We meet columns every day and perceive them as part of an architectural ensemble. But columns are not always an applied element of architecture. They were erected as monuments and even as ritual structures.

First columns

The Egyptians were the first to build columns. The most ancient of them are the columns built during the construction of the pyramid of Djoser (2650 BC). 40 ten-meter columns. The architect Imhotep connected each of them to the wall on one side.

The largest of the surviving columns can be considered the columns from the temple complex in Baalbek (Lebanon). The height of the columns of the temple of Jupiter is 22 meters, around the temple there was also a colonnade of 54 huge columns. Today there are only six left.

Why are columns needed?

The notion that a column is an exclusively architectural element is wrong. There are several types of columns that have nothing to do with the applied support function of columns as part of a building. These include votive columns, triumphal, rostral and pictorial.

Votive columns are called so from the Latin word "votum" - a vow. That is, it is nothing more than "votive columns". They depicted the so-called votive objects dedicated to deities. They were depicted, as you can understand, with the aim of calling on divine grace, for the sake of healing or fulfilling any request. Votive columns were placed at ancient temples on a sacred site.

Triumphal columns were erected in honor of some significant event (the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg was erected in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812), or in honor of a historical figure (Trajan's column in Rome, Napoleon's column in Paris).

The rostral column is called so because its trunk is decorated with the prows of ships or their sculptural images. In Latin, "columna rostrata" translates as "decorated with parts of captured ships." Such columns were installed in honor of naval victories, or as a symbol of the country's power (rostral columns in St. Petersburg). The first rostral columns were erected in ancient Rome in honor of the victory of Rome over Carthage.

What are columns?

There are many types of columns in architecture. They differ from each other both in their purpose and in the type of orders to which they relate. The word "order" comes from the Latin "ordo", which translates as order, order. There are five classical types of orders in total. Greek: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian. Roman: Tuscan and Composite.

Doric columns often do not have a base, are decorated with twenty flutes (grooves), and have no other decorative elements. Ionic columns always have a base. The main difference between the Ionic and Doric columns lies in the capitals. The capital of the Ionic column has volutes (spiral curls with an eye in the center), on the side they are connected by balusters. Also, the Ionic column is more slender than the Doric.

Corinthian columns

The difference between the Corinthian column and the Ionic one is in the design of the capital. At the Corinthian columns, it is bell-shaped, decorated with rows of stylized acanthus leaves forming a double crown; other floral patterns are also found in the design.

The first of the Roman types of columns - Tuscan - is similar to the simplified Doric, but differs from it in the absence of flutes. Composite columns - the most complex of the classical types of columns, combine the features of Ionic and Corinthian capitals, according to the classification of Giacomo da Vignola (Italian theorist and architect of the late Renaissance), all columns with capitals that do not fall under the general classification belong to composite columns.

The so-called "pictorial" columns of Ancient Egypt can be distinguished into a separate category. They "copied" the nature of Egypt. In the era of the New Kingdom, papyrus-shaped columns with an open and closed bud were common. In the Hellenistic period, lotus and palm-shaped columns with complex capitals also became popular.

Column on vodka

The Alexander Column in St. Petersburg is one of the most monumental structures of its kind in the world. Its weight is 700 tons, and the column is free-standing, that is, it remains in place only due to its weight. This majestic monument to the Russian victory over Napoleon was erected by the architect Auguste Montferrand, who previously was the author of St. Isaac's Cathedral. After the construction of the Alexander Column, which was dedicated to both Alexander I and Alexander Nevsky, the Russian Emperor Nicholas I said to the architect: "Montferrand, you immortalized yourself!"

Work on the installation of the column was carried out in winter. To make the connection of the monument with the foundation more reliable, Montferrand specially prepared a "cunning" solution - he mixed cement with vodka and added one tenth of soap to the solution. Thanks to this, the monument was able to be reliably centered.

When the 25-meter pillar was put in place, for a long time the inhabitants of St. Petersburg were afraid that this bulk would collapse. To save the people from bad forebodings, Auguste Montferrand arranged a daily demonstrative exercise at the column, walking the dog.

In the 1920s, the Bolsheviks had an idea to erect a statue of Lenin on the Alexandria Column, but Lunacharsky, People's Commissar of Education, ordered "leave the angel alone."

Alexander Column - one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,
The folk trail will not grow to it,
He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious
Pillar of Alexandria...

A.S. Pushkin

If I remember correctly from the school bench, then the poem sounds exactly like this) After that, with the light hand of Alexander Sergeevich, they began to call the Alexander Column a pillar, moreover, Alexandria =) How did it appear and why is it so remarkable?

Alexander Column erected in the Empire style in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the architect Auguste Montferrand by decree of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his older brother Alexander I over Napoleon.

This monument complemented the composition of the Arch of the General Staff, which was dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The idea of ​​building the monument was given by the famous architect Carl Rossi. When planning the space of Palace Square, he believed that a monument should be placed in the center of the square. However, he rejected the proposed idea of ​​installing another equestrian statue of Peter I.

An open competition was officially announced on behalf of Emperor Nicholas I in 1829 with the wording in memory of the “unforgettable brother.” Auguste Montferrand responded to this challenge with a project to erect a grandiose granite obelisk, but this option was rejected by the emperor. A sketch of that project has been preserved and is currently in the library of the Institute of Railway Engineers. Montferrand proposed to install a huge granite obelisk 25.6 meters high on a granite plinth 8.22 meters. The front side of the obelisk was supposed to be decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the war of 1812 in photographs from the famous medallions made by Count F. P. Tolstoy. On the pedestal, it was planned to carry out the inscription “To the Blessed - Grateful Russia”. On the pedestal, the architect saw a rider on a horse trampling a snake underfoot; a double-headed eagle flies ahead of the rider, the goddess of victory follows the rider, crowning him with laurels; the horse is led by two symbolic female figures. The sketch of the project indicates that the obelisk was supposed to surpass all known monoliths in the world with its height. The artistic part of the project is excellently done in watercolor technique and testifies to the high skill of Montferrand in various areas of fine art. Trying to defend his project, the architect acted within the chain of command, dedicating his essay “Plans et details du monument consacr ? ? la m?moire de l'Empereur Alexandre", but the idea was nevertheless rejected and Montferrand was unequivocally pointed to the column as the desired form of the monument.

The second project, which was subsequently implemented, was to install a column higher than the Vendôme column (erected in honor of Napoleon's victories). Below in the photo is a fragment of a column from Place Vendôme (author - PAUL)

Trajan's Column in Rome was offered to Auguste Montferrand as a source of inspiration

The narrow scope of the project did not allow the architect to escape the influence of world-famous examples, and his new work was only a slight modification of the ideas of his predecessors. The artist expressed his individuality by refusing to use additional decorations, such as bas-reliefs, spirally wrapping around the rod of the ancient Trajan's column. Montferrand showed the beauty of a giant polished pink granite monolith 25.6 meters high. In addition, Montferrand made his monument higher than all existing ones. In this new form, on September 24, 1829, the project without sculptural completion was approved by the sovereign. Construction was carried out from 1829 to 1834.

For the granite monolith - the main part of the column, a rock was used, which the sculptor outlined during his previous trips to Finland. Extraction and preliminary processing were carried out in 1830-1832 in the Pyuterlak quarry, which was located between Vyborg and Friedrichsham. These works were carried out according to the method of S. K. Sukhanov, the production was supervised by masters S. V. Kolodkin and V. A. Yakovlev. After the masons, having examined the rock, confirmed the suitability of the material, a prism was cut off from it, much larger than the future column. Giant devices were used: huge levers and gates in order to move the block from its place and overturn it on a soft and elastic bedding of spruce branches. After separating the blank, huge stones were cut from the same rock for the foundation of the monument, the largest of which weighed more than 400 tons. Their delivery to St. Petersburg was carried out by water, for this a special design barge was involved. The monolith was duped on the spot and prepared for transportation. Ship engineer Colonel Glasin dealt with transportation issues, who designed and built a special boat, named "Saint Nicholas", with a carrying capacity of up to 1100 tons. To perform loading operations, a special pier was built. Loading was carried out from a wooden platform at its end, coinciding in height with the ship's side. Having overcome all difficulties, the column was loaded on board, and the monolith set off for Kronstadt on a barge towed by two steamers, in order to go from there to the Palace Embankment of St. Petersburg. Arrival of the central part Alexander Column Petersburg took place on July 1, 1832.

Since 1829, on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, work began on the preparation and construction of the foundation and pedestal of the column. O. Montferrand supervised the work. First, a geological exploration of the area was carried out, as a result of which a suitable sandy continent was discovered near the center of the area at a depth of 5.2 m. In December 1829, the place for the column was approved, and 1250 six-meter pine piles were driven under the foundation. Then the piles were cut to the level, forming a platform for the foundation, according to the original method: the bottom of the pit was filled with water, and the piles were cut at the level of the water table, which ensured the horizontality of the site. This method was proposed by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt, an architect and engineer, organizer of construction and transport in the Russian Empire. Earlier, using the same technology, the foundation of St. Isaac's Cathedral was laid. The foundation of the monument was built from stone granite blocks half a meter thick. It was brought out to the horizon of the square with a plank masonry. In its center was laid a bronze box with coins minted in honor of the victory of 1812. In October 1830, the work was completed.

After laying the foundation, a huge four-hundred-ton monolith, brought from the Pyuterlak quarry, was hoisted onto it, which serves as the base of the pedestal. Of course, at that time, installing a 400-ton stone was, to put it mildly, not easy) But I don’t think this article should describe this process, I just note that it was hard for them ... By July 1832, the column monolith was on the way , and the pedestal is already completed. It is time to start the most difficult task - placing the column on the pedestal. This part of the work was also carried out by Lieutenant General A. A. Betancourt. In December 1830, he designed an original lifting system. It included: scaffolding 47 meters high, 60 capstans and a system of blocks, and he took advantage of all this in the following way: they rolled the column along an inclined plane to a special platform located at the foot of the scaffolding and wrapped it with many rings of ropes to which blocks were attached ; another system of blocks was at the top of the scaffolding; a large number of ropes, encircling the stone, went around the upper and lower blocks and were wound with free ends on capstans placed on the square. At the end of all preparations, the day of the solemn rise was appointed. On August 30, 1832, masses of people gathered to watch this event: they occupied the entire square, and besides this window and the roof of the General Staff Building were occupied by spectators. The sovereign and the entire imperial family came to the raising. To bring the column to a vertical position on Palace Square, engineer A. A. Betancourt needed to involve the forces of 2000 soldiers and 400 workers, who installed the monolith in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The block of stone rose obliquely, slowly crawled, then broke away from the ground and was brought to a position above the pedestal. On command, the ropes were released, the column smoothly lowered and took its place. The people shouted “Hurrah!” loudly. And Nicholas I then told Montferrand that he had immortalized himself.

After the installation of the column, it remained to fix the bas-relief plates and decorative elements on the pedestal, as well as to complete the final processing and polishing of the column. The column was topped with a Doric bronze capital with a rectangular masonry abacus with bronze facing. A bronze cylindrical pedestal with a hemispherical top was installed on it. In parallel with the construction of the column, in September 1830, O. Montferrand worked on a statue that was supposed to be placed above it and, according to the wishes of Nicholas I, facing the Winter Palace. In the original project, the column was completed by a cross wrapped around with a snake to decorate the fasteners. In addition, the sculptors of the Academy of Arts proposed several options for the compositions of the figures of angels and virtues with a cross. There was a variant with the installation of the figure of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky. As a result, the figure of an angel with a cross was accepted for execution, made by the sculptor B. I. Orlovsky with expressive and understandable symbolism for everyone - “By this win!”. These words are connected with the story of finding the life-giving cross. Finishing and polishing of the monument lasted two years.

The opening of the monument took place on August 30, 1834 and marked the completion of work on the design of Palace Square. The ceremony was attended by the sovereign, the royal family, the diplomatic corps, a hundred thousandth Russian army and representatives of the Russian army. It was carried out in an emphatically Orthodox entourage and was accompanied by a solemn divine service at the foot of the column, in which the kneeling troops and the emperor himself took part. This open-air service drew a parallel with the historical prayer service of the Russian troops in Paris on the day of Orthodox Easter on March 29, 1814. In honor of the opening of the monument, a commemorative ruble with a circulation of 15,000 coins was issued.

The Alexander Column resembles samples of the triumphal buildings of antiquity, the monument has an amazing clarity of proportions, laconic form, and beauty of the silhouette. On the plate of the monument is engraved “Grateful Russia to Alexander I”. This is the tallest monument in the world, made of solid granite and the third highest after the Grand Army Column in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Trafalgar in London (Nelson's column). It is taller than similar monuments in the world: the Vendôme Column in Paris, Trajan's Column in Rome and Pompey's Column in Alexandria.

The monument is crowned with the figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In his left hand, the angel holds a four-pointed Latin cross, and raises his right hand to heaven. The head of the angel is tilted, his gaze is fixed on the ground. According to the original design of Auguste Montferrand, the figure at the top of the column rested on a steel bar, which was later removed, and during the restoration of 2002-2003, it turned out that the angel is held by its own bronze mass. Not only is the column itself taller than the Vendome column, the figure of an angel surpasses in height the figure of Napoleon I on the Vendome column. The sculptor gave the angel's facial features a resemblance to the face of Alexander I. In addition, the angel tramples a snake with a cross, which symbolizes the peace and tranquility that Russia brought to Europe by defeating the Napoleonic troops. The light figure of an angel, the falling folds of clothing, the clearly expressed vertical of the cross, continuing the vertical of the monument, emphasize the harmony of the column.

"Pillar of Alexandria" was surrounded by a decorative bronze fence designed by Auguste Montferrand. The height of the fence is about 1.5 meters. The fence was decorated with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 captured cannons, which were crowned with three-headed eagles. Between them were placed alternating spears and staffs of banners, topped with guards double-headed eagles. Locks were hung on the gates of the fence in accordance with the author's intention. In addition, the project included the installation of a chandelier with copper lanterns and gas lighting. The fence in its original form was installed in 1834, all the elements were completely installed in 1836-1837. In the north-eastern corner of the fence there was a guardhouse, in which there was a disabled person dressed in full dress guard uniform, guarding the monument day and night and keeping order in the square. The entire space of the Palace Square was paved with ends.

Imperial linen
And chariot motors, -
In the black maelstrom of the capital
Stylite-angel ascended...

Osip Mandelstam

Articles in this place:

A unique monument rises on Palace Square in St. Petersburg - a column crowned with a sculptural image of an angel with a cross, and at the base framed by relief allegories of victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

Dedicated to the military genius of Alexander I, the monument is called the Alexander Column, and with the light hand of Pushkin it is called the “Alexandria Pillar”.

The erection of the monument took place in the late 20s - early 30s of the nineteenth century. The process was documented, and therefore there should be no secrets in the appearance of the Alexander Column. But if there are no secrets, you really want to invent them, don't you?

What is the Alexander Column made of?

The network is full of assurances about the discovered layering in the material from which the Alexander Column is made. Say, the masters of the past, not knowing how to mechanically process solid, learned to synthesize granite-like concrete - from which the monument was cast.

The alternative view is even more radical. The Alexander Column is not monolithic at all! It is made up of separate blocks, stacked on top of each other like children's cubes, and on the outside it is lined with plaster with a large amount of granite chips.

There are completely fantastic versions that can compete with the notes from ward number 6. However, in reality the situation is not so complicated, and most importantly, the entire process of manufacturing, transportation and installation of the Alexander Column is documented. The history of the appearance of the main monument of the Palace Square is painted almost by the minute.

The choice of stone for the Alexander Column

Auguste Montferrand or, as he called himself in the Russian manner, August Montferand, before receiving an order for a monument in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, built St. Isaac's Cathedral. During the harvesting work in a granite quarry on the territory of modern Finland, Montferrand discovered a monolith measuring 35 x 7 meters.

Monoliths of this kind are very rare and even more valuable. So there is nothing surprising in the frugality of the architect, who noticed, but did not put into action a huge granite slab.

Soon the emperor had the idea of ​​a monument to Alexander I, and Montferrand drew a sketch of the column, mindful of the availability of suitable material. The project has been approved. The extraction and delivery of stone for the Alexander Column was entrusted to the same contractor who provided the material for the construction of Isaac.

Skillful mining of granite in a quarry

For the manufacture and erection of the prepared place of the column, two monoliths were required - one for the core of the structure, the other for the pedestal. The stone for the column was carved first.

First of all, the workers cleaned the granite monolith from soft soil and any mineral debris, and Montferrand carefully examined the surface of the stone for cracks and defects. No flaws were found.

Using hammers and forged chisels, the workers roughly leveled the top of the massif and made slotted recesses for attaching the rigging, after which it was time to separate the fragment from the natural monolith.

Along the lower edge of the blank for the column, a horizontal ledge was carved for the entire length of the stone. On the upper plane, having retreated a sufficient distance from the edge, a furrow was cut along the workpiece a foot deep and half a foot wide. In the same furrow, wells were drilled by hand, with the help of forged bolts and heavy hammers, at a distance of a foot from one another.

Steel wedges were placed in the finished wells. In order for the wedges to work synchronously and give an even crack in the granite monolith, a special spacer was used - an iron beam laid in a furrow and leveling the wedges into an even palisade.

At the command of the senior hammerers, placed one by one into two or three wedges, they set to work. The crack went exactly along the line of the wells!

With the help of levers and capstans (winches with a vertical shaft arrangement), the stone was overturned onto an obliquely laid out bed of logs and spruce branches.

The granite monolith for the pedestal of the column was also mined in the same way. But if the blank for the column initially weighed about 1000 tons, the stone for the pedestal was chipped off two and a half times less - “only” 400 tons in weight.

Career work lasted two years.

Transportation of blanks for the Alexander Column

The “light” stone for the pedestal was delivered to St. Petersburg first, in the company of several granite boulders. The total weight of the cargo was 670 tons. The loaded wooden barge was placed between two ships and safely towed to the capital. The ships arrived in the first days of November 1831.

Unloading was carried out using the synchronous operation of ten dragging winches and took only two hours.

Transportation of the larger workpiece was postponed until next summer. A team of masons, meanwhile, chipped off excess granite from it, giving the workpiece a rounded column shape.

A ship with a carrying capacity of up to 1100 tons was built to transport the column. The workpiece was sheathed with a board in several layers. On the shore, for the convenience of loading, a pier was built from log cabins, ballasted with wild stone. The area of ​​the pier flooring was 864 square meters.

A log-stone pier was built in the sea in front of the pier. The road to the pier was widened, cleared of vegetation and stone outcrops. Particularly strong remains had to be blown up. Of the many logs, they arranged a semblance of a pavement for unhindered rolling of the workpiece.

The movement of the prepared stone to the pier took two weeks and required the efforts of more than 400 tons of workers.

Loading the workpiece onto the ship was not without trouble. The logs, laid out in a row with one end on the pier, the other - on board the ship, could not withstand the load and broke. The stone, however, did not sink to the bottom: the ship, spread between the pier and the pier, did not allow it to drown.

The contractor had enough people and lifting equipment to rectify the situation. However, the authorities, for fidelity, called in soldiers from a nearby military unit. The help of several hundred hands turned out to be handy: in two days the monolith was lifted on board, strengthened and sent to St. Petersburg.

No one was injured during the incident.

Preparatory work

To avoid accidents when unloading the column, Montferrand rebuilt the St. Petersburg berth so that the side of the vessel adjoined it without gaps along its entire height. The measure turned out to be successful: the transfer of cargo from the barge to the shore went flawlessly.

Further movement of the column was carried out along inclined floorings with the ultimate goal in the form of a high wooden platform with a special trolley at the top. The trolley, moved on backing rollers, was intended for the longitudinal movement of the workpiece.

The stone cut for the pedestal of the monument was delivered to the site of the column in autumn, covered with a canopy and placed at the disposal of forty masons. Having trimmed the monolith from above and from all four sides, the workers turned the stone over onto a sand pile in order to prevent the block from splitting.

After processing all six planes of the pedestal, the granite block was hoisted onto the foundation. The foundation for the pedestal rested on 1250 piles driven into the bottom of the pit to a depth of eleven meters, sawn to the level and embedded in the masonry. On top of the four-meter masonry that filled the pit, they laid out a cement mortar with soap and alcohol. The compliance of the mortar pad made it possible to set the pedestal monolith with high accuracy.

Within a few months, the masonry and cement pad of the pedestal had set and gained the required strength. By the time the column was delivered to the Palace Square, the pedestal was ready.

Column installation

Installing a 757 ton column is a challenging engineering challenge even today. However, the engineers of two hundred years ago coped with the solution of the problem "perfectly well."

The design strength of the rigging and auxiliary structures was three times. The workers and soldiers involved in raising the column acted with great enthusiasm, Montferrand notes. Competent placement of people, impeccable organization of management and ingenious scaffolding design made it possible to raise, align and install the column in less than an hour. It took another two days to straighten the verticality of the monument.

Finishing the surface, as well as the installation of the architectural details of the capital and the sculpture of the angels, took another two years.

It should be noted that there are no fastening elements between the sole of the column and the pedestal. The monument rests solely due to its gigantic size and the absence of any noticeable earthquakes in St. Petersburg.

Links to additional information

Drawings and other documents on the construction of the Alexander Column in St. Petersburg:

Colonnade… Russian word stress

- (fr. colonne pillar). 1) a pillar supporting or decorating some part of a building. 2) a monument in the form of a pillar. 3) a well-known formation of the army. 4) ships built in several lines. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (French colonne, from Latin columna pillar), architecturally processed, round in cross section, vertical support, the core element of the building, the supporting structure of the building and architectural orders. It arose as the simplest element of a rack ... ... Art Encyclopedia

COLUMN, columns, female. (Italian colonna) (architect). 1. An architectural structure that looks like a tall cylinder and most often serves as a support for gables or internal parts of buildings. Portico with columns. “I ... built a house, with columns, huge ...” ... ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Column- - vertical support of a building, structure, perceiving vertical loads from other elements (beams, trusses, arches, vaults, etc.) [New Polytechnic Dictionary, Moscow, Scientific Publishing House, 2000] Column - (French colonne from lat … Encyclopedia of terms, definitions and explanations of building materials

COLUMN, female, lat. pillar, pillar, riser; stand, prop; a lonely column, in the form of a monument, a stall. The decoration of pillars or columns is determined in architecture by orders, the conditional order to which they belong. | Equestrian, foot column, ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Vertical linear structure, the height of which significantly exceeds its cross section. A column intended for the perception of vertical (to a lesser extent horizontal) loads. Source: Glossary of architectural terms 1 ... Construction dictionary

Cm … Synonym dictionary

In military affairs, a system in which servicemen are located at the back of the head to each other, and units (vehicles) one after another. Until ser. 19th century (in the Air Force in the 20th century) a column is one of the forms of battle order of troops (aviation) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

COLUMN, s, wives. 1. A structure in the form of a high pillar, which serves as a support in a building or is erected as a monument. Hall with columns. Triumphant k. 2. About people, objects located or moving one after another in an elongated line. TO.… … Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

- (Column of ships) building a fleet in several lines, each of which is called K. K. can be windward, leeward, right, left, middle. Samoilov K.I. Marine Dictionary. M. L .: State Naval Publishing House of the NKVMF of the Union ... ... Marine Dictionary

Books

• Dictionary of Coffee, Dashwood Maxwell Column. An indispensable book for those who have studied the surface of the "coffee" topic inside and out and now want to dive into it with their heads! In small but capacious dictionary entries, you will learn everything about how ...
• The Last Column, W. Küchelbecker. Leningrad, 1937. Publishing house "Fiction". Publisher's binding. The safety is good. The publication presents the unfinished novel by V. K. Kuchelbecker "The Last Column", ...

People who are taking their first steps in the study of art have probably already been interested in what a column is and what types of them are. After all, it is with the help of such monumental decorations that both large royal halls and the facades of buildings and palaces look prettier. Today we will cover the topic of columns, tell you what they are, where they are used and how they are drawn.

Definition

What is a column? This is a vertical element of the supporting structure of the building. Previously, the column was the basis of the frame, as it supported beams, trusses and ceilings. Today, construction has taken several steps forward, and it is quite possible to erect the roof of a building without additional supporting structures. The load will be divided evenly between all the walls of the building. Columns in modern construction play only a decorative role.

The Russian language is rich in identical words with double meanings. Therefore, in order not to get confused, let's talk about the casing string. This is a device for supplying energy to the bit, to create a load on it. Such a string is used to control the trajectory of drilling a well.

What is a columned hall

Since ancient times, people have loved everything beautiful. Therefore, they tried to transform the interior of the room. The columns were an integral part of the supporting structure of the building, and since they could not be got rid of, they began to beat the design of the halls with their help. Such supporting pillars could be located along the perimeter of the room or divide it into several parts. Over time, columned halls began to form. This is a type of room in which the division of space occurs with the help of pillars. Columns are the main decoration of the room. They were either painted white or covered with gold. Balls, solemn receptions of ambassadors, concerts and performances were held in the halls of columns.

Main components

We found out what a column is, and now we will consider what parts it is assembled from.

Base- This is the lower part, the task of which is to distribute the load.

But not all types of columns have this element.

Trunk is the main part.

The so-called column body. Most often it is decorated with carvings, stucco or flutes.

Capital- the top of the column.

Its task is to distribute the load between all components. It was on the capitals that the supporting structures were attributed to one order or another. This affiliation was formed in ancient Greece.

Orders

There are 5 types of columns.

Tuscan order.

Such a column has a small base. The trunk is smooth without flutes. The column becomes thinner at the top, its capital is round, smooth, without decor.

Doric order.

This style was popular in Sicily and Greece. The capitals were powerful and had no decor. But the trunk was decorated with flutes. They could be from 16 to 20 pieces. The column thickened from below and became thinner at the top. Such supporting structures did not have a base. The ratio of the section of the column below to its height was most often 6:1.

Ionic order.

Such columns are graceful and rather decorative. They were decorated with stucco and painting. The column was mounted on a base - a base consisting of two disks. The barrel was decorated with flutes, of which there were up to 24 pieces. They were quite deep and separated by flat gaps. The capital was decorated with volutes, the curls of which were beautifully wrapped towards the center.

Corinthian order.

Such a capital has a complex base. The barrel is decorated with 24 flutes, which are rounded at the top and bottom. Very often, such columns were not round, but square, and could even be made in the shape of a cone. The capital of the Corinthian order is similar to the Ionic one.

Composite order is a mixture of Corinthian and Ionic.

The trunk of such a column was decorated with 24 flutes, which could be rounded at the top and bottom. The capital was decorated with four currencies with a vertical cylindrical core.

The most famous monuments of architecture with columns

If we talk about world attractions, then, of course, the Colosseum comes to mind first. After all, what is a column, children are explained precisely from the picture of this monumental structure. Why? You may ask. Yes, because the Colosseum used columns of three orders at once: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. They were located along the perimeter of the amphitheater and decorated all three of its tiers. In addition to the columns, the Colosseum was decorated with sculptures by the best Roman masters.

In second place in popularity is the Pantheon. It is decorated with 16 columns made in the Corinthian order. They support a portico and weigh 60 tons each. The columns have an interesting history. They arrived in Rome from Egypt. They were transported by river. It is amazing how the colossus of 11.8 m could be carefully transported to such a far distance in 126 BC. e.

In the center of Palace Square in 1834, a colossus was erected, made from a single block of red granite. The Alexandrian column became an addition to the ensemble of the General Staff. To date, this monument, erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon, is the highest in the world. The column is decorated with a figure of an angel made of pink granite. The angel is incredibly similar to Alexander I. His right hand is directed to heaven, and his left is holding a cross. The decoration of the column is considered to be bas-reliefs depicting wisdom, abundance, justice, etc.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is beautiful both outside and inside. It has 700 rooms. The most famous of them are, of course, the five ceremonial order halls. We will talk about two of them:

• The Vladimir Hall is very unusual. It is a square in plan, but thanks to the niches, it appears to the visitor as an octagon. The vault is supported by decorative arches and columns.
• Andreevsky Hall is the most luxurious of all the premises of the palace. It is decorated with ten pylons decorated with gold and excellent carved doors. Three throne places, located at the end of the hall, cannot but amaze the viewer with their beauty.

The Hall of Columns of the Unions is another wonderful example of how you can decorate a room with load-bearing structures. 28 snow-white columns of the Corinthian order give the room a solemn look. A huge crystal chandelier and mirrors visually expand the rather large space of the columned hall. Today it is the best venue for concerts in Moscow, thanks to the amazing acoustics and the most modern equipment.

Where columns are used today

The columned hall of the house is already a rarity and luxury. Nowadays, architects can design a house without load-bearing structures in the middle. The roof or vault will rest solely on the walls. Yes, some people who have dreamed of living in a palace all their lives can design a house with columns for themselves. But, since minimalism and primitivism prevail today, as well as most buildings are built according to ready-made standard solutions, the supporting structures are removed from the decor.

But rostral columns are popular. Even in small towns they are installed in honor of significant events or local holidays. Of course, these are not monumental works of art made from a monolithic block, but they still look pretty nice.

How to draw a column capital

Place the sheet vertically. Now you need to outline the axis, base and capital of the column. Considering the perspective, we outline the main parts of the base and the trunk. Now you need to make a drawing of the column.

When the preparatory part is ready, we move on to the most difficult part - the image of the capital. We draw an echinus ellipse adjacent to the bottom of the abacus. Depicting currencies and giving them volume. When the linear constructive drawing is ready, we begin to introduce the tone. We put a shadow on the right side of the column, and also with the help of a light-and-shadow game we transfer the volume to the capitals. We draw all flutes. The last step is to generalize the drawing due to the image of the background.

How to make a column at home

Sometimes there is a need to hide some kind of pipe or supporting structure, which was formed after the redevelopment of the apartment. The easiest way to decorate large vertical objects is to create columns. With your own hands, they are easiest to make from drywall. To do this, you need to make an iron frame, fix it on the floor and ceiling. A sheet of drywall along the entire length must be cut by 2/3. And then we wrap the frame with a blank and fasten it with self-tapping screws. You can trim such a column with any material. You can cover it with plaster, plaster, and also glue it with wallpaper or tile it.

• The length of the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is 9.5 m, and they are made from a single piece of malachite. Such colossus weighs 114 tons. Some people are sure that without alien intervention, such columns cannot be put in place.
• Many will be surprised, but the Alexandrian column weighing 700 tons is kept upright due to its own weight. But they centered it on a pedestal using an interesting solution that contained cement, vodka and soap.
• And now one more fact about the casing string, and the very one that is being drilled. They are now planning to be made of plastic. It seems amazing that steel, the world's hardest alloy, can replace a lightweight piece of plastic, but technology doesn't stand still.