Full name of the Statue of Liberty. Who gave America the Statue of Liberty? How was the Statue of Liberty used?

I work a lot with children and it is always interesting for me to probe the boundaries of their horizons when we start classes. Sooner or later I ask a question about America, something like: "What do you know about this country?" or "What is the most famous monument in America?" Almost every child tells me that the symbol of America is the Statue of Liberty.

On my list of attractions that I wanted to visit in New York, the Statue of Liberty was number 8. But while walking around the city, it flashed here and there on the horizon so often that I decided to go to it earlier. Having carefully thought out the route and choosing a day, I went to find out what it is and why the Americans need this monument so much.

Statue of Liberty in numbers

It is not at all surprising that the monument is visible from many parts of New York, although it is located on Liberty Island south of Manhattan. After all, the height of the Statue is 93 meters from the base of the pedestal to the tip of the torch. At the same time, Lady Liberty herself occupies only half of the monument - about 46 meters. The length of the right hand holding the torch is almost 13 meters, and the length of the foot is slightly more than 7.5.

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 illuminating 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 in Ancient Rome Since the cult of the god Mithra spread, the following legends began to tell 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 (symbol 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 newspaper " New York World". 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.

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 there had not yet been laid in Nizhny Tagil Railway. 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. On observation deck 25 windows were created that offer a view of 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 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, developer of the creation project eiffel tower, participated in the design of the internal steel frame 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 the left shows a tablet with inscriptions. The inscription indicates the date of the most important event for the entire 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 interesting 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. It was originally known as the Liberty Enlightening the World"-" Freedom Illuminating 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 painting depicting it in its 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 local population to 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. 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 importance 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 world heritage UNESCO.

(Statue of Liberty, full name - Freedom, illuminating 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.

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, about 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan, one of the boroughs of New York. Until 1956, the island was called "Bedloe's Island", although it has been popularly called "Liberty Island" since the beginning of the 20th century.

The goddess of freedom holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left. The inscription on the tablet reads "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" ("July 4, 1776"), the date the Declaration of Independence was signed. With one foot, "Freedom" stands on broken chains.

Visitors walk 354 steps to the crown of the Statue of Liberty or 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown, which symbolize earthly gems and heavenly rays that illuminate the world. The seven rays on the crown of the statue symbolize the seven seas and seven continents (the western geographical tradition has exactly seven continents).

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 cement base is 27,000 tons. The thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.37 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

“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!”

Creation of the Statue of Liberty

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 Issac Singer, a creator and entrepreneur in the field of sewing machines. “She was freed from the awkward presence of her husband, who left her with only the most desirable attributes in society: a fortune and children. From the very beginning of her career in Paris, she was a public figure. As the beautiful French widow of an American entrepreneur, she proved to be a suitable model for Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty."

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 (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 designs to his assistant, an experienced structural engineer, Maurice Koechlin. Interestingly, the copper for the statue is of Russian origin.

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 for the pedestal, designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, was completed, with the first stone laid on 5 August. Construction was completed on April 22, 1886. Built into the massive stonework of the pedestal are two square lintels of steel bars; they are connected by steel anchor beams that go up to become part of the Eiffel 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, holding a torch, had already been on display at the Philadelphia World's Fair 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, which was addressed by US President Grover Cleveland, 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.

Statue like a lighthouse

From the day of its discovery, the statue served as a navigational landmark and was used as a lighthouse. Three caretakers took turns keeping the fire in her torch for 16 years.

Statue as a cultural monument

History of the Statue of Liberty and the island on which it stands is a story of change. The statue was placed on a granite pedestal inside Fort Wood, built for the War of 1812, whose walls 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.

On October 28, 1936, on the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue, US President Franklin Roosevelt said: “Liberty 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 service national monument was transferred to the Service national parks. 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 turned 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 start of restoration work, the Statue of Liberty was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 5, 1986, the restored Statue of Liberty was re-opened to the public during the Liberty Weekend dedicated to its centenary.

Statue and security

The statue and the island were closed from September 11, 2001 to August 3, 2004 due to the terrorist attack on the World shopping mall. On August 4, 2004, the monument was opened, but the statue itself, including the crown, remains closed. However, in May 2009, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the statue would be reopened for tours effective July 4, 2009.

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