Few of us have heard of one of the most magnificent sculptures in the world - the Statue of Liberty in the United States. The proud woman, holding the torch tightly in her hand, looks solemnly and solemnly: this is how the huge monument looks like. And if we ask any one of us (not speaking about Americans) what is a symbol of the United States, we do not hesitate to call it the Statue of Liberty. It's not for nothing that the people of the country love it so much that they often shoot in their movies and use them to create logos. Tourists visiting America, most often bring home her small copies - souvenir Statues of Liberty. Such a magnificent monument is worth it to learn about it more, is not it?
Where is the Statue of Liberty?
In general, the Statue of Liberty is located in New York , a state in the northeast of the country off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. More specifically, the location of the monument is 3 km southwest of the southern outskirts of Manhattan, the historic center of New York City. There, in the waters of the Upper New York Bay is an uninhabited island of a small size (about 6 hectares) - Liberty Island. It was on this island that the Statue of Liberty was established.
A bit of history of the Statue of Liberty
The majestic "Lady Liberty", as the Americans have dubbed their favorite symbol, has interesting facts in its history. It was built not by its people, but was presented as a gift. If we talk about who gave the US the Statue of Liberty, it is usually called the French people, who supported the Americans in the struggle for independence. The idea of creating the monument was born to the French progressive scientist Eduard Rene Lefevre de Labulaye in 1865. And the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdy developed the basic concept of the monument. He also chose the location of the Statue on what was then called Bedlou Island, which later became known as the Island of Freedom. The architect was assisted by Gustave Eiffel, who designed the inner frame of the monument.
The significance of the Statue of Liberty is not only its representation as a symbol of independence and democracy. The French presented it to the centennial of the proclamation of US independence. This is evidenced by what is written on the Statue of Liberty, or rather the tablets that the Statue holds in its left hand: "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI", which means the Roman numerals date July 4, 1776 - the day of US independence. True, the monument was not erected in 1876, but ten years later. The delay was due to lack of funds. Fees were held thanks to the organization of charity balls, lotteries, exhibitions. The official opening of the monument was held October 28, 1886 by US President Grover Cleveland exclusively in the presence of men.
The Statue of Liberty - what is it?
Today the Statue of Liberty is considered a national monument. The height of the Statue of Liberty is 93 m, if measured from the top of the torch to the ground along with the pedestal. The height of the statue is 46 meters. 31 tons of Russian copper and 27,000 tons of German concrete were used for casting the statue. The steel frame of the figure inside allows movement inside the spiral staircases. In the crown of "Lady Liberty" is one of the most famous observation platforms in the world. To get there, you need to climb 354 steps. By the way, inside the statue there is a museum, which can be reached by an elevator. From the crown of the Statue departs seven rays, which symbolize 7 continents and 7 seas. And 25 windows in the crown mean precious stones and heavenly rays. With one foot, the statue stands on broken bonds, which is also a symbol of gaining freedom. By the way, the laser torch was mounted in the torch of the monument, so the statue can be seen in the night.
You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free. To do this, from the berths of Battery Park or Liberty State Park you need to get on the ferry.