The Chesme Column
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In the centre of the Great Pond stands the marble Chesme Column, with an adjoining pathway.
The Chesme Rostral Column is built from marble, designed by the Italian architect Rinaldi towards the close of the C18th – it celebrates the victory of the Russian Navy over the Turks at Çeşme (Chesma, Turkey). The design of the column commemorates an ancient Roman habit of displaying the prows of captured enemy ships as trophies. The eagle at the top is the heraldic symbol of a victorious Russia. The Column commemorates three different naval victories of 1770, and each is illustrated in a bas-relief. The East side depicts the victory of the Battle of Chios; the North side shows the Battle of Chesme; while the West side illustrates the Battle of Mitelensky. The bas-reliefs were lost during extensive damage during bombardment during WW2. In 1996 the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy provided a suitable occasion to have them restored.
The Chesme column stands on a granite pedestal shaped like a foreshortened pyramid that rises directly from the water. There’s an arch in the centre of the pyramid that is closed with a decorative gate. Beyond the gate is a stone stairway leading to the column’s pedestal.
The Russian Navy’s ceremonial uniform includes a blue collar with three white stripes at the edge. Each stripe represents a famous victory – the second stripe being the Battle of Chesma. It’s a unique memorial of the Battle.
The Great Pond has an interesting connection to the history of the Lyceum. One of Pushkin’s chums, Kuchelbecker, came to the pond in desperation to end his life – he was lanky, awkward, with a romantic temperament. He intended to drown himself, but had overlooked a major obstacle – the water is only knee-deep, and insufficient for his prodigious height. His fellow pupils drew a cartoon of the event called “The Salvation of Kuchelbecker”, which is still in the collections of the Lyceum.
The Chesme Rostral Column is built from marble, designed by the Italian architect Rinaldi towards the close of the C18th – it celebrates the victory of the Russian Navy over the Turks at Çeşme (Chesma, Turkey). The design of the column commemorates an ancient Roman habit of displaying the prows of captured enemy ships as trophies. The eagle at the top is the heraldic symbol of a victorious Russia. The Column commemorates three different naval victories of 1770, and each is illustrated in a bas-relief. The East side depicts the victory of the Battle of Chios; the North side shows the Battle of Chesme; while the West side illustrates the Battle of Mitelensky. The bas-reliefs were lost during extensive damage during bombardment during WW2. In 1996 the 300th Anniversary of the Russian Navy provided a suitable occasion to have them restored.
The Chesme column stands on a granite pedestal shaped like a foreshortened pyramid that rises directly from the water. There’s an arch in the centre of the pyramid that is closed with a decorative gate. Beyond the gate is a stone stairway leading to the column’s pedestal.
The Russian Navy’s ceremonial uniform includes a blue collar with three white stripes at the edge. Each stripe represents a famous victory – the second stripe being the Battle of Chesma. It’s a unique memorial of the Battle.
The Great Pond has an interesting connection to the history of the Lyceum. One of Pushkin’s chums, Kuchelbecker, came to the pond in desperation to end his life – he was lanky, awkward, with a romantic temperament. He intended to drown himself, but had overlooked a major obstacle – the water is only knee-deep, and insufficient for his prodigious height. His fellow pupils drew a cartoon of the event called “The Salvation of Kuchelbecker”, which is still in the collections of the Lyceum.
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