The statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is one of the largest, and definitely the most famous statue of all who embodied the image of the Son of God. The main symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil as a whole, the statue of Christ the Redeemer for many years attracts a huge number of pilgrims and tourists. And the statue of Jesus Christ in Brazil is included in the list of seven wonders of the world of our time.
The appearance of the statue
The reinforced concrete statue of Christ, towering above Rio de Janeiro, is made according to the classical technology of that time: inside the frame is made of inexpensive materials, on the outside there is some sculptural stone, in this case, talchochlorite. The height of the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer is thirty meters. Another eight meters is a pedestal. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the largest statue of Jesus Christ - it is 14 meters below the total height of the Polish statue of Christ the King, and two and a half meters below the Bolivian sculpture of Cristo de la Concordia.
The main distinguishing feature of the statue is its arms spread wide - upon closer inspection, the Christ the Redeemer blesses the city, viewing it with his head slightly bowed. But from afar, the sculpture takes the form of a huge cross - the main symbol of redemption and Christianity. The famous reach of the Redeemer reaches 28 meters - a length almost equal to the height of the sculpture without a pedestal. Christ's appearance is classical, adopted in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions - a thin, slightly elongated face with prominent cheekbones, long hair, 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, occurred to the local government in 1921 - a year before the centennial 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 wasn’t enough public funds for this. But the centennial of the independent state of Brazil brought together members of the government, ordinary people, and ministers of the church - money for the construction was collected during the year, according to a special subscription from the magazine Cruzeiro.
The amount collected amounted to two and a half million flights and was immediately sent to France - it was there that the details 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 magazine, Cruzeiro.
For nine years the construction of the statue of Jesus Christ continued - the grand opening took place on October 12, 1931, on the same day the sculpture was officially consecrated.
Project authors
The Brazilian sculptor Carlos Oswald developed a general view of the future monument back in 1921 - even then Jesus stood with outstretched hands like a cross, slightly bowing his head, but instead of the usual pedestal, the globe should have been located under his feet. The sketch was approved, but with further processing of the project, this idea had to be abandoned - the ball under the 600-ton sculpture located on the mountain seemed very unstable and short-lived. The final view of the future statue of Jesus Christ was developed by the famous Brazilian engineer Eitor da Silva Costa - it was his project that was eventually sent to the French. In the photo below, Silva Costa with a miniature of the future statue.
In France, over 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 created models were made by George Leonid, an artist-sculptor of Romanian origin. The final facing of the statue was performed 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 sounds like this: Tijuca National Park, the village of Alto da Boa Vista, Mount Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, in any navigator it is enough to write the name of the statue - this object is too famous to not be found.
Path to the Redeemer
There are several ways to get to the statue - for the first time arriving in Rio, many go to the monument by motorway or public transport. This method is fast, but not very interesting. Experienced tourists recommend climbing to the statue of the Redeemer on an electric train - the first in Brazil and the very one with the help of which almost a hundred years ago the details of the future sculpture were delivered to Corcovado. This path, although it will take a little longer, will certainly leave an unforgettable experience thanks to the picturesque scenery and a leisurely climb to the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, where the statue of Jesus Christ is located. Since 2003, climbing 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 bait for tourists - it is an important religious object for both believers in Brazil and 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 Six himself, who came to Rio specifically for this. In 1981, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sculpture, it was again unofficially consecrated by Pope John Paul II, who arrived for the holiday.
In 2007, near the statue of Jesus Christ, a service was held for priests of the Russian Orthodox Church who arrived in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the friendly Days of Russia in Latin America. In 2016, the servants of the Russian Orthodox Church again arrived at the foot of the statue of the Redeemer, where Patriarch Cyril performed a prayer in memory of Christians undergoing persecution.
Interesting Facts
Regularly - according to meteorologists, at least four times a year - lightning strikes the statue of the Redeemer. This is not surprising, since the head of Christ is the highest point of Rio de Janeiro and a kind of lightning rod. Unfortunately, lightnings often leave damage after being struck, however, representatives of the Brazilian Catholic Church are entrepreneurial people, and from the moment of construction they have kept a huge supply of unused talcum chloride, which is now and then involved in cosmetic restoration without distorting the overall appearance of the monument.
But not only nature encroaches on the beauty of the sculpture - in 2010, a vandal attack was committed on the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Unknown people stained the face and hands of the monument with black paint and inscriptions. Fortunately, these disgraces were instantly removed, and since then around the statue guard has been regularly on duty and a video surveillance system has been installed.