George the Victorious - revered saint in Christianity. His images are found on coins and seals starting from the IV century, in Russia in the XI century began to appear churches and monasteries, consecrated in honor of him. It is depicted on the coat of arms of Moscow and the Russian Federation. In Russia, a huge number of monuments to George the Victorious. They will be discussed in the article.
The life story of St. George
George the Victorious is a particularly revered saint in the Christian religion. The most famous legend about him is "The Miracle of the Serpent." There are many versions and variants of his life, but the most common are Greek and Latin.
According to Greek legend, he was born in the III century, in a fairly wealthy family. At a young age he entered the military service. Soon, thanks to his intelligence, courage and physical preparation, he became the military commander and favorite of the emperor. After the death of his mother, he received a huge inheritance. But when the persecution of Christians began, he distributed all his possessions to the poor and proclaimed himself a believing Christian before the emperor. He was arrested and tortured. He bravely endured all torment and did not renounce his faith. The angry emperor ordered the execution of George. He was later counted as a saint.
The saint became very popular even in the days of early Christianity. So, in the Roman Empire from the 4th century temples began to appear, named after him. He is considered the patron of valiant warriors and farmers. In Russia, St. George's Day (St. George's Day) was celebrated - on April 23 and November 26, monasteries were founded in Novgorod and Kiev in the 11th century. Images of the saint began to depict on coins and seals.
Since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, he becomes the patron saint of Moscow. The name of the saint is associated with the name of the founder of the capital, Dolgoruky Yuri. Yuri, Yegoriy, Guri, Rurik - all these are variants of the name George. Currently, George the Victorious is depicted on the emblem of the city of Moscow and the emblem of the Russian Federation.
In Russia, the St. George Cross and the Order of St. George were restored. The symbol of Victory Day for many years is the St. George Ribbon.
George the Victorious set a huge number of monuments in Russia.
Description of the monuments to George the Victorious in Moscow
The Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious is the patron saint of the capital and is depicted on the coat of arms of Moscow. In the city he has 5 monuments:
- The first monument is installed in the very center of the capital - on Manezhnaya Square. In 1997, the construction of the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center was completed, on the surface of the dome of which a monument to George the Victorious was erected. A fountain complex was built around. The sculpture is a creation of Tsereteli Zurab. She depicts George the Victorious, who strikes a snake.
- The second monument is installed on Poklonnaya Hill at the Obelisk of Victory. Its opening was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory. The author of the sculpture is Tsereteli Zurab. The sculptural composition depicts the figure of a saint who, with his spear, is trying to cut a snake. The monument symbolizes the struggle between good and evil.
- The third monument to George the Victorious in Moscow is installed in the courtyard of the Grekov Studio of Military Artists. The author - Taratynov Alexander. The sculptural composition depicts the figure of the very young George the Victorious, who, sitting on a horse, strikes with a spear of an evil serpent.
- The fourth monument was erected on Komsomolskaya Square in 2012, between the Yaroslavl and Leningrad stations. This, in essence, is a fountain monument, which is a pool of granite, in the center of which is a sculpture of a saint. The author of the work is Sergey Shcherbakov. The sculpture of George from four sides is decorated with fountains that beat vertically upwards. Plates with the names of all Moscow train stations and arrival cities are laid out around the fountain.
- The fifth monument to George the Victorious in Moscow, the most unknown, is located in the Kremlin. It is installed on the Small Dome of the Senate Palace. A monument with a very interesting history and fate.
In 1995, sculptors recreated a previously lost sculpture of a saint who smites a dragon. Its weight is about 2 tons, it is cast from bronze. This is a copy of the ancient creation of the sculptor Kazakov, whose work was lost to Russia forever. This is a tragic story.
In 1787, Catherine the Great celebrated her 25th anniversary of the reign. The construction of the Senate building in Moscow was completed by this solemn date. Its dome was crowned with a statue of St. George the Victorious. The monument weighed about 6 tons, was cast from zinc and coated with gold. Every year on May 6, on the day of the saint's memory, a laurel wreath was laid on his head.
During the capture of Napoleon’s troops in Moscow in 1812, the statue was removed, sawn and sent to France. So the original sculpture was lost to the state forever.
Monument to George the Victorious from the cliff
In Vladikavkaz there is a unique monument located at an altitude of more than 20 meters and attached to the rock with part of the saint’s cloak. The weight of the monument is about 28 tons, its height is 6 meters. The monument is called "George the Victorious, who jumps out of the cliff." Visually, it seems to soar in the air. The author of the sculpture is Nikolai Khodov.
St. George is depicted proudly looking into the distance, he has no doubt that he will win. The sculpture is depicted in dynamics, the cloak develops in the wind. The monument is made of bronze and covered with silver paint.
Local residents have the belief that if you make a wish, being under the monument, it will come true.
George the Victorious - revered saint in North Ossetia. He is considered the patron saint of men, warriors, travelers. In Ossetia, he is called Uastirdzhi.
Local residents in the epic have a hero who is the winner and patron of warriors, during the Christianization of the territory, his name was associated with the name of George the Victorious, and this association took root.
Monument in Georgievsk
An interesting monument to George the Victorious is the monument, installed in the center of Georgievsk. The author of the sculpture is Aliev Kamil. The monument is made of cement and coated with bronze paint. Its weight is about 15 tons. The horseman on horseback strikes a serpent with a spear. The height of the rider is 4 meters, a monument is installed on a pedestal 1 meter high.
Monuments in Russia and in the world
Monuments to George the Victorious were installed in many cities of Russia: Ivanovo, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Sevastopol, Yakutsk and many other cities.
George the Victorious is revered in Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Germany, France.
The Coat of Arms of Georgia shows a shield with George the Victorious, who strikes a snake. The St. George Cross (red straight cross on a white background) is represented on the flags of Georgia, Great Britain and the coat of arms of Milan.
Abroad, the monument to St. George is installed in Melbourne (Australia), in Sofia (Bulgaria), in Bobruisk (Belarus), in Berlin (Germany), in Tbilisi (Georgia), in New York (USA), in Donetsk and Lviv (Ukraine)), in Zagreb (Croatia), in Stockholm (Sweden).
