper impression either in Philadelphia, or later in New York, where it was on display in Madison Square Garden for several years. The audience could not imagine the whole sculpture as a whole, and therefore they were skeptical about this "hand".

And after Bartholdi decided to demonstrate the head of the statue at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, evil tongues began to talk that “the Statue of Liberty will have a“ hand ”in New York, a“ head ”in Paris and nothing else, wherever whatever it was. "The impression was that this project would never be realized, and the finished products would remain to rust in Paris.

In this upcoming drama, the only positive moment for Bartholdi was the erection of the beautiful Capitol Fountain in Washington that same year, which delights the guests of the capital to this day.

And then, quite unexpectedly, a new character appears in this story. He becomes Joseph Pulitzer - the publisher of a number of newspapers, including the very popular then The new york world, comes from a family of Hungarian Jews.The person to whom the country ultimately owes the appearance of its symbol, the journalists - the Higher School of Journalism and the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, and the world press - its "yellow" color.

Outraged by such a depressing attitude towards the erection of the Statue of Liberty on the American side, he with all his energy and enthusiasm is involved in the implementation of this project.From the pages of his newspapers, Pulitzer addresses US citizens with harsh criticism of their behavior (from the president to ordinary people) and an appeal to help with the construction of the monument with money. A "duck" is launched that the statue will be given back to Boston, etc.

Describing the structure in detail and surrounding it with a romantic halo, Pulitzer is organizing an entire fundraising campaign. At the same time, the names of people who donated money for the erection of the monument are printed in the newspapers, among whom there were people who provided the committee with less than one dollar, and even children. And what is most surprising, by August 1895 he managed to collect the entire missing amount.

In fact, over the course of just five months, 12,000 donations were registered. Two years before the events described here, an auction of all kinds of works of art was also held in the country, which cultural workers donated to the auctioneers. All the proceeds from their sale were transferred to the fundraising committee for the construction of the monument.

Emma Lazarus, a Jewish poet with Portuguese roots, also took part in it.

Her sonnet "New Colossus" dedicated to the monument (like Bartholdi, she remembered the Colossus of Rhodes), received universal recognition. Lines from this sonnet were even put on a memorial plaque, which is now kept in the museum of the statue:

“Preserve, ancient lands, your legendary splendor,

And give me your tired, your poor ...

And give me from the bottomless depths

Your outcasts, your own downtrodden people,

Send me the outcast, the homeless

I give them a golden candle at the door ... "

These lines were written by her after a wave of pogroms that swept across Europe in the late 1880s, as a result of which crowds of immigrants rushed to the shores of America, in the hope of finding a new homeland.And that is why this sonnet made us look at the Statue of Liberty from a completely different angle - as a symbol of a country ready to take under its roof all the outcast and disadvantaged, and promising them freedom and equality on this shore. Thus, the "New Colossus" became a kind of illustration of the original name of the sculpture: "Freedom bringing light to the world."

Now it becomes completely clear why memorial sculptural monuments were erected in the western part of Liberty Island to these five people who made the greatest contribution to the implementation of the project called "The Statue of Liberty". Edouard de Laboulay, who owned the very idea of ​​erecting the monument. Frederic Bartholdi, the sculptor who made it, and Gustave Eiffel, who designed the metal frame of the sculpture. And also Emma Lazarus - the poetess, author of the sonnet "New Colossus" and Joseph Pulitzer - the editor, organizer of the final fundraising campaign for the construction of the base and the pedestal of the sculpture.

And these structures themselves were developed by the American architect and sculptor Richard Hunt, under whose leadership construction work began on August 5, 1885. By April 22, 1886, they were actually completed, along with the design of the base of the pedestal in the form of a star with 11 rays. The height of the base with a pedestal from the ground was 47 m, which was one meter higher than the height of the monument itself.

As you know, on July 4, 1884, France officially presented the Statue of Liberty to the US Ambassador. Then she was completely assembled in Paris and put on public display, and then in 1885 disassembled and on the military frigate "Ysere" went to New York, divided into 350 parts and packed in 214 boxes. Assembling the statue on the pedestal took another four months. And finally, on October 28, 1886, with a ten-year delay, the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty was scheduled.

This event was preceded by a military parade through the streets of New York, which in the morning of that day was watched by up to a million city residents. At 12:45 pm, the yacht with the participants in the opening ceremony and US President Grover Cleveland departed for the island from the Manhattan pier. The company was mostly male. Feminists in New York tried to break into the island, but were not allowed. Their unofficial representatives were only Bertholdi's wife and Lessens' little granddaughter. It was he who opened the celebration by making a speech on behalf of the French side.

Bartholdi was not there. At that time, he was in the head of the sculpture in order to cut the ropes holding the huge French flag thrown over the statue and covering this delightful golden-orange woman with a torch in her hand outstretched from the waiting spectators at a signal. While he went downstairs, the official part was already coming to an end. He only managed to hear the prophetic words of President Cleveland: "We will never forget that Liberty has chosen a home here for herself, nor that her chosen altar will never be abandoned."

The weather that day was cloudy and rainy. They decided to transfer the fireworks to the 1st of November. But numerous guests and delegations received the festive fireworks from the 21st volley with delight. This is how the construction of this 46-meter Statue of Liberty was celebrated more than 130 years ago. As Bartholdi dreamed, it exceeded the height of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes by 10 meters, and at that historical stage became the tallest monument in the world. This is how it began ...

Continuation of the legend

Bartholdi made his dream come true. He created a beautiful symbolic figure, installed at the entrance to the port, facing the visitors, with all its appearance instilling in them the hope that they are expected here and here they are welcome. And for ships, it was supposed to serve as a navigational landmark and a beacon, respectively. But the general difficulties and worries about the installation of the monument were so great that there was no time for the technical problems associated with maintaining the fire in the lighthouse. For 16 years, three caretakers have tried to solve these problems, but with varying success. In 1901, the lighthouse service transferred the maintenance of the statue to the War Department. By that time, the copper cladding of the statue from exposure to humid air began to gradually oxidize, and the monument began to acquire the greenish color so familiar to us now. However, military experts have proved that this emerging layer - the patina, is a kind of protection of the metal from aggressive influences. And therefore, the statue should not be painted in a different color, as numerous advisers have already begun to demand.

A little later, on July 30, 1916, German agents organized a sabotage on the Black Thom Peninsula, where a large ammunition depot was located. On the night of the terrorist attack, a total of about one kiloton of ammunition was stored here, many of which were supposedly being prepared for shipment to countries fighting against Germany on the fronts of the First World War. The power of the explosion was estimated from 5.0 to 5.5 points on the Richter scale. Its fragments hit the Statue of Liberty, slightly damaging some of its parts and the torch. Simultaneously with its reconstruction, an underwater power cable was laid to the island from the mainland, and powerful lamps were installed around the sculpture. And already on December 2 of the same year, US President Woodrow Wilson turned on the full illumination of the figure for the first time. Now she herself, shining against the background of the starry sky, showed the ships the way in the night better than any lighthouses.

Naturally, during the Second World War, for blackout purposes, the statue was not illuminated. In the post-war period, attempts were made to sabotage the tower itself, or to gather all kinds of protest rallies on its territory. And in 1971, members of the organization "Vietnam Veterans Against the War" carried out a so-called protest action, barricading themselves inside the Statue altogether, demanding an end to the Vietnam war. All this testified to the special role that this building began to play in the life of the city, country and world.

In 1924, at the initiative of President Calvin Coolidge , The Statue of Liberty was declared a national monument, and already in 1933, its maintenance was transferred to the National Park Service. Since 1937, the concept of a national monument has already been extended to the entire territory of the island, which in 1956 was renamed Freedom Island. It is curious that this idea was at one time voiced by Bartholdi himself.

In 1976, a more advanced and powerful lighting system was installed in the area of ​​the monument. And in the early 80s, as part of the program to prepare for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the monument, a group of American and French experts discovered many constructive problems that had accumulated during this time, and therefore it was recommended to carry out restoration work. They began in 1984, the same year that the Statue of Liberty was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The restoration required a tremendous amount of work on anti-corrosion protection of about 1800 metal plates of the statue, replacement of the torch, structural changes in the stability of the arm and shoulder. A glass two-story elevator was installed, new stairs, heating and air conditioning system. It was then that it became possible, having overcome 192 steps, to freely climb to the top of the pedestal. And those who wanted to get to the crown itself had to master 164 more steps. A total of 356. However, the renovation was completed on time, and on July 5, 1986, President Reagan and French President François Mitterrand (now without a 10-year delay) inaugurated the statue to new generations of visitors.

However, due to the danger of terrorist threats after the events of 2001, and the elimination of the consequences of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the normal functioning of the Statue of Liberty was temporarily suspended, and was continued only from 2013.

By this time, she was already so famous, recognizable and popular that they began to copy her all over the world. The number of these copies in the world is already several hundred. Between 1949 and 1952, the American Scout organization, in celebration of its fortieth anniversary, donated about two hundred stamped copper copies, 2.5 m high (2.5 m high), to various American states and municipalities. About half of them have survived to this day.

And the most popular of her copies in the United States are sculptures installed at the New York Casino in Las Vegas and at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

But the most prestigious of all copies are the Parisian ones. In 1889, the Americans gave the French a 4 times smaller copy of the statue (its height is 11.5 m), which was installed in Paris on the Swan Island - a narrow artificial dam on the Seine, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Initially, it was turned towards the tower itself, i.e. to the site of the famous Paris World Exhibition, and only in 1937 it was deployed to the west. She is now looking directly at her "big sister" in New York.

View of the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the Parisian Statue of Liberty is also visible. Photo: Depositphotos

Another two-meter copy, made by Bartholdi himself, found its place in the Luxembourg Gardens, but damaged by the barbarians was replaced by a copy. The restored original adorns the entrance to the Orsay Museum. But in the Museum of Arts and Crafts, you can see in all details the very final model of the sculpture that Bartholdi used to create the American Statue of Liberty.

In 1987, the Americans made a new gift to Paris - "Flame of Liberty", a gilded full-size replica of this element of the sculpture of the American "Statue".

Flame of Liberty in Paris. Photo: Depositphotos

It was installed on the Alma Bridge. And ten years later, the Welsh Princess Diana died just under it. And her numerous admirers, identifying this fire with the memory of the princess, bring bunches of fresh flowers to the base of the monument. By the way, in 2004, to the centenary of the death of Frederic Bartholdi, a small copy of the Statue of Liberty (12 m high) was installed on his home - in Colmar.

Symbols The graphic representation of the Statue and its parts can be seen on many commemorative coins, banknotes, stamps and postcards, emblems of sports associations and the Libertarian Party of the United States, license plates of New York (1986-2000), advertising brochures of many companies, etc. .d etc.

It is easy to find numerous references to her in fiction, paintings and music all over the world.

It is rare to see any film about New York without the image of the Statue of Liberty. But there are many movies in which she plays a "star" role. Already in "The Flood" of 1933, one of the first disaster films, an earthquake is shown that turns Manhattan into ruins, after which a tsunami washes away the Statue of Liberty. The famous Hitchcock in his "Saboteur" (1941) depicts the confrontation of his heroes at the top of the "Statue". In Steven Spielberg's film "Artificial Intelligence" (2001), the Statue of Liberty is also completely submerged due to global warming. And in the film "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004), she also freezes as a result of the onset of the Arctic cold. In "Planet of the Apes" (1968), the protagonist, only finding the half-buried Statue of Liberty on the ocean shore, with despair realizes that he is on planet Earth. And in the film "Iron Sky" (2012), the Nazis, arriving in New York, destroy it. But " Ghostbusters 2”(1989) revive the Statue of Liberty and use it in the fight against Evil. And so in different variations in many films. And even Soviet cinema - in the film by Leonid Gaidai " The weather is good on Deribasovskaya, or it is raining again on Brighton Beach”(1992) makes the Statue of Liberty turn its head in surprise towards the hero Dmitry Kharatyan flying on the bed over New York.

However, various amazing stories and curiosities associated with the "Statue" took place not only in the cinema, but also in real life. For example, in 1918 on the parade ground of a military camp Camp dodge(Iowa) 18,000 US Army soldiers formed the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. They were dressed in special uniforms in different colors and shades to create the most realistic composition. The top photograph of this structure was intended to be used in an advertisement for the sale of war bonds during World War I, but, unfortunately, was never used.

But 60 years later, during the election of the president and vice-president of the student union of the University of Wisconsin, a promise was made to the next election program to move the Statue of Liberty from New York to Wisconsin. Applicants for the post, Jim Mallon and Leon Varjan, commissioned a mock-up of a sculpture consisting only of a head and hand with a torch, which were thrown by pranksters on the frozen Lake Mendota. This gave the impression that the rest of the statue was covered with water.

However, the most memorable attraction associated with the "Statue" was not only performed by the famous illusionist David Copperfield in 1983, but also included in the Guinness Book of Records. In front of a huge audience, he performed a brilliant trick, making the "Statue" disappear using two towers, a rotating stage, an arch and a curtain that hid the sculpture from sight. Of course, at the end of the trick, he "returned" the Statue of Liberty to its place, with the full delight of numerous spectators.

About the place where this famous sculpture was installed, legends have been preserved associated with the name of Captain William Kidd, a pirate hunter who himself was a fairly wealthy man. Allegedly, in ancient times, he hid all his treasures on Liberty Island, which was then called Bedlow. Since then, many people have tried to find this treasure, but to no avail. But in our time it is pointless to bother yourself with these searches. Not at all because everything was dug up here long ago, but because the Statue of Liberty erected here is in itself one of the most significant and original treasures or jewels in the world.

Perhaps this is why, when traveling on business by ferry to Staten Island, you can not resist and not come to the side of the ship, watching how it slowly approaches the island, with the Statue of Liberty located on it. And involuntarily comes an amazing feeling of inner excitement and involvement with this city, this country and its main symbol. For a while, the statue will be visible to you, and then the image of this world famous woman, who is so important to the world, will gradually fade away. But it will never leave you. Remaining forever the legendary Statue of Liberty - one of the most important symbols of the country.

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On the day of the celebration of Satanic Halloween in the West, we will talk about the statue that has become a symbol of the new Atlantis, as some of the United States of America call it. The Statue of Liberty was officially unveiled in New York on October 28, 1886. What is it dedicated to and who does it represent?

This is what our article is about.

Official history

The sculpture is a gift from France for the 1876 World's Fair and the centenary of American independence. The statue holds a torch in its right hand and a tablet in its left. The inscription on the tablet reads “Eng. JULY IV MDCCLXXVI "(written in Roman numerals the date" July 4, 1776 "), this date is the day of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence. With one foot "freedom" stands on broken chains.

Visitors walk 356 steps to the crown of the Statue of Liberty or 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown, which symbolize earthly gems and heavenly rays that illuminate the world. The seven rays on the crown of the statue symbolize the seven seas and seven continents (the western geographical tradition has exactly seven continents: Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia).

Statue of Liberty in numbers:

• Height from the top of the base to the flare 46.05 m
• Height from the ground to the top of the pedestal is 46.94 m
• Height from the ground to the top of the torch 92.99 m
• The height of the statue is 33.86 m
• Hand length 5.00 m
• Index finger length 2.44 m
• Head from crown to chin 5.26 m
• Face width 3.05 m
• Eye length 0.76 m
• Nose length 1.37 m
• Right arm length 12.80 m
• Right arm thickness 3.66 m
• Waist thickness 10.67 m
• Mouth width 0.91 m
• Plate height 7.19 m
• Plate width 4.14 m
• Plate thickness 0.61 m
• The thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.57 mm.
• Total weight of copper used to cast the statue 31 tonnes
• The total weight of its steel structure is 125 tons.
• The total weight of the concrete base is 27,000 tons.

The statue was built from thin sheets of copper, minted in wooden molds. The formed sheets were then mounted on a steel frame.

The statue is usually open to visitors, usually arriving by ferry. The crown, which can be accessed by stairs, offers expansive views of New York Harbor. The museum, housed in a pedestal, houses an exhibition of the history of the statue. The museum can be reached by lift.

The territory of Liberty Island (Liberty) originally belonged to the state of New Jersey, was later administered by New York, and is currently under federal administration. Until 1956, the island was called "Bedloe's Island", although it was also called "Freedom Island" since the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1883, American poet Emma Lazarus wrote The New Colossus, a sonnet dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. 20 years later, in 1903, it was engraved on a bronze plate and attached to the wall in the museum, housed in the statue's pedestal. The famous last lines of Svoboda:

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door! "

In Russian translation by V. Lazaris:

“To you, ancient lands,” she shouts, the silent
Without paring his lips - to live in empty luxury,
And give me from the bottomless depths
Your outcasts, your own downtrodden people,
Send me the outcast, the homeless
I give them a golden candle at the door! "

In a translation closer to the text:

"Leave, ancient lands, the praise of the ages for yourself!"
Calls out in silence. "Give me your tired people,
All who want to breathe freely, abandoned in need,
From the narrow shores of the persecuted, the poor and the orphans.
So send them homeless and exhausted to me,
I raise my torch at the golden gates! "

What the Statue of Liberty Really Symbolizes

The Statue of Liberty (yes, with a small letter), if you look at it without propaganda tinsel - this giant woman in a crown with seven rays, with a book and a torch in her hand ... who is she? Another tale about the American dream and the ideals of democracy, the national pride of a nonexistent American nation? It is not customary to talk about the true origin and ordeal of sculpture, about its origins, originating in incompatible cultures, or about the financial side of the existence of a "lady". The fable about the gift in honor of the friendship between France and the United States travels the world as traditionally as the rosy Santa Claus - another brainchild of commerce. But we still turn a few pages of history back and see how everything really happened.

The idea of ​​creating the statue belongs to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi - if you can call the idea of ​​creating an unoriginal monument that can boast only fragments of classical art and gigantic dimensions. Bartholdi was born in 1834 into a wealthy Jewish family and studied with the famous masters of Paris - without much zeal, but full of ambitious plans. To break out into the people, Bartholdi resorted to the help of influential relatives who were directly related to the Freemasons.

Quite a lot is known about the influence of Freemasonry on the creation of the United States, from the founding fathers to the symbolism of the dollar. Pyramids, steles, all-seeing eye, etc. also decorate various government buildings in the United States. Let us remind you that representatives of their brotherhood signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which opened the way to the creation of an independent state (we wrote about this in the article "What is the United States or why this state was created? (Part One)").

However, about the most important symbol of the United States - the statue of liberty - as a rule, no connections with Freemasonry are made.

Egyptian outline

In the 70s of the XIX century, under the control of Freemasons in Egypt, the construction of the Suez Canal took place. A young ambitious Bartholdi came here, and his imagination was struck by the majestic monuments of this region, which have survived for millennia. So the idea was born in his head to create something equally colossal and impressive that would forever immortalize his name. After meeting with the head of construction, Ferdinand Lesseps, Frederick convinced him to intercede about his plan. The proposal looked like this: to install a giant statue at the entrance to the future canal - it was supposed to be twice the height of the Great Sphinx and serve as a lighthouse.

Bartholdi decided not to wait for the muse, but to whip up some kind of model for consideration by the local government (it was he who was credited with the alleged funding of the project). And there was no need to invent anything - this was already done by the ancient Greeks, who created about 280 BC the Colossus of Rhodes - one of the seven wonders of the world. This huge statue of an athletic youth staring out to sea was erected at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes and was subsequently partially destroyed by an earthquake.

Bartholdi “dressed up” the model in Egyptian clothes, placed an amphora in his hand, and crowned his head with a wreath. But Lesseps advised him to use the attributes of the ancient Iranian god Mithra - the god of peace, harmony, and later the sun.

Marginal notes

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Mithra is the Indo-Iranian god of light and sun, close to the ancient Greek Helios. His usual attributes were a chariot and a golden throne. Over time, the cult of Mithra penetrated into Asia Minor and changed significantly. Mithra became the god of friendship, who united, reconciled, protected, and enriched people. They portrayed him as young men in short, fluttering clothes and a Phrygian cap. The cult of Mithra at the beginning of our era spread in the Roman Empire, enjoyed the patronage of the emperors, and was later supplanted by Christianity.

A special photo of the head of the Statue of Liberty at the World's Fair in Paris in 1878. http://gorod.tomsk.ru/uploads/34046/1285959951/45270518_Exposition_Paris_1878.jpg

When the cult of the god Mithra spread in ancient Rome, the following legends began to be told about the sun god. He was born as a rock at sunrise. In one hand he held a sword, in the other hand a torch. Mithras fought with the Sun, conquered it and thus became its ally. After that, he subdued the bull (a symbol of ancient civilization), dragged him into his cave and killed him there. The blood of the bull fertilized the soil, and plants, fruits and small animals thrived everywhere.

The Sun God was revered throughout the Roman Empire. Four hundred sacrifice sites that have survived from those times testify to this even today. The god Mithra was especially revered by ordinary people who performed cult rites in his honor. Thanks to the soldiers, Mithraism became famous throughout the then world. The places of this cult known today exist mainly as altars in the rocks.

Miter with rays and with an eagle, which later became a symbol of the United States http://geo-politica.info/upload/editor/news/2015.12/567f624427790_1451188804.jpg

Along with numerous symbols, the signs of the zodiac are engraved in them. The god Mithra himself always takes the place of the Sun - the central constellation of the ancient Romans.

Thus, the statue received a torch and a seven-rayed crown from the god Mithra, although there is another deity that looks similar. Have you started thinking about the title: "Progress Bringing Light to Asia"? Or replace “progress” with “Egypt”? And then they remembered the painting Liberty on the Barricades, popular in France, by the romantic painter Eugene Delacroix. The word "freedom" was already temptingly "glued" to the project of the statue, but the government refused to spend money on the gigantic idol - so Bartholdi returned to France, unhappy.

French incarnation

The time of the creation of the statue coincides with the entry of Bartholdi into the Masonic lodge (Alsatian-Lorraine branch) - it was 1875.

And the year 1876 was approaching - the centenary of American independence. Hearing in a political circle complaints about the absence in America of genuine masterpieces of art dedicated to Freedom, the French senator and member of the same Order of Freemasons, Edouard de Laboulaye, decided to revive the project that had failed in Egypt. All this, of course, had to be properly presented to the masses: it was decided to "present" the statue to the States "as a sign of friendship between the peoples of the two countries."

But the "gift" had to be paid for - both French and overseas ordinary citizens. An entire Franco-American Union, headed by Laboulaye, was urgently established, and committees for organizing fundraising were organized in both states. Moreover, the head of the French headquarters was none other than our old friend - Ferdinand Lesseps! The fundraising campaign in the States was led by Joseph Pulitzer, later known as the creator of the most prestigious journalism award, and then also the publisher of the newspaper "New York World". With an understanding of all the subtleties of influencing the masses, he criticized goons and moneybags, referring to ordinary Americans (the businessman was not a mistake - this significantly increased the circulation of his newspaper). No one will tell us exactly how much money was laundered by friendly gentlemen on this good deed, but only in the USA 100,000 dollars were withdrawn from circulation in this way.

The main work on the creation of the statue was done by the famous French engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel (Bonikhausen), then known for his adventure in embezzling huge funds for fictitious work during the construction of the Panama Canal, but became famous for its construction in the center of Paris.

Eiffel was also a member of the Masonic lodge, and another brother in the lodge, who at that time was the Prime Minister of France, helped him to extricate himself from the Panamanian swindle.

Eiffel did all the calculations, and also designed the iron support of the monument and the supporting frame, which was then sheathed with metal sheets. Then Bartholdi got down to business again, and added a few modern details: at the feet of the statue, he placed "broken chains of tyranny", more like the chains that bind the statue itself.

In his left hand he put the Book of Laws (Declaration of Independence), and now he put on the "lady" in Roman clothes.

Some believe that Bartholdi gave her the features of his mother, Charlotte Baser, although the model was the recently widowed Isabella Boyer, wife of Isaac Singer, a canal and sewing machine entrepreneur who sponsored Jewish socialists with Rothschild.

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