Official name this huge sculpture - "Freedom, illuminating the world." We know it as the Statue of Liberty, the world-famous symbol of American values ​​- freedom and democracy. On this, perhaps, the knowledge of the majority about this attraction ends. We have collected 10 amazing facts which will take you closer to the most popular statue in the world.

"Black Tom".

On July 30, 1916, a major terrorist attack took place in New York. On the island of Black Tom Island, located near Liberty Island, thundered powerful explosions, as a result of which some parts of the Statue of Liberty were badly damaged. The force of the explosions was equivalent to an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude. In addition, the clock on the Jersey Journal building was damaged, and windows were blown out in lower Manhattan and Times Square. The culprits were German saboteurs. Despite the fact that the United States remained neutral in the world conflict at that time, the state produced weapons that were sent to countries fighting against Germany. On the night of the explosion, there were more than 1 million kg of black powder, TNT, fragments and dynamite on the island, ready to be shipped to England, France, Italy and Russia. After the explosions, the torch of the Statue of Liberty was closed to the public and remains closed to this day.

Statue of Liberty made of people

On the afternoon of August 22, 1918, 18,000 US Army soldiers gathered at Camp Dodge, forming the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty on the ground. They were all in black uniforms, with the exception of those soldiers who formed the outline of the torch, the left arm and the crown of the statue: these men wore white clothes. Due to the huge crowd and the heat, 12 soldiers lost consciousness. The photo, taken to sell war bonds amid the ongoing world war, was never used.

reproductions

Two 9-meter copies of the Statue of Liberty are located on top of the National Bank of Liberty in (). Another 3-meter copy, holding a Bible, is located in the state. A similar 8-meter statue in Memphis has the Bible replaced with a cross. This sculpture is called the Statue of Liberty in Christ. In addition, there are many copies of the statue located outside the United States.

The torch burned

The original torch of the Statue of Liberty was replaced between 1982 and 1986 when the statue was being refurbished. The original torch was damaged by corrosion caused by water and snow. The new torch was created by French artisans who used an embossing technique called "stamping". This is the same method that was used to build the entire Statue of Liberty. In the new torch, the flame is covered with gold leaf, while the other parts are copper. The old torch can be seen at the Statue of Liberty Museum.

The sculpture was originally intended for Egypt

In 1867, Bartholdi discussed the statue with the ruler of Egypt, Khedive Ismail Pasha. The sculpture was supposed to stand at the entrance to the Suez Canal and represent a farmer holding a torch. The architect worked on the statue for two years, after which he proposed to the Khedive a version of a statue of a woman in a robe with a torch, which would serve as a lighthouse. Later, the ruler of Egypt refused Bartholdi's services because their cost was too high.

Goddess of Democracy

Chinese protests in 1989 were met with a brutal military rebuff and were completely suppressed. Then the defenders of democracy built a 10-meter sculpture, similar to the Statue of Liberty, and called it the "Goddess of Democracy." The statue was created by students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and consisted of foam, papier-mâché and plaster. The sculpture infuriated the Chinese government, who called it an abomination and issued the following statement: "This is China, not America!". The statue greatly strengthened the position and mood of the protesters and was destroyed by the troops 5 days after creation.

Jokes from Wisconsin

In 1978, pranksters Jim Mallon and Varjan won elections for president and vice president of the University of Wisconsin Students' Union. One of the points of their "humorous" campaign program was the promise to move the Statue of Liberty to Wisconsin. To fulfill the promise, the union ordered a model of the sculpture. They only made the head and arms, which were thrown into Lake Madison to give the impression that the rest of the statue was covered in water. Some students were offended and wrote statements to the union demanding that they return 60 cents each. But this did not deter the jokers, who, by the way, were re-elected for another term.

Construction

The idea to build the Statue of Liberty came from France. Bartholdi visited the US in 1871 and chose Bedloe Island as the site where it would be erected. It was decided that he would finance the creation of the statue, and the United States - the construction of the pedestal. The base was to be designed by the French architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, but he died in 1879 and was replaced by Gustave Eiffel. The statue's face is rumored to have been modeled after Bartholdi's mother. Shows and exhibitions were held in France to raise funds for the construction of the sculpture. The US raised the money through auctions and donations.

Ghost of Bedloe's Island

Captain William Kidd, a pirate hunter and possibly a pirate himself, is rumored to have hidden his treasure on Liberty Island, then called Bedloe. In 1892, two soldiers began to look for this treasure. Shortly after midnight, the entire base was awakened by loud screams. One of the soldiers was found in a wild emotional overexcitation, the second was in a faint. They said that when they found some kind of box, they saw a strange and terrible creature with black skin, horns, wings and a tail.

David Copperfield and the disappearing statue

Illusionist David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear in front of a live audience in 1983. To do this, he needed two towers on the stage, an arch and a curtain that hid the sculpture from view. When the curtains were closed, the stage on which the audience was located slowly turned around. By the time the curtains reopened, the statue was hidden from view behind one of the towers. In addition, Copperfield created a ring of light around the Statue of Liberty and another one nearby. So when the stage moved, his assistants simply turned off the lights around the statue and turned on another ring.

Bonus: It wasn't always green.

Initially, the sculpture was reddish-brown in color. The current green hue is due to patination, a process in which copper turns blue-green when exposed to air. This transformation took about 25 years.

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The Statue of Liberty(Eng. Statue of Liberty, full name - Freedom, illuminating the world, Eng. Liberty Enlightening the World) - one of the most famous sculptures in the USA and in the world, often called "a symbol of New York and the USA", "a symbol of freedom and democracy ”, “Lady Liberty”. This is a gift from French citizens for the centenary of the American Revolution.

Location

The Statue of Liberty is located in New York, on Liberty Island, which is located three kilometers southwest of the coast of Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty, donated by the French for the 100th anniversary of the American Revolution, was made in France in 1884 and transported to America in parts. The opening of the statue took place on October 28, 1886, ten years late to the originally planned date.

Description of the object

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 Koechlin continued his work. The frame is constructed in such a way that inside the monument you can safely move around and even climb the spiral staircases to the top. to the main observation deck located in the crown, 354 steps. From there, from 25 windows symbolizing precious stones, an amazing view of New York Harbor opens. By the way, the seven rays of the crown symbolize the seven seas and seven continents, as is commonly believed in the West.

From above, the steel skeleton is covered with copper sheets masterfully minted in wooden molds with a thickness of only 2.37 mm and a total weight of 31 tons. The 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 broken shackles - this is how Bartholdi symbolically showed gaining freedom. On the plate in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty is the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776.

The cement base of the Statue of Liberty weighs 27,000 tons. To get to the top of the pedestal, you need to overcome 192 steps. Inside the pedestal is a museum, which can be reached by elevator.

History of occurrence

The creation of the statue was entrusted to the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. It was conceived as a gift for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. According to one version, Bartholdi even had a French model: the beautiful, recently widowed Isabella Boyer, wife of Isaac Singer, the creator and entrepreneur in the field of sewing machines.

The Statue of Liberty was originally planned to be erected in Port Said under the name The Light Of Asia, but the then Egyptian government decided that it was too costly to transport the structure from France and install it.

By mutual agreement, America was to build a pedestal, and France was to create a statue and install it in the United States. However, the lack of money was felt on both sides Atlantic Ocean. In France, charitable donations, along with various entertainment events and a lottery, raised 2.25 million francs. In the United States, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, auctions, and boxing fights were held to raise funds.

Meanwhile, in France, Bartholdi needed the help of an engineer to resolve structural issues related to the construction of such a giant copper sculpture. Gustave Eiffel (future creator eiffel tower) was commissioned to design a massive steel support and an intermediate support frame that would allow the statue's copper shell to move freely while maintaining an upright position. Eiffel handed over the detailed design to his assistant, an experienced structural engineer Maurice Koechlin. The copper for the statue was purchased from the available stocks in the warehouses of the company Société des métaux of the entrepreneur Eugène Secretan. Its origin has not been documented, but studies in 1985 showed that it was mainly mined in Norway on the island of Karmøy.

The legend about the supply of copper from Russia was verified by enthusiasts, but did not find confirmation. Besides, railways in Ufa and Nizhny Tagil were carried out later than construction; accordingly, the version about the supply of ore cannot be taken seriously. It is also noteworthy that the concrete base under the statue is made of German cement. Dickerhoff won the tender to supply cement for the foundation of the Statue of Liberty in New York, which at the time was the largest concrete structure in the world.

The site for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, approved by an Act of Congress in 1877, was chosen by General William Sherman, taking into account the wishes of Bartholdy himself, on Bedloe Island, where a star-shaped fort had stood since the beginning of the 19th century.

Fundraising for the pedestal progressed slowly, and Joseph Pulitzer (of Pulitzer Prize fame) issued an appeal in his World newspaper to support fundraising for the project's fund.

By August 1885, funding problems for the pedestal, designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, were resolved, and the first stone was laid on 5 August.

Construction was completed on April 22, 1886. Two square lintels made of steel beams are built into the massive masonry of the pedestal; they are connected by steel anchor beams that go up to become part of the Eiffel (reminiscent of the frame of the Eiffel Tower) frame of the statue itself. Thus, the statue and the pedestal are one.

The statue was completed by the French in July 1884 and delivered to New York Harbor on June 17, 1885 aboard the French frigate Ysere. For transportation, the statue was disassembled into 350 parts and packed in 214 boxes. (Her right arm with torch, completed earlier, had already been exhibited at the World's Fair in Philadelphia in 1876, and then at Madison Square in New York.) The statue was assembled on its new base in four months. The grand opening of the Statue of Liberty, at which US President Grover Cleveland spoke, took place on October 28, 1886 in the presence of thousands of spectators. As a French gift for the centenary of the American Revolution, it was ten years too late.

The national monument - the Statue of Liberty - officially celebrated its centenary on October 28, 1986.

Working mode

Time to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island - from 9-30 to 16-30 (with an extension of the schedule in the summer months)

How to get there

The entrance to the Liberty Island Park itself is free, but tourists will have to fork out a little for the ferry. Ferries run to this island, and at the same time to Ellis Island, from two berths - from Battery Park in Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in Jersey City to the other side. one of the New York bay. Moreover, upon boarding, passengers undergo a thorough screening, similar to what is available at airports around the world.

From France with love

Despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty is an unofficial symbol of the United States, its homeland is France, which is under neighed America in the war with Great Britain. The monument was conceived as a gift frommany freedom-loving peopleto another, but also to ameThe Ricans have contributed to the creation of a masterpiece - the pedestal of the statue is made in the USA.

Loubetter thanaboutsicker than ever

The statue could well end up in Egypt instead of New York, because the author of the monument had such plans. It was supposed to be installed as a giga Ntsky lighthouse at the entrance to the Suez Canal in the city of Port Said. Butto reach an agreement on this project and failed.

Creative duet

The Statue of Liberty was designed by the architect Frederic Bartholdi. But another famous Frenchman, engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, also worked on the monument. Bartholdi was responsible for appearance statues, while Eiffel was developing the iron shell and frame.
Travel to New York

In order to transport the statue across the ocean, the sculpture was dismantled into 350 parts and loaded onto the French frigate Isère. The complexity of the operation lay in the fact that the weight of the statue exceeded 150 tons. Already on American soil, its assembly and installation lasted four months.

Crown, stones and rays

The prototype of Freedom, according to art historians, was the famous French model Isabella Boyer, the widow of Isaac Singer, the founder of a sewing machine company. Frédéric Bartholdi gave Lady Liberty an iconic touch. So, 25 viewing windows located in the crown of the statue symbolize precious stones that are mined in the United States. And the seven rays emanating from the crown are a symbol of the seven seas and seven continents, that is, a sign of the universal spread of freedom.

Bird's-eye

To climb the observation deck located inside the crown, visitors will have to overcome 192 steps to the top of the pedestal and 356 steps already inside the monument. The reward for the effort will be a magnificent view of the coast of New York. The total height of the statue - from the base to the top of the torch - is 93 m.

Kind with healthy

The Statue of Liberty turned out to be an excellent beacon for ships heading to Manhattan past Bedloe Island, on which the monument rises. Today, the need for a lighthouse has disappeared, but the Statue of Liberty does not stand idle: a historical museum is located inside it.
American Dream Unlimited

Copies of the Statue of Liberty can be found in many cities around the world. Only in Paris there are four scaled-down replicas of the famous Lady Liberty. There is its own Freedom in Tokyo, Las Vegas, Lvov, Uzhgorod, Dnepropetrovsk.

Time is money

Entrance to the observation deck, as well as visiting the museum located inside the statue, is free. But a small amount will have to be paid to take the ferry to Bedloe Island. You will have to spend not only money, but also time: visitors are carefully examined. Precautions were heightened after September 11: for example, the crown of the Statue of Liberty became open to the public only in 2009.

History color

The Statue of Liberty often appears in the frames of various films. The creators of "Titanic" also shot one episode against the backdrop of the famous sculpture - and made a historical mistake. In the film, the statue has a familiar greenish tint. But in 1912, during the events of the film drama, the copper of the monument had not yet oxidized and was of a noble metallic color.

Features of the Statue of Liberty

Features of the Statue of Liberty Today, the Statue of Liberty is one of the national symbols of the United States. Rising at the mouth of the Hudson at the entrance to New York Harbor, a woman in elegant, flowing clothes, carrying a torch, personifies the freedom and opportunities of the country. On her head is a crown with seven prongs representing the seven seas and seven continents. At the feet of a woman are the broken bonds of tyranny. In the woman's left hand, she holds a slab with the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, inscribed on it. The statue was made from thin sheets of copper minted in wooden moulds. The formed sheets were then mounted on a steel frame. The height of the Statue (by the way, it was originally called more pompously - “Freedom, bringing light to the world”) is 46 meters, so if we also take into account the 47-meter pedestal, the top of the torch is at a height of 93 meters above the ground. The weight of the monument is 205 tons. The length of the right hand, in which the torch is in, is 12.8 meters, and the index finger alone is 2.4 meters long, the width of the mouth is 91 centimeters. A spiral staircase inside the statue leads tourists to the top. The statue is usually open to visitors, who usually arrive by ferry. The crown, which can be reached by stairs, offers extensive views of New York Harbor. In 1972, the Museum of American Settlement was opened inside the Statue itself, which can be reached by a special elevator. The whole history of the country is presented here: from the ancestors - the Indians, who inhabited the then unknown continent, and up to the mass migration in the current century. Opinions about the Statue of Liberty are completely contradictory. Nothing like this was seen in America before the erection of this sculpture. Connoisseurs noted the high technique of execution, the clarity of proportions and the gracefulness of lines. But opponents of those who recognized the Liberty Monument as the eighth wonder of the world noted that the symbol of Liberty in the form of a statue is interpreted too coldly and dispassionately. It is no coincidence that the epithet appeared that Freedom is “blind”, and greatness is transmitted only by large sizes. However, evil tongues are not a hindrance to Freedom. Around the world, the Statue is considered the Symbol of the United States, embodying the democratic principles that this country is so proud of.

Conclusion

History of the Statue of Liberty and the Islands she's worth it, -this is a story of change. statue wouldla placed on the grathread pedestal inside Fort Wood, built for the war 1812 , the walls of which are laid out in the shape of a star. The US Lighthouse Service was responsible for maintaining the statue until 1901. After 1901, this mission was assigned to the War Department. By presidential decree of October 15, 1924, Fort Wood (and the statue on its grounds) was declared a national monument, the boundaries of which coincided with those of the fort.

October 28, 1936, on the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue, US President Franklin Roosevelt said: “Freedom and peace are living things. In order for them to continue to exist, each generation must protect them and put new life into them.

In 1933 maintenance of the national monument was taken over by the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, the area of ​​the national monument was enlarged to cover the entirety of Bedloe Island, which was renamed Liberty Island in 1956. On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also handed over to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Memorial. In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan commissioned Lee Iacocca to lead a private sector drive to restore the Statue of Liberty. The restoration raised $87 million through a partnership between the National Park Service and the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Corporation, the most successful public-private collaboration in American history. In 1984, at the beginning of the work on its restoration, the Statue of Liberty was included in the List world heritage UNESCO. On July 5, 1986, the restored Statue of Liberty was re-opened to visitors during Liberty Weekend, dedicated to its centenary.

The Statue of Liberty or, as it is also called, Lady Liberty, has symbolized the spread of freedom and democracy for many years. A striking symbol of liberation is the trampling of broken fetters by the statue. An impressive structure located on the North American mainland in New York, invariably appears to the eyes of all its guests and gives the most unforgettable experience.

Creation of the Statue of Liberty

The monument went down in history as a gift to the United States from the French government. By official version this event took place in honor of America's celebration of 100 years since independence, as well as a sign of friendship between the two states. The author of the project was the leader of the French anti-slavery movement Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Labuela.

Work on the creation of the statue began in 1875 in France and was completed in 1884. They were headed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a talented French sculptor. It was this outstanding person who for 10 years created the future symbol of freedom on a global scale in his art studio.

The work was carried out in collaboration with the best minds of France. Gustave Eiffel, the developer of the Eiffel Tower project, was involved in the design of the inner steel frame of the famous statue. The work was continued by one of his assistants, engineer Maurice Kehlin.

The solemn ceremony of presenting the French gift to American colleagues was scheduled for July 1876. An obstacle to the implementation of the plan was a banal lack of funds. US President Grover Cleveland was able to accept in a solemn ceremony a gift from the French government only 10 years later. The date of the ceremonial handover of the Statue was October 1886. Bedloe Island has been designated as the location for the historic ceremony. After 70 years, it received the name "Island of Freedom".

Description of the legendary landmark

The Statue of Liberty is on the list of the world's most famous masterpieces. Her right hand proudly raises a torch, while her left hand displays a tablet with inscriptions. The inscription indicates the date major event for all the American people - Independence Day of the United States of America.

The dimensions of Lady Liberty are impressive. Its height from the ground to the top of the torch is 93 meters. Head size - 5.26 meters, nose length - 1.37 m, eyes - 0.76 m, arms - 12.8 meters, the length of each hand is 5 m. The size of the plate is 7.19 m.

Curious what the Statue of Liberty is made of. It took at least 31 tons of copper to cast her body. The entire steel structure weighs in total about 125 tons.

The 25 view windows located in the crown are a symbol of the wealth of the country. And the rays coming out of it in the amount of 7 pieces are a symbol of the seven continents and seas. In addition to this, they symbolize the expansion of freedom in all directions.

Traditionally, the location of the monument is reached by ferry. A favorite place to visit is the crown. To enjoy the local landscapes and views of the New York coast from a height, you need to climb to a special platform inside it. To this end, visitors will have to overcome a large number of steps - 192 to the top of the pedestal, and then 356 already in the body itself.

As a reward for the most persistent visitors, extensive views of New York open up with its picturesque surroundings. No less interesting is the pedestal where the museum with historical expositions located in it is located.

Little known interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty

The period of creation and subsequent existence of the monument is filled with entertaining facts and stories. Some of them are not illuminated even when tourists visit New York City.

The first name of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is the name by which the masterpiece is known throughout the world. At first it was known under the name "Liberty Enlightening the World" - "Freedom Enlightening the World." At first, instead of it, it was planned to erect a monument in the form of a farmer with a torch in his hand. The place of establishment was to be the territory of Egypt at the entrance to the Suez Canal. The drastically changed plans of the Egyptian government prevented this.

The prototype of the face of the Statue of Liberty

The information is widespread that the face of the Statue of Liberty is nothing more than a fiction of the author. However, two versions of its origin are known. According to the first, the face of the famous model of French origin, Isabella Boyer, became the prototype of the face. According to another, Frederick Bartholdi immortalized the face of his own mother in the monument.

Metamorphoses with color

Immediately after creation, the statue was distinguished by a bright golden-orange color. In St. Petersburg, visitors to the Hermitage can see a picture where she is depicted in her original form. Today, the monument has acquired a green color. This is due to patination, a process in which the metal acquires a blue-green hue when interacting with air. Such a transformation american symbol lasted for 25 years, which is captured in numerous photos. The copper coating of the statue naturally oxidized, which can be seen today.

"Journeys" of the head of Lady Liberty

A little-known fact: before all the pieces of the French gift were collected in New York, the Statue of Liberty had to travel around the country disassembled for some time. Her head was exhibited in one of the Philadelphia museums in 1878. The French also decided to enjoy the unprecedented spectacle before she left for her destination. In the same year, the head was put on public display at one of the Paris exhibitions.

Former record holder

In the 21st century, there are buildings that surpass the symbol of America in height and heaviness. However, during the development of the Statue project, its concrete base was the largest and largest concrete structure in the world. Outstanding records soon ceased to be such, but the monument is still associated in the world consciousness with everything majestic and new.

Twins of the Statue of Liberty

Many copies of the American symbol have been created around the world, among which several dozen can be found in the United States itself. A couple of 9-meter copies can be seen in the vicinity of New York's National Liberty Bank. Another copy, reduced to 3 meters, holding the Bible, adorns the state of California.

The official twin copy of the monument appeared in the late 80s of the XX century. The Americans presented it to the French people as a token of friendship and gratitude. Today this gift can be seen in Paris on one of the islands of the Seine rivers. The copy is reduced, however, it is able to hit others with an 11-meter height.

Residents of Tokyo, Budapest, Lvov erected their own copies of the monument.

The authorship of the reduced copy to a minimum belongs to the residents western Ukraine- sculptor Mikhail Kolodko and architect Alexander Bezik. You can see this masterpiece of modern art in Uzhgorod, in Transcarpathia. The comic sculpture is made of bronze, is only 30 cm high and weighs about 4 kg. Today it symbolizes the desire of the local population for self-expression and is known as the smallest replica in the world.

Extreme "adventures" of the monument

The Statue of Liberty has gone through a lot in its lifetime. In July 1916, a brutal terrorist attack took place in America. On the island of Liberty located near the island of Black Tom Island, explosions were heard, comparable in strength to an earthquake of about 5.5 points. Their culprits were saboteurs from Germany. During these events, the monument received severe damage to some of its parts.

In 1983, in front of a large audience, illusionist David Copperfield conducted an unforgettable experiment in the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty. The original focus was a success. The huge statue really disappeared, and the stunned audience tried in vain to find a logical explanation for what they saw. In addition to performing miracles, Copperfield surprised with a ring of light around the Statue of Liberty and another next to it.

Today, the symbol of the United States still towers majestically in the sky over New York, retains its important global significance and is the pride of the American nation. For America itself and other states, it is associated with the spread of democratic values, freedom and independence throughout the world. Since 1984, the Statue has become part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where is the most famous symbol of the New World

The full name of the Statue of Liberty is "Liberty Enlightening the World". This is the absolute champion among all the symbols of the United States and the American continent in terms of mention and significance for pop culture. It was she who became the first and most significant object that hundreds of thousands of immigrants saw when sailing into the bay of New York. Therefore, "Freedom" for Americans is immediately associated with a large number of symbols: this and new life and the rejection of everything old and at the same time something so blatantly neoclassical and European right in the middle of the metropolis.

The exact location of the Statue of Liberty

The monument is located in North America, on the coast of the Atlantic largest city USA, New York.

More precise location: Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River at 40.68 degrees North and 74.04 degrees West.

The place where the statue stands is picturesque and looks picturesque from many angles: lonely and relatively small island in the middle of a gulf with a strong current, surrounded by sparkling skyscrapers. All this in the heart of New York next to Manhattan.

Statue of Liberty as a tourist attraction

The history of the emergence of the Statue of Liberty is the history of the realization of the American pathos of the young Republican people. It is symbolic that the sculpture symbolizes not only abstract freedom, but also its universality and universality. Its creators were inspired by the spirit of the European Enlightenment and faith in the power of industry and progress in the 19th century. Therefore, it is not surprising that the co-author of its creator, Frederic Bartholdi, was the same Gustave Eiffel, who designed the famous tower in Paris. At the same time, copper for coating, apparently, was taken from the Ural deposits, so the project turned out to be truly international and global.

The construction required incredible forces, since at that time the technical capabilities were much less. That is why it took a detailed study of the steel frame by Eiffel. A copper shell, created by the sculptor Bartholdi, is already attached to the frame. Delivery and installation in themselves proved to be a titanic task and required a lot of effort from both countries, France and the United States. Even the creation of a massive concrete pedestal on a small island took a long time and was associated with difficulties.

The Statue of Liberty was presented by the French government to the American people in 1876 on the centenary of the American Revolution. The whole design is filled with symbolism: seven rays symbolize the number of continents, the torch is designed to illuminate the world, spreading the light of freedom, while in the left hand there is an image of the US constitution, as the guarantor of these freedoms. What Liberty looks like as an ancient Greek goddess is also an attempt to create continuity in symbols European history and instill the neoclassical tradition in the New World.

With a total weight of 183 tons and a height of 93 meters, the Statue of Liberty seems to be a large object even against the backdrop of skyscrapers, in the 19th century it was simply amazing and instilled faith in the achievements of technology and industry.

When asked where the Statue of Liberty is located, everyone will probably answer immediately and without delay: “In America!”. In our time, this country without a monument that would so vividly signal the freedom of speech, thought and democracy is rather difficult to imagine, and perhaps even impossible. Some are surprised by the size of this sculpture (after all, its height, together with the pedestal, is no less than 93 m), others like the idea inherent in the statue, others consider it one of the greatest monuments of modern art.

The real name of this statue sounds a little different and translated from English means: "Freedom that illuminates the world" . Although most believe that since the Statue of Liberty is in America, it means that it was born there, in fact, this is not the case. This steel woman is the most Frenchwoman: she was made in France and a resident of this country served as a prototype for her. As for the sculpture itself, it is a gift from the French in honor of the centenary of America's independence.

The Statue of Liberty in New York is not the largest monument in the world, but its height, like other parameters, is still amazing (if only because one of her tiny nails weighs about one and a half kilograms):

• The height of the monument is about 47 m;
• The height of the pedestal is 46 m;
• The weight of copper sheets is 31 tons, while their thickness is 2.57 mm;
• The steel structure and frame weigh -125 tons;
• The weight of the concrete base is 27 thousand tons.

Despite its rather impressive size, in the presence of a strong wind, the Statue of Liberty sways a little - the range of oscillation in some cases may well be about 7.6 cm, the torch has even more - about 12.7 cm. This does not affect it in any way. stability, since Eiffel himself, the creator of the famous French tower, was involved in the development of a structure made of a strong iron support and a frame that allows the statue to move while maintaining the balance of the monument.

What is the monument made of?

Since the stone is quite difficult to process, and besides, it is extremely heavy during transportation (especially across the ocean), it was decided to make the Statue of Liberty in the USA hollow inside, and sheathe the steel support with sheets made of copper. The development of a massive frame was entrusted to Gustave Eiffel, and the Parisian firm of Cage and Gauthier took up the sheathing (at the same time, sheets were minted in wooden molds, and copper was purchased in Russia).

It is noteworthy that the Statue of Liberty is green these days. So, it was not always - as soon as it was installed - it was a bright, golden-orange tone.

Such a transformation occurred for a rather banal reason: the copper sheets with which it was sheathed oxidized after a few decades - and turned green, so only written memories remained about the previous color of this monument.

What does the monument look like?

By itself, the Statue of Liberty in the United States looks grandiose and majestic. The monument is located on Liberty Island near Manhattan and represents a woman whose height is 93 meters. She is dressed in a toga, clothes reminiscent of the principles of ancient democracy, stands proudly upright and holds a torch in her right hand, symbolizing the Enlightenment. At the same time, her left hand presses a tablet to itself, on which the cherished date for Americans is engraved in Latin letters: “07/14/1776” - the day the US Declaration of Independence was adopted.

One leg of a steel woman tramples on broken chains, symbolizing slavery. In the middle of the monument, there is a staircase that allows you to climb the stairs (there are 356 of them in total) to the observation deck, which was located in its crown, while half of the road can be shortened somewhat and an elevator can be reached to the top of the pedestal (these are 192 steps). The crown has 25 windows, symbolizing the natural wealth of the Earth, and on top it is decorated with seven rays, representing the seven continents.

How the monument was created

The history of the Statue of Liberty is notable for the fact that it was created in several countries at once, money was collected for a long time, transported in parts, and some of its details even took part in exhibitions.

The concept of such a monument was developed by the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Who exactly posed for him, there are several hypotheses. According to one of them, the statue is extremely similar to the sculptor's mother, Charlotte. According to another, her face belongs to the recently widowed Isabella Boyer, whose husband was the famous Isaac Singer, the creator of a series of famous sewing machines.

Location selection

In which city the Statue of Liberty would be located, Bartholdi decided. Of all the options offered to him in the United States, he liked Bedloe Island near New York, three kilometers from Manhattan. After the installation of the statue, people quickly renamed it Liberty Island, although this name was officially fixed only in the middle of the 20th century.

Fundraising

France and the United States entered into an agreement between themselves that America would build the pedestal and pay for the installation, while the other side was responsible for the manufacture of the monument and its transportation. How expensive the project turned out to be, it became clear almost immediately - there was not enough money for it both in one and in another country.

Therefore, both here and there, events aimed at raising funds were held. The French parted with their funds much more willingly than the Americans. It was both money contributed as donations, and for participation in various entertainment evenings, lotteries. Bartoli managed to interest even the government of the Third Republic (the main argument is America as an ally against European monarchies hostile to France). Quite quickly they collected more than two million francs.

At the same time, the Americans were in no hurry to part with money - the Statue of Liberty did not particularly impress them, the fiery speeches of Bartoli, who traveled from city to city, did not give any special results and they refused to donate money, and Rockefeller said that this idea was complete nonsense.

Despite the fact that the architect Richard Morris Hunt had already designed the pedestal in 1883, due to lack of funding, work could well have stopped if the well-known publisher and journalist Joseph Pulitzer had not taken up the matter.

First, he offered to publish the names of absolutely all the people who would give money for the construction. And secondly, he made extremely harsh criticism, addressing representatives of the middle and upper class- His articles were so convincing that in a fairly short time they managed to raise more than one hundred thousand dollars.

In the USA, by 1885, the entire required amount was collected, and in early August, the pedestal was finally erected on the island (at the same time, cement for the construction of the foundation was brought to the USA from Germany). This work lasted about eight months - and by the end of construction it was the largest concrete foundation on the planet in those years.

Works in Paris

The French worked much faster, and by the end of 1881 the statue was almost ready - it only needed to be assembled, which was done. After assembly, the main entrance to the statue turned out to be in front, emergency exit- in the heel of the left foot. From the observation deck, which was equipped in the crown, they led a ladder to the torch and planned to supply gas, but just by that time Edison had invented electricity, and it was decided to stop at this option.

By 1884, all work on the part of the French was completed. The monument was assembled, staged a grand opening attended by US Ambassador and Prime Minister Ferry, and dismantled to be transported across the ocean. Since the pedestal on the island was not ready by this time, the statue began to travel from city to city, in parts.

Travel statue on a pedestal

Before the gift from the French democrats was delivered and installed in its intended place, the Statue of Liberty managed to travel around the world. For example, her head, whose height is 5.26 m, as well as her hand with a torch, were seen by Paris, Philadelphia, Madison Square, where they visited expositions and anyone could look at them.

In total, it took 214 boxes to transport the sculpture across the ocean, and it was divided into more than three hundred parts. It took about four months to assemble the monument upon arrival at Bedloe Island. And they connected it to the pedestal with the help of two steel lintels, connected by anchor beams, which go up and connect there with the frame of the statue.

Opening

Despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty was already assembled in April 1886, due to various organizational reasons, the grand opening on the island took place in mid-autumn. A gift commemorating the centenary of the American Revolution was a decade late. It is interesting that for quite a long time it was not only a monument to freedom and democracy, but also served as a beacon, which quite successfully coped with its duties.