Symbols of St. Petersburg reflect the history of the emergence, creation and development of this city, which for more than two centuries has been the capital of the Russian Empire. Therefore, the consideration of these attributes is of great importance for understanding the characteristics of his cultural, political and social life, as well as the policy of the rulers for its improvement and decoration.
Emblem
The official symbols of St. Petersburg are directly related to the imperial policy aimed at giving it international significance, which was especially relevant at the time when our country entered the European level of development and took one of the leading places in the system of Western European powers. The city was built primarily as a fortress and stronghold on the banks of the Neva for access to the open sea. Therefore, the construction of the fleet and port was of particular importance. In this regard, two anchors appeared on the coat of arms of the city: river and sea, as a designation of the significance of the capital as one of the main ports in the country.
Symbols of St. Petersburg show the history of the formation of the capital as a major imperial center of the country. This is emphasized by the scepters on the red heraldic shield, which serves as a backdrop for the basic attributes. On top of the coat of arms is the imperial crown, and the shield is framed by blue ribbons of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called with scepters. It should be noted that the final form did not take shape immediately, but gradually, the final design can be attributed to the time of the reign of Alexander II. After the 1917 revolution, attributes of monarchical power were removed from it, signs were left that symbolized only its naval significance. But in 1991, the city got its former meaning and regained the traditional coat of arms.
Flag, anthem
Symbols of St. Petersburg reflect the status of this city as the Northern capital of Russia and its most important cultural center. Its flag, in principle, repeats the image of the coat of arms, but without the imperial crown, scepters on the sides and St. Andrew's ribbons. The anthem is the orchestral performance of an excerpt from the ballet The Bronze Horseman (lyrics by O. Chuprov).
Monument
Symbols of St. Petersburg are a kind of chronicle of the city. Historical monuments include the famous monument to Peter I, which is known as the Bronze Horseman. It was created by E. Falcone. The latter created a plaster model, and subsequently led directly to its casting. The monument was unveiled in 1782. It was designed according to the plan of Catherine II, who even consulted about his details with Diderot. This sculpture has a large semantic load, as it shows the power of the empire.
By erecting it, the ruler wanted to emphasize the continuity of her policy to the principles of the time of Peter the Great. The author portrayed the first emperor on a rearing horse. He is dressed in emphasized simple clothes, girded with a sword and has a laurel wreath on his head, which shows him the victorious commander. The sculpture is set on a simple rock, which indicates the difficulties that he had to overcome in the course of his reform work. The sculptural image of a snake at the foot means the resistance of enemy forces. In general, a monument means the victory of civilization, the triumph of reason and enlightenment, which is fully consistent with the principles of the reign of Catherine.
Angel
State symbols of St. Petersburg were created in order to emphasize the new status of the city as the largest not only Russian, but European center.The second important historical monument is the figure of an angel on top of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. It was created by the Dutch author Boles. In the second half of the next century, it was replaced by another, created according to the drawing of Saleman. It differed from the previous one in that it stood upright and was firmly connected with the cross. In the 1990s, the figure underwent restoration work and was put in place.
Pillar
The unofficial symbols of St. Petersburg are interesting because in the popular consciousness they are associated with the appearance of the capital. One of the most striking examples is the famous Alexandrian pillar (or column). It was built during the reign of Nicholas I and, according to his plan, was to symbolize the victory of his older brother in World War II. The king wanted the column to surpass in height and scale the other largest Western European monuments.
The project was created by O. Montferrand and is a real miracle of engineering technology: the column stands, relying only on its own weight and weight. In addition, the monument is deeply symbolic in its design: it is crowned with the majestic figure of an angel who holds the cross with his left hand and lifts it to the sky with his right hand. The pillar is indeed the largest monument in the world, surpassing the columns in European cities.
Columns
Symbols of St. Petersburg, photos of which are presented in this work, personify its importance as the imperial center of our country. It was with this calculation that he was created and decorated. One of the most iconic structures of the Northern capital are rostral columns located on Vasilievsky Island. They were designed by Tomon and were intended to emphasize the exchange buildings. The body of the columns itself was created from Pudost stone and is decorated with sculptural images of the rostr - bow of the ship, from where the name of the structures came from. At their top there were lamps that light up on holidays.
Ship
One of the most popular symbols of the city in Soviet times was the cruiser Aurora. At that time, he was known for the fact that it was from him that a single volley was fired, which served as a signal to begin the assault on the Winter Palace in October 1917. This ship was designed and launched at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, it participated in several naval battles. Before the revolution, it was under repair and was again equipped with torpedo, mine, artillery guns. The sailors of the cruiser were strongly influenced by the Bolshevik party and therefore, during the start of the coup, they joined them. Subsequently, the image of "Aurora" was surrounded by a romantic halo, in particular, thanks to the famous song. This contributed to its popularization, so the ship is still an unofficial sign of the city.
Bridges
However, perhaps the main symbol of St. Petersburg is the drawbridges. They were also especially popular in the Soviet era because they lacked signs of monarchical power, and also because they symbolize the importance of the city as a major maritime and strategic center. The Annunciation bridge was the first of them, it is distinguished by amazing architectural beauty and beautiful construction. The largest bridge is the Palace. It was created according to the plans of Pshenitsky and became the largest in the empire. It was opened when its design was not yet completed, but it was finally completed only in our days. Trinity Bridge is also one of the best architectural structures. It is made in the Art Nouveau style, processed with granite and today it is considered to be the most beautiful building.
