Alexander Column (based on materials from the collection of rare books and manuscripts of the Scientific and Technical Library of the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The circumstances of the arrival of the French architect Auguste Ricard de Montferrand in Russia and his confirmation as an imperial architect engaged in projects of national importance are briefly recounted. A brief overview of the erection by Montferrand and his main assistant Antonio Adamini of the Alexander Column, one of the most significant monuments for the architectural appearance of the city of St. Petersburg, is presented. Montferrand’s activities in creating printed and handwritten monuments, in which the progress of the work was recorded, are considered, with the aim of glorifying the master and the engineering feat he accomplished. Particular attention is paid to individual collections of original handwritten drawings and plans related to the construction and located in the collection of rare books and manuscripts of the Scientific and Technical Library of the Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University, such as the original project of the monument proposed by Montferrand, collections of drawings and plans prepared by Montferrand and Adamini, and the highest approved working drawings from the collection of the construction office for the construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Handwritten materials are considered in the aspect of the purposes of their creation and features as sources by which it is possible to trace in detail the process of creating the monument.
Author: M. A. Tkachenko
Institution: Petersburg State Transport University
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408170418