Description of the attraction
In 1862, before the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Russia, Alexander II submitted the idea of building a monument of the same name. It was decided to erect a monument to the Millennium of Russia in Novgorod, a city that played a key role in the history of the Russian state.
The author of the monument was Mikhail Mikeshina, an unknown graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts. This was his first job. Although this was not officially mentioned, it also had a co-author, Ivan Schroeder. All the details of the monument - friezes, lattice, figures, and lanterns were cast in the capital.
The opening of the monument took place in 1862, on September 8. The solemn ceremony was attended by the emperor personally, the entire august family and members of the nearest retinue. For a few days, the population of the city of Novgorod almost doubled. The celebrations lasted for three days.
The monument was erected on the square of St. Sophia Cathedral. Due to its 15-meter height, and the scale of forms, it organically blended into the surrounding landscape and looks majestic, combining modern and ancient architectural structures into a single complex. The artist's creative idea - to associate the silhouette of the monument with the main symbols of Novgorod and Russian history - was received positively by both statesmen and the general public. The main components of the leitmotif are Monomakh's cap and veche bell. The construction consists of three levels, each of which symbolizes one of the parts of the dominant doctrine at that time: "Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality." In the lower part there is a frieze with high reliefs of 109 historical figures, symbolizing the idea of reliance on the power of society and its most glorious representatives.
Interestingly, the original project did not include friezes, but only bas-reliefs depicting six eras, separated from each other by medallions. However, Emperor Alexander II suggested replacing the bas-reliefs with a solid sculptural belt with prominent people of Russia. The approval of the lists of these people took a long time, as a result, many famous people were not included in this list. Even Nicholas I was added to the list of immortalized personalities at the last moment.
A sample of the sculptural belt was created by M. Mikeshin and Schroeder. The figures were sculpted by various famous sculptors. For the modeling of one figure in clay, its casting in plaster and delivery to a bronze factory, the State paid 4,000 rubles. In July 1862, all the groups and reliefs were collected and presented to the king, who approved them.
The frieze consists of four sections: "Enlighteners", "State People", "Military People and Heroes" and "Writers and Artists". The frieze of the lower tier consists of 109 figures. The second tier of the monument includes six sculptural groups. Each group represents one stage in the development of the Russian state: from Rurik to Peter I. Orienting each group to a certain part of the world, the authors figuratively noted the role of sovereigns in strengthening certain boundaries of the Russian state. The upper part of the monument depicts an Angel, symbolizing Orthodoxy, who blesses a woman kneeling before a cross, dressed in a national Russian costume and symbolizing Russia.
In August 1941, Novgorod was occupied by the Nazis. A Nazi general serving at the army headquarters ordered the dismantling of the monument in order to take it to Germany. The Nazis managed to take out the bronze lattice that surrounded the monument and the magnificent work of bronze lanterns. These parts were lost forever. In January 1944, Soviet troops entered Novgorod and liberated it.
By that time, the monument was a pitiful sight. It was half-disassembled - half-destroyed. The sculptures surrounding him were scattered in the snow. Many figures have been spoiled. Small details such as swords, staves, shields, swords disappeared without a trace. It was decided to restore the monument in its original form. In November 1944, his second solemn inauguration took place.
