The statue of Christ the Redeemer is the great shrine of Rio de Janeiro. Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro: description with photos, history of creation, height, location, how to get there, tips and recommendations for tourists

Architect Landowski, Paul, Albert Cacot[d] And Silva Costa, Heitor yes

Statue of Christ the Savior(port. Cristo Redentor) - famous statue Jesus Christ with outstretched arms on top of Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro. It is a symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil as a whole. Selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Dimensions of the statue

The height of the statue is 38 m, including the pedestal - 8 m; arm span - 28 m. Weight - 635 tons. Being the most high point area, the statue regularly (on average four times a year) becomes the target of lightning. The Catholic diocese specifically keeps a supply of the stone from which the statue was built to restore parts of the statue damaged by lightning.

Road to the monument

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous and popular monuments in the world. Every year, at least 1.8 million tourists climb to its foot, from where a panorama of the city and the bay opens up. picturesque mountain Sugar Loaf (port. Pão de Açúcar), famous beaches Copacabana and Ipanema, the huge bowl of the Maracana stadium.

Statue in later years

Statue head

Over the past 85 years, the statue has been repaired twice - in 1990 and in 1990. In 2000, the night illumination system was modernized. In 2003, the ascent leading to observation deck, equipped with escalators.

As noted by the Brazilian Institute of Space Research, the statue is hit by an average of four lightning strikes annually. In December 2013 and the evening of January 16, 2014, during a strong storm, lightning struck the statue's right hand, breaking off the tips of the middle and thumb.

On February 20, 2016, at the foot of the statue, Patriarch Kirill performed a prayer service for persecuted Christians. Representatives of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches were present. The liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the clergy of the Moscow diocese. The Gospel, petitions for persecuted Christians and prayer were read in Church Slavonic and Portuguese.

In popular culture

To the cinema

“Rio, I love you” - in one of the short stories the hero addresses the statue of Christ.
The statue is shown in the cartoon "Rio 3D".
“Life after people" - the statue is shown after 3 days (power goes out in Rio de Janeiro), 50 years (the statue’s hands break off and fall down), 250 years (the statue is completely destroyed) and after 500 years without people (the base of the statue , together with protruding pieces of the frame, is overgrown).
" " - the statue is destroyed due to an earthquake (the destruction is shown in a breaking news broadcast, which is watched in the White House (Washington)). The destruction of the statue is shown in one of the film posters (only here the statue is destroyed by a tsunami).
In the TV movie " Arctic explosion"An icy fog covers the statue.
In the movie "Twilight" Saga. New Moon" (the scene when Edward learns of Bella's death) and in the film "Twilight. Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1."
In the TV series “City of Men” (City of People) “Cidade dos Homens” 2002-2005, as well as in the 2007 film of the same name (translation in Russian release “City of God 2”), the statue is shown after the opening credits and throughout the entire film.
In the series "Family Ties".
In the series "Clone".
In the movie "Agent 117: Mission to Rio".
In the series CSI Miami, the statue is shown in season 5.
In the movie Fast and Furious 5, the main characters live at the foot of Mount Corcovado, there are a lot of beautiful panoramas with images of statues.
In the film "1+1" the main characters fly to Rio de Janeiro and soar over the statue from the mountain on a paraglider.
In Zalman King's film Wild Orchid (1989), Emilia goes to Rio de Janeiro and flies past the statue 6 minutes into the film.
In the series "In the Name of Love".
In the cartoon "Rio" and "Rio 2".
In the series "Brazil Avenue"

In computer games

In Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, during the Brazilian missions, the statue can be seen in the background.
In Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X., there is also a statue in the mission with the defense of Rio de Janeiro. You cannot destroy it, like the entire environment
In the game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege on the Favela map
In the game Tanki Online on the Rio map
In the game Tanks X on the Rio map
In the game Tropico
In the Sid Meier's Civilization series (since Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword), the statue of Christ the Redeemer appears as a Wonder of the World. You can build it at the later stages of the game. The statue provides culture-related bonuses, allows you to change policies without anarchy (in Civilization IV), reduces the cost of policies (in Civilization V), or gives a tourism bonus (in Civilization 6).

Gallery

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Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. A statue of the Savior is visible at the top

Statue and view of Rio de Janeiro

Head of the statue. Bottom view

Statue of Christ the Redeemer. The famous statue placed on Corcovado in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is considered a symbol of the city and the whole country. The monument was built from reinforced concrete material and soap stone. The height of the statue is 38 meters, weight is 1145 tons, and the arm span is thirty meters.

Every year more than one and a half million visiting tourists come to the foot of this masterpiece. A railway was built to the top of the pedestal. It is considered the very first in Brazil and was erected long before the statue. Her role was very big. Materials for the construction of the top of the monument were transported along it. Tourists reach the statue via the highway that passes through the reserve.

To build Christ the Redeemer, architects and sculptors spent almost nine years (1922-1931). The sketch of the monument was designed by artist Carlos Oswald. His proposal to make Christ with outstretched arms resulted in the figure appearing from a distance to be an incredibly large cross. All parts of the sculpture were made in France and transported to Brazil. A staircase with 220 steps leads to the foot of the statue. The small chapel was located in the thickness of the marble base.

The monument was solemnly opened and consecrated on October 12, 1931. The statue was re-consecrated in 1965. Over the course of 75 years, the statue was repaired twice. In 2000, the night lighting system was modernized. You can climb to the observation deck using escalators, which were installed in 2003. Since 2007, Christ the Redeemer has the status of a wonder of the world.

Unfortunately, the statue became a victim of vandalism throughout its history in 2010. There were inscriptions written on it in black, which were quickly erased.

While in Rio de Janeiro, you should also definitely visit one of the most famous areas of the city - Copacabana. There are a huge number of attractions here, and festivals and concerts take place almost all year round.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer on the map of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil is different from many others southern countries because there are practically no natural ones in it. Despite the presence on the territory of the state of many mountain ranges, active volcanoes there isn't. No destructive floods or dangerous tsunamis have been recorded either. The Brazilians themselves believe that on the seventh day the Lord did not rest, but created a great capital. This city is spread out among endless sandy beaches and even climbed the slopes of huge granite rocks. And on the top of one of the highest hills - Corcovado - rises the world-famous statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, as if hugging the city. It is she, in the unanimous opinion of all townspeople, who protects him from all misfortunes.

Statue of the Prophet Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro

The idea of creating some kind of monumental monument - a symbol of the nation - came to the mind of one of the city officials back in 1922. Then, throughout the country, the centenary of Brazil's independence from Portugal was celebrated on a grand scale. Rio de Janeiro at that time was the capital of the state and it was in this city that they decided to erect a grandiose monument on Corcovado Hill, since its top was flat and was an ideal site for construction. In addition, back in 1884, a railway leading to this mountain was built. Multi-ton building materials for the construction of the statue were delivered along it.

It must be said that initially the government of the country planned to create a monument to Christopher Columbus. However, most townspeople greeted such a proposal with indignation. O Cruzeiro magazine held a general vote. Based on its results, it was decided that the statue of Christ the Redeemer would be located in Rio de Janeiro in this very place.

At the project competition, the idea to depict Christ with open arms was recognized as the best, as if wanting to embrace the entire city and at the same time resembling a cross. This figure expressed both the symbol of the Christian faith, compassion, and the desire to help all people.

A nationwide fundraiser was announced for the construction of a statue of Christ. The church was actively involved in this project and also announced a collection of donations. In a fairly short period of time, a colossal amount for those times was collected - more than 2 million reais. But the financial problem was not the only one. In Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century, there were simply no technological conditions to create such a grandiose building. France came to the rescue. It was in this country that the frame and plaster sketches of the statue’s details were made. They were delivered to Brazil on ships, and on the spot, according to the plans made of soapstone and talkolite, the main parts of the statue were completed, they were lifted up the mountain, where a reinforced concrete pedestal had already been erected, and they were assembled together. By the way, the stone itself was brought from Sweden, and not only French but also Romanian sculptors worked on creating, for example, the head of Christ. The project “Statue of Christ the Redeemer: Rio de Janeiro” was implemented with the participation of other countries.

Opening ceremony of an architectural masterpiece

This super-scale construction took place for nine long years. When all the work was completed, a ceremony of consecration and unveiling of the statue took place. Hundreds of thousands of tourists and religious pilgrims from all over the world gathered for this event. A few days before the opening, which, by the way, took place on October 12, 1931, the statue was covered with a huge panel. Therefore, she appeared before the audience only at night. In the pitch darkness, hundreds of spotlights suddenly flashed and before the eyes of the astonished people present, it seemed to float in the air. giant statue Christ in Rio de Janeiro with arms outstretched to the people. Since then, for 85 years, every day in Rio de Janeiro, any of its happy residents, as well as everyone who visits this city, can watch with delight a similar action unfolding every evening on Corcovado Hill.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer: Rio de Janeiro - interesting facts from the history of its existence

During its existence, the statue, which became a symbol not only of the city, but of the entire country, has, as usual, acquired a considerable number of legends, superstitions and curious coincidences. Here are just a few of them:

Although it is officially believed that the idea to create a statue on the hill appeared in 1922, back in the 19th century, namely in 1859, a certain priest, Father Pedro, asked Princess Isabella for funds to build a statue of Jesus Christ on the Corcovado hill. He even proposed dedicating this building to the lady, but there was no reciprocal interest from the royal person, and the project did not take place.

In 2008, a storm of unprecedented power swept over Rio de Janeiro. There was a large amount of all kinds of destruction in the city and its surroundings: houses, power lines, and roads were damaged. But the statue of Jesus remained unharmed, although, as eyewitnesses could observe, lightning struck directly into it more than once. Atheists attribute this miracle to the dielectric properties of soapstone, but Christians believe this fact real providence of God.

In 2010, another one ended in South Africa. At this time, at the foot of the statue, football fans, of whom there are a great many in Brazil, placed a banner calling them to welcome the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 2014. Their efforts, as we know, were crowned with success - such a boom in the arrival of fans has not been recorded at any championship.

In preparation for the statue's 50th anniversary, one French artist proposed painting the entire figure blue. In her opinion, it is he who symbolizes peace and should bring it to people. She even received the blessing of a Brazilian bishop. However, when everything necessary equipment Delivered to the place, a real tropical downpour hit the city for many hours. The statue remained in its usual gray-green color, and believers believe that the Almighty did not like this idea.

There is no doubt that the statue of Jesus Christ installed in Rio de Janeiro will delight Brazilians and guests of the country for many years to come, and will bring many more amazing miracles. Believing in them or not is the personal choice of each person.

The visiting card of Rio, and, perhaps, of the whole of Brazil, is located on the Corcovado peak above the city, with huge outstretched arms trying to embrace the whole world, to give it peace and prudence. A recognized symbol of the country and the Christian faith. You probably recognized him. This is the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer.

In any guide to Brazil it will be on the first pages. The monument is located in the southeastern part of Rio de Janeiro, 3.5 kilometers from the coast Atlantic Ocean.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer on the map

Geographic coordinates (-22.952279, -43.210644)
The distance from the capital of Brazil, Brasilia, is approximately 950 km in a straight line
The nearest airport is Santos Dumont, 7 km to the northeast.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer (in the Portuguese version Cristo Redentor) is visible from anywhere in Rio, because it is erected at an altitude of 710 meters above the ocean. From the site near the statue there are simply incredible views of the surrounding area. All of Rio in the palm of your hand. Famous beaches Ipanema and Copacabana are three to four kilometers away. Six kilometers to the east rises a mountain called “Sugar Loaf”. 5 kilometers to the north is the Maracana Olympic Stadium. Guanabara Bay and the infinity of the Atlantic Ocean complete the overall picture.

Dizzying landscapes and stunning views are an integral part of this attraction. The statue itself looks no less dizzying. This is one of the tallest statues of Jesus on the planet.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer in numbers

Total height – 38 meters
The height of the sculpture itself is 30.1 meters
Base height – 8 meters
The length of the arms apart at the fingertips is 28 meters
The weight of the statue is approximately 635 tons (some sources indicate the figure 1,145 tons, most likely this is the total weight of the structure including the pedestal)

Today, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the most famous and attractive landmarks in the world. Every year up to 2 million tourists arrive here, so it is almost impossible to find the monument deserted. There is a railway track to the top of Corcovado, along which a small train runs every 20 minutes from 8:30 to 18:30. Officially, the attraction is open to visitors from 8-00 to 19-00. But, as you understand, there are people here even at night.

History of the statue

Initially, the young French priest Pierre-Marie Bosse drew attention to Mount Corcovado back in 1859. He served as a chaplain in a small church in what is now the Botafogo district. The windows of the church overlooked Mount Corcovado. One day, standing at the window, he saw a breathtaking landscape, which inspired him with the idea of creating a religious monument. Pierre-Marie shared his thoughts with his colleagues, and everyone supported him. The idea was good, but due to lack of funding, it turned out to be unfeasible. The project was frozen.

In 1882, they decided to build a railway to the top of the mountain, but not because of the monument. In 1884, the road was completed and put into operation. Subsequently, she provided invaluable assistance during the construction of the monument.

In 1921, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Brazil's independence from the Portuguese monarchs, city old-timers remembered the idea of a French priest and decided to erect a statue. Money for such a large-scale project was collected with the help of the Cruzeiro magazine, which announced a fundraising campaign (this event went down in history as “Monument Week”), and with the help of parishioners of local churches. I must say that people really liked the idea, and for the shortest possible time collected about 2 million reis (as the Brazilian real is called in the plural).

Of the three designs, Christ the Redeemer, created by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, was chosen. Many people worked on the project. Among them is the creator of the model, artist Carlos Oswald (it was he who proposed making a statue with arms spread to the sides). The sculptor Maximilian Paul Landowski was involved in the work on the project. Heitor da Silva made a special trip to Paris to meet with Maximilian and the engineers Albert Kaku and Heitor Levy. In addition, the sculptor from Romania Georg Leonida took part in the project (he was responsible for the head of the statue).

It was planned that the pedestal for the statue would be a ball stylized as our planet, but due to the difficulty of implementation, they decided to settle on a traditional, more stable form of base. In the course of painstaking work, the final design of the monument was formed, which we can now see. The main emphasis was placed on the widely spaced hands of Jesus. From a distance, the monument looks like a large cross - a symbol of the Christian faith. In addition, such a gesture is interpreted as a blessing, forgiveness and a simple desire to hug.

In 1922, construction of the statue had already begun, and construction lasted for 9 long years. It was even necessary to re-announce “Monument Week” in 1929 to collect the missing Money. Finally, the unveiling and dedication ceremony of the statue took place on October 12, 1931.

$250,000 was spent on the monument, as they say “with that money.” If we translate them into today's terms, then this is about 3.5 million dollars.

Despite its size and weight, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer seems light and airy, literally floating above the city.

Construction process

The same road built at the end of the 19th century came in handy. Most of the building materials and structural elements were delivered to the top using this road.
The main part of the monument was created on the spot, but the arms and head were created in France, delivered to Brazil in parts and assembled directly on the mountain. The base of the monument consists of reinforced concrete. The metal frame of the statue was also designed in France and brought to the mountain in parts. At that time, Brazil did not have the technology to create such a design, so it was necessary to go through such difficulties.

During construction, Heitor de Silva constantly thought that the monument was missing something, that it needed to be given the true essence of a work of art. He recalled how in 1927 he visited a Champs Elysees the recently opened Arcade Gallery, and while walking I saw beautiful fountain, covered with silver mosaic. The reflections of light shimmered gracefully in the fountain and created exactly what Heitor wanted to reproduce in the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. Realizing what was needed, he began searching for suitable material. And I found him. It turned out to be soapstone, also called “soapstone”. The beautiful, pliable, erosion-resistant material was abundant in the surrounding area. Pieces of soapstone were cut into thousands of triangles and hand-glued to the surface of the statue.

It is noteworthy that some ladies from the local society wrote the names of their relatives on back side triangles before they were glued to the statue.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer today

Now the sculpture is not only a symbol of faith, it is the face of the whole country in general and the city of Rio de Janeiro in particular. It is also a recognized landmark on a planetary scale. Therefore, to the delight of travelers and city residents, it is illuminated. The view of Christ at night is no worse (if not better) than during the day. In 2000, a large-scale reconstruction of the lighting systems was carried out, and the monument began to sparkle with new colors.

During its existence, the statue was repeatedly subjected to cosmetic and repair work. The most significant ones were carried out in the 1980s and 1990s.

In June 1980, Pope John Paul II visited the monument. He blessed the city at the foot of the statue and declared “se deus e brasileiro o papa e carioca,” which can be translated as “If God is Brazilian, then the Pope.”

In July 2007, during an online survey, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer was recognized as one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

In October 2007, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church held a service near the statue for the first time.

On April 16, 2010, the monument was desecrated by vandals for the first time in history. The hands and face of the statue were covered in paint. True, traces of barbarism were very quickly removed. There is information that in addition to the traditionally abstract graffiti that is understandable only to the authors, a phrase was written on the statue, which in Russian can be translated approximately as “The cat is out of the house - the mice are dancing.”

In 2011, the 80th anniversary of the statue was celebrated. The holiday was grandiose. Special honors were addressed to Hayter de Silva Costa and Sebastien Lemay, without whom the project would hardly have been possible.

In February 2016, Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill performed a prayer service in support of Christianity.

When coming to Rio de Janeiro, be sure to take at least one day to explore the statue and fill your phone or camera’s memory card with fresh and oh-so-stunning photos.
The statue is hollow inside and theoretically it is possible to take similar pictures. The main thing is not to do this during a thunderstorm, otherwise a lightning strike is very, very likely, and this is unpleasant... probably.

There is a fee to visit the monument.

Here's a short list of doppelgängers.

Christ the King in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. The height of the statue is 28 meters, and the pedestal on which it is installed is 80 meters

Statue of Jesus with outstretched arms in the town of Vung Tau in Vietnam. The height of the sculpture is 32 meters

sculpture of the Savior 30 meters high, installed in the city of Monado on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia

the monument in Dili in East Timor is 27 meters tall. In this monument, the creators still managed to make a globe as a pedestal.

there are sculptures in other countries

From the top of Mount Corcovado there is an amazing view - a long strip of Copacabana beach, Sugar Loaf Peak, and of course, the city, the magical city of Rio de Janeiro! From this point, perhaps, it is impossible to consider only the symbol of the metropolis and the symbol of Brazil - the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, because we are located directly at its foot

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous and popular monuments in the world. Every year, millions of tourists rise to its foot, from where a stunning panorama of the city and bay opens with the picturesque Sugar Loaf Mountain (port - Pan di Azucar), the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the huge bowl of the Maracana stadium.

An electrified railway (the first in Brazil) leads to the top, with a miniature train running along it. It was built by engineers Pereira Passos and Terceira Soares long before the statue of Christ - in 1882-1884, and subsequently played a big role in the construction of the monument: building materials were transported up it

You can also get to the statue by car along the highway passing through state reserve Tijuca. Tijuca is the largest forested area in the world located within an urban area

In 1921, the approaching centenary of Brazil's national independence (1922) inspired the city fathers - Rio de Janeiro was then the capital of Brazil - to create the Christ the Redeemer monument. The magazine O Cruzeiro announced a fundraiser by subscription for the construction of the monument. The campaign generated 2.2 million flights. The church also joined in the fundraising: the then Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Don Sebastian Leme, took a large part in the creation of the monument. Construction of the statue lasted about nine years - from 1922 to 1931

The original sketch of the monument was developed by artist Carlos Oswald. It was he who suggested depicting Christ with his arms outstretched in a blessing gesture, which would make the figure look like a huge cross from a distance. In the original version, the pedestal for the statue was supposed to have the shape globe. The final design of the monument was developed by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa.

Since for a number of reasons, including technological ones, it was impossible to create such a huge sculpture in Brazil at that time, all its parts, including the frame, were made in France. In 1924, French sculptor Paul Landowski completed modeling the head (3.75 meters high) and hands of the statue. All parts of the monument were delivered disassembled to Brazil and railway transported to the top of Mount Corcovado. From final destination rail track to the foot of the statue, a winding staircase of 220 steps was built, nicknamed “Karakol” (“Snail”), and in the thickness of the marble base there was a small chapel

October 12, 1931 took place Grand opening and the consecration of the monument, which has become a symbol of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1965, the statue was rededicated by Pope Paul VI, and in 1981, Pope John Paul II attended the monument's 50th anniversary celebration.

Over the past 75 years, the statue has been repaired twice - in 1980 and 1990. In 1932 and 2000, the night illumination system was modernized. In 2003, the rise leading to the observation deck was equipped with escalators.

In 2007, the statue was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Let's give a series interesting facts about this incredible building:

At the statue Christ the Redeemer there are several doubles. For example, the statue of Christo Rei (Christ the King), which is located in Lisbon (built in 1949-1959). Its height is about 28 meters, but instead of a hill, a pedestal about 80 meters high is used.
In Vung Tau (Vietnam), a similar statue of Christ with outstretched arms was erected in 1972. It stands on a small hill (132 meters high) and has the following parameters: height - 32 meters, and arm span, just under 20 meters.
On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia (a Muslim country!) in 2007, the construction of a 30-meter giant depicting Jesus Christ stretching out his arms over the metropolis of Monado was completed.
There is even a stone Jesus Christ in East Timor, near the capital of the state - Dili (the height of the monument is 27 meters).
Sculptures depicting Jesus were also erected in Malta, the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Honduras. It is planned to build similar monuments in Slovakia and Germany.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer itself in Rio De Janeiro is often identified with other grandiose architectural structures past years and present -

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