Статуя свободы

National Monument - Statue of Liberty - officially celebrated its centenary on Oct. 28, 1986. More than a hundred years ago the people of France gave the statue as a gift to the American people as a sign of friendship that has developed during the American Revolution. During these years, the Statue of Liberty was not only the embodiment of friendship between the two peoples, but also a symbol of freedom and democracy.

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to create a 1876 monument commemorating the signing of the century the American Declaration of Independence. Creation of the statue was a joint Franco-American project on which the American side erected a pedestal, and the French produced the statue and then collected it already in the U.S.. However, the lack of funds was felt on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. France to raise funds attracted donations, held a lottery and entertainment. In the United States, in turn, were theatrical performances, art exhibitions and auctions to raise funds. Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required engineering support in design calculations for the giant copper statue. Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, has developed a powerful design of the iron supports and framework, which allowed the copper shell of the statue to move freely while maintaining the balance of the statue itself. Fundraising in America moved from the scratch, and so Joseph Pulitzer (known for its reward in its own name) has provided a page of his newspaper "World" for the articles to support the collection of donations. In his Pulitzer newspaper lashed out at how rich, who were unwilling to finance the construction of the pedestal, and the middle class, who used to rely on that money for a good cause there are always the wealthy compatriots. Harsh criticism Pulitzer was a success and motivate Americans to make donations.

Money on the podium were collected by August 1885, and its construction was completed by April 1886. Work on the statue was completed in France in July 1884 and June 1885 she was rushed to New York Harbor aboard the French frigate "Isere. Statue was transported from France to the United States in unassembled - it was divided into 350 parts, packed in 214 crates. Assembly of the statue on a pedestal took four months. October 28, 1886 a large gathering of people opening ceremony of the Statue of Liberty. It was a gift for the centenary, which was late for 10 years.

History of the Statue of Liberty and the island on which it stands - is a story of change. The statue was placed on a granite pedestal inside the Fort Wood, built in the 1812 war, whose walls were lined with star-shaped. U.S. Lighthouse Service was responsible for the maintenance of the statue until 1901. After 1901, the mission was assigned to the War Department. Presidential Decree of October 15, 1924 Fort Wood (and the statue on its territory) was declared a national monument, whose boundaries coincide with the boundaries of the fort. In 1933, the maintenance of the national monument was transferred to the National Park Service. September 7, 1937 National Monument area was increased and spread to the entire island Bedlow, which in 1956 was renamed Liberty Island. May 11, 1965 Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of a national memorial to "The Statue of Liberty." In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Yakokka lead the movement of the private sector for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. The restoration was raised 87 million dollars by partnering the National Parks Service and the Corporation "Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island," which became the most successful collaboration of public and private sector in American history. In 1984, at the beginning of work on its restoration, the Statue of Liberty was added to the UN in the number of monuments of world importance.