The Alexander Column (or Alexandrian Column) in Palace Square, Saint Petersburg
It is considered the tallest column in the world at 155 feet. The column stands as the focal point of Palace Square. It was designed by a French architect and built between 1830 and 1834 to honor Russia's victory over France in the Napoleonic Wars.
The column is topped by an angel whose face is remarkably similar to that of Alexander I. On the side of the sculpted base is an inscription that says, "To Alexander I from a grateful Russia."
The column is considered a remarkable engineering accomplishment. A single piece of red granite was obtained in Finland and transported by sea to Saint Petersburg on a barge specially designed for this purpose. Without the aid of modern cranes and engineering machines, the column, weighing 661 tons, was erected by 3,000 men under the guidance of William Handyside in less than 2 hours. It is set so neatly that no attachment to the base is needed, and it is fixed in position by its own weight alone.
Around 1952, there were plans to substitute the sculpture of the Angel by one of Stalin. Nothing came of those plans.
