The height of the world famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mention of the statue in culture

A unique architectural structure, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, is considered an iconic monument of Rio de Janeiro, a symbol of the city and the country as a whole. In 2007, it was included in the list of “New Seven Wonders of the World”. The dimensions of the monument are impressive: height (including the pedestal) 38 meters, arm span 30 meters, weight 1145 tons.

The natural beauty of the shape of Mount Corcovado (translated as “Brokeback Mountain”) surprised the Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss, who visited Brazil in 1859, and he came up with the idea of ​​crowning its peak with a monument of religious content. It was planned to build the statue for the centenary of Brazil's national independence (1922), but the actual opening and consecration of the monument took place only in 1931, on October 12. The decision that this would be a majestic statue of Christ the Savior could have arisen by association with the biblical mountain on which Satan tempted Jesus, promising power over the earthly world.

A competition for designs for the monument was announced through a well-known magazine, and the architect Hector da Silva Costa was declared the winner. According to the creative plan, a statue of Christ was to be erected on the top of the mountain, “embracing” the entire city. The residents of the country were delighted with the architect's proposal, while another project to install a statue of Columbus (the discoverer of America) on the mountain died without being born. The idea of ​​patronage and protection of the Son of God appealed to the Brazilians, and the collection of money for construction became truly nationwide and went quite quickly.

The manufacture of the monument's components took place in France; they were delivered by sea, and then to the top of the mountain by railway cars. Another 223 steps of a winding staircase called the “Snail” led to the installation site of the monument. Over the 80-year period, the statue was reconstructed several times, and in 2003 the rise was equipped with an escalator. Today, the railway, which was previously used to deliver construction materials, is used as transport for tourists. From the center of Rio de Janeiro, the mountain can be reached by two trains, consisting of two cars, which depart every 30 minutes and carry up to 10 thousand passengers a day. You can also get there from the city by car along an excellent road.

Mount Corcovado is the natural pedestal of a grandiose monument. A chapel is built and operates in its marble basement. Today it is possible to serve prayer services, perform baptismal ceremonies, weddings and other church services. The chapel was built to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the statue of the Embracing Christ, and it bears the name of the miraculously found statue in the 18th century, the patroness of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida. One of the most majestic attractions in the world, the statue of Christ the Guardian Angel, is visited annually by more than 2 million tourists from all over the world, and their number continues to grow. Of course, visiting the monument should not be considered a purely entertainment event. They say that even at the foot the atmosphere is already special, sublime, imbued with divine grace...

History of the construction of the statue of Christ the Redeemer

The construction of this majestic monument took nine years, and this is quite fast for such a monument. The people of Brazil played a significant role in its construction.

As already mentioned, in 1921, on the eve of Brazil’s celebration of national independence, in Rio de Janeiro (until 1960 this city was the capital of the country) they decided to erect a majestic monument. Civil and religious leaders involved all residents of the country in raising funds for its construction. The popular magazine O Cruzeiro published weekly articles about the progress of the statue project and its construction. And it helped - the country's residents were able to collect 2.2 million Brazilian flights for the construction of the statue.

The first draft of the future statue was designed by Carlos Oswald. He suggested making the statue's pedestal look like a globe. However, the government abandoned this idea, as well as Oswald’s work. However, his proposal to depict Christ the Redeemer with his hands spread out in a blessing gesture was received with a bang by the people. From a distance, such a statue resembles a cross, and this greatly appeals to the religious people of Brazil. The final design of Carlos Oswald was finalized by engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. He was helped by Paul Landowski, a French sculptor.

Soapstone was chosen as the main building material - it is quite soft, but at the same time has good resistance to weather conditions and high wear resistance.

In 1931, on October 12, the statue was inaugurated and consecrated. About 250 thousand dollars were spent on its construction (at the exchange rate at that time).

November 16th, 2012

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer (port. Cristo Redentor) is the famous statue of Christ with outstretched arms on the top of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. It is a symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general. The statue of Christ the Redeemer can rightfully be considered one of the most majestic buildings of mankind. Its size and beauty, combined with the panorama opening from the observation deck at the foot of the statue, will take the breath away of anyone who happens to be there.

It stands on top of the Corcovado hill at an altitude of 704 meters above sea level. The height of the statue itself is 30 meters, not counting the seven-meter pedestal, and its weight is 1140 tons. The idea for this structure originated in 1922, when the centenary of Brazilian independence was celebrated. A well-known weekly magazine then announced a competition of projects for the best monument - a symbol of the nation. The winner, Hector da Silva Costa, came up with the idea of ​​a sculpture of Christ with his arms outstretched and embracing the entire city. This gesture expresses compassion and at the same time joyful pride. Da Silva's idea was received with enthusiasm by the public also because it crossed out the previous plan to erect a grandiose monument to Christopher Columbus on Mount Pan de Azucar. The church immediately got involved, organizing a fundraiser across the country to finance the project.

An interesting detail: due to technological imperfections, it was not possible to create such a statue in Brazil at that time. Therefore, it was manufactured in France, and then transported in parts to the site of future installation. First by water to Brazil, then by miniature railway to the top of Mount Corcovado. In total, construction cost the equivalent of 250 thousand US dollars at that time.

Before work began, architects, engineers and sculptors met in Paris to discuss all the technical problems of installing the statue on a hilltop, where it was exposed to all winds and other meteorological influences. Work on the design and creation of the statue took place in Paris. It was then transported to Rio de Janeiro and installed on Corcovado Hill. On October 12, 1931, its first grand opening and consecration took place; by this day, the lighting installation was also installed.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI repeated the consecration ceremony, and the lighting installation was also updated for the occasion. Another great celebration took place here in the presence of Pope John Paul II on October 12, 1981, when the fiftieth anniversary of the statue itself was celebrated.

The statue of Christ the Savior is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. The height of the stone monument is 30 meters, not counting the seven-meter pedestal; the head of the statue weighs 35.6 tons; the hands weigh 9.1 tons each, and the arm span is 23 meters. Built in 1885, the tram line now leads almost to the top of the hill: the final stop is just forty meters below the statue. From there you need to climb 220 steps of a staircase to the pedestal on which the observation deck is located. In 2003, an escalator was opened that takes you to the foot of the famous statue. From here you can clearly see the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema stretching on the right hand, and on the left the giant bowl of the Maracana, the world's largest stadium, and the international airport. From the sea side rises the unique silhouette of Mount Pan di Azucar. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a national treasure and a national Brazilian shrine.

The statue of Christ the Savior is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone, and weighs 635 tons. Due to its size and location, the statue is clearly visible from a fairly large distance. And in certain lighting, it looks truly divine.

But even more impressive is the view of Rio de Janeiro from the observation deck located at the foot of the statue. You can get to it by the highway, and then by steps and escalators.

Twice, in 1980 and 1990, major repairs were carried out on the statue. Also, preventative work was carried out several times. In 2008, the statue was struck by lightning and damaged slightly. Work to restore the outer layer on the fingers and head of the statue, as well as install new lightning rods, began in 2010.

It was then that the statue of Christ the Savior was subjected to the first and only act of vandalism in its entire history. Someone climbed onto the scaffolding and painted pictures and inscriptions on the face of Christ.

Every year, about 1.8 million tourists will climb to the foot of the monument. Therefore, when the new seven wonders of the world were named in 2007, the statue of Christ the Savior was included in their list.

Christ spread his arms over the huge city, as if blessing the millions of people living in it. Far below are houses, streets with colorful spots of cars, a long yellow strip stretching along the bay, and on the other side, bordered by green palm trees, is the famous multi-kilometer Copacabana beach. On the other hand of Christ you can see the no less famous bowl of the Maracana stadium", which was glorified by the Brazilian football wizards, five-time world champions, the international airport, and beyond the surface of the bay, on the other side, silhouettes of distant mountains are visible in the haze of fog.

Here, standing at the feet of Christ, you understand what an amazingly beautiful place the Portuguese conquistadors who foundedXVIcentury on the shores of Guanabara Bay fort, which very quickly became the city of Rio de Janeiro and the capital of the Viceroyalty of Brazil, one of the colonies of Portugal.

Only in 1822 did Brazil become an independent state, called first the Brazilian Empire, and from 1889 the Republic of Brazil. The capital of the state is Rio de Janeiro continued to be until 1960, when it lost this honor to the new city of Brasilia, but remained one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. No wonder the Brazilians themselves say about him this way: “God created the world in six days, and on the seventh he created Rio de Janeiro».

To be fair, it must be said that there are other similar majestic statues of Christ on Earth. In Italy, a huge stone Savior rises above the city of Maratea. In the Dominican Republic, on the island of Haiti - above the city Puerto Plata. But in Rio de Janeiro he is the most majestic and stands tallest...

About the biggest statue I

From an unprecedented height. The statue spread its arms wide, as if hugging and protecting the city. Today this monument is perhaps the main attraction.

History of the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is beautiful. Founded in 1502, the city has been a capital of beauty and a center of tourism for 4 centuries. “God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day he created Rio de Janeiro” - this is how Brazilians lovingly say about their fabulously beautiful city.

It is believed that the most cheerful people live here. Until 1960, Rio was the capital. The city is surrounded by a semi-ring of mountains rising from the azure depths of the bay, and on the sea side it seems to be bordered by a white edge of sandy beaches.

In 1922, during the celebration of the centenary of Brazilian independence, it was decided to build a statue that would become the main attraction of the country. A month later, a competition of projects for the best monument - a symbol of the nation - was announced in Brazil's leading weekly. The jury unanimously approved the project of Hector da Silva Costa, who proposed installing a statue of Christ hugging the city, as if protecting it from troubles and misfortunes. The Catholic Church fully supported the new project and even began collecting donations for the installation of the statue. As a result, nine years later the statue already stood in its designated place.

The monument was designed and manufactured in Paris. The design of the monument had to be as strong as possible, because, standing at the very top, the statue would be exposed to strong and torrential rains.

The sculpture was modeled by the French sculptor Paul Landovsky. In parallel, engineers led by Heitor Silva Costa and Pedro Vianu developed the frame.

The finished statue was transported from Paris to Rio de Janeiro and installed on Corcovado Hill. On October 12, 1931, its grand opening took place. In 1965, Pope Paul VI repeated the consecration ceremony. Another great celebration took place here in the presence of Pope John Paul II on October 12, 1981, when the fiftieth anniversary of the monument was celebrated.

Features of the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro

The statue of the Savior (Cristo Redentor) is rightfully considered the symbol of Rio. It stands on the top of the Corcovado hill (“Corcovado” translated from Portuguese as “hump”; the name quite aptly characterizes the shape of the hill) at an altitude of 704 meters. The sight of the stone Savior, with his arms outstretched, as if embracing the entire city, is undoubtedly impressive.

The monument attracts a large number of tourists. Built in 1885, the tram line now leads almost to the top of the hill: the final stop is just forty meters below the statue. From there you need to climb 220 steps of a staircase to the pedestal on which the observation deck is located. There are also ski lifts at the disposal of visitors.

Rumors that the monument is visible from anywhere in Rio de Janeiro are, of course, greatly exaggerated. Even if you come close to the mountain, the statue will appear as a small figure against the sky. However, its size is impressive. The height of the statue is 30 meters, not counting the seven-meter pedestal; the head of the statue weighs 35.6 tons, the hands weigh 9.1 tons each, and the arm span is 23 meters.

Statue of Christ in Rio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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The 38-meter-high Christ the Savior Monument is the hallmark of Rio de Janeiro. Every year, almost 2 million travelers from all over the world climb to the foot of the statue, located on the top of Mount Corcovado, from where a picturesque panorama of the bay and the city opens.

The decision to build the monument was made in 1921 and coincided with the approaching 1000th anniversary of Brazil's independence. Fundraising was undertaken by the magazine O Cruzeiro, as well as the local church, and more than two million reais were collected.

Initially, the sketch of the future monument was developed by the artist K. Oswald. Absolutely all components of the statue, including its frame, were made in France. Each element was transported to Brazil by rail. The grand opening and consecration of the grandiose monument took place in October 1931.

The statue was rededicated when Pope Paul VI visited Rio in 1965.

How to get there

To get to the foot, you can become a passenger on a miniature train that runs on an electrified railway. You can also get there by taxi or your own car along the highway; the road runs through the Tijuca Nature Reserve.

Address: Rue Jean Phillipe Shoenfeld, 2.

Opening hours of the observation deck: 8:00 - 19:00.

Cost of trip on weekends and holidays: 75 BRL, visitors over 60 years old: 24.50 BRL, children from 6 to 11 years old: 49 BRL, under 6 years old: free, cost on other days: 62 BRL, visitors over 60 years old: 24.50 BRL, children from 6 to 11 years old: 49 BRL, under 6 years old: free.

• The Christ the Redeemer Monument in Rio is the second largest statue in the world, made in the Art Deco style
• The weight of the structure made of reinforced concrete and soapstone is as much as 635 tons
• According to the original idea, the pedestal for the statue was shaped like a globe
• The statue of Christ is included in the list of "seven new wonders of the world" along with

From the top of Mount Corcovado there is an amazing view - the long strip of Copacabana beach, Sugar Loaf Peak, and of course, the city, the magical city of Rio de Janeiro! From this point, perhaps, it is impossible to consider only the symbol of the metropolis and the symbol of Brazil - the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, because we are located directly at its foot

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous and popular monuments in the world. Every year, millions of tourists rise to its foot, from where a stunning panorama of the city and bay opens with the picturesque Sugar Loaf Mountain (port - Pan di Azucar), the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the huge bowl of the Maracana stadium.

An electrified railway (the first in Brazil) leads to the top, with a miniature train running along it. It was built by engineers Pereira Passos and Terceira Soares long before the statue of Christ - in 1882-1884, and subsequently played a big role in the construction of the monument: building materials were transported up it

You can also reach the statue by car along the highway that passes through the Tijuca State Reserve. Tijuca is the largest forested area in the world located within an urban area

In 1921, the approaching centenary of Brazil's national independence (1922) inspired the city fathers - Rio de Janeiro was then the capital of Brazil - to create the Christ the Redeemer monument. The magazine O Cruzeiro announced a fundraiser by subscription for the construction of the monument. The campaign generated 2.2 million flights. The church also joined in the fundraising: the then Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Don Sebastian Leme, took a large part in the creation of the monument. Construction of the statue lasted about nine years - from 1922 to 1931

The original sketch of the monument was developed by artist Carlos Oswald. It was he who suggested depicting Christ with his arms outstretched in a blessing gesture, which would make the figure look like a huge cross from a distance. In the original version, the pedestal for the statue was supposed to be shaped like a globe. The final design of the monument was developed by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa.

Since for a number of reasons, including technological ones, it was impossible to create such a huge sculpture in Brazil at that time, all its parts, including the frame, were made in France. In 1924, French sculptor Paul Landowski completed modeling the head (3.75 meters high) and hands of the statue. In disassembled form, all parts of the monument were delivered to Brazil and transported by rail to the top of Mount Corcovado. From the end point of the rail track to the foot of the statue, a winding staircase of 220 steps was built, nicknamed “Karakol” (“Snail”), and in the thickness of the marble base there was a small chapel

On October 12, 1931, the grand opening and consecration of the monument, which became a symbol of Rio de Janeiro, took place.

In 1965, the statue was rededicated by Pope Paul VI, and in 1981, Pope John Paul II attended the monument's 50th anniversary celebration.

Over the past 75 years, the statue has been repaired twice - in 1980 and 1990. In 1932 and 2000, the night illumination system was modernized. In 2003, the rise leading to the observation deck was equipped with escalators.

In 2007, the statue was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Here are some interesting facts about this incredible structure:

• At the statue Christ the Redeemer there are several doubles. For example, the statue of Christo Rei (Christ the King), which is located in Lisbon (built in 1949-1959). Its height is about 28 meters, but instead of a hill, a pedestal about 80 meters high is used.
• In Vung Tau (Vietnam), a similar statue of Christ with outstretched arms was erected in 1972. It stands on a small hill (132 meters high) and has the following parameters: height - 32 meters, and arm span, just under 20 meters.
• On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia (a Muslim country!) in 2007, the construction of a 30-meter giant depicting Jesus Christ stretching out his arms over the metropolis of Monado was completed.
• There is even a stone Jesus Christ in East Timor, near the capital of the state - Dili (the height of the monument is 27 meters).
• Sculptures depicting Jesus were also erected in Malta, the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Honduras. It is planned to build similar monuments in Slovakia and Germany.
• The statue of Christ the Redeemer itself in Rio De Janeiro is often identified with other grandiose architectural structures of the past and today -