Description of the attraction
Bistrom Karl Ivanovich - adjutant, hero of the Patriotic War, which broke out in 1812. It is to this brave man that the famous monument located in the city of Kingisepp and erected in 1841 right at the burial place of the general is dedicated. The monument is located in the area of the hero's estate, which bears the name Romanovka.
The Bronze Lion is the only monument in the entire Russian Federation that bears not only a historical mark, but at the same time is the grave of the great general. For the purpose of erecting a memorial monument, funds were collected from soldiers and officers of one of the separate Guards corps. The sketch of the monument was developed by a talented student of the famous Art Academy named after Shurupov M. A. Having gone through difficult trials and obstacles on its way, it was the sketch of the monument of the young academician that won the projects belonging to the most eminent applicants. It should be noted that the sculptural structure in the shape of a lion was sculpted and cast by the master P. K. Klodt.
The decoration of the "Bronze Lion" was carried out in the classical traditions inherent in Russian architecture. The granite pedestal is a huge rectangle on which a bronze lion is located, holding its front paw on a ball and personifying the great Russian state as a symbol of statehood. On a large granite pedestal, the following words are carved: “To General and Adjutant Bistrom K. I. Guards corps as a symbol of eternal gratitude”, Varna, Borodino, Ostrolenka. Initially, a bronze bust portrait of the great adjutant general was placed between the lines of the inscription in a large rounded depression, but today it is no longer there, which is most likely due to the abduction by the fascist invaders during the enemy occupation of the city.
It is known that the memorial monument has been destroyed more than once. There is a known case when in 1919 the Bolsheviks decided to hand over the monument for scrap, dropping it from a granite pedestal. The mass of the bronze lion was so great that the activists were never able to load it into a truck. For a very long time, the massive lion was at the ditch. At some point, he was discovered by Ya. A. Komshilov. - Authorized representative for cultural institutions of the RSFSR People's Commissariat for Education. After that, the lion was put back in its original place.
Despite the restoration of the bronze monument, the monument was once again endangered. One of the versions of what happened tells that the German invaders became interested in the work of Peter Klodt in 1943 as a unique masterpiece of artistic casting. According to the logic of the Nazis, the "Bronze Lion" was bound to be relocated to the Third Reich. The second version is based on the event when the memorial monument was removed from the granite pedestal and taken to the city of Riga for further melting. Later it became known that the workers of the Riga metal foundry decided to preserve the unique sculptural work, keeping it buried in the ground. Soon a monument to K. I. was found in Riga after she was finally released. After some time, the bronze monument returned again for the purpose of restoration to Leningrad. After eight years, the monument was again transported to Romanovka.
As is known from the history of the family of Karl Ivanovich Bistrom, he did not have direct heirs or descendants. It is for this reason, according to the spiritual will of the deceased, that the estate in Yamburg was given for life to the nephews of the great adjutant general - Ardalyon and Nikolai Bistrom, Vera Arshenevskaya - her beloved niece, as well as to Karl Ivanovich's loyal friends - adjutant Valery Shemiot and Colonel Mikhailov. In addition, General Bistrom, during his lifetime, gave his order for the construction of an invalid house intended for guards soldiers, which was carried out using the income received from owning the estate. Today, the invalid home is still preserved and has found its use as a ski base.
