The Rostral Columns

The two monumental Rostral Columns of the Doric order stand on the very edge of the embankment as it slopes down to the Neva, one of each side of the semicircular area fronting the Stock Exchange building. The columns, an integral part of de Thomon’s projected ensemble, were put up in 1810. They were intended to serve as beacons and to stress the dominant role of the Exchange in the life of Saint Petersburg’s port. The basis of the Rostral Columns are grey granite, and the columns themselves are pieced of blocks of Pudost stone and decorated with ships prows, hence their name.
Installed on the columns are cup-like burners resing on tripods, which is burned on festive days. The Rostral Columns are magnificent example of a synthesis of architecture and sculpture. The giant figures in Pudost stone at the bases of the columnssymbolize four Russian rivers – The Volga, the Dnieper, the Neva and the Volkhov. They were designed by an unknown artist and carved out of stone by Samson Sukhanov.