Andy Atzert / flickr.com Liberty Island, New York (Phil Dolby / flickr.com) Liberty Island, New York, USA (Delta Whiskey / flickr.com) Anthony Quintano / flickr.com View of Ellis Island (Liberty Island ) and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (James Loesch / flickr.com) The US Army / flickr.com

Any landmark on the map that has worldwide fame, one way or another, is shrouded in legends and interesting stories... The famous Statue of Liberty, which is located on the island of the same name, is no exception.

This grandiose memorial is also known to those people who have never visited the territory of the United States and have not seen this magnificent monument with their own eyes.

You can see him everywhere: on TV screens, in magazines, in souvenir shops and many other accessible places. Therefore, even children know where the Statue of Liberty is.

On the map of New York City in the United States, you can find the island where the Statue of Liberty is located, which to this day looks especially solemn.

Woman with a torch in her hand

Located approximately three kilometers southwest of one of the districts of New York City, the monument stands at the intersection of two "worlds": the New World and the Old.

When meeting visiting immigrants, the legendary woman with a torch in her hand is a true symbol of the ideals of the American democratic system. For more than a dozen years, the Statue of Liberty has been ranked first in the ratings of the world's most famous sculptures.

Liberty Island, New York, USA (Delta Whiskey / flickr.com)

She is often called “the symbol of New York and the USA”, “Lady Liberty” and many other epithets that still cannot convey her splendor.

It is really very difficult not to admire such a “wonder of the world”. The height of the sculpture itself, which represents a woman, reaches 47 meters. But if you take into account the gigantic granite pedestal, you get 93 meters.

Tourists could watch the top of the monument sway noticeably under the influence of the wind.

The world first saw this stunning monument at the end of the 19th century, in 1886. At the same time, the process of creating a world masterpiece was not easy. It turns out that the original idea of \u200b\u200bcreating something extraordinary belonged to the Frenchman Laboulaye, who was later recognized as a national hero in the United States.

As a scholar and lawyer, he openly supported the formal abolition of slavery, citing the exemplary American constitution as an example to his supporters at home. As a sign of alliance and friendship with the American state, some representatives of the French intelligentsia, led by Laboulaye, decided to present the United States with a memorable gift.

Statue of Liberty, New York, USA (Mobilus In Mobili / flickr.com)

Interesting facts in the history of the creation of the monument

The original title of the sculpture, given by the author Auguste Bartholdi, is "Freedom bringing light to the world." It is still not known for sure, but it is said that the experienced creator of the giant statue was planning to make his creation not for America. The designs for the amazing memorial were for Egypt. However, this information has not yet been officially confirmed.

There are many legends around the person whose image is captured in the sculpture. There are suggestions that the creator copied the sketch from the portrait of his mother, but this version does not find evidence or refutation.

The intricate inner frame of the statue, which was built in the adjacent harbor of New York, was designed by a specialist who became famous later, after the creation of the Eiffel Tower. Gustave Eiffel was mistaken for a specialist in the field of iron structures.

Liberty Island: Finding the location of the Statue of Liberty

Taking this unique opportunity, the statue was going to be constructed for the anniversary of the independence of the American people. In 1876 it was a rather round date - 100 years, so it would be quite logical to reinforce the holiday with such a significant gift.

Liberty Island, New York (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)

Work on the creation of the greatest monument dragged on very slowly. By that time, only part of the statue had been completed, namely the hand with a torch, which was taken to Philadelphia, where the international exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the United States was held.

Bartholdi also visited the exhibition. Long before that, he decided on the choice of the island on which the Statue of Liberty will be located.

Within the boundaries of New York, he liked only one island - Bedloes Island, which the sculptor accidentally proposed to rename into Liberty Island. Only 80 years later, this island in the vicinity of the city began to be called Liberty Island.

The sculpture took the place of the former fortress that defended the coastal part of New York in ancient times. Proudly holding a plaque in his hand with the date of America's independence, the Statue of Liberty fully lives up to its name.

Probably, there is nothing surprising in the fact that a few years after installation, the monument was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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 \u200b\u200bfreedom. In addition, it is another symbol of the New York metropolis.

The majestic building in America is located on the island of Liberty. Approximately 3,000 meters southwest of the south of Manhattan Island in New York. Until 56 of the last century, the island in the United States, which is now adorned with the Statue of Liberty, was referred to as Bedlow. Although at the beginning of the century it was already nicknamed "the Island of Freedom".

A torch is burning in the right hand of the statue, which is 12.8 meters long. On the left is a sign, which is 4.14 meters long. It bears the date of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.

Broken shackles are seen under the feet of the statue, which in turn symbolizes liberation. On the head, the distance from the chin to the back of the head is 5.26 meters. The nose length 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. It 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 means the same number of parts of the World Ocean. Also, windows are made in the crown, which shine like diamonds in the sun and adorn it.

Another fact is that visitors usually walk 192 steps to climb the pedestal. 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 climb to the very top, from where you can admire the stunning panorama of New York and its harbor, which defies description.

Who donated 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 it come from then?

A 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 for the Independence Day to the States. The statue was designed and manufactured by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor. The main idea is to give America a gift for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence.

The widow Isabella Boyer posed for the statue. An interesting fact is that it 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 - 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 the project too costly. 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 a pedestal, and in Paris they made the statue itself. The French pledged to install it on site.

Top view of the Article of Liberty, New York, USA (Phil Dolby / flickr.com)

In order to collect the necessary amount for the implementation of the project, special measures were taken in both states. In France, a certain amount of money was collected thanks to lotteries, entertainment events, donations from citizens. In America, in order to raise the required amount, they carried out theatrical performances, artist exhibitions, ring fights and auctions.

In France, the author of Bartholdi's construction needed a technically educated person to construct the statue. Another interesting fact, this man 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 high-height statue in an upright position.

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

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

Construction of the Statue of Liberty

Construction of the massive foundations near Manhattan, New York began on August 5, 1885. It was built in a little less than 9 months, and the work ended on April 22, 1886. Steel bridges are inserted inside the pedestal made of stones. Metal beams connected to them are directed upwards to go into the Eiffel frame inside the structure itself.

France made her present in the summer. The length of the entire structure is 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 Ysere ship. 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. After this role was assumed by the military in the United States.

On October 15, by order 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 Bedlow. In 1956, the name of the island changed, it acquired a new name - Liberty Island.

In 82 of the last century, 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-carat gold was used for the coating. In 1986, the renovated Statue of Liberty welcomed everyone to visit it on the occasion of the 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. And only in 2004, the Statue of Liberty was reopened for visits, but access to the top was still closed.

From 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 renewed in honor of the next anniversary. In addition, an escalator was installed here for the convenience of visitors. 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 attracted tourists for many years and is an iconic place among Americans.

The Statue of Liberty is a national landmark and one of the main symbols of the United States of America. This one was donated to the United States by the French people who support them in their struggle for independence. According to the architects' ideas, the Statue of Liberty is positioned as a symbol of democracy and independence.

The idea behind this architectural structure appeared in 1865 and belongs to a Frenchman named Edouard de Laboulaye. To put this idea into practice, he was helped by a then unknown sculptor named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. As a result, it was conceived to design a huge lighthouse in the form of a woman holding a torch in her right outstretched hand. According to the idea, it is the torch that illuminates the path of the sailors heading to the New York port.

The famous Gustave Eiffel (Eiffel Tower in Paris) designed and built this monument-lighthouse. The result is a steel frame weighing 125 tons and a height of 93 meters along with a pedestal. The lighthouse is built in such a way that inside the statue you can freely move and climb the stairs to the most important observation decklocated in. By the way, the lighthouse has already been restored several times: modern lighting elements (laser illumination) have been added to it.

Where is the Statue of Liberty

It was erected on Bedlow Island (Liberty Island) in New York. The opening of this architectural landmark took place in 1886, accompanied by cannon shots, fireworks and a siren. Since then, the legendary Statue of Liberty has welcomed ships entering the port of New York every day and welcomes tourists from different parts of the world. By the way, the full name of this monument sounds like this: "Freedom illuminating the world." Currently, there is the very first model of the Statue of Liberty, which can be seen in Paris near the famous Eiffel Tower.

Why the Statue of Liberty stands in New York

The fact is that the place for the future lighthouse was chosen by the sculptor Bartholdi himself. It was he who decided that the future pedestal should stand on Bedlow Island (Liberty Island), located 3 kilometers from the southern border of Manhattan. The sculptor assured that this place is the best solution in the location of a woman with a torch, who from day to day will greet ships heading for New York and illuminate their way. According to Bartholdi, it is Freedom Island that allows you to bring the original idea to life to the fullest.

According to some reports, the Statue of Liberty was originally intended to be erected in Port Said, located in the Suez Canal, which, in turn, connects the two seas - the Red and the Mediterranean. However, this project was not implemented, and they decided to erect the future lighthouse in the United States.

But look at what other topic is roaming the network:

At first glance, everything is known about the Statue of Liberty. It was given to the United States by the French for the centenary of independence. The monument, created by Frederic Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel, was inaugurated on Liberty Island at the mouth of the Hudson River on October 28, 1886. Lady Liberty, meeting ships arriving in New York, is quite heavy. It contains 204 tons, of which 90 are copper blocks with which the figure is faced.

It is these 90 tons that have been the subject of heated debate among historians from different countries... It is clear that a supplier of such a huge batch of non-ferrous metal should have made very good money - the cost of copper at that time averaged $ 2,500 per ton. But the question of who got this money is still open. No documents related to the purchase of copper have survived, and in the memories of the people involved in the creation of the Statue of Liberty, the topic of the origin of the metal is strangely hushed up.

A bit of historical background:

The creation of the monument was entrusted to the sculptor and architect Frederic Bartholdi. The deadline was set - by 1876 it was necessary to complete the monument, timed to coincide with the centenary of the United States Declaration of Independence. It is believed to be a joint Franco-American project. Americans worked on the pedestal, and the statue itself was created in France. In New York, all parts of the Statue of Liberty were assembled into a single whole.

After the start of construction, it became clear that much more funds were needed than originally planned. On both sides of the ocean, a massive fundraising campaign was initiated, lotteries, charity concerts, and other events. In calculating the design parameters of the huge statue of Bartholdi, the help of an experienced engineer was required. Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, personally designed a strong iron support and frame that allows the statue's copper shell to move freely while maintaining the balance of the monument itself.

The Americans were reluctant to part with the funds, therefore there were difficulties in raising the required amount, so Joseph Pulitzer wrote a number of articles on the pages of his newspaper "World", appealing to the representatives of the upper and middle classes and urging them to allocate money for a good cause. The criticism was extremely harsh, and it had an effect

By August 1885, the USA managed to collect the required amount, by that time the French had already completed their part of the work and brought parts of the statue to New York. The Statue of Liberty was divided into 350 pieces and transported on the frigate Ysere in 214 crates. In 4 months, all parts of the monument were collected, and with a huge gathering of people, on October 26, 1886, the opening ceremony of the legendary monument took place. It so happened that the gift for the 100th anniversary was 10 years late. It is worth noting that the hand with the torch was collected even earlier and even exhibited at an exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876

Let's get back to the material now:

They tried to solve the riddle by comparing the cladding material with samples taken from the largest mines in the world. The experiment made even more confusion, the versions grew like mushrooms after rain. Copper samples similar in composition of impurities were found in British mines in Swansea, in German Mansfield and in the Spanish mining region of Uelva. Norwegian scientists have little doubt that Bartholdi bought 90 tons of copper from the Visnes mine, which was developed in the 1870s on the island of Karma in the North Sea. At the same time, the company that owns this mine was run by a Frenchman, and its headquarters were located in Paris. The Norwegians so wanted to consider themselves "suppliers of building materials for the American Svoboda" that they ordered a spectrographic analysis from Bell Laboratories. His results showed that the copper from the North Sea is very similar to the one used on the statue, but not identical. And this gives a chance to develop another theory about the origin of the metal - this time the Russian one.

Nizhniy Tagil, Copper mine. Fox mountain

From the Urals to Paris

Bashkir scientist, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences Miniakhmet Mutalov and employees of the Vysokogorsk mining and processing plant do not doubt that copper for Lady Svoboda was purchased from the industrialists Demidovs, who owned the Nizhny Tagil mines. True, they are guided by their experience in mining, and not by the results of research from American laboratories. Nevertheless, one cannot but agree with them that in the 1870s Russian copper was really very popular in the West, where it was called "Old Sable". Undoubtedly, the Demidov mines could provide the required volume of production. In 1814, a huge copper quarry was opened on Mount Vyyskaya near Nizhniy Tagil, and by 1850 copper production there reached 10,000 tons per year. By comparison, the Norwegian mine - candidate number one - then produced only 3,000 tons.

Nizhniy Tagil copper was sold mainly in the markets of Western Europe, despite the fact that the mine was very far from the consumer. In 1851, at the first World Exhibition in London, she received three bronze medals, and in 1867 the Demidovs took first place at the Paris Exhibition.

In France, they heard about the successes of Russian miners before. French specialists often came to the Urals to study. In the Nizhny Tagil archives for the 19th century, hundreds of contracts with foreigners hired by the Demidovs have been preserved. 42 foreigners worked for them - English, Swiss, Germans, Belgians, Italians and 14 French. The personal consultant of the industrialists was Leple, a mining engineer from France, and his compatriot named Bocard worked as an administrator of the Nizhny Tagil plant. This close cooperation greatly facilitated the establishment of channels for the supply of metal to the Western buyer.

Secret signs

Conspiracy sources also support the version of the Russian origin of the Statue of Liberty. It is known that Bartholdi and Eiffel were members of the French Masonic lodge, and it was the "free masons" who helped them raise 3.5 million francs to make the statue. The construction of the pedestal was funded by the Masonic Lodge of New York. Media tycoon Joseph Pulitzer donated about $ 100,000 to it on the condition that a note with his name and the words "Russian emigrant and Jew" will be laid at the base of the monument. At the same time, according to official data, he was born in Hungary and it was from there that he moved to the United States.

It is known that French and American Freemasons maintained rather close relations, including those of a business nature, with Russian “freemasons”. And the Demidovs occupied a very high position in the Masonic hierarchy of Russia. After the Decembrist uprising, the emperor banned Masonic lodges, and they had to go underground. "Freemasons" from the capital's aristocracy and the bourgeoisie hastily got rid of the images of compasses, trowels and pyramids on clothes, carriages and house facades. The Demidovs remained the only ones who continued to openly demonstrate Masonic symbols - a silver hammer and a trowel-like instrument were depicted on their family coat of arms.

Pavel Pavlovich Demidov, who in the 1870s headed the complex of Nizhny Tagil enterprises, spent his youth in Paris. In the mid-1860s, after graduating from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, he continued his education under the guidance of a famous scientist, publicist, politician and ... freemason Edouard René de Laboulay. At the same time, the young, up-and-coming sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was sculpting a bust of his adored Laboulaye.

One summer day in 1865, the flower of French Freemasonry gathered in the house of Laboulay: Oscar and Edmund Lafayette, the grandsons of the Marquis of Lafayette, the Masonic brother of George Washington, the historian Henry Martin and, of course, Bartholdi. Edouard René shared with his friends an idea: what a beautiful gesture from the French Republicans to give the Americans a memorial symbolizing freedom as a sign of their friendship! Contemporaries called Laboulaye "America's greatest admirer in France," among other things, the gift was supposed to highlight the contrast between American democracy and the repressive political methods of the Second Empire. For 31-year-old Bartholdi, who, without hesitation, picked up the idea of \u200b\u200ban older friend, this was a chance to demonstrate his talent to the whole world.

It was not built right away

With the implementation of the venture had to wait until the end of the Franco-Prussian War. In 1871, Laboulaye suggested that Bartholdi go to America and do whatever was necessary for the monument to be opened on July 4, 1876, on the centenary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Without money and a sketch of the monument, but with a heap of letters of recommendation to his American brothers, the sculptor sailed to America. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe statue appeared in his head when he was already sailing towards New York - Frederick quickly made a sketch.

Three years later, Bartholdi returned to France, where he established the Franco-American Union to raise funds for the construction of the "Liberty Illuminating the World" monument. Soon he began work on its creation together with the Parisian company Gaget, Gauthier & Cie.

The sculptor copied the face of Svoboda from his mother. First he made a four-foot clay model, then a nine-foot one out of plaster, then he began to proportionally enlarge each of its parts nine times ... But the deadline was delayed due to constant lack of funds.

Although more than 100,000 French donations made donations to the monument, the Freemasons managed to collect the necessary money only by 1880. Probably, the Americans gave them the missing amount. It was not for nothing that Bartholdi invited the United States Treasury Secretary Levi P. Morton to install the first piece of copper cladding on the statue's left big toe. On July 4, 1884, two months after the completion of the work, the monument was officially presented to the US Ambassador to Paris Levi Morton as a gift. For another two years, "Lady Liberty" stood in Paris, waiting for the completion of the pedestal for her in the Hudson Bay.

On August 5, 1884, in the pouring rain, due to which the Masonic parade had to be canceled (there would still not be enough space for it on the tiny island), the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the statue's pedestal took place. Then, under it, there was that famous "box with a secret", in which, in addition to the names of the presidents-Masons and Pulitzer's strange statement about his Russian roots, they say, the names of all the people who took part in the creation of "Lady Liberty" are indicated, but for some reasons not admitted to this.

In June 1885, the statue, disassembled and packed in 214 containers, arrived in New York. It was collected for another 15 months, and finally on October 28, 1886, a gift from France appeared before the Americans in all its glory. The opening ceremony of the monument was presided over by the President of the United States, Freemason Grover Cleveland. The monument was consecrated by the Archbishop of the New York Episcopal Church, Henry Potter, also a member of the Freemasons Lodge. Grand Master Senator Chauncey M. Depew delivered a solemn speech.

And only Russian masons could not openly announce their participation in the construction of the monument - most likely, they would not be praised for this in their homeland. Perhaps that is why all documents testifying to the sale of 90 tons of Russian copper to France were painstakingly destroyed.

Marriage of convenience

In general, the policy of the Russian tsars in relation to the lodges was not distinguished by consistency. Thus, while pursuing "free masons" in his own country, Alexander III nevertheless actively collaborated with French masons. The desire not to get involved in international adventures and wars pushed him to a rapprochement with Paris, where at that time the lodge ruled the ball. The sovereign had no choice - Great Britain encroached on Russian territories, Prussia was too aggressive. Alexander had to accept the foreign policy line of rapprochement with France, which was proposed to him by Foreign Minister Giers.

Alexander only benefited from cooperation with Masonic France - huge investments flowed into the country. In 1888, an emissary of the French banks Gosquier arrived in St. Petersburg for negotiations with the Minister of Finance Ivan Vyshnegradsky, who later began to manage the capital of all members of the royal family. In November 1888, a decree was issued on the issue of a Russian gold four percent loan.

Initially, its amount was only 500 million francs. But already in February of the following year, Alexander ordered the issue of a consolidated loan of the first series in the amount of 175 million rubles for the conversion of five percent bonds of numerous railway loans of the 1870s. The French, who saw in Russia a guarantor of protection against the Prussian threat, actively subscribed to it, and thereby stimulated St. Petersburg to expand business contacts.

The deal took place, in April there was a so-called loan of consolidated Russian bonds of the second series, in the amount of 310.5 million rubles. It was issued jointly with the Rothschild Bank and was also a huge success. After that, the French began a virtual "economic occupation" of Russia. They invested in the construction of railways and factories, cut down mines and erected oil rigs. This continued almost until the beginning of the First World War.

Perhaps, if Russia and France had become friends a little earlier, the sale of copper for Bartholdi's ambitious project would not have had to be hidden. But now the historical truth is no longer so important, all the same, the statue remained in history not as a Masonic symbol, but as a talisman of emigrants who come to the New World in search of a new life.

But look at another example from history, as one person, and here with. Yes, but if you also remember something about large transactions, for example The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is

The Statue of Liberty, one of the most famous sculptures in the United States and in the world, opened on July 4, US Independence Day, following repairs and work to deal with the aftermath of Atlantic hurricane Sandy that struck the country's coastline last fall. The symbol of New York and the United States is a gift from the people of France for the centenary of the American Revolution in 1886.

Collected here are photographs that tell the story of the Statue of Liberty from its birth in Paris to the present day.

The French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to create the statue. It was conceived as a gift for the centenary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. According to one version, Bartholdi even had a French model.

His first project failed

Studio in Paris, 1875.

By mutual agreement, America was to build a pedestal, and France to create a statue and install it in the United States. However, the lack of money was felt on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, charitable donations, along with various entertainment events and the lottery, raised 2.25 million francs. In the United States, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, auctions and boxing matches have been held to raise funds.

Left: The hand and torch of the Statue of Liberty being created in a studio in Paris, 1876. Right: The head of the Statue of Liberty is being created in a Paris studio, 1880.

Meanwhile, in France, the sculptor Bartholdi needed the help of an engineer to solve design issues related to the construction of such a giant copper sculpture. Gustave Eiffel (the future creator of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive steel support.

Workers create the statue in a Paris workshop, 1882

The statue was completed by the French in July 1884. Here she stands near the studio of the sculptor Bartholdi in Paris.

She was brought to New York on June 17, 1885 aboard the French frigate Ysere. For transportation, the statue was disassembled into 350 pieces and packed into 214 boxes. The site for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, approved by the 1877 Act of Congress, was chosen by General William Sherman, taking into account the wishes of Bartholdi himself, on Bedlow Island, where a star-shaped fort stood since the beginning of the 19th century.

The inauguration of the Statue of Liberty, at which US President Grover Cleveland spoke, took place on October 28, 1886 in the presence of thousands of spectators.

New York, 1930. The Statue of Liberty is often called "the symbol of New York and the United States", "the symbol of freedom and democracy", "Lady Liberty".

Ocean liner Queen Mary and the Statue of Liberty, June 1, 1936. Few numbers. The height from the ground to the top of the torch of the Statue of Liberty is 92.99 m, the height of the statue is 33.86 m, the height from the ground to the top of the pedestal is 46.94 m.

Bedlow Island, where the Statue of Liberty was erected, was a slum area. Congressmen asked for $ 1,000,000 to clear territory on the island. New York, March 5, 1948.

On September 7, 1937, the area of \u200b\u200bthe National Monument was enlarged to cover the entire Bedlow Island, which was renamed Liberty Island in 1956. In the photo: Visitors look out of the crown of the Statue, October 26, 1946.

In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan commissioned a fundraiser to restore the Statue of Liberty. $ 87 million was raised for the restoration. The restoration began on July 4, 1984.

Restoration of the Statue of Liberty, 1984.

Let's take a look inside. The frame and various supporting structures are visible here, 1984.

Metal frame and spiral staircase inside the Statue, 1988.

Old torch of the Statue of Liberty.

This is a new torch and a view of Manhattan, 1985.

At the beginning of the restoration work, the Statue of Liberty was added to the List World heritage UNESCO. On July 5, 1986, the restored Statue of Liberty was reopened to the public during the centenary of Liberty Weekend.

The statue and island were closed from September 11, 2001 to August 3, 2004 due to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan, October 26, 2006. By the way, there are also Statues of Liberty in other cities. Most of the copies of the Statue of Liberty are in her homeland - France. There are four of them in Paris.

After the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the statue and its crown were reopened for tours only on July 4, 2009. Visitors to the Island of Liberty and the Statue are still subject to restrictions, including body searches similar to airport security checks.

The Statue of Liberty and the Discovery shuttle flying "on the back" of the mighty specially equipped Boeing 747 airliner, April 27, 2012.

In October 2012, the Atlantic hurricane Sandy made a devastating march across the North American continent, somehow paralyzing the life of 13 states. The statue itself, over 33 meters high, withstood the hurricane, the consequences of which in New York have not yet been fully eliminated, but Liberty Island suffered severe floods and power outages. Tens of millions of dollars were spent on restoration work.

Following restoration work, the Statue of Liberty reopened to the public on 4 July 2013.