They wanted to erect a monument in Orel before the revolution, to the brave General Ermolov, but somehow it did not work out. Only in 2012 a new square appeared on the map of the city of Oryol, and a sculpture was installed in its center - General Alexei Ermolov on horseback.
Who is Aleksey Ermolov?
Alexey Ermolov was born in the family of an Oryol nobleman, his family came from the Murza of Arslan-Yermol, who went to serve with the Russian tsars from the Golden Horde. The family was not rich, the father of Alexei Petrovich owned 150 souls in Mtsensk district, and after his resignation he modestly lived in the village of Lukyanchikovo. But he sent his son to study at the Moscow University Pension and the Cadet Corps.
Ermolov began serving the Fatherland in 1792, having received baptism of fire during the Polish company. His whole life was connected with wars. He brilliantly proved himself in the Patriotic War of 1812, in military battles in Europe, the Caucasus, and Persia.
General Ermolov died in 1861, ordering him to bury himself without any splendor near his mother and sisters in a family cemetery near the Trinity Church.
The streets of Orel on April General’s funeral day were crowded. Veterans of the Caucasian wars, who served under the leadership of Ermolov, put a modest obelisk over the grave at their own expense.
Chronicle of the erection of the monument: the beginning
The story of the monument to Yermolov somewhat reminds him of his life - just as hectic.
To immortalize the famous Orlovites, the conqueror of the violent Caucasus and the hero of the wars with Napoleon, the inhabitants of Oryol wanted in the middle of the XIX century.
In 1864, Emperor Alexander II allocated 6 thousand rubles for the construction of the monument, the children of Yermolov added their own funds. With this money, a chapel was added to the Holy Trinity Church, where the family tomb is located, and the monument was no longer enough.
In 1911, they again started talking about the need to erect a monument to Ermolov in Orel. Oryol City Council named after Yermolov street, now it is Pioneer. Private donations began to be collected throughout the country. To this end, fundraising cards were issued on which a portrait of Ermolov was placed. We collected 20 thousand rubles, but then the First World War began, it was not up to the monuments.
In the 90s, local historians again raised the theme of the monument to the famous native of the Oryol region. They wanted to transport the monument from the city of Grozny, but did not have time: the terrorists destroyed it. They wanted to restore the obelisk set in 1861 and over the years in the church aisle: the diocese did not support it, because today the place has been taken by the choir.
In 2002, the new city square was given the Ermolovsk name and a memorial stone was put up, a contest was held for the best project, choosing 3 options for monuments, but that was the end of the preparation.
Our days: discovery
In 2012, the victory of our people in the war of 1812 was widely celebrated throughout Russia. It was then that a monument was finally erected to General Ermolov in Orel.
The opening of the monument was a real holiday for the whole city.
Young women in white dresses danced to the sounds of old romances in the square; members of military-historical societies in the form of soldiers of 1812 stood in orderly rows. To the sounds of the choir performing “Glory” to M. Glinka, white doves soared into the sky, a volley of weapons sounded and a monument was opened to the townspeople.
The cadets of the police school, Cossacks, Unarmeans, members of military-historical clubs and drummers passed the parade past the new monument. In the evening, the sky over the city was decorated with fireworks.
And now the monument to Ermolov in Orel is the visual center of the square near the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Cathedral. Neat lawns, topiary figures, flower arabesques adorn the square, where tourists like to walk and relax locals.
Description of the monument
Many tourists leave a blog description of the monument to Ermolov in Orel: they note that this impressive monument dominates the square and square, is visible from afar and attracts the eye. After all, the height of the full composition is almost 10 meters:
- general on horseback - 5.5 m;
- pedestal - 4 m.
The figures are made of bronze, and the pedestal is made of granite. The monument was created by the Moscow sculptor Ravil Rafkatovich Yusupov, it was he who authored another monument to the general, who is in Pyatigorsk.
The sculptor took as a basis the ceremonial portrait of the hero of the war of 1812, made by the artist Dow for the Gallery in the Winter Palace dedicated to the Patriotic War. In the picture, the general’s face is made in profile, so the sculptor had to fantasize a little, relying on literary sources.
Compositionally, the monument repeats the famous Bronze Horseman in St. Petersburg.
Mistakes
Connoisseurs of monumental sculpture note one irregularity of the monument to Ermolov in Orel: the photo shows that the horse is reared, its front legs are hammered in air.
In the monumental sculpture, the horse was given a special role, he demonstrated the life and death of his master: his leg was not raised high, as if the horse was walking - he lived for a long time; leg raised high - died of wounds; stands on two hind legs - he died in battle.
But Ermolov did not die, but died at a venerable age - this is the discrepancy between the monument and history, experts saw after the opening of the monument.
The cost of work
To erect a monument to General Aleksei Petrovich Ermolov in Orel, private funds were raised, and not a penny was spent from the regional budget. The money was collected quickly, in just a year, the Fund of St. Andrew the First-Called made a big contribution.
The work of the sculptor cost 11 million rubles. Almost 6 million rubles were spent on quarrying, molding and transporting the pedestal. A little more was left on the landscaping and organization of the holiday.
In total, 19 million rubles were spent on the creation and installation of monumental sculptures, as well as landscaping the public garden and festive events.
But now the Oryol residents know: the monument to the national hero is truly national.
The story goes on
But the Orlovites were not limited to one monument.
The Ermolovsk Society plans to buy out the house of Father Alexei Petrovich Ermolov and build a museum of the commander there. The townspeople hope that the necropolis, where the family and Yermolov himself is buried, will also be put in order.