Statue of liberty United states of america map. Statue of Liberty in New York. Statue of Liberty in numbers

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island. Liberty Island ), about 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan, in New Jersey. Before the city, the island was called "Bedloe's Island" (eng. Bedloe's Island ), although the people called it the "Island of Freedom" since the beginning of the 20th century.

Statue of Liberty (view from the pedestal)

The goddess of freedom holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her 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 the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted. 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 illuminating 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).

The total weight of the copper used to cast the statue is 31 tons, while the total weight of its steel structure is 125 tons. The total weight of the concrete base is 27 thousand tons. The thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.57 mm.

The height from the ground to the tip of the torch is 93 meters, including the base and pedestal. The height of the statue itself, from the top of the pedestal to the torch, is 46 meters.

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

Usually the statue is open to visitors, usually arriving by ferry. The crown, which can be reached by stairs, offers extensive views of New York Harbor. The museum, located in the pedestal (and accessible by elevator), houses an exhibition of the statue's history.

New Colossus

Plate "New Colossus"

Inside the statue's crown

Tokyo

The Statue of Liberty is installed in Tokyo on the island of Odaiba.

Las Vegas

Uzhgorod

The smallest statue of Liberty in the world, the author of which is the sculptor Mikhail Kolodko and the architect Alexander Bezik, is located in the city of Uzhgorod on the parapet Footbridge. 30-centimeter sculpture, created on the initiative of the head of the Department of Tourism Uzhgorodsky national university Fedora Shandor, cast in bronze in Budapest, weighs 4 kg and is a real lighthouse on the non-navigable Uzh River, where the Uzhgorod Regatta is held annually. The sculptural woman symbolizes the love of Transcarpathians for everything unique and original.

Dnepropetrovsk

May 18, 2012 in Dnepropetrovsk, in the cafe "Melrose" on Geroev Ave, the statue of Liberty was installed, the height of the sculpture is 2.65 m, the height of the pedestal is 1.35 m, the sculptor is Semenova S.S.

Moscow

Monument to the Soviet Constitution(Obelisk and Statue of Liberty) on Soviet (Tverskaya) Square in Moscow. 1918-1919 (not preserved).

In the autumn of 1918, a 26-meter triangular obelisk appeared on Sovetskaya Square in honor of the Soviet constitution. The monument was supplemented in June 1919 with the Statue of Liberty by Nikolai Andreev. The monument fell in love with Muscovites.

The monument was not destined to stand for long. By the end of the 1930s, it needed restoration, as it was made hastily, from short-lived, low-quality materials: the obelisk was made of brick and plastered “under granite”, and the statue was cast from concrete. But things did not come to restoration: shortly before the Great Patriotic War, April 22, 1941, the dilapidated monument was destroyed. The head of the Statue of Liberty is now kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Statue of Liberty in popular culture

In video games

• The video game Grand Theft Auto IV features a parody of the statue. The parody statue is called the Statue of Happiness. On the upper floors there is a door that you can enter, then climb up long staircase. There is a beating heart suspended on chains (the heart of the city). If you shoot him, he will bleed. Instead of a torch, the statue has a cup of coffee
• In the Civilization series of games, the Statue of Liberty is one of the wonders of the world.
• In the Red Alert series of video games, the Statue of Liberty is repeatedly destroyed. Its destruction is part of the game and cutscenes.
• Also, the Statue of Liberty can be seen in the video games of the Deus Ex series. In the first part, the statue was destroyed by the conspirators before the start of the game, and the first level of the game takes place on the territory of the Island of Freedom, in the second part it is restored in the form of a hologram by Helios-JCDENTON.
• In the Kasumi - Stolen Memory add-on for the video game Mass Effect 2, the head of the Statue of Liberty, which was destroyed by terrorists in 2096, can be found in Donovan Hawk's underground vault.
• In the computer game Rise Of Nations: Thrones and Patriots, the Statue of Liberty is one of the wonders of the world.
• In the video game World in Conflict, there is a mission in which the Statue of Liberty must be recaptured or a bomb will be dropped on it.
• In the computer game Crysis 2, the Statue of Liberty is destroyed by an alien attack. Its separate fragments - the right hand with a torch and the head are the scenery of some cards.
• In the video game Twisted metal 2 on the map New York statue freedom can be shot, as a result of which it will crumble, and in its place there will be a woman in a bikini.
• In the game Prototype 2, from some skyscrapers in the Yellow Zone, you can see the island in the fog along with the statue. However, the character cannot get to the island, because the character jumps out of the water towards the mainland or big island, if it falls into the water, and there are no objects closest to the island.

To the cinema

• "Ghostbusters 2" - in the film, the main characters revive the Statue of Liberty and use it in the fight against Evil.
• In Alfred Hitchcock's "Saboteur" main character Barry Kane, in the hand of a statue holding a torch, tries to hold onto the sleeve of the Nazi spy Fry. In reality, the actor Norman Lloyd was filmed in the studio, lying on a special black saddle on a black floor, and the camera moved 12 meters away from him. During editing, a fragment filmed on the Statue of Liberty was superimposed on a black background, and it turned out that the actor was falling down.
• "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" - on the Parisian statue of liberty is one of the keys that helps the heroes of the film find treasures.
• In the science fiction film "Monstro", the heroes, running out into the streets to find out what is happening, see the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling through the streets of Manhattan. And on the promotional poster for the film, the statue itself is depicted without a head. Only the torch lonely sticks out over the wreckage.
• "X-Men" - Magneto installs his miracle machine on the torch of the Statue of Liberty to turn all people into mutants.
• In the film The Day After Tomorrow by Roland Emmerich, the statue is first covered by a tsunami, and then a sharp cold snap leads to icing of the statue and the whole of New York.
• A giant wave also covers the Statue of Liberty in the movie "Collision with the Abyss". Further, the severed head of the statue can be seen floating underwater between the skyscrapers of New York.
• In the film Planet of the Apes (1968), the protagonist George Taylor, having discovered the half-buried Statue of Liberty on the ocean shore, realizes with despair that he is on planet Earth.
• In the movie "People in Black 2" on the Statue of Liberty is a memory erasure device designed for the entire territory of New York.
• In the movie "Quick Changes" when the characters get lost in one of the districts of New York, the main character desperately utters the phrase: "Well, at least see something familiar." In this case, the camera rises above tall buildings and a panorama of the bay is shown, with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground.
• In the cartoon "Union of Beasts", released in 2010, the Statue of Liberty is shown. Monkeys climb on her crown.
• In the film Independence Day by Roland Emmerich, the Statue of Liberty is shown destroyed after the destruction of New York. Before that, a screensaver appears, where it says: July 3rd.
• The disaster television movie Disaster Day 2 shows how the Statue of Liberty is first covered by a tsunami, then you can see how the Statue is blown away by a hurricane.
• The movie "Artificial Mind" shows what the Statue of Liberty looks like - in a dilapidated and flooded New York, only the torch of the statue sticks out above the surface.
• A copy of the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo can be seen in the anime Tokyo Magnitude 8.0: they showed how birds take off next to the statue right before the earthquake.
• In the documentary series "Life after people" you can see how the Statue will look like 300 years after the disappearance of people. Another documentary on the same subject - "Earth: life without people" ("Aftermath: Population Zero") - also shows the Statue of Liberty.
• Disaster movie

The main symbol of all America and the pride of its people is the Statue of Liberty, which rises on a small island near Manhattan. The island itself is named after the statue, although until 1956 it official name was Bedloe Island.

The statue, which is the tallest sculpture in the world, has been meeting and seeing off ships in the Big Apple Bay for more than a hundred years. For some, it has become an interesting tourist attraction, an excellent example of sculptural art, and for some, it has become a real beacon to a free and happy life.

Height of the Statue of Liberty is 93 meters, of which 46 meters is the statue itself, the rest is an impressive pedestal. The magnificently executed Roman goddess Libertas holds a tablet in her left hand and a torch in her right. The date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of America is written on the tablet. Thanks to this important event, the Statue of Liberty was created, which the people of France presented to the country on the centenary of the signing of the declaration.

356 steps to freedom

A staircase of 192 steps leads to the pedestal, and 356 steps must be overcome to reach the crown. sculptural composition 31 tons of copper were spent, and the entire steel structure, which Eiffel himself worked on, weighs 125 tons.

Most of the work was carried out in France. The image of this particular goddess was chosen for many reasons, one of which was the veneration of the people of America. The sculptor repeated the facial features of the goddess according to the features of his mother. For the manufacture, copper sheets with a thickness of almost 3 mm were used, the sheets were brought from the factories of the Urals.

Entrance to the territory of the Liberty Island Park is free, however, in order to get there, tourists need to pay for a ferry ticket. Upon boarding, passengers undergo mandatory screening, as at airports. Several webcams are installed on the statue, which allow visitors to view the fragments of the sculpture itself in more detail, as well as enjoy the picturesque views of New York Bay.

Information for tourists

Address: Liberty Island, New York, 10004, USA

Park entrance - ferry exits

Access to Liberty Island is only possible on Statue Cruises ferries. Tickets are sold by type, date and time at statuecruises.com. Tickets for the podium and crown are usually sold in advance.

Ferry opening hours: daily from 9:30 to 15:30.

Ticket prices for the Statue of Liberty

Crown and pedestal:

• for adults - $21.50;
• for pensioners (62+) - $17;
• for children (under 12 years old) - $12.

Pedestal:

• for adults - $18.50;
• for pensioners (62+) - $14;
• for children (under 12 years old) - $9;
• for children (up to 3 years) - free of charge.

The Metropolitan Museum is also very popular among tourists.

Statue of Liberty on New York map

The main symbol of all America and the pride of its people is the Statue of Liberty, which rises on a small island near Manhattan. The island itself is named after the statue, although until 1956 its official name was Bedloe Island.

Statue of Liberty - a symbol of a happy life

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The Statue of Liberty is located in the USA in New York City and is the symbol of the country. Few people know that the full name of the Statue of Liberty is "Liberty Enlightening the World." People are more accustomed to calling her simply "Statue of Liberty" or "Lady Liberty". This legendary statue is a gift from France in honor of the centenary of the American Revolution and is located on Liberty Island, a few kilometers southwest of Manhattan, in New York State. Bedloe Island was officially renamed Liberty Island by the lady with the torch in 1956, although the Americans began to call it that at the beginning of the 20th century.

Height of the Statue of Liberty in the USA is 93 meters along with a 47-meter pedestal. Lady Liberty stands on the wreckage of the chains. In her left hand she holds a tablet engraved in Roman numerals with a significant date for America - the day the US Declaration of Independence was signed - July 4, 1776, and in her right hand there is a torch that symbolizes the light that illuminates the path to freedom. To climb to the crown, visitors need to climb 356 steps, where they can see a wonderful panorama of New York, which they can admire directly from the main observation deck located in the crown. There are 25 windows, which are considered to be symbols of precious stones, and 7 rays of the crown symbolize the seas and continents in accordance with the traditions of Western geography. Inside the Statue of Liberty itself is a museum dedicated to the history of the creation of the statue. It can be accessed by taking the elevator.

History of the Statue of Liberty in the USA.

The author of the project of the Statue of Liberty is the French sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. The French engineer Alexandre Gustav Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, took part in the creation of the frame and reinforcing structures. However, both the French and the Americans worked on the construction of the entire monument. For example, the star-shaped plinth was designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt.

Parts of the body of the future statue were cast in France, and the pedestal was created in the USA. Within 4 months, the statue was assembled together. Bartholdi was somewhat mistaken in his calculations: as it turned out, the materials allocated for the construction of the statue were categorically lacking, so all kinds of concerts, lotteries and charity evenings were organized, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the purchase of materials. Americans are extremely reluctant to part with their money, so the American journalist Joseph Pulitzer in his newspaper " The World” wrote several articles calling on the upper and middle classes of society to take part in the construction of a symbol of US independence. His words contained such sharp criticism that it had an effect, and funds began to flow from all over the country. By joint efforts, by the end of the summer of 1885, the entire amount was finally collected. By that time, the French had just completed their half of the work, and the finished parts of the statue were delivered to America on the frigate Isère in July 1885. The valuable cargo occupied more than 200 boxes and consisted of 350 body parts of Lady Liberty.

Grand opening of the statue took place on October 28, 1886 with the participation of US President Grover Cleveland. An interesting fact is that only men were present at the opening ceremony, despite the fact that the statue was a symbol of democracy. As an exception, only a few women were allowed on the island, among whom was Bartholdi's wife.

Since 1924 statue of liberty in usa belongs to the national monuments, and the island itself gained the title national park USA. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty and the entire island were declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

Currently, the monument is illuminated by laser illumination, the statue has been repeatedly restored, acquiring new elements, but in general, the original appearance has been preserved.

To get to Lady Liberty every year more than 5 million tourists go to short trip on a ferryboat. Entrance to the monument itself is free, but you will have to pay for the ferry. For many years The Statue of Liberty in the United States remains a symbol of the country's independence and calling card New York.

The Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States by the government of France in honor of the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence. The giant figure was called "Liberty Illuminating the World" and was created for 10 years in the art studio of the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, designed the internal steel frame for it. It was planned to present this gift on July 4, 1876, but due to lack of funds, which were to be replenished by voluntary donations, the celebration had to be postponed.

Practical Americans did not understand what kind of romantic utopias they had to part with their labor income for.

Bartholdi was forced to send to the states a fragment of a statue 15 meters high - the right hand and a torch, which he installed in Philadelphia at the exhibition of the century. For climbing into the torch itself, they took 50 cents (decent money in those days). Then the hand with the torch was transported to New York and installed in Madison Square Garden. Yet the money was clearly not enough.

And then a young journalist, editor and publisher of the World newspaper, Joseph Pulitzer, got down to business. At 18, he arrived in New York penniless from Hungary and began his career as a paperboy. Then he began to write police chronicles, small notes and quickly became the owner of the dying New York World newspaper. He instantly restructured her work, appealing to thousands of new emigrants, the same. like himself, perfectly understanding their needs and aspirations. So Pulitzer abruptly joined the campaign to raise money.

“This statue is not a gift from the millionaires of France to the millionaires of America,” he wrote angrily, “it is a gift from the French to all Americans. Take this as a personal call to you!”

Within 5 months, the required amount was collected. This action brought fame to Pulitzer and allowed him to triple the circulation of the newspaper. And today, the Pulitzer Prize is the most prestigious for journalists.

Finally, on October 28, 1886, US President Grover Cleveland, to thunderous fanfare, received the Statue of Liberty on Bedloe Island, renamed in 1956 in honor of famous statue to Liberty Island.

Initially, an agreement was reached between the governments of the two countries, according to which the French side was responsible for the construction and transportation of the statue, while America prepared a place for it and erected an appropriate pedestal. Both the French and the Americans agreed that a small island at the entrance to New York Harbor would be best suited for their purposes. Here, at one time, the foundation for Fort Wood was already arranged in the form of a ten-pointed star. It could well serve as a foundation for a grandiose pedestal, the first stone of which was laid in 1884.

The statue itself, 47 m high, Bartholdi was going to sheathe with copper sheets no more than 2.4 mm thick. Thin copper had to be minted in a special wooden mold. As a result, Bartholdi and his henchmen made 350 separate skin parts, which in July 1884 were sent by ship to the United States. On Bedloe Island, they were put together like a huge construction kit and put on a steel frame made by Eiffel.

The frame consists of four monumental steel pillars, penetrating the statue to its full height. These supports are attached to the pedestal with huge steel bolts. Distributed on the main supports is the lace of a steel frame, which Bartholdi sheathed with hundreds of details of his designer. To give the statue sufficient strength and flexibility, each element of the copper sheathing was provided with its own independent beam. Bartholdi hoped in advance that the material of the casing would make it easier for him to assemble the statue, because thin sheet copper is easily bent and cut. This allowed for the final adjustment of parts directly on the statue, during the assembly process. One way or another, the Statue of Liberty is without a doubt an example of the skill of a talented French engineer.

In the ensemble with a plinth, made in the classical style by the architect Richard M. Hunt, the height of the statue from the base to the top of the golden flames is 95 m. The seven rays on its crown symbolize the seven seas. For many travelers who crossed the Atlantic to get to America, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of freedom, independence and prosperity.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary in 1986, the Statue of Liberty underwent a "facelift". The salty sea air corroded its structure so much that a serious restoration was required. Voluntary contributions from citizens across America more than covered the $2 million required for this work. This statue means a lot to the citizens of America - and not only to them.

An invitation to hope

IN figuratively The Statue of Liberty has been the first sign of a new world for the many millions of immigrants who have come to America for the past two centuries.

The famous words on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty belong to the New York poet Emma Lazarus, which were written after sweeping across Russia in the 1880s. waves of pogroms that forced many Jews across the Atlantic.

Since then, her lines have acquired a universal sound, serving as a beacon of hope for all the destitute and persecuted: And give me from the depths of the bottomless Your outcasts, your downtrodden people, Send me outcasts, the homeless, I will light a golden candle for them at the door!

Tourists

Get to Liberty Island (Liberty Island) you can use the ferry departing from the pier of Betteri Park (Battery park). Entering the park, you will see a long organized line, as once in the Mausoleum, these are those who want to visit the island with the statue, which you might want to join.

Visiting the crown is allowed again, but the number of places is limited, so you need to book tickets in advance. Those who have not done this will have to walk around the area around the statue and climb to the observation deck on the 16th floor; a special glass ceiling allows you to see the impressive "insides" of the statue. A visit to the island by ferry is usually combined with a visit neighboring island Ellis (Ellis Island). Ferries (Tel: 201-604-2800, 877-523-9849; www.statuecruises.com; adult/child $13/5; every 30 minutes 9am-5pm, longer in summer) depart from battery park (Battery Park) . The nearest tube stations are South Ferry and Bowling Green. Booking ferry tickets in advance (corona visit - additional $3), you will visit both attractions.

An excursion to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is best done in the warm season and during daylight hours.

Of course, in winter there are much fewer people, so. if you are not afraid of the icy piercing wind that reaches the skin through the warmest down coats and gloves, then it is worth a try. Traveling by boat is wonderful, but on open area being in cold weather is very extreme in your feelings. There is an old immigration center on Ellis Island, where all newcomers to the country entered and registered, now there is a museum.

Data

• Title: Officially translated from French, its name is "Liberty that illuminates the world." She is also known as the Statue of Liberty, Lady Liberty or Miss Liberty.
• Design: The author of the statue is the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. Postav Eiffel was responsible for engineering work, he also created its steel inner frame. The total weight of the statue is 254 tons.
• Dimensions: The statue itself has a height of 46.5 m and stands on a 47-meter pedestal, to the top of which a staircase of 194 steps leads, and 354 steps must be climbed to the crown of the statue.
• List world heritage UNESCO: The Statue of Liberty was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984.

Ellis Island

Served from 1892 to 1954 as a staging post for over 12 million immigrants hoping to start new life in America, Ellis Island is modest and sometimes even miserable, but on the other hand, it symbolizes the fulfillment of desires. Here in the island hospital, more than three thousand people died, many were denied the right to enter. The immigration station on Ellis Island is the second stop for ferries going to the Statue of Liberty. The beautiful main building became the Museum of Immigration (Immigration museum; Tel: 212-363-3200; www.ellisisland.org; New York Harbor (New York Harbor); audio guide $8; 9.30-17.00), where the most interesting exhibitions and film screenings are held about the life of immigrants, about how the influx of population has changed the United States.

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

This is our article.

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 the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted. 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 (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 torch 46.05 m


• Height from the ground to the top of the pedestal 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 10.67m


• Mouth width 0.91 m


• Plate height 7.19 m


• Plaque width 4.14 m


• Plate thickness 0.61 m


• The thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.57 mm.


• The total weight of the copper used to cast the statue is 31 tons


• 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 moulds. The formed sheets were then mounted on a steel frame.

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

The territory of Liberty Island (Freedom) originally belonged to the state of New Jersey, later was administered by New York, and is currently under federal administration. Until 1956, the island was called "Bedloe's Island", although it has also been called "Liberty 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 affixed to the wall in the museum, located on the pedestal of the statue. The famous last lines of "Freedom":

"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 cries, silent
Lips not parted - to live in empty luxury,
And give me from the bottomless depths
Your outcasts, your downtrodden people,
Send me the outcasts, the homeless,
I’ll light a golden candle for them at the door!”

In a translation closer to the text:

“Leave, ancient lands, the praise of the ages to yourself!”
Calls silently. "Give me your weary people,
All those who yearn to breathe freely, abandoned in need,
From the narrow shores of the persecuted, the poor and orphans.
So send them, homeless and exhausted, to me,
I raise my torch at the golden gate!

What does the Statue of Liberty really symbolize?

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 fairy tale about the American dream and the ideals of democracy, the national pride of the non-existent American nation?

About the true origin and ordeals of sculpture, about its origins, originating in incompatible cultures, or about financial side the existence of a "lady" is not accepted. The fable about the gift in honor of the friendship between France and the United States travels the world as traditionally as the ruddy Santa Claus - another brainchild of commerce. But we still turn over a few pages of history back and see how it really happened.

The idea of ​​​​creating a statue belongs to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi - if you can call it an idea to create an unoriginal monument that can boast only fragments of classical art yes giant size. 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. In order to get 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, stelae, the all-seeing eye, etc. also decorate various government buildings in the US. Let us recall that on July 4, 1776, representatives of their brotherhood signed the Declaration of Independence, which opened the way to the creation of an independent state (we wrote about this in the article “What is the USA or why was this state created? (Part One)” http://inance.ru/ 2015/10/usa-01/).

“What is the USA or why was this state created? (Part One)" http://inance.ru/2015/10/usa-01/

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

Egyptian sketches

In the 70s of the XIX century, under the control of Freemasons in Egypt, the construction of the Suez Canal took place. The young ambitious Bartholdi came here, and his imagination was struck by the majestic monuments of this region, which survived the millennia. So the idea was born in his head to create something as colossal and impressive that would forever perpetuate his name. Meeting with the head of construction, Ferdinand Lesseps, Frederick persuaded him to intercede about his plan. The proposal looked like this: install giant statue at the entrance to the future channel - it should have been twice as high Great Sphinx and serve as a beacon.

Bartholdi decided not to wait for the muse, but to hastily make some kind of layout for consideration by the local government (it was he who was credited with the alleged financing of the project). Yes, and it was not necessary to invent anything - this was already done by the ancient Greeks, who created around 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 the island of Rhodes and 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

Mithra is the Indo-Iranian god of light and the 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. Mitra became the god of friendship, who united, reconciled, protected, enriched people. They depicted him as a young man in short, flowing clothes and a Phrygian cap. The cult of Mitra at the beginning of our era spread in the Roman Empire, enjoyed the patronage of emperors, and was later supplanted by Christianity.

A special photo of the head of the Statue of Liberty at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878.

When the cult of the god Mithra spread in Ancient Rome, the following legends began to be told about the god of the Sun. He was born as a rock at sunrise. In one hand he held a sword, in the other hand a torch. Mithras fought 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 bull's blood fertilized the soil, and plants, fruits, and small animals flourished everywhere.

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

Miter with rays and an eagle, which later became the symbol of the United States

Along with numerous symbols, they are engraved with the signs of the zodiac. 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-pointed crown from the god Mithras, although there is another deity who looks similar. Have you started thinking about the title: "Progress Bringing Light to Asia"? Or replace "progress" with "Egypt"? And then they remembered the popular in France painting "Freedom on the Barricades" 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 a gigantic idol - so Bartholdi returned to France without salt and slurp.

French incarnation

Eugene Delacroix "Freedom on the Barricades"

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

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

But the "gift" had to be paid - both to French and overseas ordinary citizens. A whole Franco-American Union, headed by Laboulet, was urgently established, and committees were organized in both states to organize fundraising. Moreover, none other than our old acquaintance, Ferdinand Lesseps, became the head of the French headquarters! The fundraising campaign in the United States was led by Joseph Pulitzer, later known as the creator of the most prestigious journalism award, and then still the publisher of the New York World newspaper. With an understanding of all the intricacies of influencing the masses, he criticized rednecks and moneybags, referring to ordinary Americans (the merchant was not a blunder - this significantly increased the circulation of his newspaper). No one will tell us exactly how much money the friendly gentlemen laundered in this good deed, but in the USA alone, 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 construction panama canal, but became famous thanks to the 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 served as Prime Minister of France, helped him get out of the Panamanian scam.

French engineer Gustave Alexandre Eiffel (left) and Auguste Bartholdi (right)

Eiffel made 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 bound the statue itself.

He put the Book of Laws (Declaration of Independence) into his left hand, dressed the now “lady” in Roman clothes.

Some believe that Bartholdi gave her the features of his mother, Charlotte Beiser, although the model was the recently widowed Isabella Boyer, wife of Isaac Singer, an entrepreneur in the field of canal equipment and sewing machines, who sponsored Jewish socialists along with Rothschild.