Greetings to the readers of our portal! With this next article we will try to return to the description of the most interesting and juicy places on our planet after a long break. The choice of an object for the next review did not take long - the sorted list of 8 wonders of the world stood for too long without its candidate. Today we are reviewing the Statue of Liberty in the USA. A symbol in the monument to democracy and freedom of all the United States of America.

The Statue of Liberty (in English Statue of Liberty), also known as “Liberty Enlightening the World” or “Lady Liberty” is a symbol of freedom and democracy in the United States, a giant colossal statue made in the style of neoclassicism. The statue is located on Liberty Island, located 3 kilometers southwest of Manhattan Island. The special value of the statue was recognized by the world community - in 1984 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. We could not pass by such an object of human heritage.

Description of the statue

The giant Statue of Liberty stands on a pedestal. In her right hand she holds a torch, in her left - a tablet. The inscription on the tablet shows the date of adoption of the US Declaration of Independence (Roman numerals - JULY IV MDCCLXXVI, July 4, 1776 in our style). One naga steps on the broken shackles.

Tablet of the Statue of Liberty

To climb to the top of the statue and its crown, you need to walk 356 steps. You can shorten this excursion by climbing only the pedestal - 192 steps. In addition to the spiral staircase inside the structure, the visitor can also use the elevator.

View inside

There is a crown on the head of the statue. Its 25 windows symbolize “earthly precious stones and heavenly rays illuminating the world” - exactly which sources are not named, but it sounds at least funny. But with the rays of the crown, everything is already simpler - there are 7 of them, and they, in turn, symbolize the seven seas and continents. It is worth noting that in the Western world it is generally accepted that there are 7 continents. They don’t say whether this symbolism was invented before or after the creation of the statue, but the general idea of ​​the crown is a little strange.

The total height of the statue is 93 meters, the net height of the statue without a pedestal is 46 meters. The manufacturing process used 31 tons of copper, 125 tons of steel and 27,000 tons of pedestal concrete.

Thin sheets of copper, 2.57 mm thick, were minted in wooden molds. They were used to create the figure of the statue itself. To secure the entire structure inside the statue, there is a steel frame embedded in concrete.

Now the highest point of the statue accessible to tourists, the crown, offers a magnificent view of New York Harbor. The pedestal houses a history museum, and Liberty Island itself (Liberty Island, or until 1956 Bedlow Island) is also recognized as a national monument.

View from the crown

Statue of Liberty in stark numbers

Sculpture parts
Height from ground to top of torch
Statue height
Hand length
Index finger length
Head from crown to chin
Face width
Eye length
Nose length
Right arm length
Right arm thickness
Waist thickness
Mouth width
Sign height
Sign width
Plaque thickness
Height from ground to top of pedestal

A little history of the statue: the beginning

The history of the Statue of Liberty begins with the most famous fact - the statue is a gift from France to the United States in honor of the centennial of American independence. But how everything went from the origin of the idea to the situation of modern days - read below.

The idea of ​​​​creating the statue belongs to the French thinker, writer and politician Edouard Rene Lefebvre. Being the president of the anti-slavery society in France, he was very impressed by the victory in the American Civil War of the fighters against the slave system. According to the testimony of the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, this idea appeared to Lefebvre in 1865.

The existing policy of Napoleon III did not allow such a project to be undertaken. Therefore, progress resumed only at the end of the 1860s. The sculptor Bartholdi had ideas for creating a majestic colossus before. The project was originally proposed for Egypt, but budgets did not support the transportation and installation of the statue. The 100th anniversary of independence in the United States was another excellent occasion to create a high-level project.

The project has begun to move. According to the agreement, France was to create the sculpture itself, and the United States was to create the pedestal. Bartholdi acted as a sculptor. But to create such a massive structure, the help of a great engineer was required - Gustave Eiffel, the future creator of the legendary Eiffel Tower, was invited to take his place.

From the first showings to the opening

Work in Bartholdi's workshop was in full swing. Already in May 1876, at the World Exhibition in Philadelphia, the right hand of the future statue with a torch was shown. To visit this impressive structure they charged 50 cents (not bad money in those days). The hand itself made a huge impression on visitors to the exhibition. In order not to lead the hand back to France after the exhibition, it was placed in New York's Madison Square Garden.

At the World Exhibition of 1876

But the process of creating the statue was not without problems - there was not enough finance. To solve this problem, charitable donations, entertainment events, lotteries, theatrical performances, exhibitions, auctions, and boxing fights were held.

The publisher of the World newspaper, Joseph Pulitzer, played a special role in fundraising. A man who has made a career from a newspaper delivery man, a journalist of small articles to the owner of a publishing house - surely he should not understand the current thoughts of the people. Campaigning to raise funds for a new material embodiment of the American idea and dream did not last long - after only 5 months of work, the funds were collected. The contribution of this man is difficult to overestimate; the Pulitzer Prize is still one of the most prestigious awards among journalists.

Working in the workshop

While the statue was being made, an act of Congress in 1877, General William Sherman approved the location of the future statue - Bedloe's Island. The process of choosing a location was not complete without the sculptor’s recommendations. The location was not chosen by chance - at the mouth of the Hudson, near Ellis Island, the place where all newly arrived future US citizens arrived, the place where their initial registration took place.

Construction of the pedestal began on August 5, 1885 - on this day the first stone was laid here. The project architect is Richard Morris. Less than a year later - April 22, 1886 - the pedestal was already completed. Additionally, 2 lintels made of steel beams were built into the masonry, which are connected by anchor beams that go upward as part of the steel frame of the statue. Thus, the pedestal and the statue are one whole, a solid, massive, strong structure.

The Statue of Liberty was completed back in 1884, and on June 17, 1885, it was delivered to New York Harbor. For transportation, it was previously disassembled into 350 parts and packed into 214 boxes. Note that the assembly process itself took another 4 months. This is a real designer for great people.

The grand opening of the statue took place on October 28, 1886. The discovery was delayed from the idea for 10 years. US President Grover Cleveland also took part in this ceremony, who uttered a phrase that went down in history:

“We will always remember that Freedom chose this place as its home, and its altar will never be covered by oblivion.”

After opening

Previously, Fort Wood was built at the location of the statue (built for the War of 1812, of course, not with Napoleon), shaped like a five-pointed star. In the center of it, on a pedestal, the statue was installed. On October 15, 1924, Fort Wood and the statue were declared a national monument. And later the entire island fell under the area of ​​the national monument.

Early Fort Wood slums

Even later, neighboring Ellis Island was also included here, where at first the immigration center was located, where all new arrivals to the country were registered.

View from the ship upon arrival in New York

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan plans to restore the monument, slightly tired from time to time. The event raises $87 million. Immediately at the beginning of restoration in 1984, the statue was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 5, 1986, it again became open to visitors.

Restoration of the Statue

Back in 1916, the staircase to the torch was closed for safety reasons. During the restoration in 1986, the torch was replaced with a new one, plated with 24-karat gold. The old torch was placed near the pedestal. But still, the exit to the crown remains the most accessible point for the visitor.

Old torch

Everyone remembers September 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The statue and the island were immediately closed to visitors; it was impossible to risk visitors - after all, this is a symbol of all of America. Since then, access to the statue has been made more difficult. It was possible to get to the island from the end of 2001, to the pedestal only from August 4, 2004. From July 4, 2009, President Barack Obama opened access to the statue, but with restrictions on the number of visitors per day.

The next installation of new elevators and stairs took place from October 29, 2011 to October 28, 2012. Full access up to the crown has now been resumed.

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. The impressive structure is located on the North American mainland in New York, invariably presenting itself to the eyes of all its guests and giving 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, the designer of the Eiffel Tower project, took part in the creation 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 the local people's desire for 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 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 the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jeroen van Luin / flickr.com Alan Strakey / flickr.com Liberty Island, New York, USA (Delta Whiskey / flickr.com) Statue of Liberty, New York, USA (Mobilus In Mobili / flickr.com) Andy Atzert / flickr .com Anthony Quintano / flickr.com Liberty Island, New York (Phil Dolby / flickr.com) Anthony Quintano / flickr.com Chris Tse / flickr.com sylvain.collet / flickr.com Plaque in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty with the date of adoption Declaration of Independence (Pete Bellis / flickr.com) ali sinan köksal / flickr.com Jon Dawson / flickr.com Tom Thai / flickr.com Wilhelm Joys Andersen / flickr.com David Ohmer / flickr.com Justin / flickr.com Torch of the Statue of Liberty (Mike Clarke / flickr.com) Top view of the Statue of Liberty (StatueLibrtyNPS / flickr.com)

The Statue of Liberty is the main symbol of the American people, the idea of ​​freedom. In addition, this is another symbol of the New York metropolis.

The majestic structure in America is located on Liberty Island. Approximately 3 thousand meters in a southwesterly direction from the south of Manhattan Island in New York. Until 56 of the last century, the island in the USA, which is now decorated with the Statue of Liberty, was called Bedlow. Although at the beginning of the century it was already nicknamed “Freedom Island”.

In the right hand of the statue, which is 12.8 meters long, there is a burning torch. On the left is a sign, the length of which is 4.14 meters. The date of the Declaration of Independence of the United States from Great Britain is written on it.

Broken shackles can be seen under the statue’s feet, which in turn symbolizes liberation. On the head, the distance from the chin to the back of the head is 5.26 meters. The length of the nose is 1.37 meters.

7 Prong Crown of the Statue of Liberty, New York (sylvain.collet / flickr.com)

The statue is crowned with a crown of 7 teeth. This is a symbol of seven seas and at the same time seven continents. According to geography, there are only seven continents on the globe: Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica. Seven seas mean the same number of parts of the World Ocean. There are also windows in the crown that sparkle like diamonds in the sun and decorate it.

Another fact is that visitors usually walk 192 steps to get to the podium. And in order to climb to the very top, you need to overcome 356 steps. The size of the statue is quite impressive. The total height of the structure is 93 meters. And the height of the statue itself is 46 meters.

To visit this attraction, you need to get to the island by ferry. Usually they go to the very top, from where you can admire the stunning panorama of New York and its harbor, which defies description.

Who gave the Statue of Liberty to America?

Despite the fact that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America and New York, it was not made in the States. Where did she come from then?

Plaque in the left hand of the Statue of Liberty with the date of the Declaration of Independence (Pete Bellis / flickr.com)

The attraction is interesting because it is a gift from France to the States on Independence Day. The statue was designed and made by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor. The main idea is to give a gift to America on the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.

The widow Isabella Boyer posed for the statue. An interesting fact is that this was the wife of Singer, an American creator of a famous brand of sewing machines. This lady was not the last person in the capital and at the same time a beautiful woman.

An interesting fact is that the Statue of Liberty was originally planned to be erected not in New York, but in Port Said - in Egypt. But the Egyptian authorities considered this project too expensive. Therefore, it was decided to transfer the structure to the USA, where it will rise on the island of the New York metropolis.

Design and preparation for construction

The US authorities undertook to build the pedestal, and the statue itself was made in Paris. The French undertook to install it on site.

View from above of the Article of Liberty, New York, USA (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)

In order to raise the necessary amount for the implementation of the project, special measures were taken in both countries. In France, a certain amount of money was raised through lotteries, entertainment events, and citizen donations. In America, in order to raise the required amount, theatrical performances, artist exhibitions, fights in the ring and auctions were held.

In France, the author of the structure, Bartholdi, needed a technically educated person to construct the statue. Another interesting fact: this person was destined to become the architect Gustave Eiffel, whose most famous work in the future was the Eiffel Tower. He needed to design a steel support for the structure and a frame to support the statue with great height in a vertical position.

For a statue of great height, a huge amount of copper was needed. There are different interesting versions about the place of its extraction. For example, in Russia, in Nizhny Tagil. But the results of the study revealed that the copper was from Norway. The concrete base on which the Statue of Liberty stands required large amounts of cement. A German concrete production company undertook to supply it.

The formation of the amount necessary for construction did not proceed quickly enough. Joseph Pulitzer even called on American citizens to support construction. His speeches significantly influenced the speed of implementation of the plan. The pedestal was designed by an architect named Richard Morris Hunt.

Erecting the Statue of Liberty

Construction of the massive foundation near Manhattan in New York began on August 5, 1885. It took a little less than 9 months to build, and work ended on April 22, 1886. Steel lintels are inserted inside the stone pedestal. The metal beams connected to them are directed upward to form an Eiffel frame inside the structure itself.

France made its gift in the summer. The length of the entire structure was almost 34 meters. For transportation, it was disassembled into 350 fragments, which were distributed among many boxes. They were transported to the USA on the ship Isere. After 11 months, the Statue of Liberty appeared near New York, where it was erected in 4 months of work.

The Statue of Liberty was officially unveiled in 1886 in New York. The celebration was attended by Grover Cleveland, then ruling in the United States, and more than a thousand residents and guests of the city.

History of the Statue of Liberty of the United States of America

The Statue of Liberty near New York City sits on its massive granite base inside Fort Wood, built for defensive purposes in the early 19th century. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the lighthouse service was responsible for the operation of the facility. The US military then took over this role.

On October 15, by decree of the US government, Fort Wood, together with the Statue of Liberty, acquired the status of a monument to the American nation in the United States.

“a symbol of New York and the USA” Jon Dawson / flickr.com

In 1933, the US National Park Service became responsible for the Statue of Liberty. In 1937, the size of the monument grew and began to coincide with the outline of Bedloe. In 1956, the name of the island changed, it acquired a new name - Liberty Island.

In 1982, under the influence of the head of the country, Reagan, a project was created to restore the Statue of Liberty. As a result, an amount of $87 million was collected. In 1984, restoration work began, during which the old torch was replaced with a modern one with gold plating. Another interesting fact is that 24-karat gold was used for plating. In 1986, the renovated Statue of Liberty welcomed everyone to visit it on the occasion of its anniversary.

In early September 2001, due to the tragedy in the Twin Towers, the island, along with the Statue of Liberty, became inaccessible to those wishing to visit it. It was only in 2004 that the Statue of Liberty was again open to the public, but access to the top was still closed.

On July 4, 2009, by order of US President Obama, it became possible to visit the top of the Statue of Liberty. In 2011, the elevators with stairs were updated in honor of the next anniversary. In addition, for the convenience of visitors, an escalator was installed here. In 2012, the Statue of Liberty became fully accessible to New Yorkers and visitors to the United States.

The Statue of Liberty is one of the symbols of America and New York. It has been attracting tourists for many years and is a cult place among Americans.

On the day of Satanic Halloween celebrated 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
• 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 10.67 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 to yourself!”
Calls silently. "Give me your tired people,

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: to install a giant statue at the entrance to the future canal - it was supposed to be twice as tall 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 by ordinary people who performed cult rites 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 on 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. He, with an understanding of all the subtleties of influencing the masses, 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 (Bonnickhausen), then known for his adventure in embezzling huge funds for fictitious work during the construction of the 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 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.

Isabella Boyer

The process of making a statue in pictures

American life statues

After production, the statue, hopelessly late for the event to which it was dedicated, was brought to the USA and installed on Bedlow Island (it was renamed Liberty Island only in 1956). Later, it was here that business districts, dizzying skyscrapers appeared, and in general the largest financial center in the world was formed.

The official unveiling of the statue on October 28, 1886 was attended by representatives of the Freemasons, including US President Grover Cleveland. The pathetic speech was delivered, apparently to pay tribute to refined sarcasm:

“We will never forget that Liberty chose her home here, nor that her chosen altar will never be abandoned.”

At first, masculine “freedom” did not evoke any enthusiasm or patriotic feelings among people. And Bartholdi had to somehow explain the suspicious symbolism of his brainchild: the torch is supposedly an attribute of the Enlightenment, and the crown is a symbol of the seven oceans and seven continents.

And now the time of the First World War has come - the right moment to cash in on the patriotism of gullible ordinary people.

Hello! This is FREEDOM speaking - millions of dollars are needed and they are needed NOW

YOU buy freedom bonds so I don't die. On the stamps: “Get behind the government. Liberty Loan of 1917". - “Stand behind the government. Freedom Loan 1917."

The funds raised from the sale of these multi-colored pieces of paper (under the guise of a genuine symbol of American Freedom) covered almost half of the military budget.

Inscriptions on a poster from the First World War: STANDING BEHIND the guys in the trenches. Victory. Buy Freedom Bonds

Statue of Liberty - goddess of darkness

It's time for us to move on to the most interesting part. We previously indicated that symbolically the attributes of the Statue of Liberty can be attributed to the ancient Iranian god Mithra, whose cult spread throughout Ancient Rome, the heir of Egypt (where all Western civilization originates), however, we indicated that there is another deity that looks similar.

Some believe that since the statue depicts the goddess of freedom, it means Libera (Greek Kore or Persephone), who was the deity of fertility, but also the underworld in ancient Roman mythology and religion. She was often identified with the goddesses Proserpine (Persephone among the Greeks) or Ariadne and was the wife of Dionysus-Liber.

Notes in the margins

Bacchus (Dionysus among the Greeks) is the patron god of vineyards, winemaking and wine. His wife was the goddess Libera, who helped winegrowers and winemakers. The holiday in honor of this married couple was celebrated on March 17 (close to the Ides of March, read about them http://inance.ru/2016/03/martidi-2016/) and was called liberalia. In the cities on this day, in addition to solemn sacrifices, theatrical performances were held, and in the countryside it was marked by cheerful processions, jokes, dances and feasts with an abundance of libations for Bacchus Liber, “freeing man from all kinds of worries,” and his wife Liber. During liberalism, sacrifices were also made to the goddess Ceres. The sanctuary of Liber and Libera was located in the temple of Ceres. The cult of Bacchus-Liber was very close to the cult of the Greek Dionysus.

Dionysus, in turn, is a late interpretation of the ancient Egyptian god Osiris, in connection with which many authors saw in Liber the widow (the widow emerges again) of Osiris Isis and the mother of Horus.

However, some oddities can be found here - why is the goddess of freedom holding a torch in her hands, and not a cornucopia? And the mentioned fertility goddesses, for all their similarities, were traditionally depicted differently.

Persephone-Kora-Libera with a cornucopia and a plow, painting by J. Collier “Priestess of Bacchus”

But the goddess Hecate, who was the mistress of hell, darkness, night visions and witchcraft, was depicted with a torch and horns-rays on her head (according to legend, there were also snakes in her hair, like the Gorgon Medusa). By the way, it was believed that she was close to various goddesses of fertility in her chthonic functions and in many ways close to Persephone, who was the wife of Hades, the god of the underworld.

She was identified with the moon goddess Selene, the mistress of the underworld Persephone, and the patroness of wild animals Artemis. Endowed with ambivalent functions. She acts as the leader of the “wild hunt”, connecting the world of the dead and the world of the living. Statues of Hecate with torches and swords were placed at forks in roads and in front of houses in ancient times to “keep evil spirits at bay.” Her image is most clearly characterized by her connection with the moon, which was considered to bring madness or obsession and generally personify the dark side of the feminine.

Hecate is associated with magical traditions and rituals. In ancient times, people tried to appease her by leaving chicken hearts and honey cakes in front of their doors. On the last day of the month, gifts were brought to crossroads - honey, onions, fish and eggs, with sacrifices in the form of dolls, baby girls and female lambs. The Sorcerers gathered at crossroads to “pay their respects” to her and to such characters as “Empusa” - the brownie; "Kekropsis" - poltergeist; and "Mormo" - vampire.

One occult appeal of polytheists to Hecate was recorded in the 3rd century by St. Hippolyte of Rome in “Philosophumena” (the full title is “Philosophical opinions or denunciation of all heresies”, which consists of 10 books; in the first four books the author examines the opinions of Greek philosophers and the traditions of ancient pagan magic and astrology, which, in his opinion, were the sources of heresies in the Christian world; five books discuss heretical teachings, starting with the most ancient and ending with the sects of the 2nd century - the Callistians and Elkazaites; the tenth book is a reduction of the previous ones):

“Come, hellish, earthly and heavenly Bombo (Hecate), goddess of wide roads, crossroads, you who travel to and fro at night with a torch in your hand, enemy of the day. Friend and lover of darkness, you who rejoice when the bitches howl and warm blood flows, you who wander among ghosts and graves, you who satisfy the thirst for blood, you who cause fear in the mortal souls of children, Gorgo, Mormo, Luna, in a thousand forms, cast your merciful gaze on our sacrifice" (Russian translation, see "Orthodox Review" for 1871 Archpriest. Ivantsov-Platonov, "Heresies and schisms of the first three centuries of Christianity" / modern. Iz-vo Book House "LIBROCOM", 2011, Series: Academy of Basic Research: History).

It is characteristic that the work of Hippolytus of Rome itself became known only in 1841, when the Greek philologist Constantine Minoida Mina allegedly acquired in the Athos monastery for the French government part of the 14th century manuscript of “Revelation,” which, based on its subsequent location, was called “Parisian”: Parisinus suppl . gr. 464 saec. XIV, bombicinus, truncus, foll. 1-132, 137, 133-136; 215×145 mm (textus: 160×105-115 mm, 23-28 versus), it was a partial copy of the Philosophumena, which was previously associated with Origen, but later the authorship was recognized as Hippolytus.

According to the Philosophumena, Hecate's power extended to the three-part temporal sphere - past, present and future. The goddess drew her witchcraft power from the moon, which has three phases - new, full and old. Like Artemis, she was accompanied everywhere by a pack of dogs, but Hecate's hunt is a night hunt among the dead, graves and ghosts of the underworld. They sacrificed food and dogs to Hecate; her attributes were a torch, a scourge and snakes.

Occultists found a counterpart to Hecate in Indian mythology - Kali - the goddess of time, destruction and transformation. The period of time to which modernity belongs is called Kali Yuga in Hinduism, i.e. it is Kali (Hecate) who “protects” him.

Caves were considered the cult places of Hecate. Her ancient altars were circular, with different inscriptions on them. For divination, the Greeks used the so-called. “Circle of Hecate” is a golden ball with a sapphire inside. How it worked is not very clear.

Other chthonic deities (Hermes, Hades, Persephone and Gaia), as well as Zeus, Rhea, Demeter, Mithra, Cybele and the solar gods Helios and Apollo, were most closely associated with Hecate. The names of the chthonic gods - Hermes, Hades, Persephone and Gaia - are also most often found on defixions (curse tablets), and Zeus and Rhea appear in the Chaldean Oracles (with Zeus as the central deity).

Over time, several other goddesses were partially or completely identified with Hecate - such as Brimo, Desponia, Oenodia, Genetillis, Cotida, Krateida and Kurotropha. In addition, she began to be brought closer to, and often identified with, such goddesses as Artemis, Selene, Mena, Persephone, Physis, Bendida, Bona Dea, Diana, Ereshkigal and Isis.

Hecate was often associated with Hermes, since of all the male representatives of the Greek pantheon he was most closely associated with the ideas of boundary and threshold. On defixions, Hermes Chthonius is often mentioned together with Hecate Chthonia.

Hermes with the baby Dionysus. Sculpture of Praxiteles. Mid-IV century BC

The statue of Hermes Propylaea, which, according to Pausanias, stood at the entrance to the Athenian acropolis, performed the same protective function as the images of Hecate Propylaea. And in the binding spell from the Greek magical papyrus 22, the names of these two deities are even combined into a single name:

"Setper of traps, Mistress of corpses, Hermes, Hecate, Hermecate."

In ancient times there was a peculiar practice. Lead tablets were compiled (lead is the metal of Saturn), buried in the ground or lowered into burial, in which the petitioner addressed Hermes the Underground and Hecate the Underground with the intention of causing harm and causing damage to his enemy. For example:

“I commend Ophelion and Canarides to Hermes the Chthonic and the conqueror Hermes. I curse Ophelion"

For curses, in addition to Hermes and Hecate, Gaia, Persephone and Hades were called upon. A formula like this is often found:

“Just as this lead is dry and soulless, so let the deeds of my enemy be dry and soulless.”

More ancient roots

If we look more broadly, then Isis, Persephone, Hecate, Ceres, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis and many, many other female goddesses are, in one way or another, reflections of the ancient antediluvian cult of the mother goddess.

Often the mother goddess is associated with the earth; she is the complete embodiment of the feminine creative principle. Like the goddesses of later religions, whose image goes back to the prehistoric image of the mother goddess, she is also associated in different cultures with caves (which are perceived as the womb of the goddess), the water element, vegetation, and astral objects, which indicates the universal nature of the cult of this deity. The mother gives life, so her most important attribute is fertility. But in ancient mythology, the mother goddess not only gave life, but also took it away. Hence, she is often the goddess of the underworld.

The oldest known cults

In ancient times, the cult of the Mother was almost universal. Archeology provides evidence of the widespread use of the Mother cult in the Stone Age. Over a vast area from the Pyrenees to Siberia: in pre-Aryan India, in pre-Israeli Palestine, in Phenicia, in Sumer, female figurines carved from stone or bone are still found today. Such figurines are called Paleolithic “Venuses”. They have common features: large breasts, hips, belly. The head and arms are not expressed or absent.

In the Neolithic era, ideas about the feminine as the source of all things were transformed under the influence of changing living conditions, but did not lose their original essence.

It should be noted that different cultures entered the so-called Neolithic period at different times: in the Middle East, the Neolithic began around 9500 BC. e., that is, approximately 11,500 years ago, just after the global catastrophe, which entered the myths of many peoples as the Great Flood. Therefore, some transformations of the ancient cult are not surprising.

In Neolithic art, the mother goddess was sometimes depicted with a child in her arms or as a woman giving birth (in Çatalhöyük she is depicted giving birth to the heads of bulls and rams - symbols of antiquity, by the way). The image of the mother goddess is a “projection” of the mature stage of a woman’s life, in contrast to the other two - the images of the young Virgin and the old Ancestress. This cult survived into historical times in the collective image of the Great Mother of the Middle East and the Greco-Roman world. Its religious continuity is clearly visible in the images of such famous goddesses as Isis, Nut and Maat in Egypt; Ishtar, Astarte and Lilith of the Fertile Crescent region; Demeter, Kore and Hera in Greece; Atargatis, Ceres and Cybele in Rome (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8F-%D0%BC% D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C)

In Celtic mythology it was the goddess Danu.

The cult of the mother goddess is most clearly manifested in Celtic mythology and, first of all, in the best preserved Irish and Welsh sagas. In Irish mythology and fasting, the goddess Danu was considered the Great Mother of the Divine Creator or the Great Mother of Planet Earth. Danu was recognized as the mother-progenitor of the gods, who were part of the pre-human divine race of the inhabitants of Ireland (and Wales). This race was called the Tribe or Family of the goddess Danu or Tuatha de Danann, which again refers us to antediluvian times, when the past global civilization was divided into two races: long-lived, therefore almost gods, the race of masters, and short-lived slaves, from which, after the global catastrophe, modern humanity came. Read about this in the article “Atlantic prehistory of slavery of the current planetary civilization” http://inance.ru/2015/08/atlantida/

“Atlantic prehistory of slavery of the current planetary civilization” http://inance.ru/2015/08/atlantida/

The main gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the goddess Danu were Dagda, Manannan, Ogma, Lugh, Morrigan, Bridget and others. They were tall, superbly built, light-skinned men and women with light brown, golden (according to some sources, reddish) hair and blue eyes. The male gods wore beards and had an athletic figure, while the female goddesses had a slender female figure with long legs, a thin waist and an irresistible appearance. The gods and goddesses of the Tribe of the goddess Danu were considered solar gods and goddesses, which is confirmed by the widespread belief that Danu was the wife of the sun Belenus.

On the one hand, Danu was considered the goddess of fertility and abundance, that is, everything that grows and develops, on the other hand, she was the goddess of the underworld - the world of death. Danu also acted as the goddess of light and water. In the rare images of the goddess that have survived to our time, she was depicted sitting in the sky, in the underworld and turning into a heron.

Some researchers believe that the symbolic image of Danu among the Celts and Gauls were statues, bas-reliefs and drawings of three matron deities nursing babies, holding a cornucopia or baskets of fruit (symbols of abundance, fertility and saturation), associated with the cult of Mother Earth (http://www.dopotopa.com/emansipirovannye_zhenskie_obschestva_-_vzgljag_iz_glubiny_vekov.html).

Among the Sumerians

The Sumerians are tribes of unknown origin, at the end. 4th millennium BC e. mastered the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates and formed the first city-states in Mesopotamia. The Sumerian period in the history of Mesopotamia covers about one and a half thousand years, it ends at the end. 3 - start 2nd millennium BC e. so-called III dynasty of the city of Ur and the dynasties of Isin and Larsa, of which the latter was already only partially Sumerian.

One of the most typical images used by the Sumerians is the image of the mother goddess (in iconography she is sometimes associated with images of a woman holding a child in her arms), who was revered under different names: Damgalnuna, Ninhursag, Ninmah (Mah), Nintu. Mom, Mami. Akkadian versions of the image of the mother goddess - Beletili (“mistress of the gods”), the same Mami (who has the epithet “helping during childbirth” in Akkadian texts) and Aruru - the creator of people in Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian myths, and in the epic of Gilgamesh - “wild” man (symbol of the first man) Enkidu. It is possible that the patron goddesses of cities are also associated with the image of the mother goddess: for example, the Sumerian goddesses Bay and Gatumdug also bear the epithets “mother”, “mother of all cities”.

In the myths about the gods of fertility, a close connection between myth and cult can be traced. Cult songs from Ur (late 3rd millennium BC) speak of the love of the priestess “Lukur” (one of the significant priestly categories) for King Shu-Suen and emphasize the sacred and official nature of their union. Hymns to the deified kings of the III dynasty of Ur and the I dynasty of Isin also show that between the king (at the same time the high priest “en”) and the high priestess, a ritual of sacred marriage was annually performed, in which the king represented the incarnation of the shepherd god Dumuzi, and the priestess - the goddess Inanna, which the Akkadians later began to call Ishtar.

Pay attention to the symbols of owls, lions, snakes (hair of Ishtar) later taken by the Freemasons.

Sometimes she was depicted with a star on her head:

The content of the works about Innana-Ishtar (constituting a single cycle “Inanna-Dumuzi”) includes motives for the courtship and wedding of hero-gods, the descent of the goddess into the underworld (“the land of no return”) and her replacement with a hero, the death of the hero and lamentation for him and the hero's return to earth. All the works of the cycle turn out to be the threshold of the drama-action, which formed the basis of the ritual and figuratively embodied the metaphor “life - death - life”. The numerous variants of the myth, as well as the images of departing (perishing) and returning deities (which in this case is Dumuzi), are connected, as in the case of the mother goddess, with the disunity of Sumerian communities and with the very metaphor “life - death - life” , constantly changing its appearance, but constant and unchanged in its renewal.

In the 2nd millennium BC. e. the cult of Ishtar spread widely among the Hurrians, Hittites, Mitannians, and Phoenicians (corresponding to the Phoenician Astarte). Three main functions of Ishtar are distinguished: the goddess of fertility and carnal love; goddess of war and strife; the astral deity, the personification of the planet Venus, is associated with the day of the week - Friday (now the day of general drinking after the work week).

Ishtar is a female deity in Akkadian mythology, corresponding to the Sumerian Inanna. Ishtar is the goddess of war and love. She offers her love and protection to the famous hero Gilgamesh. But he refuses, knowing the evil fate of her former lovers. Ishtar takes revenge on Gilgamesh by sending the terrible heavenly Bull (again, this symbol of ancient civilization) to his city. However, Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill him. Ishtar also descends into the underworld for her beloved Tammuz, threatening the goddess of the underworld Ereshkigal to release all the dead on earth. But Ereshkigal kills the goddess of fertility and only by agreeing to the persuasion of her advisers does she sprinkle her with living water. After this, Ishtar returns to earth along with the rescued Tammuz.

Period of ancient civilizations

The Egyptian, Greek and Roman periods of the life of the mother goddess can be seen through the myths and legends of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Rome. Above we wrote about Isis, Hecate, Persephone and other hypostases of the mother goddess, so we will not go deeper. But the medieval period in the life of the mother goddess is characterized not only by the cult of the Mother of God of Jesus, but also by the cult that gave it its beginning.

Early Middle Ages

We wrote in an article about Ivan the Terrible (http://inance.ru/2016/08/ivan-groznij/) that in the history of the West there is a widespread myth that the Middle Ages in what is now Europe were a time of constant wars and the Inquisition. The Belgian financier Bernard A. Lietar has a different opinion on this matter, which he outlined in the book “The Soul of Money” (Bernard A. Lietar. The Soul of Money. - M.: Olimp: AST: Astrel. 2007. - 365 p. ). In his opinion, from the 10th to the 13th centuries, Europe flourished economically, it was during this time that a huge number of temples were built, people consumed good food and were taller and healthier in stature than the Europeans of the Dark Ages.

“Some historians even claim that the quality of life there were ordinary people highest in European history during a particular economic boom! Here are the statements of French historians. Historian Forget: “For France, the 13th century was the last century known as “general prosperity.” Historian François Ixter: “Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Western world flourished, as evidenced by a population explosion unprecedented in history.” Historian Damaschke: “The time between 1150 and 1250 is a period of rapid development, economic prosperity that we can hardly imagine today.”

Between 1000 and 1300, the population as a whole is estimated to have achieved unprecedented growth, doubling in size. In fact, it was only by 1700 that the population of England had recovered and reached the level of 1300!”

As for religion, the prevailing opinion on this issue is that almost all of Europe was Catholic, especially after the division of churches in 1054. However, Lietar has a different opinion. He discovered a connection between the economic prosperity of European society and a religious system, which he called: “The Cult of the Black Madonna.”

1. Contrary to modern Christian traditions, all official documents... always put the name of the Black Madonna before in the name of Christ.
2. A number of famous religious figures, who later became saints of the Latin Church, worshiped the Black Madonna. Joan of Arc prayed to the Black Madonna, known as Notre Dame Miraculeuse (miraculous). Legend claims that Jesus Christ himself, surrounded by four evangelists, worshiped the statue of the Black Madonna.
3. The first unusual feature of the legend attributed to most Black Madonnas - and only to these types of statues - is the claim that the statue was not made, but necessarily found nearby or even in the most ancient pagan symbolic place, such as a dolmen.

Moreover, these statues turn out to be important markers on the road to Santiago de Compostela.

This road is one of the oldest pre-Christian routes in Europe, as evidenced by markers dating back to the Stone Age. All this means that the cult of the Black Madonna is one of the oldest religious cults known to man. French author Jacques Bonvin concludes:

“Only the Black Madonna was able to crystallize all the beliefs of pagan traditions with the Christian faith, without falsifying even one of all the countless beliefs. This is what makes the Black Madonna unique.”

1. No original Black Madonna dates back later than the 13th century.
2. The sculpture is always represented by the “Virgin in Majesty”, where a seated Mother and Child look at one point in the distant perspective.

1. She is always invariably placed at the site of the pre-Christian cult of the Celtic or other pagan Mother Goddess. Even when a whole cathedral was built for Her, she always kept in a crypt under the cathedral.
2. Shrines were often located near holy springs or wells, or near the stones of prehistoric cults.
3. The legend associated with the statue usually has a clear east element: the crusader who brought the statue from the east, the pilgrims to the holy land, saved, awakened by Her, etc.
4. The official title attached to this statue is Alma Mater- “Noble Mother.”
5. The Virgin's face is always and Her hands are almost always black, thus justifying Her name - “The Black Madonna”.

Blackness was systematically reduced by the Roman Church. Until today, the church has tried to explain blackness as accidental, the result of smoke from candles. But if the face and hands of the Virgin and Child were originally black, why weren't their multi-colored clothes also bleached, and why didn't a similar process happen to other statues from the same period? In a number of historically proven cases, priests subject to Rome repainted the face and hands of the shrine white.

In the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, they revered completely black goddess statue. It was in this city that Mary is supposed to have lived after the death of Christ, and Her Ascension took place in a place called karatchalti(literally “black stone”).

Mega Spileon Monastery. Greece. It is believed that this icon was created by the Evangelist Luke.

Mother Earth

The question of deciphering an image is multi-faceted and probably depends on the morality of the applicant for the secret meaning. The most literal reading is that the Black Madonna symbolizes Mother Earth, and the Child represents humanity, each of us. Moreover, one of the first images of the Virgin Mary giving breast to the Christ child was located in a Christian monastery in Jeremiah, Egypt's Sahara, and was apparently inspired by Egyptian iconography of Isis nursing Horus.

By the way, legend says that in Egypt people adored the “Virgin Mary” even before the birth of Christ, because Jeremiah predicted to them that the savior would be born of a Virgin. Standard encyclopedias devoted to classical mythology contain entire sections devoted to the “identification of Isis with the Virgin Mary.” » .

Bernard Lietard found that the fall of the cult of the Black Madonna occurred simultaneously with a change in the financial system and was “accompanied by a massive decline in the standard of living of ordinary people.” In a book with a significant title " Before Black Death" the author brings the research of that period to the modern level and refutes the previous idea that the Black Death was the cause of the decline. On the contrary, the plague turns out to be consequence economic decline that began 50 years before.

Today

One of the most interesting images of the mother goddess was created by the Jewish artist Leon Bakst in his painting “Ancient Horror” (1908), in which he depicted not only the ancient goddess, but also the flood that destroyed the previous Atlantean civilization.

Interesting details: on the left side of the picture there is a dying city with a huge statue of a warrior, and on the right there are buildings that are architecturally close to Egyptian, surviving on a hill. In the middle, in the classic Masonic colors: white, blue and red, is “Venus” herself, melancholy looking at the disaster and somehow mysteriously, like Leonard’s Mona Lisa, smiling, holding in her left hand a dove, which has become a symbol of peace.

It should be noted that since the mid-20th century there has been an active promotion of feminism, the beginning of which many attribute mainly to the suffragette movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries, in which the key issues were property rights for married women and the right to vote for women. This process is accompanied by the emergence of female symbols in culture.

In addition to the total use of the image of women to influence the instinctive programs of men, who are not far removed from baboons in the type of structure of their psyche, images of “strong women” appear more and more often in mass culture: from politicians and public figures of various levels to cinema.

We found an interesting “feminized” sculpture of the attribute of the “messenger of the gods” of Hermes Trismegistus - the caduceus (the Latin word caduceum comes from the Greek “messenger, harbinger”, and in Greek it has a common root with the word rooster, the great harbinger of the morning and the Sun), which was sculpted by James N. Muir (James Muir), made in the form of a figure of a woman entwined with snakes, wearing a seven-rayed crown (like the Statue of Liberty) and with wings (like the goddess Ishtar). At the same time, the caduceus, as it were, hatches from the planet Earth, split at the feet of the statue.

Does all this mean that someone, losing control, is trying to return the ancient cult of the Mother Goddess, which for a long time was deeply sealed inside the secret order structures?

It may well be...

Conclusion

Today, the Statue of Liberty is promoted no worse than the Eiffel Tower and the pyramids in Giza, continuing to bring income to the circle of the “selected”. And the statue still stands on a pedestal, at the base of which the words are carved:

"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!”

Just which gate? The gateway to which kingdom? Underground? Darkness, hell and the underworld? Symbolically, it may very well be... Although the symbolism of female goddesses goes back to the deep past and is associated with the cult of Mother Earth. But, if we talk about the Statue of Liberty, then it is most similar to Hecate.

The main symbol of the USA is none other than a statue created by the hands of a French Freemason, depicting the ancient deity Hecate, who traces her “ancestry” to the antediluvian cults of the mother goddess, who has always acted as the guardian of the underworld.

By the way, the traditional rivalry between France and England also left its mark on the history of the creation of the statue. France supported the efforts of American Freemasons to gain independence from Britain, with which it was then in conflict. Versailles clearly dreamed that London would cease to claim maritime dominion. Is it not because of this that the seas and continents are symbolically given over to the power of the goddess of darkness, who placed her feet behind the pillars of Hercules?

Will Americans be able to get rid of the dark chthonic past of the goddesses of darkness, night, and the underground kingdoms of the dead in their culture and make the Statue of Liberty a statue of Mother Earth? At this stage - unlikely.

This is a brief history and an excursion into the background of the main symbol of the United States, which, in fact, has a rather sinister origin.

Construction period1876-1886 opening dateOctober 28, 1886 National monument withOctober 15, 1924 Included in NRHP withOctober 15, 1966 NYCL status withSeptember 14, 1976 Height93 ArchitectGustave Eiffel SculptorFrédéric Auguste Bartholdi Location AddressManhattan, Liberty Island Emporis SkyscraperPage Skyscraper Center Structurae Websitenps.gov/stli Audio, photo and video on Wikimedia Commons

Since 1984, the Statue of Liberty has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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  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 “English. JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" (written in Roman numerals for the date "July 4, 1776"), this date is the day of the United States Declaration of Independence. “Freedom” stands with 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).

  The total weight of copper used to cast the statue is 31 tons, and the total weight of its steel structure is 125 tons. The total weight of the concrete base is 27,000 tons. The thickness of the copper coating of the statue is 2.57 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 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, subsequently administered by New York, and is currently administered by the Federal Government. Until 1956, the island was called Bedloe's Island. Bedloe's Island), although it was also called the “Island of Freedom” since the beginning of the 20th century.

  Statue of Liberty in numbers

  Sculpture parts	Meters
  Height from ground to top of torch	93 m
  Statue height	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	10.67 m
  Mouth width	0.91 m
  Sign height	7.19 m
  Sign width	4.14 m
  Plaque thickness	0.61 m
  Height from ground to top of pedestal	46.94 m

  Making a statue

  The idea of ​​​​creating the monument is attributed to Edouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye, a prominent French thinker, writer and politician, president of the French anti-slavery society. According to the French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, it was expressed in a conversation with him in mid-1865 under the impression of the victory of anti-slavery forces in the American Civil War. Although this was not a specific proposal, the idea inspired the sculptor.

  The repressive political situation during the reign of Napoleon III in France did not allow the implementation of the idea. In the late 1860s, Bartholdi briefly managed to interest the ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, in the construction of a huge statue reminiscent of the Colossus of Rhodes. The statue was originally planned to be installed in Port Said under the name The Light Of Asia, but ultimately the Egyptian government decided that transporting the structure from France and installing it was too costly for the Egyptian economy.

  It was intended as a gift for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. By mutual agreement, America was to build the pedestal, and France was to create the statue and install it in the United States. However, there was a shortage of money on both sides of the 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 matches were held to raise funds.

  Bartholdi was commissioned to create the statue. According to one version, Bartholdi even had a French model: the beautiful, recently widowed Isabella Boyer, wife of Isaac Singer, creator and entrepreneur in the field of sewing machines.

  Meanwhile, in France, Bartholdi needed the help of an engineer to solve the design issues associated with 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 intermediate support frame that would allow the copper shell of the statue to move freely while maintaining an upright position. Eiffel handed over the detailed developments to his assistant, the experienced structural engineer Maurice Koechlin. Copper for the statue was purchased from existing stocks at the company's warehouses Société des métaux entrepreneur Eugene Secretan. Its origins have not been documented, but research in 1985 showed that it was mainly mined in Norway on the island of Karmøy. The legend about copper supplies from Russia was verified by enthusiasts, but was not confirmed. In addition, the railways in Ufa and Nizhny Tagil were built after construction; Accordingly, the version of ore supplies cannot be taken seriously. It is also noteworthy that the concrete base under the statue is made of German cement. The Dickerhoff firm won a tender to supply cement for the construction of the foundation of the Statue of Liberty in New York, which was to become the world's largest concrete structure at that time.

  Even before the completion of the design work, Bartholdi organized in the workshop Gaget, Gauthier & Co the beginning of work on making the right hand of the statue holding a torch.

  In May 1876, Bartholdi participated as part of the French delegation to the World's Fair in Philadelphia and organized the display of numerous paintings of the statue at celebrations in New York dedicated to this exhibition. Due to a delay in registration, the hand of the statue was not included in the catalogs of exhibits at the exhibition, however, it was shown to visitors and made a strong impression. Visitors had access to the torch balcony, from where they could admire the panoramic view of the fairgrounds. In the reports it was called “Colossal Hand” and “Bartholdi’s Electric Light”. After the exhibition ended, the hand with the torch was transported from Philadelphia to New York and was installed in Madison Square, where it stood for several years until its temporary return to France to join the rest of the statue.

  The location 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 Bartholdi himself, on Bedloe's Island, where a star-shaped fort had stood since the beginning of the 19th century.

  Fundraising for the pedestal proceeded slowly, and Joseph Pulitzer (of Pulitzer Prize fame) issued an appeal in his World newspaper to support fundraising for the project.

  By August 1885, funding problems for the pedestal, designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt, had been resolved and the first stone was laid on August 5. Construction was completed on April 22, 1886. Built into the massive masonry of the pedestal are two square lintels made of steel beams; they are connected by steel anchor beams that extend upward 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 Isere. For transportation, the statue was disassembled into 350 parts and packed into 214 boxes. (Her right hand with a torch, completed earlier, had already been exhibited at the World's Fair in Philadelphia and then in Madison Square in New York.) The statue was assembled on its new base in four months. The inauguration of the Statue of Liberty, which was attended 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 late.

  The national monument, the Statue of Liberty, officially celebrated its centennial on October 28, 1986.

  Statue as a cultural monument

  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 entrusted to the War Department. By presidential proclamation of October 15, 1924, Fort Wood (and the statue on its grounds) was declared a national monument, the boundaries of which coincided with the boundaries of the fort.

  On October 28, 1936, at the 50th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue, US President Franklin Roosevelt said: “Freedom and peace are living things. For them to continue to exist, each generation must protect them and put new life into them.”

  In 1933, maintenance of the national monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, the national monument was enlarged to cover all of Bedlow Island, which was renamed Liberty Island in 1956. On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Memorial. In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to lead a private sector effort 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, which became the most successful public-private collaboration in American history. In 1984, at the beginning of work on its restoration, the Statue of Liberty was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 5, the restored Statue of Liberty was reopened to visitors during Liberty Weekend, celebrating her centennial.

  Statue and security

  The staircase to the torch was closed for safety reasons in 1916. In 1986, the statue was restored, and its damaged and corroded torch was moved to the main entrance and replaced with a new one, plated in 24-karat gold.

  The statue, including the pedestal and base, was closed on October 29, 2011, the day after the statue's 125th anniversary, to allow for the installation of new elevators and stairs. Although the Statue of Liberty has been closed to the public, Liberty Island remains open to the public. Exactly one year after it was closed for repairs and the installation of a new complex escalator, on October 28, 2012, full access to the statue was opened up to the crown.

  Images of the statue are widely used in the symbolism of regional organizations and institutions in the United States. In New York State, its outline was on vehicle license plates between 1986 and 2000. New York Liberty, a professional women's basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference, uses the Statue's name in its name and its image in its logo, which associates the statue's flame with basketball. Liberty's Head has been featured on the NHL's New York Rangers' alternate jerseys since 1997. The National Collegiate Athletic Association used the statue as its logo for the 1996 Men's Basketball Finals. The emblem of the US Libertarian Party uses a stylized image of the torch of Liberty.

  Reproductions

  Hundreds of reproductions are exhibited in various parts of the world. A copy of the quarter size of the original, donated to the city of Paris by the American Society, is installed facing west, towards the main statue, on the Swan Island of the Seine. The nine-meter replica, which for many years adorned the top of the Liberty Warehouse building on 64th Street in Manhattan, is now on display on the grounds of the Brooklyn Museum. The American Scouts, in celebration of its fortieth anniversary in 1949–1952, donated about two hundred pressed copper copies, 2.5 m high, to various American states and municipalities.

  see also

  • Statue of Liberty in Moscow (1918-1941).

  Other Tallest Sculptures

  Notes

  1. Statue of Liberty (in NYC).
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