New york statue of liberty. What does the Statue of Liberty actually symbolize? Statue of Liberty - goddess of darkness

The Statue of Liberty, one of the most iconic sculptures in the US and the world, reopened on July 4, US Independence Day, following repairs and cleanup work following Atlantic Hurricane Sandy that hit the country's coastline last fall. The symbol of New York and the United States is a gift from the people of France for the centenary of the American Revolution in 1886.

Collected in this issue are photographs that tell the story of the Statue of Liberty from its birth in Paris to the present day.

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.

His first project failed.

Studio in Paris, 1875

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.

Left: The hand and torch of the Statue of Liberty being made in a studio in Paris, 1876. Right: The head of the Statue of Liberty is being made in a Parisian studio, 1880.

Meanwhile, in France, the sculptor Bartholdi needed the help of an engineer to solve the design issues associated with the construction of such a giant copper sculpture. Gustave Eiffel (the future creator of eiffel tower).

Workers create a Statue in a Paris workshop, 1882.

The statue was completed by the French in July 1884. Here she stands near the workshop of the sculptor Bartholdi in Paris.

She was delivered to New York on June 17, 1885 aboard the French frigate Isère. For transportation, the statue was disassembled into 350 parts and packed in 214 boxes. 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.

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.

New York, 1930 The Statue of Liberty is often called "the symbol of New York and the USA", "the symbol of freedom and democracy", "Lady Liberty".

Ocean liner Queen Mary and the Statue of Liberty, June 1, 1936. Few numbers. The height from the ground to the top of the torch of the Statue of Liberty is 92.99 m, the height of the statue is 33.86 m, the height from the ground to the top of the pedestal is 46.94 m.

Bedloe Island, where the Statue of Liberty was installed, was a slum area. Congressmen asked for $1,000,000 to clear the area on the island. New York, March 5, 1948.

September 7, 1937 area national monument was enlarged and extended to the whole of Bedloe Island, which was renamed Liberty Island in 1956. In the photo: visitors look out from the crown of the Statue, October 26, 1946.

In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan commissioned to raise money and restore the Statue of Liberty. $87 million was collected for the restoration. On July 4, 1984, the restoration began.

Restoration of the Statue of Liberty, 1984

Let's look inside. Here you can see the frame and various supporting structures, 1984.

Metal frame and spiral staircase inside the Statue, 1988

Old torch of the Statue of Liberty.

This is a new torch and a view of Manhattan, 1985.

At the beginning of the restoration work, the Statue of Liberty was listed world heritage UNESCO. On July 5, 1986, the restored Statue of Liberty was re-opened to visitors during the Liberty Weekend dedicated to its centenary.

The statue and the island were closed from September 11, 2001 to August 3, 2004 due to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

The Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan, October 26, 2006. By the way, there are statues of Liberty in other cities. Most copies of the Statue of Liberty are located in its homeland - in France. There are four of them in Paris.

After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the Statue and its crown were reopened for tours only on July 4, 2009. Visitors to Liberty Island and the Statue are still subject to restrictions, including body searches similar to airport security checks.

The Statue of Liberty and the Space Shuttle "Discovery" flying "on the back" of the mighty specially equipped Boeing 747 airliner, April 27, 2012.

In October 2012, the Atlantic hurricane Sandy made a devastating procession across the North American continent, paralyzing life in 13 states in one way or another. The statue itself, over 33 meters high, withstood during a hurricane, the consequences of which in New York have not yet been completely eliminated, but Liberty Island has undergone severe floods and power failures. Tens of millions of dollars were spent on restoration work.

After restoration work, the Statue of Liberty reopened to the general public on July 4, 2013.

The Americans proclaimed the statue a symbol of freedom, which is also a visual embodiment of the country's democracy. The Statue of Liberty itself is located on a separate island of the same name near New York; the date of its construction is considered to be 1886.

Forty-six meter gift

This statue is one of the seven tallest statues in the world, its height is about 93 meters. She, as it were, rises on her island, stretches out her hand holding a torch, straight into the sky. If we calculate separately the height of itself and the height of its pedestal, it turns out that the pedestal on which it rises is 47 meters, respectively, the statue itself, a gift from France, is slightly less - about 46 meters.

If you look in detail, you can also study the height of the details of the statue. The torch, which is in the right hand of the monumental goddess of Liberty, has a length of 8.8 meters.

Inside the hand of the statue is the so-called service or work ladder, its height is 12.8 meters. In the first years after the discovery of the statue, this staircase was accessible to the general public, and anyone could climb it, but later - in 1916 - it was open to the public. Currently, a special elevator can take visitors to the statue to its pedestal and to the very top - the crown.

In the opposite hand, the statue holds a tablet on which is written the date when the US Declaration of Independence was adopted.

crowned lady

Located on the head of the goddess of Liberty, it has its own original device and symbolism. There are 25 windows in the crown, which allow you to enjoy a stunning view from a height of 93 meters.

Such a building is not only high, but also heavy. The total weight of the structure is estimated to be about 125 tons, and the weight of the copper statue is 31 tons.

The 7 rays located on the crown symbolize the 7 continents into which the earth is divided.

The Statue of Liberty is often compared to another giant statue- The Colossus of Rhodes. The height of the Colossus, according to the surviving historical data, reached from 36 to 100 meters. Historical chronicles differ in testimony, and therefore it is not possible to say exactly how many meters were in the wonder of the world today.

An American poet who praised the Statue of Liberty wrote a work that she called The New Colossus. Thus, once again emphasizing the majestic height of the building, later it was her work that was engraved on a bronze tablet and attached to the pedestal of the statue, which now houses the Museum of the Statue of Liberty.

The most famous symbol of America is the sculpture "Liberty Enlightening the World". Many are aware that it was a gift from France, but few people know which country else participated in its creation, albeit indirectly.

Also from the article it will be possible to learn about some interesting facts related to the construction, installation and operation of the statue. And also you will know the names of those who made a lot of effort to create a monument.

What was the gift for?

It is known who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But what was this gift dedicated to? In 1876, France decided to present a present for the centenary of US independence. It took years to raise funds for this idea. The French and Americans took part in this. But while the statue was erected, several years had passed, and the anniversary of independence had already passed.

"Lady Liberty" holds a tablet in her hand, on which the date of signing is written in Latin, namely "July 4, 1776". In 1883, Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New Colossus" was dedicated to the statue. Lines from it were engraved on a plate in 1903 and attached to the pedestal of the sculpture.

History of creation

The story began with the decision of France to entrust this work to the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Further, the countries agreed that the pedestal would be built by American forces, and the sculpture - at the expense of the French. Who else was involved in the creation of the gift?

For your attention - a list of those who gave America the Statue of Liberty:

• Frederic Bartholdi designed appearance and gave his wishes as to where the Lady Liberty would be best placed;
• and his assistant Maurice Koechlin created drawings of a massive steel support and supporting frame;
• Richard Morris designed the pedestal for the sculpture;
• US General William Sherman chose the site for the statue;
• Ulysses Grant is the President of the United States who supported the idea of ​​creating a symbol of Freedom.

The sculpture was completed in 1884. She was delivered disassembled on the frigate Ysere to New York Harbor a year later. It took more than two hundred boxes to do this. It took four months to assemble official opening took place on October 28, 1886. Despite the fact that the gift was ten years late for the centenary, many honored guests gathered for its opening, including US President Grover Cleveland. If it were not for such a belated opening of the monument, then the people of America heard a congratulatory speech from which 07/04/1976 still held this post.

Russian trace

In addition to the French and Americans, according to some sources, Russians are also involved in sculpture. The copper sheets with which it was covered were purchased in Russia. They were made at the Nizhny Tagil plant. However, many researchers have already been able to refute this fact. The fact is that in those days a railway had not yet been laid to Nizhny Tagil. The researchers concluded that the copper was brought from Norway, although there is no documentary evidence for this.

Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? Regardless of whether there was a Russian or Norwegian trace in this, it was the French people who initiated and created the symbol of freedom.

Selecting a location for installation

Where is the Statue of Liberty today? As at the time of its installation, it is located on an island three kilometers southwest of Manhattan (its southern part), in New York. Before the appearance of the statue, it was called Bedloe's Island. After the installation of a French gift on it, the people began to call it the island of Liberty. In 1956 it was officially renamed.

Use of the statue

For the entire period of its existence, the well-known symbol of America was not just an architectural monument. Initially, it was planned to be used as a lighthouse. Practice has shown that the lamps in the torch were weak and inefficient. From the unit that managed the lighthouses, the figure was transferred to the military department, and later to the service that dealt with national parks.

By 1924, the exhibit became a US National Monument, and was later included in the UNESCO list.

How was the Statue of Liberty used? different years? She had the following incarnations:

• lighthouse;
• museum;
• Observation deck.

During the entire existence of the figure, it was repaired many times, but the most global work was carried out in 1938 and 1984.

The reader already knows who gave America the Statue of Liberty. But few people know that the sculpture depicts ancient Greek (some historians agree on this). This goddess was the mistress of hell, and the torch was used by her in underworld. In addition, she was considered the patroness of witchcraft, insanity, madness, obsession. Hecate was depicted with horns on her head, but they can be seen at the statue in the form of rays of light. Although it is believed that in fact Bartholdi embodied the image of the ancient Roman goddess Libertas.

The right hand holding the torch crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times. It was first transported in 1884 to Philadelphia for the World's Fair, after which it was returned back. The third time the hand swam across the ocean with all the other parts of the statue.

After the events of September 11, 2001, access to the island and the symbol of America was closed. By 2012, access was fully open, up to the crown. You can go up the stairs or take the elevator. To reach the crown, you need to go through 356 steps. The observation deck has 25 windows overlooking the harbor.

There are many smaller copies in the world. For example, in Paris, Tokyo, and more than two hundred copies are in America itself.

It is believed that the number of rays on the crown symbolize the seven continents, according to Western geographical tradition.

By 1886, the torch was badly damaged by corrosion and it was replaced with a new one, which was covered with 24-carat gold.

The most recognizable symbol of New York and the United States throughout the world is the monumental Statue of Liberty. The full name of the sculpture is "Liberty Enlightening the World" (English - Liberty Enlightening the World).

The statue rises in New York Bay, on Liberty Island, located 3 km from south coast always busy Manhattan. in honor of the statue former island Bedloe was popularly called at the beginning of the 19th century, it was officially renamed in 1956.

The sculptural image of the goddess of Liberty is deeply symbolic. The inscription on the tablet, which Liberty holds in her left hand: "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" - "July 4, 1776" - the official date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. With one foot, the goddess stands on broken fetters. The Crown of Liberty has seven rays - this number echoes the number of continents and seas (seven each - according to Western geographical tradition).

Monuments-copies of the Statue of Liberty Bartholdi can now be found in different countries peace. The most famous of them are in Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas.

Weight and height of the Statue of Liberty in the USA

According to various sources, the weight of copper in the statue is from 27.22 to 31 tons, the weight of the steel structure is 113.4-125 tons. The total weight of the Statue of Liberty exceeds 200 tons.

The height of the Statue of Liberty in New York is 93 meters, it includes a concrete and steel pedestal and a 46-meter female figure with a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left.

There is an elevator inside the pedestal. To climb to the crown of Liberty from the level of her feet, it is necessary to overcome 377 steps.

Contrary to popular belief, the Statue of Liberty in the United States is not one of the ten tallest monuments in the world in terms of its height. However, taking into account the pedestal, it takes 6-8th place in the list of the largest monuments (depending on the classification), is the most tall statue in USA.

History of the Statue of Liberty

France is the country that donated the Statue of Liberty to the United States on the centenary of the American Revolution.

Copper neoclassical sculpture designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. The supporting structure was carefully thought out by Gustave Eiffel and his assistant engineer Maurice Koechlin. According to the agreement, the monument was erected by the American side according to the project of R. M. Hunt.

The site for the monument in New York Harbor was approved by Congress in 1877, taking into account the wishes of the sculptor Bartholdi, who chose the island, past which all ships sailed to New York.

For a number of reasons, the statue was installed later than the anniversary date. Funding problems were relevant for both countries. To attract investors, the right hand torch was first completed: they were exhibited in 1876 at the Philadelphia World's Fair in 1876, and then exhibited in New York's Madison Square.

The French part of the monument - the figure of Liberty - was completed in 1884. The frigate Ysere delivered the statue to New York on June 17, 1885. 350 constituent parts of the future design were packed in 214 boxes. It took about 4 months to assemble.

The opening of the Statue of Liberty on October 28 was accompanied by a solemn parade through the streets of New York. The ceremony on the island was attended by senior politicians chaired by US President Steven Grover Cleveland. The builders laid the first stone of the pedestal on August 5, 1885. To strengthen the structure, steel lintels and upward anchor beams (similar to the frame of the Eiffel Tower) were built into the masonry for mounting the statue.

A green coating characteristic of copper has been covering the statue since about 1900, natural oxidation protects the metal from atmospheric influences.

Since 1933, the statue has been under the control of the Service national parks United States (NPS).

During the Second World War, the landmark-symbol remained open to tourists, but was not illuminated at night. On the day of the successful Normandy operation on June 6, 1944, the lights of the lighthouse statue transmitted the message of victory (letter V in Morse code).

In 1946, the inside of the statue was covered within reach of visitors with a special plastic from which the inscriptions can be easily washed off.

The original torch of the Statue of Liberty is now in the museum inside the pedestal. As you know, it was badly damaged as a result of an explosion on the Black Tom Peninsula in 1916, later modernized, but still required restoration, since water began to penetrate through it into the monument. As part of a large-scale restoration in 1984, the torch was replaced with its exact historical copy: it reflects the sun's rays during the day and is illuminated by searchlights at night.

The American Statue of Liberty was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984 as "a masterpiece of the human spirit, a powerful symbol of peace, human rights, the abolition of slavery, global democracy and opportunity."

In a restored form, the statue became available to visitors in 1886. A second temporary closure occurred shortly after the September 11 attacks until the end of 2001, but the pedestal only became available in August 2004. Later, the monument was closed to visitors twice: for the period of installation of new elevators (for a year from October 2011), due to the suspension of the government (October 1-13, 2013).

How to get there

Entrance to national park Liberty Island is free, but access to it is possible only by ferry, for a trip on which you need to pay a fixed amount. The route also covers Ellis Island, which is now home to the Immigration Museum. The piers of the island are closed to private vessels.

Special cruise ferries (Statue Cruises ferries) run daily (except December 25), departing from two berths: from Manhattan's Battery Park and from Liberty State Park to Jersey City (New Jersey). The first ferry to the island departs at 9:30, the last at 15:30.

The cost of a ferry ticket to the Statue of Liberty: for adults and children from 13 years old - $ 18.5, for children 4-12 years old - $ 9, for the elderly (from 62 years old) - $ 14, children under 4 years old - free of charge. It is recommended to book tickets in advance - on the official website of the ferry company (so that the site is available - the entrance is anonymous). You can also check additional rates on the US National Parks website.

Statue of Liberty webcams

New York webcams overlooking the Statue of Liberty view the main monument from different angles — great way view the attraction in absentia.

Video "Statue of Liberty"

Location

Description of the object

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 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 of the 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 (the future creator of the 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

How to get there

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 thanOsicker 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 in charge of the exterior of the statue, while Eiffel was in charge of designing 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 up observation deck, located inside the crown, visitors will have to climb 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. Overall Height statues - from the base to the top of the torch - 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 filmed one episode in the background 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

Conclusion

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 partnership in the world. American history. In 1984, at the beginning of work on its restoration, the Statue of Liberty was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 5, 1986, the restored Statue of Liberty was re-opened to visitors during Liberty Weekend, dedicated to its centenary.