Alexander Column

The Alexander Column is the focal point of Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was raised after the Russian victory in the war with Napoleon's France and is named for Emperor Alexander I. The monument is a single piece of red granite, claimed to be the tallest monolith of its kind in the world at 47.5 meters tall, topped with a statue of an angel holding a cross.

Don't miss

• The column is a single piece of red granite, 25.45 meters long and about 3.5 meters in diameter, weighing around 600 tonnes.
• The pedestal is decorated with symbols of military glory, including bas-reliefs depicting winged figures holding a plaque reading 'To Alexander I from a grateful Russia'.
• Bas-reliefs on the other three sides feature allegorical figures of Wisdom and Abundance, Justice and Mercy, and Peace and Victory, the last holding a shield with the dates 1812, 1813, and 1814.
• The pedestal includes depictions of old Russian armor, such as the shield of Prince Oleg of Novgorod, the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, and the chainmail of Yermak Timofeyevich.
• A historic cast-iron railing around the column, removed during the Soviet period, was restored in 2002.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Alexander Column

Cheapest way inImagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art General Admission4.2★ · 24 travelers1-2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$5 per personSee dates →Best full dayBiblical Tour Letters ToThe Corinthians St Paul’s Footsteps 6Hour4.9★ · 1,385 travelers~6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$166 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Golf Cart Tour - The History of St. Petersburg5★ · 13 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$49 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The Alexander Column is the focal point of Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
• The column was unveiled on 30 August 1834 and erected in less than 2 hours by 3,000 men.

A bit of history

The column was designed by French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand, built between 1830 and 1834, and unveiled on 30 August 1834. The granite monolith was obtained from Virolahti, Finland, and transported by sea on a specially designed barge. It was erected on 30 August 1832 by 3,000 men in less than 2 hours, set so neatly that no attachment to the base is needed,it is fixed by its own weight alone. The statue of the angel was designed by Russian sculptor Boris Orlovsky, and its face bears great similarity to Emperor Alexander I.