The Statue of Liberty was built on October 28, 1886. The French gave the statue to the American people as a sign of friendship between France and America. Over the past years, the monument has been recognized not only as the personification of the friendship of the two peoples (which has been relegated far to the background), but also as a symbol of the freedom of the American people, a symbol of the USA and New York as a whole.

The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. A deadline was set - the monument had to be completed by 1876, coinciding with the centenary of the US Declaration of Independence. It is believed that this is a joint French-American project. The Americans worked on the pedestal, and the statue itself was created in France. In New York, all parts of the Statue of Liberty were assembled into a single whole.

After construction began, it became clear that much more funds were needed than originally planned. A large-scale fundraising campaign, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events were initiated on both sides of the ocean. When calculating the design parameters of the huge Bartholdi statue, the help of an experienced engineer was required. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, creator of the Eiffel Tower, personally designed the strong iron support and frame that allows the copper shell of the statue to move freely while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.

Pictured: Alexander Gustav Eiffel

Americans were reluctant to part with funds, and therefore there were difficulties in collecting the required amount, so Joseph Pulitzer wrote a number of articles in the pages of his World newspaper, addressing representatives of the upper and middle classes and urging them to allocate money for a good cause. The criticism was extremely harsh, and it had an effect

By August 1885, the United States managed to collect the required amount; by that time, the French had already completed their part of the work and brought parts of the statue to New York. The Statue of Liberty was divided into 350 parts and transported on the frigate Isere in 214 boxes. In 4 months, all parts of the monument were assembled, and in front of a huge gathering of people, on October 26, 1886, the opening ceremony of the legendary monument took place. It so happened that the 100th anniversary gift was 10 years late. It is worth noting that the hand with the torch was assembled even earlier and was even exhibited at an exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876

The history of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the place where it was built, is closely connected with the history of the formation of the United States. The monument was placed on a pedestal inside Fort Wood, which was built specifically for the War of 1812 in the shape of a star. For the first few decades, the complex was maintained by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, and it was not until 1924 that it became a National Monument. And in 1937, the area of the monument was expanded to the borders of the entire Bedlow Island, in 1956 it was renamed Liberty Island

In 1982, the monument was restored. President Ronald Reagan personally oversaw this process, appointing Lee Iacocca as manager. Fundraising was initiated again and $87 million was raised. This time, money was raised in a fairly short period of time, which became the most successful example of cooperation between the state and the private sector in the entire history of the United States. In 1984, the Statue of Liberty was designated a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986, in honor of the centenary of the monument, the complex was reopened to the public, this time everything was completed without delay for 10 years

Ronald Reagan

There are 354 steps leading to the top of the statue, and 192 to the top of the pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown, which symbolizes the precious stones of the Earth and the rays of the sun that illuminate the world. The seven rays on the crown of the statue symbolize the 7 seas and 7 continents. The plaque the statue holds in her left hand reads: “July 4, 1776.” To cast the statue, 31 tons of copper were used, and the total weight of the steel structure was 125 tons. The weight of the cement base is 27 thousand tons, and the thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.37 mm

After September 11, 2001, the statue and island were closed due to terrorist threats, but tours were resumed in 2009. You can climb onto the statue itself and its crown, but the torch is still closed. All visitors are subject to personal search in order to avoid a terrorist attack.

An interesting fact is that a wind of 100 km/h will cause the monument to sway 7.62 cm, while the torch will sway 12.7 cm. During the solemn speech at the unveiling ceremony of the statue on October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland made the following speech:

“We will always remember that Liberty chose this place as her home, and oblivion will never cover her altar.”

The Statue of Liberty, or Lady Liberty as it is also known, has symbolized the spread of freedom and democracy for many years. A clear symbol of liberation is the statue’s trampling of broken shackles. Impressive structure located on the mainland North America in New York, invariably appears to the eyes of all its guests and gives the most unforgettable impressions.

The Making of the Statue of Liberty

The monument went down in history as a gift to the United States from the French government. According to the official version, this event took place in honor of America's celebration of 100 years since its independence, as well as 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 Labouelé.

Work on the creation of the statue began in 1875 in France and was completed in 1884. It was headed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a talented French sculptor. It was this outstanding man who spent 10 years creating in his art studio the future symbol of freedom on a global scale.

The work was carried out in collaboration with the best minds in France. Gustave Eiffel, developer of the creation project Eiffel Tower, took part in creating the design of the internal steel frame of the famous statue. The work was continued by one of his assistants, engineer Maurice Koechlin.

The ceremony of presenting the French gift to American colleagues was planned for July 1876. The obstacle to the implementation of the plan was a banal lack of funds. American President Grover Cleveland was able to accept the gift from the French government in a solemn ceremony only 10 years later. The date of the ceremonial transfer of the Statue was October 1886. Bedloe's Island was designated as the site for a ceremony of historic proportions. 70 years later it received the name “Liberty Islands”.

Description of the legendary attraction

The Statue of Liberty is listed as one of the world's most famous masterpieces. Her right hand proudly raises a torch, while her left hand displays an inscribed tablet. 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. The dimensions of the head are 5.26 meters, the length of the nose is 1.37 m, the eyes are 0.76 m, the arms are 12.8 meters, the length of each hand is 5 m. The size of the tablet 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 a total of about 125 tons.

25 viewing windows located in the crown act as a symbol of the country's wealth. And the 7 rays coming out of it are a symbol of the seven continents and seas. In addition to this, they symbolize the expansion of freedom in all directions.

Traditionally, one gets to the location of the monument by ferry. A favorite place to visit is Corona. To enjoy the local landscapes and views of the New York coast from above, 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 in the body itself.

As a reward, the most persistent visitors are rewarded with expansive views of New York City and its picturesque surroundings. No less interesting is the pedestal, where the museum is located with historical exhibitions located in it.

Little-Known Interesting Facts About the Statue of Liberty

The period of creation and subsequent existence of the monument is filled with interesting facts and stories. Some of them are not illuminated even when tourists visit New York City.

First name of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is the name by which the masterpiece is known throughout the world. At first it was known as “Liberty Enlightening 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 installation site was to be the territory of Egypt at the entrance to the Suez Canal. The Egyptian government's abruptly changed plans prevented this.

Prototype of the Statue of Liberty's face

It is widely known that the face of the Statue of Liberty is nothing more than the author’s imagination. However, two versions of its origin are known. According to the first, the prototype of the face was the face of the famous model of French origin, Isabella Boyer. According to another, Frederic Bartholdi immortalized the face of his own mother in the monument.

Metamorphoses with color

Immediately after its creation, the statue was distinguished by its bright golden-orange color. In St. Petersburg, visitors to the Hermitage can see a painting where it is depicted in its original form. Today the monument has become green. This is due to patination, a process in which metal takes on a blue-green hue when exposed to air. This transformation of the American symbol lasted for 25 years, which is captured in numerous photographs. The copper covering of the statue oxidized naturally, which can be seen today.

"Travels" of Lady Liberty's head

A little-known fact: before all the parts of the French gift were assembled in New York, the Statue of Liberty had to travel around the country for some time in disassembled form. Her head was exhibited in a Philadelphia museum 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.

Ex-record holder

In the 21st century, there are buildings that surpass the symbol of America in height and heaviness. However, during the years of development of the Statue project, its concrete base was the largest and largest concrete structure in the world. Outstanding records soon ceased to be so, but the monument is still associated in the world consciousness with everything majestic and new.

Twin Statue of Liberty

Many copies of the American symbol have been created all over the world, among which several dozen can be found in the USA itself. A pair of 9-meter replicas can be seen in the vicinity of New York's Liberty National Bank. Another copy, reduced to 3 meters, holding a Bible, adorns the state of California.

The official twin copy of the monument appeared in the late 80s of the 20th century. The Americans presented it to the French people as a sign of friendship and gratitude. Today this gift can be seen in Paris on one of the islands of the Seine river. The copy is reduced, nevertheless, it is capable of striking others with its 11-meter height.

Residents of Tokyo, Budapest, and Lvov erected their own copies of the monument.

The authorship of the copy reduced to a minimum belongs to the residents of western Ukraine - sculptor Mikhail Kolodko and architect Alexander Bezik. You can see this masterpiece of modern art in Uzhgorod, Transcarpathia. The comic sculpture is made of bronze, is only 30 cm in height and weighs about 4 kg. Today it symbolizes desire local population to self-expression and is known as the world's smallest replica.

Extreme “adventures” of the monument

The Statue of Liberty has gone through a lot in its lifetime. In July 1916, a brutal terrorist attack occurred in America. On the island of Black Tom Island, located next to Liberty Island, explosions were heard that were comparable in strength to an earthquake of about 5.5 magnitude. Their culprits turned out to be 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 trick was a great success. The huge statue really disappeared, and the stunned audience tried in vain to find a logical explanation for what they saw. In addition to the miracles he performed, Copperfield surprised with a ring of light around the Statue of Liberty and another one next to it.

Today, the symbol of the United States still stands majestically in the sky above New York, retains its important global significance and is the pride of the American nation. For America itself and other countries, 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.

For us, Paris is inextricably linked with the Eiffel Tower, Berlin with the Brandenburg Gate, Moscow with the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower, and London with Big Ben. Once in these cities, we immediately look around: where are these city symbols that are so important to us? Likewise, New York for all its guests is inseparable from the Statue of Liberty. Although it has long belonged not only to this wonderful city. Over time, the Statue of Liberty has turned into an unconditional and indisputable symbol of a huge country. And even to some extent - the whole world.

In France there is a wonderful excursion route— “Alsace Wine Road.” The main pearl of this tour is a visit to the ancient half-timbered town of Colmar. Once there, it is impossible not to look into the beautiful and spacious mansion located in the very center. It was here that Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the future author of the famous Statue of Liberty, was born into a fairly wealthy family in 1834.

Nowadays there is a museum of the famous sculptor, on the top floor of which there are numerous models of the “Statue”, in various robes and headdresses, as well as photographs of all stages of its production and installation.

From here, after the death of his father, Frederick went to study in Paris, and then returned here as an architect.

Then, in the 1850s, he went on a trip to Egypt. The Pyramids, Sphinx, Luxor Temple and huge sculptures amaze and fascinate him. And Frederic gets the idea to create something equally majestic and grandiose.

Here he meets a famous diplomat and entrepreneur Ferdinand de Lesseps om, who then entered into negotiations with the Viceroy of Egypt Mohammed Said Pasha to obtain permission to begin work on the construction of the Suez Canal.

And when this construction was already nearing completion in 1869, Bartholdi received information that the Egyptian government was planning to install a lighthouse in the Port Said area, at the very exit of the canal to the Mediterranean Sea. Frederic urgently goes to the construction manager Lesseps with an interesting proposal. Roughly speaking, the basis of his idea was a unique interpretation of the sixth wonder of the world - the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, which was a grandiose structure (lighthouse) in the form of a huge sculpture of the Sun God - Helios. His 36-meter figure, facing the sea and presumably installed at the entrance to the harbor Greek island Rhodes, was crowned with a crown with rays on her head and held a torch in her outstretched hand.

Bartholdi proposed to create a similar statue in Port Said, but with the image of an Egyptian woman in traditional dress, also with a torch in her hand, calling it “The Light of Asia” or “Egypt bringing the light of Asia”, as a symbol of the special role and progress that the Middle East brought To the east is the Suez Canal.

And although Lesseps accepted this idea with enthusiasm and worthily presented it to the new ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, it was never implemented. Most likely because the country's authorities did not want to incur additional costs for its construction. Ultimately, an ordinary lighthouse was built there, serving faithfully to this day. Meanwhile, Bartholdi returned to his French projects and customers.

France. Birth of an idea

Soon it broke out The Franco-Prussian War, and after it came the Paris Commune. During these years, the ideas of republican America were especially close to the French. Moreover, a big date was approaching - the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of America. It is for this anniversary that the chairman of the Franco-American Society, Edouard de Laboulaye, a lawyer, historian and author of a three-volume work on the history of America, decides to create a thematic museum.

At this very time, after the triumphant completion of the construction of the Suez Canal, Lesseps returned to his homeland. He immediately takes an active part in the work of the community. Since it was assumed that the Americans would want to erect a corresponding monument for such a significant date, the idea arose at the same time to do this together.

Naturally, the well-known sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was also involved in this work. As we know, there have already been certain studies in this regard. And he is reworking his Suez project, although he will then do his best to deny this relationship.

Of course, in some ways he was right. Using only the basic idea - the “woman symbol”, Bartholdi thoroughly rethought and reworked that long-standing project. First of all, Frederick gave the figure a certain dynamics.

At that time, a painting by Eugene Delacroix was especially popular in Paris, in the foreground of which a beautiful woman was depicted with a tricolor republican banner in her right hand and a gun with a bayonet in her left, striving to step through the gunpowder smoke onto the barricade - “Liberty Leading the People.”

It is this striving forward, towards the goal, that Bartholdi tried to convey in his new work.Therefore, the right foot of the sculpture is already in motion, and the left one tramples the broken shackles at its feet, as a symbol of liberation from oppression, tyranny and slavery. This topic was especially close to American society at that time.

In the sculpture’s outstretched right hand, he placed a torch, sanctifying the path, and in the left hand - peculiar tablets with the date of signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States - July 4, 1776, inscribed in Roman numerals “JULY IV MDCCLXXVI”, which is perceived completely naturally.

Which felt completely natural. After all, this heroic woman is like the ancient Roman goddess of freedom Libertas ) , was dressed by him in a loose toga and shod in sandals. The image he presented actually embodied the symbolic figures of Colombia from the United States and French Marianne.

A crown was placed on her head, framed (like diamonds) by 25 windows, with a halo of seven rays, personifying the seven parts of the world.

But the most important thing is the face. And Bartholdi portrays his mother. Later, the legend that his model was the beautiful Frenchwoman Isabella Boyer, the widow of the founder of the sewing machine company Isaac Singer, would become quite popular. But this version does not stand up to criticism. Indeed, to create the integrity of the image, Bertoldi needed not just a beautiful Raphael Madonna with her maternal tenderness and anxiety for the fate of the child; and even a beautiful French woman, not inspired by a revolutionary impulse, calling to the barricades; but a determined and purposeful woman, corresponding to the image of Libertas.This is exactly what his mother was, Charlotte Beiser, in whose portrait he only slightly toughened the features.

"Face" of the Statue of Liberty. Photo: Depositphotos

Frederick was so inspired by this Franco-American project that in 1871 he went to America with drawings and letters of recommendation, where he met many Americans who were kind to him and his project. It was probably at this time that he received orders to make the Figures of Four Trumpeting Angels for a church in Boston and a statue of General Lafayette in New York, which he completed in 1874 and 1876 respectively.

While observing the work of New York Harbor at the time, Bartholdi noticed that all ships arriving in New York sailed past Bedlow Island. And therefore, during a visit to President Ulysses Grant, he discussed with him the possibility of installing the future Statue of Liberty there. To which I received a generally positive response. Bartholdi was still thinking in the usual categories of a lighthouse - a kind of symbol of the water gate to the city. After all, it was precisely such figures that were supposed to greet ships when entering the harbor of Rhodes, or the Suez Canal.

While Frederick was working on the technical side of this project, “on top level» its organizational issues were resolved. In the end, already in 1895, it was decided that on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of America, the French side would present America with a gift of the Statue of Liberty and organize its production, delivery and installation. The Americans, for their part, had to choose a place to install it and build a pedestal.

In both states, committees were created to organize fundraising. The French committee was headed by Ferdinant Lessens, and the American one was headed by lawyer William Evarts. An experienced entrepreneur, Lessens organizes banquets, evenings, social receptions, concerts, charitable donations and lotteries in France to attract influential circles to the campaign. The French opera even organized a musical performance, for which the famous composer Charles Gounod specially wrote an oratorio dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. He also conducted the orchestra. All this made it possible for Bartholdi to begin making the sculpture very soon.

When constructing a structure of such height and power, the most important thing was to solve the problems of its strength, rigidity and stability. Initially, it was assumed that the bottom of the statue (up to its middle) would be filled with sand, and only then work would follow on installing a metal frame. In this case, the folds of the toga on the statue could serve as a kind of stiffening ribs.

But the famous designer Gustave Eiffel (later the author of the Eiffel Tower) and his employees, who were involved in this work, proposed a different scheme: the installation of massive vertical steel supports, with an intermediate supporting frame. It was to this that the flexible skeleton of the iron statue was then supposed to be attached, to which light copper fencing sheets, easy to install and process, were hung. Moreover, both Eiffel and Bartholdi were well aware of the monuments to San Carlo Borromeo in Italy and Arminius in Germany, where similar solutions with copper cladding had already been used. True, the dimensions of these structures were significantly smaller than the Statue of Liberty.

The adopted design solution could also ensure complete stability of the sculpture when it oscillates from the pressure of the wind (now the range of oscillations of the figure itself reaches 7.6 cm, and the torch - 12.7 cm). In fact, this project was one of the first examples of a structure in which the external elements did not perform the load-bearing function provided by the internal structures.

Since at that time the Statue of Liberty was the tallest structure in the world, it is natural that many other technical problems arose during its manufacture. But they were gradually resolved, and soon the French side approached completion of the work.

America. Dream come true

In the United States the situation was completely different. Fundraising was slow and was openly boycotted by many. Since construction was to be carried out in New York, many cities withdrew from raising money. In fact, the committee was active in only three places: New York, Boston and Philadelphia. An attempt was made to pass a bill to allocate money for construction from the New York budget, but Governor Cleveland vetoed it. An attempt to receive part of the funds from the state was also unsuccessful. In the commissions of the US Congress, opinions prevailed that the construction of the “allegorical” monument was untimely at a time when the country needed monuments to heroes Civil War.

The only issue that has been finally resolved is the allocation of space for construction. After Bartholdi himself visited New York, the question of erecting a statue inside the city was dropped, and the military Fort Wood on Bedlow Island was finally accepted as the construction site.

In order to somehow stir up the Americans, Bartholdi in 1876 brought to the World Exhibition in Philadelphia a model of the statue and its detail - a life-size hand with a torch.

However, the demonstration of this characteristic detail of the future sculpture did not make the desired impression either in Philadelphia or later in New York, where it was on display in Madison Square Garden for several years. Viewers could not imagine the entire sculpture as a whole and therefore this “hand” was perceived with skepticism.

And after Bartholdi decided to display the head of the statue at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, evil tongues began to say that “the Statue of Liberty will have a “hand” in New York, a “head” in Paris and nothing else, wherever whatever it was."It seemed that this project would never be realized, and the finished products would remain to rust in Paris.

In this upcoming drama, the only positive moment for Bartholdi was the construction in the same year of the beautiful “Capitol Fountain” in Washington, which delights guests of the capital to this day.

And then, completely unexpectedly, a new character appears in this story. He becomes Joseph Pulitzer, the publisher of a number of newspapers, including the then very popular The New York World, comes from a family of Hungarian Jews.The man to whom the country ultimately owes the appearance of its symbol, journalists for the Higher School of Journalism and the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, and the world press for its “yellow” color.

Outraged by such a depressing attitude towards the construction of the Statue of Liberty on the American side, he is involved in the implementation of this project with all his energy and enthusiasm.From the pages of his newspapers, Pulitzer addresses US citizens with harsh criticism of their behavior (from the president to ordinary people) and an appeal to help finance the construction of the monument. There is a canard that the statue will be given to Boston, etc.

Describing the structure itself in detail and surrounding it with a romantic aura, Pulitzer organizes an entire fundraising campaign. At the same time, newspapers publish the names of people who donated money for the construction of the monument, among whom were people who gave less than one dollar to the committee, and even children. And what is most surprising is that by August 1895 he managed to collect the entire missing amount.

In fact, 12,000 donations were recorded in just five months. Two years before the events described here, the country also held an auction of all kinds of works of art, which cultural figures provided free of charge to the auctioneers. All proceeds from their sale were donated to a committee to raise funds for the construction of the monument.

Emma Lazarus, a poet of Jewish origin with Portuguese roots, also took part in it.

Her sonnet “The New Colossus” dedicated to the monument (like Bartholdi, she remembered the Colossus of Rhodes) received universal recognition. Lines from this sonnet were even included on a memorial plaque, which is now kept in the statue museum:

“Keep, ancient countries, your legendary splendor,

And give me your tired, your poor...

And give it to me from the bottomless depths

Our outcasts, our downtrodden people,

Send me the outcasts, the homeless,

I’ll give them a golden candle at the door...”

These lines were written by her after a wave of pogroms that swept across Europe in the late 1880s, as a result of which crowds of immigrants poured to the shores of America, hoping to find a new homeland.And therefore, this sonnet made us look at the Statue of Liberty from a completely different perspective - as a symbol of a country that was ready to take under its roof all the outcasts and the disadvantaged, and promised them freedom and equality on this shore. Thus, “The New Colossus” became a kind of illustration of the original name of the sculpture: “Freedom, bringing light to the world.”

Now it becomes completely clear why memorial sculptural monuments were erected in the western part of Liberty Island to these five people who made the greatest contribution to the implementation of the project called “The Statue of Liberty.” Edward de Laboulaye, who came up with the idea of erecting the monument. Frederic Bartholdi, the sculptor who realized it, and Gustave Eiffel, who developed the metal frame of the sculpture. And also Emma Lazarus - poetess, author of the sonnet “The New Colossus” and Joseph Pulitzer - editor, organizer of the final fundraising campaign for the construction of the base and pedestal of the sculpture.

And these structures themselves were developed by the American architect and sculptor Richard Hunt, under whose leadership construction work began on August 5, 1885. By April 22, 1886, they were virtually completed, along with the design of the base of the pedestal in the form of a star with 11 rays. The height of the base with the pedestal from the ground was 47 m, which was one meter higher than the height of the monument itself.

As you know, on July 4, 1884, France officially presented the Statue of Liberty to the US Ambassador. It was then completely assembled in Paris and put on public display, and then in 1885 it was dismantled and sent to New York on the military frigate Isère, divided into 350 parts and packed in 214 boxes. Assembling the statue on the pedestal took another four months. And finally, on October 28, 1886, ten years late, the grand opening of the Statue of Liberty was scheduled.

This event was preceded by a military parade through the streets of New York, which was watched by up to a million city residents in the morning of that day. At 12:45 p.m., the yacht carrying the opening ceremony participants and US President Grover Cleveland set off for the island from the Manhattan pier. The company was mostly male. Feminists in New York tried to break into the island, but were not allowed. Their unofficial representatives were only Bertoldi's wife and Lessens' little granddaughter. It was he who opened the celebration, making a speech on behalf of the French side.

Bartholdi was not there. At that time, he was at the head of the sculpture in order to, at a signal, cut the ropes holding the huge French flag draped over the statue, and hiding this delightful golden-orange woman with a torch in her outstretched hand from the spectators, frozen in anticipation. By the time he went downstairs, the official part was already coming to an end. He only managed to hear the prophetic words of President Cleveland: “We will never forget that Liberty has chosen her home here, nor that her chosen altar will never be abandoned.”

The weather that day was cloudy and rainy. They decided to switch the fireworks display to the first of November. But numerous guests and delegations enthusiastically received the festive fireworks from the 21st salvo. So, more than 130 years ago, they celebrated the construction of this 46-meter Statue of Liberty. As Bartholdi dreamed, it exceeded the height of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes by 10 meters, and at that historical stage became the tallest monument in the world. This is how it began...

Continuation of the legend

Bartholdi made his dream come true. He created a beautiful symbolic figure installed at the entrance to the port, facing the visitors, with its whole appearance instilling in them the hope that they are expected here and are welcome here. And for ships it was supposed to serve as a navigational landmark and beacon. But the general difficulties and concerns of installing the monument were so great that there was no time for the technical problems associated with maintaining the fire in the lighthouse. For 16 years, three caretakers tried to solve these problems, but with varying degrees of success. In 1901, the lighthouse service transferred maintenance of the statue to the War Department. By that time, the copper plating of the statue began to gradually oxidize from exposure to humid air, and the monument began to acquire the greenish color so familiar to us today. However, military experts have proven that this emerging layer, patina, is a kind of protection of the metal from aggressive influences. And therefore the statue should not be painted a different color, as numerous advisers have already begun to demand.

A little later, on July 30, 1916, German agents organized sabotage on the Black Tom Peninsula, where a large ammunition depot was located. On the night of the attack, a total of about one kiloton of ammunition was stored here, many of which were allegedly being prepared for shipment to countries fighting against Germany in the First World War. The power of the explosion was estimated at 5.0 to 5.5 on the Richter scale. Its fragments also hit the Statue of Liberty, slightly damaging some of its parts and the torch. Simultaneously with its reconstruction, an underwater power cable was laid from the mainland to the island, and powerful lamps were installed around the sculpture. And already on December 2 of the same year, US President Woodrow Wilson turned on the full illumination of the figure for the first time. Now she herself, shining in the background starry sky, better than any lighthouse, showed ships the way in the night.

Naturally, during the Second World War, the statue was not illuminated for blackout purposes. In the post-war period, attempts were made to commit sabotage on the tower itself, or to organize all kinds of protest rallies on its territory. And in 1971, members of the organization “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” carried out a so-called protest, generally barricading themselves inside the Statue, demanding an end to the war in Vietnam. All this testified to the special role that this building began to play in the life of the city, country and world.

In 1924, at the initiative of President Calvin Coolidge , The Statue of Liberty was declared a national monument, and already in 1933 its maintenance was transferred to the service national parks. Since 1937, the concept of a national monument has already been extended to cover the entire territory of the island, which in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island. It is curious that this idea was once voiced by Bartholdi himself.

In 1976, a more advanced and powerful lighting system was installed in the area of the monument. And in the early 80s, as part of the program to prepare for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the monument, a group of American and French experts discovered many structural problems that had accumulated during this time, and therefore it was recommended to carry out restoration work. They began in 1984, the same year that the Statue of Liberty was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The restoration required enormous work on anti-corrosion protection of about 1,800 metal plates of the statue, replacement of the torch, and design changes to stabilize the arm and shoulder. A glass two-story elevator, new staircases, and a heating and air conditioning system were installed. It was then that it became possible, having overcome 192 steps, to freely rise to the top of the pedestal. And those who wanted to get to the crown itself had to climb another 164 steps. A total of 356. However, the reconstruction was completed on time, and on July 5, 1986, President Reagan and French President François Mitterrand (now without a 10-year delay) inaugurated the statue to new generations of visitors.

However, due to the danger of terrorist threats after the events of 2001, and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the normal functioning of the Statue of Liberty was temporarily suspended, and was continued only in 2013.

By this time, it was already so famous, recognizable and popular that it began to be copied all over the world. The number of these copies in the world already numbers several hundred. Between 1949-1952, the American Scouts, in celebration of its fortieth anniversary, donated approximately two hundred pressed copper replicas, 2.5 m high (2.5 m. high), to various American states and municipalities. About half of them have survived to this day.

And the most popular of its copies in the United States are the sculptures installed near the New York casino building in Las Vegas and at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

But the Parisian ones are considered the most prestigious of all copies. In 1889, the Americans presented the French with a 4-fold smaller copy of the statue (its height is 11.5 m), which was installed in Paris on Swan Island - a narrow artificial dam on the Seine, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Initially it was turned towards the tower itself, i.e. to the site of the famous Paris World Exhibition, and only in 1937 it was turned to the west. Now she's looking straight at her "big sister" in New York.

View of the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Statue of Liberty is also visible. Photo: Depositphotos

Another two-meter copy, made by Bartholdi himself, found its place in the Luxembourg Gardens, but damaged by the barbarians, it was replaced by a copy. And the restored original now adorns the entrance to the Orsay Museum. But in the Museum of Arts and Crafts you can see in all details the very final model of the sculpture that was used by Bartholdi to create the American Statue of Liberty.

In 1987, the Americans made a new gift to Paris - the “Flame of Freedom”, a gilded full-size copy of this element of the sculpture of the American “Statue”.

Flame of Freedom in Paris. Photo: Depositphotos

It was installed on the Alma Bridge. And ten years later, the Welsh Princess Diana died right under him. And her many fans, identifying this fire with the memory of the princess, still bring bouquets of fresh flowers to the base of the monument. By the way, in 2004, on the centenary of the death of Frederic Bartholdi, a small copy of the Statue of Liberty (12 m high) was installed on his homeland - Colmar.

Symbols A visual image of the “Statue” and its parts can be seen on many commemorative coins, banknotes, stamps and postcards, emblems of sports associations and the Libertarian Party of the United States, New York license plates (1986 - 2000), advertising brochures of many companies, etc. .d etc.

It is easy to find numerous references to it in fiction, paintings and musical works all over the world.

It's rare to see a movie about New York without a picture of the Statue of Liberty. But there are many films in which she plays a “star” role. Already in 1933's The Flood, one of the first disaster films, an earthquake is shown turning Manhattan into ruins, after which a tsunami washes away the Statue of Liberty. The famous Hitchcock in his “Saboteur” (1941) depicts the confrontation of his heroes on top of the “Statue”. In Steven Spielberg's film "Artificial Intelligence" (2001), the Statue of Liberty also completely sinks due to global warming. And in the film “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004) she also freezes as a result of the onset of arctic cold. In “Planet of the Apes” (1968), the main character, having only discovered the half-buried Statue of Liberty on the ocean shore, realizes with despair that he is on planet Earth. And in the film “Iron Sky” (2012), the Nazis, flying to New York, destroy it. But " Ghostbusters 2"(1989) revive the Statue of Liberty and use it in the fight against Evil. And so in different variations in many more films. And even Soviet cinema - in Leonid Gaidai’s film “ The weather is good on Deribasovskaya, or it’s raining again on Brighton Beach"(1992) makes the Statue of Liberty turn its head in surprise towards the hero Dmitry Kharatyan flying on a bed over New York.

However, different amazing stories and the oddities associated with the “Statue” occurred not only in the movies, but also in real life. For example, in 1918 on the parade ground of a military camp Camp Dodge(Iowa) 18 thousand US Army soldiers formed the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. They were dressed in special uniforms of different colors and shades to create maximum realism of the composition. An overhead photograph of this structure was to be used in advertising war bond sales during World War I, but unfortunately was never used.

But 60 years later, during the election of the president and vice-president of the student union of the University of Wisconsin, a promise was included in the next election program to move the Statue of Liberty from New York to Wisconsin. Contenders for this post, Jim Mallon and Leon Varjan, commissioned a model of the sculpture, consisting only of a head and a hand with a torch, which were dropped by pranksters on the frozen Lake Mendota. At the same time, it seemed as if the remaining parts of the statue were covered with water.

However, the most memorable attraction associated with the “Statue” was not only performed by the famous illusionist David Copperfield in 1983, but was also included in the Guinness Book of Records. In front of a huge audience, he performed a brilliant trick, making the "Statue" disappear, using two towers, a rotating stage, an arch and a curtain that hid the sculpture from view. Of course, at the end of the trick, he “returned” the Statue of Liberty to its place, to the complete delight of numerous spectators.

About the place where this was installed famous sculpture, legends have been preserved associated with the name of Captain William Kidd, a pirate hunter who himself was a fairly wealthy man. Allegedly, in ancient times, he hid all his treasures on Liberty Island, which then bore the name Bedlow. Since then, many people have tried to discover this treasure, but to no avail. But in our time there is no point in bothering yourself with these searches. Not at all because everything was dug up here a long time ago, but because the Statue of Liberty erected here is in itself one of the most significant and unique treasures or jewels of the world.

Perhaps this is why, when traveling on business on the Staten Island Ferry, you can’t help but walk up to the side of the ship, watching how it slowly approaches the island with the Statue of Liberty located on it. And an amazing feeling of inner excitement and involvement with this city, this country and its main symbol involuntarily comes. The statue will be visible to you for some time, and then the image of this world-famous woman, who means so much to the world, will gradually dissolve into the distance. But it will never leave you. Forever remaining the legendary Statue of Liberty - one of the most important symbols of the country.

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On the day of the celebration of Satanist Halloween in the West, 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 unveiled in New York on October 28, 1886. What is it dedicated to and who does it represent?

This is what our article is about.

Official story

The sculpture was a gift from France for the 1876 World's Fair and the centennial of American independence. The statue holds a torch in its right hand and a tablet in its left. The inscription on the tablet reads “English. JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (written in Roman numerals for the date "July 4, 1776"), this date is the day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. “Freedom” has one foot on broken shackles.

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 precious stones 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 counts 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 ground to top of 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

Length index finger 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 10.67 m

Mouth width 0.91 m

Sign height 7.19 m

Sign width 4.14 m

Plaque thickness 0.61 m

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

The total weight of 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 constructed from thin sheets of copper hammered into wooden molds. The formed sheets were then installed on a steel frame.

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

The territory of Liberty Island was originally part of the State of New Jersey, was subsequently administered by New York, and is currently under federal administration. Until 1956, the island was called “Bedloe’s Island,” although it was also called “Liberty Island” since the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1883, American poet Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus,” dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. 20 years later, in 1903, it was engraved on a bronze plate and mounted on the wall in the museum, located in 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 the Russian translation by V. Lazaris:

“To you, ancient lands,” she shouts, silent
Without opening my lips, I live in empty luxury,
And give it to me from the bottomless depths
Our outcasts, our downtrodden people,
Send me the outcasts, the homeless,
I’ll give them a golden candle at the door!”

In a translation closer to the text:

“Leave, O ancient lands, the praise of centuries for yourself!”
Calls silently. "Give me your tired people,
All those longing to breathe freely, abandoned in need,
From the narrow shores of the persecuted, the poor and the 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 the 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 a non-existent American nation?

It is not customary to talk about the true origin and ordeal of the sculpture, about its origins originating in incompatible cultures or about the financial side of the “lady’s” existence. The fable of a gift in honor of the friendship between France and the United States travels around the world as traditionally as the ruddy Santa Claus, another child of commerce. But we will still turn a few pages of history back and see how everything really happened.

The idea of creating the statue belongs to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi - if you can call the idea of creating an unoriginal monument that can only boast of fragments of classical art and gigantic dimensions. Bartholdi was born in 1834 into a wealthy Jewish family and studied with the famous masters of Paris - without much zeal, but filled with ambitious plans. To get out into the world, 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, steles, all-seeing eye, etc. also decorate various government buildings in the United States. 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, 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 19th 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 had survived thousands of years. Thus the idea was born in his head to create something equally colossal and impressive that would forever immortalize his name. Meeting with the head of the construction, Ferdinand Lesseps, Frederick convinced him to petition for his plan. The proposal looked like this: install giant statue at the entrance to the future channel - it was supposed to be twice as high as the Great Sphinx and serve as a lighthouse.

Bartholdi decided not to wait for the muse, but to whip up some kind of model for consideration by the local government (it was he who was credited with the supposed funding of the project). And there was no need to invent anything - this was already done by the ancient Greeks, who created the Colossus of Rhodes - one of the seven wonders of the world - around 280 BC. This huge statue of an athletic youth, looking out to sea, was erected at the entrance to the harbor of the island of Rhodes and was subsequently partially destroyed by an earthquake.

Bartholdi “dressed” the model in Egyptian clothing, 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 subsequently the sun.

Notes in the margins

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

Special photo of the head of the Statue of Liberty at the World's Fair in Paris in 1878.

When the cult of the god Mithra spread in ancient Rome, the following legends began to be told about the sun god. He was born from a rock at sunrise. In one hand he held a sword, in the other hand a torch. Mithra fought with the Sun, conquered him and thus became his ally. After this, he subjugated the bull (a symbol of ancient civilization), dragged it into his cave and killed it there. The blood of the bull fertilized the soil, and plants, fruits and small animals grew wildly everywhere.

The Sun God was revered throughout the Roman Empire. This is evidenced even today by four hundred places of sacrifice that have been preserved from those times. The god Mithra was especially revered simple people who performed religious ceremonies in his honor. Thanks to the soldiers, Mithraism became known throughout the then world. The places of this cult known today exist mainly as altars in the rocks.

Miter with rays and an eagle, which later became a symbol of the USA

Along with numerous symbols, the signs of the zodiac are engraved in them. The god Mithra himself always takes the place of the Sun on them - the central constellation of the ancient Romans.

Thus the statue received a torch and a seven-rayed crown from the god Mithras, although there is another deity that looks similar. Have you started thinking about the title: “Progress Bringing Light to Asia”? Or replace “progress” with “Egypt”? And then we remembered the popular painting in France “Freedom on the Barricades” by the romantic painter Eugene Delacroix. The word “freedom” was already temptingly attached to the statue project, but the government refused to spend money on a gigantic idol - so Bartholdi returned to France empty-handed.

French incarnation

Eugene Delacroix "Freedom on the Barricades"

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

And 1876 was approaching—the centenary of American independence. Having heard complaints in a political circle 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 Laboulaye, decided to revive the project that had failed in Egypt. All this, of course, had to be correctly presented to the masses: it was decided to “donate” the statue to the States “as a sign of friendship between the peoples of the two countries.”

But the “gift” had to be paid for - both by French and overseas ordinary citizens. An entire Franco-American Union, headed by Laboulaye, was urgently established, and committees were organized in both countries to organize fundraising. Moreover, the head of the French headquarters was none other than our old friend - Ferdinand Lesseps! The fundraising campaign in the States was led by Joseph Pulitzer, later known as the creator of the most prestigious journalism award, and then also the publisher of the New York World newspaper. With an understanding of all the subtleties of influencing the masses, he criticized rednecks and moneybags, turning to ordinary Americans (the businessman was no mistake - this significantly increased the circulation of his newspaper). No one will tell us exactly how much money the friendly gentlemen laundered through this good cause, but in the USA alone, $100,000 was withdrawn from circulation in this way.

The main work on the creation of the statue was done by the famous French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (Bonichausen), then known for his adventure in embezzling huge funds for fictitious work during construction Panama Canal, but became famous thanks to its construction in the center of Paris.

Eiffel was also a member of the Masonic lodge, and another lodge brother, who at that time served as Prime Minister of France, helped him get out of the Panama scam.

French engineer Gustav 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 covered with metal sheets. Then Bartholdi took up the matter again and added several modern details: at the feet of the statue he placed “broken chains of tyranny,” more like the chains with which the statue itself was bound.

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

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

“Liberty Enlightens the World” has been greeting all travelers arriving in New York Harbor for more than a hundred years, and is one of the world’s most famous monuments, a symbol of the United States.

History of the Statue of Liberty

Shortly after the end of the American Civil War, the French scientist and writer Edouard de Laboulaye, who admired the ideas American system statehood, the idea of creating a monument that personified the US gaining independence came to mind.

The idea was picked up by another Frenchman, Frederic Bartholdi (architect of the Statue of Liberty), who at that time was working on creating a sculpture of a woman with a torch in her hand. Already in 1870, the French sculptor made the first sketches of the monument, with which he sent to the USA for approval of the project. The project finds approval from the American side (including from Ulysses Grant, who was then President of the United States), and representatives of the two powers (France and the United States) decide to begin construction of a monument called “Freedom Enlightening the World.”

With mutual consent of the parties, it is decided that the monument will be a gift to the United States from France on the centenary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States - July 4, 1876. According to the agreement between the countries, the sculpture itself was to be designed by the French side, and the American side would work on the creation of the pedestal.

However, the construction of the monument lasted for 10 long years...

Hand with a torch

After starting work on the project, it becomes clear that there is a catastrophic lack of money to create the monument. On both sides of the ocean, the initiators of the project begin collecting funds for construction, and various charity events are organized.

In August 1876, Bartholdi was forced to bring part of the sculpture (a hand with a torch) to the USA, where the fragment was installed at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, and then in Madison Square. Visitors are charged a fee to visit the Torch Hand, but the proceeds are still not enough to complete the construction.

The US Congress refuses to allocate funds for the construction of the monument, citing the plight of American finances and the untimeliness of erecting an “allegorical” monument, while the country needs monuments to the heroes of the Civil War.

Young journalist Joseph Pulitzer comes to the rescue, launching a large-scale campaign in the press to raise funds for the monument. The journalist calls on Americans to unite, fiercely criticizes those who are indifferent, and promises to write about everyone who makes even a small donation. The campaign was a success and after a few months the required amount was collected.

The fragment returns to France, where Bartholdi begins to work hard on the project: by 1878, the sculptor had already completed the head of the sculpture, and in 1879, Gustave Eiffel was involved in the creation of the monument. It was this talented engineer who designed the steel frame of the statue and the spiral staircases leading to the crown. Bartholdi and his assistants produced 350 cladding parts that were supposed to fit onto the frame. The parts were made of copper, which is easy to cut and bend, which made it possible to “fit” the parts directly during the process of assembling the structure.

The figure of Liberty was hung by the French in 1884, after which the structure was dismantled, and all parts of the sculpture were transported by ship in June 1885 to the United States.
The American side also did not waste time: the pedestal of the statue, designed by Richard Hunt, began to be erected in 1883. With the consent of Congress and taking into account the wishes of Bartholdi, Fort Wood, which had the shape of an eleven-pointed star, and was located on Bedloe Island in the harbor, was chosen as the site for the installation of the statue.

In April 1986, the pedestal was completed and assembly of the complete monument structure began. Finally, on October 26, 1886, the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty took place: President Cleveland, after the parade, went to Bedloe Island, where, amid general rejoicing, he tore down the French flag covering the statue and proclaimed that “Liberty itself has chosen this place as its home!”

general description

Three kilometers from busy Manhattan, in the bay, the majestic Statue of Liberty greets all guests, travelers and citizens.

The monumental monument, 93 meters high, consists of the female figure itself (46 meters) and a concrete pedestal (47 meters). The female figure holds a torch in her right hand, and in her left hand she clutches a tablet on which the date of Independence Day of the United States is carved in Latin letters.

At the foot of the monument lies a broken chain, symbolizing the cast off of the shackles of slavery and the victory of democracy. The crown has windows symbolizing the rays of the sun and the precious stones of the earth. To get to the windows you need to climb 354 steps, and if you climb just to the top of the pedestal - 194 steps. There is an elevator inside the pedestal.

The total weight is over 200 tons (including the cement base, copper coating and steel frame), and the length of the Statue of Liberty is 93 meters (including the pedestal).

At the bottom of the pedestal there is a bronze plate with poems by Emma Lazarus, which appeared here in 1903. The poetess's words were written after a wave of pogroms that swept across Europe in the late 1880s, after which crowds of immigrants poured to the shores of America in the hope of finding a new homeland. The poems convey the idea of the Statue of Liberty - the willingness to take under one’s roof all the outcasts and the disadvantaged, and the promise to give them freedom and equality on this shore.

The visit to Liberty Island and the Statue itself is free, but you can only get to it by water - on ferries and boats, where you will have to pay a certain amount for the trip. You can get to the Statue itself freely, but the number of visitors is strictly fixed. If you do not book a ticket in advance, your visit will be limited to a walk around the pedestal and a climb to the top. observation deck, where you can view the Statue from the inside through a special glass ceiling.

The Statue of Liberty is open to visitors all year round, but it is better to take a tour in the warm season - in winter, a boat trip will bring very dubious extreme pleasures due to the cold northern winds typical for this time of year.

Interesting Facts

The history of the Statue of Liberty is integral to the history of the United States itself, so it is accompanied by a lot of amazing and entertaining facts:

The personification of the friendship of two peoples: French and American, which formed the basis for the creation of the monument, was happily forgotten over time. Now the Statue of Liberty appears to the world exclusively as main symbol USA, personifying the victory of democracy and the country's independence.
The seven rays emanating from the crown are the seven seas and continents of light, from which travelers sail to America, hoping to find refuge and a new homeland. This is a symbol of hope for all the persecuted, disadvantaged, a haven for sailors and refugees from all countries of the world.
Initially, Bartholdi worked on creating a female figure with a torch in her hand to install it at the entrance to the Suez Canal - this project was never realized, but served as a prototype for another monument. The Statue of Liberty combines two images - the goddess of freedom ancient Rome Libertas and the symbol of Colombia.
The characteristic green color of the statue is given by sheets of cladding made of copper. Initially, projects were proposed to clean the surface, but then they decided not to touch the skin that protects the statue from further destructive corrosion.
Initially, the Statue of Liberty was supposed to be used as a lighthouse, but the lamps built into the structure were not very powerful. Having found no practical use for the Statue, the government's lighthouse department transferred the monument to the United States War Department in 1901. Already in 1933, the monument was transferred to the US National Park Service.
Bedlow Island, previously considered a slum area, significantly changed its status with the establishment of the monument, and in 1956 it was renamed Liberty Island, and 10 years later it was included in the National Register historical places U.S.A.
For the 100th anniversary of the creation of the monument, a thorough reconstruction of the monument was carried out (sea spray and cold winds thoroughly spoiled the appearance of the Statue), initiated by President Reagan. This time, funds for reconstruction were raised among American citizens in the shortest possible time, and more than covered the two million dollars spent on repairs.
Access to visitors has been closed several times since the installation of the Statue: from 1982 to 1986 (reconstruction), from September 2001 to the end of 2004 (due to the threat of terrorist attacks), and in October 2013 (during the government shutdown ).
After the successful Normandy operation, the lights of the lighthouse on the statue broadcast the news of victory to the whole world in Morse code.

UNESCO listed the American statue as a World Heritage Site in 1984, describing it as a symbol of peace, celebrating the power of the human spirit, the abolition of slavery, the victory of democracy and human rights.

The erected Statue of Liberty became at the beginning of the twentieth century the personification of independence, prosperity, and free life for many travelers who crossed the Atlantic in search of better life.

Who is the author of the Statue of Liberty? Statue of Liberty