View source for Chesme Column

{{short description|Rostral column in Saint Petersburg, Russia}}
{{expand Russian|topic=struct|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox monument
| name          = 
| native_name   = Чесменская колонна
| image         = RUS-2016-Pushkin-Catherine Park-Chesme Column.jpg
| image_size    = 
| caption       = 
| location      = [[Catherine Park]]
| mapframe      = 
| designer      = [[Antonio Rinaldi (architect)|Antonio Rinaldi]]
| type          = [[Victory column]]
| material      = Bronze, marble, granite
| height        = {{convert|25|m}}
| begin         = 1774
| complete      = 1778
| restore       = 1996
}}
The '''Chesme Column''' ({{Langx|ru|Чесменская колонна|Chesmenskaya kolonna}}) is a [[rostral column]] (a type of [[victory column]]) in the [[Catherine Park]] at the [[Catherine Palace]], a former Russian royal residence at [[Tsarskoye Selo]], a suburb of [[Saint Petersburg]]. The column commemorates three Russian naval victories in the 1768–1774 [[Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)|Russo-Turkish War]]: the Battle of Chios, the [[Battle of Chesma]] and the Battle of Mytilene. It was constructed from 1774 to 1778 in the large pond of the landscape park of the Catherine Palace to [[Antonio Rinaldi (architect)|Antonio Rinaldi]]'s designs.<ref name="cc-tzar">{{cite web |url=http://eng.tzar.ru/museums/palaces/catherine_park/landscape/chesme |title=The Chesme Column |publisher=tzar.ru |accessdate=October 8, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405160845/http://eng.tzar.ru/museums/palaces/catherine_park/landscape/chesme |archivedate=April 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The column is decorated with the [[rostrum (ship)|rostra]] of three ships' bows, and crowned by a bronze figure of an eagle (a symbol of Russia) crushing a crescent (a symbol of Turkey). The column stands on a grey marble pedestal, on three sides of which are bronze [[bas-relief]]s illustrating the Russian victories, while the fourth side is inscribed with a description of the battles. The bas-reliefs were destroyed by the Germans during [[World War II]], and subsequently replaced using old photographs. The column was reopened in June 1996, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy. The pedestal rests on a stepped [[pyramid]]-like granite platform, with an arched opening with a grille leading to a flight of steps providing access to the pedestal.<ref name="cc-tzar" />

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Catherine_II_walking_by_V.Borovikovskiy_(1794,_Tretyakov_gallery).jpg|[[Catherine II of Russia|Catherine II]] strolling in the park at [[Tsarskoye Selo]] with the Chesme Column in the background, painting by [[Vladimir Borovikovsky]]
File:Marblebridge.jpg|[[Marble Bridge]] in Tsarskoye Selo (1774). The Chesme Column is seen in the distance
File:Чесменская (Орловская) колонна, Царское Село.JPG|Side view shows an entrance leading into the base pedestal.<ref name="cc-tzar" />
</gallery>
[[File:Орел на Чесменской колонне (Пушкин).jpg|thumb|Eagle crushing a crescent moon]]
[[File:A fragment of a bas-relief of genuine Chesmenskaya column found at the bottom of the pond - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A fragment of the original bas-relief found at the bottom of the pond]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Monuments of Saint Petersburg}}
{{Showplaces in Ekaterininsky park of Tsarskoye Selo}}
{{Coord|59.7100|N|30.3937|E|display=title}}

[[Category:Monumental columns in Russia]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Pushkin]]
[[Category:Victory monuments]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1778]]
[[Category:Sculptures of eagles]]
[[Category:Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Animal sculptures in Russia]]
[[Category:Outdoor sculptures in Saint Petersburg]]