In the center of Palace Square in St. Petersburg stands the Alexander Column, created by architect Auguste Montferrand. The height of this 'Alexandrian pillar,' as Pushkin called it, is 47.5 meters, which is taller than the Vendôme Column erected in honor of Napoleon. The monument is dedicated to Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

This majestic structure is made of solid red granite and stands solely by its own weight. For stability, the diameter of the column gradually decreases from the base to the top. Auguste Montferrand is also known as the architect of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The installation of the Alexander Column served as a kind of preparation for the construction of the cathedral and a trial of a unique technology for raising such columns using special scaffolding and mechanisms, as well as human strength. The author of this technology was the master of wooden constructions, Alexander Betancourt. More than a hundred similar columns were installed during the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

The column is topped with a figure of an angel, created by sculptor Boris Orlovsky. The angel's face resembles the features of Emperor Alexander I. In its left hand, it holds a four-pointed Latin cross, and its gaze is directed towards the ground.

On the pedestal of the column are bas-reliefs depicting the chainmail and shields of Russian warriors. On one of the bas-reliefs is engraved the inscription: 'To Alexander I, grateful Russia.' Montferrand also designed the fence for the monument, adorned with 136 double-headed eagles and 12 trophy cannons.

There is a legend that the townspeople feared the column would fall. To dispel their fears, Montferrand would walk daily in the square with his dog. During the Soviet era, there were plans to replace the figure of the angel with a statue of Lenin, and then Stalin, but fortunately, these plans were not realized.