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Originated in ancient Greece and Rome, a rostral column is a type of victory column that were erected to commemorate a naval military victory.
In 1733 the port of St. Petersburg was set up in Strelka, the eastern tip of the Vasilievsky Island and two rostral columns were built on the square in front of the neoclassical facade of the Stock Exchange, now a naval museum. Inspired and influenced by the structure of the Greek Temple of Hera at Paestum, the Stock Exchange was constructed between 1805 and 1810 and the columns were completed in 1811. The 32-metre high red brick towers were built as beacons to guide the constantly growing number of ships during St. Petersburg's long dark nights. After sunset, when darkness pervaded the land and the sea, the leaping flames of the huge oil lamps at the top of the columns used to guide the ships in their safe journey to the port.
Later, the 23 feet (7m) high oil lamps were replaced by gas lit lamps. The beacons or the brick towers of lighthouses were decommissioned in 1885, when the port moved to the Gulf of Finland to accommodate larger vessels. However, to the delight of the people, the lamps are still lit on public holidays and during ceremonies.
It is confirmed that the word 'Rostral' is derived from the Latin word for a ship's beak, 'Rostrum'. Designed by the French architect Thomas de Thomon, and based on huge granite plinths, the 105 feet (23m) tall columns were constructed in 1811.The tall brick columns were finished with dark red stucco and ornamented with bronze anchors and four pairs of bronze ship prows (rostra). The anchors and prows symbolize naval supremacy. In fact, this is a Roman way of exhibiting power, as they used the prows of the conquered ships to decorate their monuments, most notably the Rostra at the Forum Romanum. Apart from that, the huge Doric columns are also decorated with the sculptures of water nymphs and sea creatures.
The base of each column is decorated with imposing marble sculptures of the mythical gods, representing the four major rivers in Russia. While the northern Rostral Column is adorned with the figures of the Volga and the Dnieper, the southern column is graced with the sculptures of the Neva and the Volkhov. Jozef Camberlein of Antwerp created the figure of the Dnieper, while Jacques Thibault, assisted by the famous Russian serf sculptor, Samson Sukhanov, created the other three.
The internal winding staircases of the tall and massive towers lead to the top squares, where the bowl-shaped lamps are fixed on metal tripods.
Both the Rostral Columns in St. Petersburg were restored and repaired thrice during the 1990s, when the lost metal parts were also replaced with their replicas. The columns are significant examples of Greek revival architecture and can be seen in the distance from various points around St Petersburg. Standing proudly for even more than two centuries, they have become an integral part of the city's central panorama over the River Neva. Like the open arches of the Palace Bridge and the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, these two columns standing on the Strelka, are much a symbol of St. Petersburg.
