Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro: a modern wonder of the world. Christ the Redeemer statue - symbol of Brazil

It is one of the largest, and definitely the most famous statue of all, embodying the image of the Son of God. Main symbol In Rio de Janeiro and Brazil as a whole, the statue of Christ the Redeemer has attracted a huge number of pilgrims and tourists for many years. And in Brazil it is included in the list of the seven modern wonders of the world.

The reinforced concrete statue of Christ, towering over Rio de Janeiro, was made using the classical technology of that time: inside there is a frame made of inexpensive materials, on the outside there is some kind of sculptural stone, in this case, soapstone. The height of the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is thirty meters. Another eight meters is the pedestal. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the largest statue of Jesus Christ - it is 14 meters lower than the total height of the Polish statue of Christ the King, and two and a half meters lower than the Bolivian sculpture Cristo de la Concordia.

The main distinguishing feature of the statue is its widely spread arms - upon closer inspection, Christ the Redeemer blesses the city, looking at it with his head slightly tilted. But from a distance, the sculpture takes on the appearance of a huge cross - the main symbol of redemption and Christianity. The famous arm span of the Redeemer reaches 28 meters - a length almost equal to the height of the sculpture without a pedestal. The appearance of Christ is classic, accepted in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions - a thin, slightly elongated face with prominent cheekbones, long hair, and a beard. Jesus is dressed in a Jewish tunic, with pieces of fabric thrown over his shoulders.

History of creation

The idea to build a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, which at that time was the capital of Brazil, came to the mind of the local government in 1921 - a year before the centenary of Brazilian National Independence. The end of the 19th century gave the world several state symbols- in 1886 the Statue of Liberty was opened in the USA, and in 1889 - the Eiffel Tower in France. Brazilians have also long dreamed of their own outstanding monument, but there were not enough government funds for this. But the centennial anniversary of the independent state of Brazil united members of the government, ordinary residents, and church ministers - money for construction was collected throughout the year, through a special subscription from the Cruzeiro magazine.

The amount collected amounted to two and a half million miles and was immediately sent to France - it was there that the parts of the statue were to be made. Since 1923, individual parts of the Redeemer were delivered to Rio de Janeiro by rail, and then, using an electric train, they climbed Mount Corcovado - the construction site chosen through a survey of the same Cruzeiro magazine.

The construction of the statue of Jesus Christ continued for nine whole years - Grand opening took place on October 12, 1931, on the same day the sculpture was officially consecrated.

Authors of the project

The Brazilian sculptor Carlos Oswald developed the general appearance of the future monument back in 1921 - even then Jesus stood with outstretched arms like a cross, slightly bowing his head, but instead of the usual pedestal, under his feet, according to the sketch, there should have been Earth. The sketch was approved, but during further processing of the project this idea had to be abandoned - the ball under the sculpture weighing 600 tons, located on the mountain, seemed very unstable and short-lived. The final form of the future statue of Jesus Christ was developed by the famous Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa - it was his project that was eventually sent to the French. In the photo below is Silva Costa with a miniature of the future statue.

In France, more than 50 architects, sculptors and engineers worked on the details of the statue. The head and hands of Christ were modeled by the famous Parisian sculptor Paul Landowski - it took a year, and then, for another six years, the head was made by Gheorghe Leonid, an artist-sculptor of Romanian origin, based on the created models. The final cladding of the statue was carried out by Carlos Oswald, the same author of the first drawing of the future statue.

Exact location of the monument

The most accurate answer to the question of where the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is located is the address of the monument. In the official guide to Rio de Janeiro it reads like this: Tijuca National Park, Alto da Boa Vista village, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, in any navigator it is enough to write the name of the statue - this object is too famous not to be found.

Path to the Redeemer

There are several ways to get to the statue - when coming to Rio for the first time, many people drive to the monument along the highway by car or public transport. This method is fast, but not very interesting. Experienced tourists It is recommended to go up to the statue of the Redeemer by electric train - the first in Brazil and the same one with the help of which parts of the future sculpture were delivered to Corcovada almost a hundred years ago. This path, although it will take a little longer, will certainly leave an unforgettable impression thanks to the picturesque landscapes and a leisurely climb to the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, where the statue of Jesus Christ is located. Since 2003, the ascent to the observation deck has been equipped with escalators - so now tourists with any physical abilities can climb to the Redeemer.

Church attitude

The main monument of Brazil is not only an architectural monument and a tourist attraction - it is an important religious site both for the believing inhabitants of Brazil and for Christians around the world. In addition to the very first consecration, on the opening day in 1931, the statue of Jesus Christ was re-consecrated in 1965 by Pope Paul VI himself, who came to Rio specifically for this purpose. In 1981, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sculpture, it was again unofficially consecrated by Pope John Paul II, who came to the celebration.

In 2007, a service was held near the statue of Jesus Christ by priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who arrived in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the friendly Days of Russia in Latin America. In 2016, ministers of the Russian Orthodox Church again arrived at the foot of the statue of the Redeemer, where Patriarch Kirill performed a prayer service in memory of Christians undergoing persecution.

Regularly - according to meteorologists, at least four times a year - the statue of the Redeemer is struck by lightning. This is not surprising, since the head of Christ is the highest point in Rio de Janeiro and a kind of lightning rod. Unfortunately, lightning strikes often leave damage after strikes, but representatives of the Brazilian Catholic Church are enterprising people, and from the moment of construction they have kept a huge supply of unused soapstone, which is used every now and then in cosmetic restoration without distorting the general appearance of the monument.

But not only nature encroaches on the beauty of the sculpture - in 2010, the statue of Christ the Redeemer was attacked by vandals. Unknown people smeared the face and hands of the monument with black paint and inscriptions. Fortunately, these outrages were instantly removed, and since then there have been regular security guards around the statue and a video surveillance system installed.

For the opening of the monument to the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian residents came from all over the country. The number of people wishing to see this grandiose event was so great that not everyone was able to be at the foot of this remarkable monument that day. Richer people got to the statue, covered with a huge cloth, on a special train, the rails of which led directly to the grandiose structure.

Those who were poorer and could not get to the scene of the event prayed on their knees, right on the dusty streets of the then capital of the country. Everyone was waiting for the evening.

Night came suddenly and unexpectedly. Despite the fact that this situation is a common occurrence in these latitudes, many overly impressionable Brazilians felt as if darkness had taken over the world forever. And people began to pray not as quietly as before, but loudly, aloud to call on the Lord.

But then the spotlights came on, the bright light of which was directed directly at the statue. The cloth was pulled off, and before the eyes of the shocked Brazilians a majestic statue of Jesus Christ appeared, hovering above the earth's surface. The Lord spread his arms wide, wanting to embrace all of humanity in his wide-open arms, symbolizing love, warmth, tolerance - how effective and strong the Lord’s love for people is.

The world famous statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is located on the territory national park Tijuca, on Mount Cocovado, whose height above sea level is 709 meters.

This monument is so huge that its size shocks even experienced travelers:

Its height is 38 m;
The span of open arms is 28 m;
The statue weighs 1145 tons.

This sculpture is highest point Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings, since its maximum height is located at a distance of 747 meters (including the mountain) above sea level. The statue of Christ the Redeemer looks especially impressive when it gets dark - thanks to skillful night illumination, it seems as if the radiance is coming from within.

Brazilians began illuminating the statue from the day of its official opening and consecration. Initially, they entrusted control of the spotlights to a specialist who at that time lived in Rome, and the distance between him and the statue significantly exceeded 9 thousand km.

He did this using short radio waves - and the system worked quite well (of course, if there were no serious rains - a characteristic phenomenon for this area).

In bad weather, the signal was constantly interrupted, which negatively affected the operation of the searchlights, since their operation became unstable, they constantly went out and came on again.

The authorities quickly realized that lighting needed to be controlled directly on site. And since then, this magnificent spectacle has captivated people’s hearts every evening.

How the statue was erected

At the beginning of the last century, the authorities of Rio de Janeiro decided to erect a monument in honor of the centenary of Brazil gaining independence from Portugal.

Thoughts that some kind of interesting monument, began to come to the city fathers long before they decided to install it there in earnest.

Cocovado was convenient for construction because it had a flattened top, and therefore was an ideal pedestal for a monument of this scale. In addition, by the middle of the 19th century, Rio de Janeiro came close to the mountain and began to grow around it, which means that something had to be decided with the mountain in order to organically fit it into the city.

Concept development

The best sculptors of the country worked on developing the concept of the statue. It could well look a little different - artist Carlos Oswald suggested making it in the shape of a massive huge ball, which would symbolize that everything in this world is in the hands of God. This concept was considered quite seriously for some time, but was eventually abandoned, and the best option

The idea of Heitor da Silva Costa was recognized, who proposed erecting a huge statue of Jesus Christ with open arms (according to rumors, he “borrowed” this idea from the priest Pedro Maria Boss, who, having visited Cocovado in the mid-19th century, was so amazed by the view of the mountain that that he came up with the idea that a statue of Jesus Christ would look nice here).

After the idea was approved, work on the sculpture was entrusted to Paul Landowski, who lived and worked in France, and Costa Hissses made the necessary calculations (he and his two assistants settled on the top of the mountain and lived there until the very end of construction - not a lot, not a little, almost 10 years)

Since the government did not have money for the construction of such a grandiose structure, activists raised money for the creation of the statue throughout the country: Cruiser magazine announced a subscription fundraiser, and the church was actively collecting money. In addition, an event dedicated to this project called “Monument Week” was held, during which a lot of donations were also collected. Activists are extremely grateful short term managed to collect about 250 thousand dollars. - the amount was simply huge at that time.

Materials

For transportation huge amount building materials, it was decided to use one built in the 80s. XIX century railway, reaching to the very top of the mountain.

At that time, there was no way to create a statue of this level and scale in Brazil itself, so it was made in France and then, piece by piece, sent to its destination. To do this, given the size, height and weight of the statue, even in parts, was quite difficult, since the monument was made of reinforced concrete - frame and soapstone - an extremely strong, durable building material created by nature, with a relatively low weight and increased resistance to damage , the structure of which allows it to withstand bad weather well.

Construction

The construction of the monument took a little over nine years - the opening and consecration of the statue took place on October 12, 1931. On the pedestal of the monument in this moment there is a small active chapel of Nossa Aparecida (Our Lady of Aparecida), named after the patroness of Brazil.

It was not installed here right away; its grand opening took place in honor of the 75th anniversary of the statue. Despite the fact that this church itself is quite small, services, weddings, and children are baptized here all the time.

Statue and lightning

Since the statue of Christ the Redeemer is the highest point in the area, it is not surprising that it is often struck by lightning, which does not cause much damage.

Believers believe that this is due to the fact that the statue of Christ the Redeemer is under God's protection.

In 2014, a terrifyingly powerful storm swept through here, not only knocking down many trees, but also tearing off more than one roof from houses - only the tips of the middle and thumb broke off from the statue. This was not a particular problem, since the Catholic Church keeps a supply of soapstone specifically for such cases, so the restoration work did not take much time.

Restoration work

During all this time, the statue was restored several times, the lighting was modernized, and at the beginning of this century, escalators were installed to make it easier for visitors to climb to the observation deck. There are services responsible for minor repairs to the monument. For example, when it was first defaced several years ago by vandals who painted the monument black, the inscriptions were removed almost immediately.

How to get to the statue

You can get to the top of the mountain, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located, by one of two trains, total length which only a few fall short of 4 thousand meters (the climb up the mountain is extremely steep). Each such train can accommodate 360 people, and departs from the final point every half hour, spending 20 minutes on the way.

Having climbed the mountain by train, to get to the statue, you need to spend some more time - the station is separated from the foot by 50 meters or 220 steps called “Karakol” (“Snail”), and people with poor health can use the escalator.

Once in Rio, it is impossible not to notice the majestic silhouette of the cross crowning the bay - it is as if Christ himself is trying to embrace the city in his arms, blessing it with wide open hands. This gesture personifies peace and tranquility, for “all things are in the hands of God.”

More than one and a half million travelers from all over the world come to Corcovado every year. There is a reason for this: the statue of Christ the Redeemer can rightfully be considered one of the most grandiose buildings of humanity. Its size, combined with the panorama that opens from the observation deck, will take the breath away of anyone who finds itself there.

The reinforced concrete and soapstone monument is installed on height 709 m, his height is 38 m, weight is 1145 tons (of which only the head weighs 36 tons, hands 9 each), and his arm span is almost 30 m.

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IN dark time days the sculpture looks especially beautiful. The bright rays of spotlights directed at him create the impression that Jesus is descending from heaven to Earth.

View of Christ

Historical reference

The history of the statue of Christ the Savior begins in 1859, when the “city happy dreams“Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss arrived and, amazed by the mysterious splendor of Mount Corcovado, conceived the idea of creating a religious monument on its top. In the same year, he approached the emperor's daughter Isabella with a request to finance this project.

The adventure was approved, but the difficult financial situation of the state did not allow spending such huge amounts of money on such ideas, so the decision to create the statue was postponed for 30 years. Instead, construction began on a small railway to the top of Corcovado. By 1884, the canvas was stretched; it was along it that materials for construction were subsequently delivered, but this was much later, because As a result of the separation of church and state, funding ceased completely, and the erection of Christ was again postponed.

The plans of Father Pedro were remembered only in 1921. The reason for their implementation was the upcoming anniversary of the 100th anniversary of the Independence of Brazil in 1922. With the support of the church, in the person of Archbishop Sebastian Lemme, and the entire Catholic community, “Monument Week” was declared - a massive collection of funds and signatures for the construction of a monument, which would become a Christian symbol of freedom and the revival of the country. People supported this idea, for example, the famous Brazilian magazine “O’Cruzeiro” collected almost 2.5 million from its subscribers in 7 days.

Therefore, the construction of the statue can be safely called a truly People’s Project, the start date of which is considered to be April 22, 1921.

Erecting the statue of Christ the Redeemer (1928)

A whole team of both local and foreign specialists took part in the process of working on the sculpture. After the artist Carlos Oswald drew the sketch, engineers, architects and technicians met in Paris to discuss all the technical problems of installing a huge structure on the peak of a hill, where it was exposed to all the rain and wind. After discussing all the details, the French sculptor Paul Landowski began modeling plaster hands and head, while engineers were developing a reinforced concrete frame. All parts of the statue were made in France and transported by sea to Rio.

The facing layer was chosen steatite, a durable and easy-to-process material, which, due to its greasy texture, is popularly called “wax” or “soapstone”. It was specially imported to Rio de Janeiro from Sweden (Limhamn deposit).

In 1931, after 10 years of continuous construction work, the statue was completely completed. On October 12, at the grand opening, the first lights were lit on it, and the majestic Christ the Redeemer, upon seeing which many people shuddered and cried with delight.

In 1965, the monument was consecrated by Pope Paul VI.

On October 12, 2011, the statue, without which it is no longer possible to imagine modern Rio, turned 80 years old.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer: How to get there

There are several options to get to the top of Corcovado:

1) On a tourist tram , which runs along the same railway track laid in 1884. In 20 minutes of an exciting ride along steep climbs and winding turns along tropical forest you will find yourself right next to the mountain. Don’t worry about safety; the canvas has been modernized several times since then. Trains depart every half hour from 8.30 to 19.00 from the station on Rua Cosme Velho. You can get there by bus number 583, departing from Copacabana; by buses No. 570 and 584 from and .

IMPORTANT: Due to the large flow of people wishing to ride this mini-train, purchasing tickets directly at the departure station is impossible!

To do this you need to buy e-ticket on the official website of Trem do Corcovado. You will be assigned a shipping date and time that suits you. Don't forget to print your itinerary receipt or take a photo of the QR code of your ticket. You can also purchase the coveted ticket at a tourist kiosk near the beach. You need to get your ticket through the ticket inspector at least 15 minutes before the train departs, otherwise there is a chance of losing your seat.

Tourist tram

IMPORTANT

2) On one of the tourist minibuses provided by the Paineiras Corcovado consortium. The advantage is that there are no stops up to the mountain. Departure is carried out every hour from 8.00 to 18.00 (on weekends until 17.00) from 3 starting points:

From the square Praça do Lido near Copacabana. There you will find a ticket office and the same white minibuses with characteristic markings. You can get to Praça do Lido by metro: go to Cardeal Arcoverde station, go down to the coast along R. Rodolfo Dantas, turn left along Avenida Atlântica and walk 150 meters. Or by bus: from the Center No. 123, 132, 433 472; from the Southern Zone - No. 161, 432, 536 and 538; from Barra da Tijuca: 308, 314 and 523.

From the territory of the former hotel The only way to get here is by taxi.

As of February 2017, the following prices are set*:

	Largo do Mochado		Praç a do Ligo		Hotel Paineiras
	Low season	High season**	Low season	High season**	Low season	High season**
For adults	R$58	R$71	R$58	R$71	R$28	R$41
For children (6-11 years)***	R$45	R$45	R$45	R$45	R$15	R$15
Pensioners ( from 60 years old) and disabled people	R$37.5	R$37.5	R$37.5	R$37.5	R$7.5	R$7.5

IMPORTANT: Payment is accepted in cash and credit cards. Children, pensioners and disabled people must have a supporting document with them to receive benefits.

It is known that the city of Rio de Janeiro is one of the main cities in Brazil, especially for tourists. In addition, it preserved the former glory and beauty of the capital until 1960. The statue of Jesus Christ amazingly decorates the city and gives everyone a feeling of security. It glows at night and can be seen from afar. I lived far away, under a mountain, but even from there I saw the bright purple light of Jesus soaring at night.

However, the statue is not visible from all parts of Rio de Janeiro. The mountain on which it stands is called Corcovado, translated as “hump”. It is truly curved in this shape and is perfectly suited for the construction of such a masterpiece. Its height is 704 meters!

How the monument was invented

I wondered where the origins of the attraction come from. In 1885, a railway was built to Mount Corcovado, and a train began to fly up. This was the very first electrified road in Brazil! At first, transport was useful to transport cargo. Over time, it became the main transport artery for tourists.

It all started back in 1922. It was the year of the centenary when the country gained independence, and then it was decided to create a unique monument that would become a symbol of Brazil. What will make the country even more famous?

There was a competition for the best offer. All members of the jury liked Hector da Silva Costa's idea. This was an unequivocal decision, approved by the Catholic bishopric. The city received protection in the form of the bird-hands of Jesus Christ. The monument was built with the money of parishioners too.

I am very interested in the fact that a “Monument Week” was held, as a result of which the people of Brazil themselves collected money by coin. The amount is significant even today - 250 thousand dollars. At that time it was a lot of money. This showed the clear interest of the common people in the construction of the monument and the enormous unity of the Brazilians. The entire construction took 9 years. The sculpture was made in France. There was even an idea to make Jesus Christ holding the globe in his hands, but the final version was invented by Paul Landowski. A master from Romania, Gheorghe Leonida, also worked on it. Many factors were taken into account, first of all, that thunderstorms, rain and strong winds at the height of the statue should not be disturbed.

History of the creation of the monument

The sculpture was transported across the ocean in a disassembled state. I was delighted that during the entire 10 years of construction, the sculptors selflessly and ascetically lived in the forest on the mountain under a simple canopy. It turned out to be a miracle! The height of the statue's pedestal is 8 meters, so the total height of the monument is 38 meters. A total weight of 1,145 tons had to be lifted to Mount Corcovado. Of these, the gigantic Jesus Christ weighs 635 tons.

It is interesting that the sculpture is constantly exposed to wind, rain and lightning; it is good that this was taken into account during construction.

Damaged areas are quickly restored; for this purpose, the church keeps a stock of similar stones. The material of the statue is reinforced concrete and talc chloride. Even the strongest hurricanes in Rio do not touch the statue. There is an idea that she is protected by divine power. From a scientific point of view, the soapstone base of the material simply extinguishes lightning. In October 1931, its grand opening took place. The monument was illuminated by Pope Paul 6 in 1965.

The history of the creation of the Jesus Christ light

The illumination of Jesus Christ was also created only in 1930. First, they asked a professional from Rome to conduct it in a completely extraordinary way using a radio wave. We did it, but during the rain the equipment began to work poorly, and we immediately had to replace it with a local, simpler one.

Only in 2000, after all the work on the restoration of the monument, modern and best lighting was finally carried out. Today the monument to Jesus Christ appeared before me as new, clean, snow-white, without traces of corrosion, with luxurious stone stairs and railings, brightly illuminated with colored lights at night.

How to get to the statue

It’s easier to get to the statue of Christ on your own without any tours. There is a metro nearby. The fare is approximately 1.5 dollars (5 reais). Get to the Largo do Machado station and take one of the buses heading to Corcovado right at the exit.

For example, bus No. 583 goes from Capacabana beach to the monument and bus No. 584 goes back. From Ipanema there are buses No. 570, 583, 574. The final stop is called Cosmo Velho, from where transport goes to the mountain. The fare is the same as the metro. Responsive locals are always happy to suggest the right bus.

Travel agencies, for a fee of 12-15 dollars (40-50 reais), will take you there in half an hour by minibus to the top, if you are not able to stand in line for the train.

Climbing to the top

You can get up to the statue itself in several ways:

All day they sell tickets for the train, which makes its way right through the jungle along the serpentine road up the hill - even quite scary. The cost of the trip is $15 (50 reais).
Another option is a bus going along the usual road up, also in the middle of the forest.

For me, traveling by train is much more romantic, especially since the windows are open and the movement is almost vertical among the trees. Below me, mountain cliffs, forest depressions and ocean views gradually opened up. This is the Tijuca National Park, the largest forest area on the planet within the city. I kept expecting to see a monkey or other animal along the way.

There is quite a long queue to get to the train; tickets are sold for a specific time.

From 8.30 am to 6.30 pm a train departs every 20 minutes. The capacity of the train, even with two cars, is large, and the queue moves quickly. I observed people from all over the world patiently waiting for the rise. It's easy to make interesting acquaintances while in line. Everywhere in the hall there are huge videos showing the journey on a train through the forest and what awaits you at the top. This is inspiring!

There is a small shop right in front of the entrance. I went there just to admire or to buy a small or medium-sized statue of Christ as a souvenir worth 10-30 dollars (30-100 reais). There are also other souvenirs with Brazilian symbols for an average of 6 dollars (20 reais). Having waited in line, I rode on a two-car train; at the stops, tireless merchants made money from those who did not have time to buy water. In my opinion, it is better to take the necessary food and refreshments with you in advance.

Areas near the statue of Christ

You only have to walk 40 meters from the station, and you, like me, will find yourself next to the wonder of the world. I climbed exactly 220 steps, it was quite easy. Such moments are remembered for a long time.

The staircase has a special name - “Karakol” or “Snail”. There are also escalators, but they're not that interesting! In my opinion, the statue has a special inner strength invested in it both by its creators, parishioners, endless visitors, and by the image itself. Millions of people are drawn here, the queue never stops. The height of Jesus is 30 meters, the width of the arms hugging the city is 23 meters. The left hand is aimed at the northern part of Rio de Janeiro, and the right hand is aimed at the southern side of the city. Thus, the statue is located almost opposite the center.

Standing next to it, it no longer seems that the monument is big, you don’t even want to think about it, you get a feeling of the solemnity of the moment and a desire to be alone with the statue, which is impossible. I had the feeling that he really hugged everyone with love. Up close, Jesus is snow-white.

Overview of Rio de Janeiro from Mount Corcovado

Top view of coastline and the city is stunning, thin clouds slowly float through the statue. According to my observations, it is better to choose a sunny day, this is very important. In clear weather the view will be stunning - all the beaches and coastline most beautiful city in full view! Moreover, the observation decks are made in a circle and you can observe Rio from different angles.

I usually go around viewing platforms from all sides, because the picture is different everywhere. Of course, the most interesting thing is the ocean line. We had a view of the entire Ipanema beach, the Maracanã stadium and the nearby mountain range. Despite the abundance of people, find a place for good photos It's always possible.

I got to the observation deck on a cloudy day, but the view was still amazing. It was interesting for me to look at the world from above, to understand how small everything really is and that from the height of Jesus Christ everything is different: ordinary joys and problems are no longer so significant and big.

I always get a little tired of the large number of people, perhaps I should go there in the morning rather than in the afternoon. During rush hour there are the most people here. Everyone should definitely take a standard photo with the statue of Christ behind them, with their arms outstretched in the same way. A queue is forming.

Of course, I succumbed to the general mood and took a standard photo. Although there are many original options for taking photos in front of the monument. The sites are large and there is enough space for everyone to take the necessary views.

The same trailer carries you back, tickets are sold there and back. I got the feeling that people were rushing up the mountain to the monument only because it was simply impossible not to come here while in Rio.

Chapel

The base of the statue is made of marble, into which a small chapel is harmoniously integrated. It was opened quite recently - in 2006 on the day of the 75th anniversary of the statue. Archbishop of Rio Cardinal Eusebio Scheid led the illumination of the chapel, named after the patron saint of Rio, Saint Senora Aparecida. It is convenient to carry out all church rituals in this chapel; 100 people can be there at the same time. A little lower is the church shop.

When I saw this chapel inside, I immediately wanted to enter. It was cool and blissful there, and most importantly, quite secluded, and I wanted to sit there for a while.

Jesus Christ statue for everyone

In my opinion, the statue was deservedly included in the list of the Seven New Wonders of the World in 2007. There are very good reasons for this: they have invested cash and the religious aspirations of ordinary residents of the country, craftsmen from different countries and continents, it took a decade to build it. It is very difficult to install a large monument at such a height even with today’s technology. However, the most important thing is the image that the statue conveys and which attracts people.

For some reason, it was in Brazil, thousands of kilometers from historical homeland Jesus Christ, his most famous monument was created, which perfectly reflects the consciousness of the holy person. It is the unconditional and all-encompassing love for everyone and everything that is better protection. It is shown on a specific bright material example made of white stone, understandable to anyone who has arrived.

From an unprecedented height. The statue spread its arms wide, as if hugging and protecting the city. Today this monument is perhaps the main attraction.

History of the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is beautiful. Founded in 1502, the city has been a capital of beauty and a center of tourism for 4 centuries. “God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day he created Rio de Janeiro” - this is how Brazilians lovingly say about their fabulously beautiful city.

It is believed that the most cheerful people live here. Until 1960, Rio was the capital. The city is surrounded by a semi-ring of mountains rising from the azure depths of the bay, and on the sea side it seems to be bordered by a white edge of sandy beaches.

In 1922, during the celebration of the centenary of Brazilian independence, it was decided to build a statue that would become the main attraction of the country. A month later, a competition of projects for the best monument - a symbol of the nation - was announced in Brazil's leading weekly. The jury unanimously approved the project of Hector da Silva Costa, who proposed installing a statue of Christ hugging the city, as if protecting it from troubles and misfortunes. The Catholic Church fully supported new project, even began collecting donations for the installation of the statue. As a result, nine years later the statue already stood in its designated place.

The monument was designed and manufactured in Paris. The design of the monument had to be as strong as possible, because, standing at the very top, the statue would be exposed to strong and torrential rains.

The sculpture was modeled by the French sculptor Paul Landovsky. In parallel, engineers led by Heitor Silva Costa and Pedro Vianu developed the frame.

The finished statue was transported from Paris to Rio de Janeiro and installed on Corcovado Hill. On October 12, 1931, its grand opening took place. In 1965, Pope Paul VI repeated the consecration ceremony. Another great celebration took place here in the presence of Pope John Paul II on October 12, 1981, when the fiftieth anniversary of the monument was celebrated.

Features of the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro

The statue of the Savior (Cristo Redentor) is rightfully considered the symbol of Rio. It stands on the top of the Corcovado hill (“Corcovado” translated from Portuguese as “hump”; the name quite aptly characterizes the shape of the hill) at an altitude of 704 meters. The sight of the stone Savior, with his arms outstretched, as if embracing the entire city, is undoubtedly impressive.

The monument attracts a large number of tourists. Built in 1885, the tram line now leads almost to the top of the hill: the final stop is just forty meters below the statue. From it you need to climb 220 steps of a staircase to the pedestal on which it is located Observation deck. There are also ski lifts at the disposal of visitors.

Rumors that the monument is visible from anywhere in Rio de Janeiro are, of course, greatly exaggerated. Even if you come close to the mountain, the statue will appear as a small figure against the sky. However, its size is impressive. The height of the statue is 30 meters, not counting the seven-meter pedestal; the head of the statue weighs 35.6 tons, the hands weigh 9.1 tons each, and the arm span is 23 meters.

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