George the Victorious is a revered saint in Christianity. His images have been found on coins and seals since the 4th century, in Russia already in the 11th century churches and monasteries consecrated in his honor began to appear. It is depicted on the coat of arms of Moscow and the Russian Federation. A huge number of monuments to George the Victorious have been erected on the territory of Russia. They will be discussed in the article.
The life story of Saint 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 we althy family. At a young age he entered the military service. Soon, thanks to his intelligence, courage and physical training, he became a military commander and a favorite of the emperor. Afterdeath of his mother received a huge inheritance. But when the persecution of Christians began, he distributed all his property to the poor and before the emperor proclaimed himself a believing Christian. He was arrested and tortured. He courageously endured all the torments and did not renounce his faith. The enraged emperor ordered the execution of George. He was later canonized as a saint.
Saint has become very popular since early Christianity. So, in the Roman Empire, already from the 4th century, temples named after him began to appear. He is considered the patron saint of valiant warriors and farmers. In Russia, they celebrated St. George's Day (St. George's Day) - April 23 and November 26, monasteries were founded in Novgorod and Kyiv in the 11th century. Images of the Saint began to be depicted on coins and seals.
Since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, he has become the patron of Moscow. The name of the founder of the capital, Yuri Dolgoruky, is associated with the name of the saint. Yuri, Egory, Gury, 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.
The George Cross and the Order of St. George have been restored in Russia. The St. George Ribbon has been the symbol of Victory Day for many years.
George the Victorious has 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. There are 5 monuments to him in the city:
- The first monument was erected in the very center of the capital - on Manezhnayaarea. In 1997, the construction of the Okhotny Ryad Trade Complex 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 the creation of Tsereteli Zurab. She depicts George the Victorious, who strikes a snake.
- The second monument was erected on Poklonnaya Hill near the Obelisk of Victory. Its opening was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory. The author of the sculpture is Zurab Tsereteli. The sculptural composition depicts the figure of a saint who is trying to cut a snake with his spear. The monument symbolizes the struggle between good and evil.
- The third monument to George the Victorious in Moscow was installed in the courtyard of the Grekov Studio of Military Artists. The author is Taratynov Alexander. The sculptural composition depicts the figure of a very young George the Victorious, who, sitting on a horse, strikes an evil serpent with a spear.
- The fourth monument was erected on Komsomolskaya Square in 2012, between Yaroslavsky and Leningradsky railway stations. This, in essence, is a monument-fountain, which is a pool of granite, in the center of which is a sculpture of a saint. The author of the work is Shcherbakov Sergey. The sculpture of George on four sides is decorated with fountains that shoot vertically upwards. Plates with the names of all Moscow railway stations and destination cities are laid out around the fountain.
- The fifth monument to George the Victorious in Moscow, the least known, is located in the Kremlin. It is installed on the Small Dome of the Senate Palace. Monument with a very interestinghistory and destiny.
In 1995, sculptors recreated a previously lost sculpture of a saint who slays a dragon. Its weight is about 2 tons, it is cast from bronze. This is a copy of an ancient creation by the sculptor Kazakov, whose work was lost to Russia forever. Here is the tragic story.
In 1787, Catherine the Great celebrated her 25th anniversary of her reign. By this solemn date, the construction of the Senate building in Moscow was completed. Its dome was crowned with a statue of George the Victorious. The monument weighed about 6 tons, was cast from zinc and covered with gold. Every year on May 6, on the day of the memory of the saint, a laurel wreath was laid on his head.
During the capture of Moscow by Napoleon's troops 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 rock
In Vladikavkaz there is a unique monument located at a height 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 rock." Visually, he seems to be floating in the air. The author of the sculpture is Nikolai Khodov.
Saint George is depicted proudly looking into the distance, he has no doubt that he will win. The sculpture is depicted in dynamics, the cloak flutters in the wind. The monument is made of bronze and covered with silver paint.
Locals have a belief that if you make a wish,being under the monument, it will surely come true.
George the Victorious is a revered saint in North Ossetia. He is considered the patron of men, warriors, travelers. In Ossetia they call him 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 began to be associated with the name of George the Victorious, and this association took root.
Monument in Georgievsk
An interesting monument to George the Victorious is a monument erected in the center of Georgievsk. The author of the sculpture is Aliev Kamil. The monument is made of cement and covered with bronze paint. Its weight is about 15 tons. A rider on a horse strikes a serpent with a spear. The height of the rider is 4 meters, the monument is installed on a pedestal 1 meter high.
Monuments in Russia and around the world
Monuments to George the Victorious have been erected 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 depicts a shield with George the Victorious, which strikes a snake. The George Cross (a red straight cross on a white background) is featured on the flags of Georgia, Great Britain and the coat of arms of Milan.
Abroad, a monument to St. George was erected in Melbourne (Australia), in Sofia (Bulgaria), in Bobruisk (Belarus), in Berlin (Germany), in Tbilisi (Georgia), in New York (USA), in Donetsk and Lvov (Ukraine), in Zagreb (Croatia), inStockholm (Sweden).
Instead of a conclusion
In many cities of Russia and foreign countries of the world, St. George the Victorious is immortalized in the form of monuments, memorial signs and bas-reliefs. His most common image, a rider who strikes a serpent with a spear, is a symbol of the victory of good over evil. It is this symbol that is very close to Russia, which has had to face evil more than once in its history and defeat it.
