In Russia, many unusual and amazing monuments. Since to perpetuate in granite, marble and bronze, not only sculptures of great figures have been officially permitted, masters seem to compete with each other in originality. One of the most unusual monuments in our country is a monument to the letter "e", installed in the city of Ulyanovsk. How did the idea of creating such a sculpture arise and why did not the residents of the city like her first option? The full history of the letter "e" and its personal monument especially for you in our article.
A complex history of the letter
Modern children, without hesitation, learn the Russian alphabet, consisting of 33 letters. But already in high school they are explained that the letter "e" can be replaced by "e" if necessary. In electronic versions of documents and other texts, the letter "e" in principle is practically not used. Such an optional symbol appeared in Russian literature relatively recently. The proposal to introduce a new letter into the alphabet was first put forward by Princess Ekaterina Dashkova - director of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences - in 1783. In Russian, for all sounds, letters are provided, and "e" does not have its own graphic designation. However, this innovation was questioned: re-equipment of printing houses at that time was very expensive. But already in 1796 a book by Nikolai Karamzin "Aonidy" was printed in the Moscow University Printing House, where the word "tears" was found in the usual spelling of "e" (previously used for combining the letters "Io").
The letter "e" in modern spelling
The new written symbol was abolished a few years after its appearance. In 1918, during the educational reforms, the letter "e" was found to be optional. When writing, you can replace it with "e". Today, a letter with an unusual history is taught in school, but in many official documents, on the contrary, it is recommended to replace it. Many linguists do not like this non-serious attitude to spelling and culture of the Russian language. And this is one of the reasons why the monument to the letter "e" was created. However, not everything is so bad, many modern printing houses use this symbol. Often the correct spelling of words containing the letter "e" can be seen not only in serious books and textbooks, but also in ordinary magazines and newspapers. However, the question of the abolition of this symbol and its withdrawal from general use periodically rises.
The first version of the monument
In 1997, the 200th anniversary of the letter "e" was celebrated, and it was then that the idea of creating an unusual sculpture arose. The monument was immediately dedicated to the printed symbol and its author - the person who first used the new letter - N. Karamzin. The city of Ulyanovsk was defined as the place of installation of a new sculpture. In 2001, they held a competition, during which they selected a sketch of the future monument. The approval was received by the local artist Alexander Zinin. The monument to the letter "e" was a stela of granite with an imprint of the symbol, repeating the first version of the printing press in 1797. The sculpture was made to be made of red granite. However, the required material was not delivered on time, and it was necessary to use the available black stone. Such a replacement made it possible to make a sculpture on time. The monument was unveiled on the anniversary of the installation of the monument in Ulyanovsk by NM Karamzin himself.
Did the residents of the city like the monument to the letter "e" (Ulyanovsk)?
The reaction of the public to the new monument, opened on September 4, 2005, was mixed. The opening was held in a solemn atmosphere, with an address to the guests of the event by representatives of the city administration. Many people liked the idea of attracting the attention of people, in particular young people, to the problem of literacy and recalling the rules of spelling. But the design of the monument to very few people liked. Residents of Ulyanovsk expressed their opinion that such a monument is similar to a graveyard gravestone. Of course, nobody was going to "bury" the letter. And according to the original design the monument was to be made of red stone, more cheerful and noble. Evaluating the general view of the sculpture and the reaction of the townspeople, the creators of the monument decided to remake it and return to the original design.
New monument
An updated monument to the letter "e" was made in Ulyanovsk by the local branch of the Military Memorial Company. It is a triangular stele made of red and gray granite. Curiously, the monument was installed on the night of November 3, 2005. At this step, the city administration went deliberately in order not to attract excessive public attention. The replacement of the monument was not previously covered in the media. The journalists told about it later. Materials for making sculptures were brought from Rostov. The new monument was worked by the sculptor Alexander Zinin, using the same project with which he won the contest. The master personally supervised the work throughout the manufacturing period. The monument was completed in a record short time, it took only about a month to create it. The new stele looks much more positive and solid than its first version. Today it is one of the sights, thanks to which the city of Ulyanovsk knows all of Russia. Many tourists try to be photographed with this sculpture. An updated monument was added to numerous lists of the strangest and most unusual sights of our country. And what happened to the first sculpture? It was dismantled and transported to the warehouse of the Military Memorial Company. It is possible that someday a tombstone will indeed be made from this "mourning" stone.
Where is the monument to the letter "e" you can see?
During a trip to Ulyanovsk, the famous landmark can be seen with your own eyes. The monument was installed in front of the new building of the Ulyanovsk Regional Scientific Library. Any local resident will tell you the right way to this sculpture. Just ask: "Where is the monument to the letter" e "?" The address of the sight can not be precisely determined, it is located on the boulevard Novy Venets. The nearest building (library) is the lane of Karamzin, house 3. The monument is set near the intersection of Karamzin Lane and Novyy Venets Boulevard, it is inscribed in the decoration of the landscaped territory of the library. It is not difficult to get here by public transport or by private car. And let the monument does not differ in complex forms and an abundance of colors, but it deserves attention due to its non-standard. Be sure to examine the monument personally to the letter "e". Ulyanovsk boasts many other attractions, but this one is one of the brightest.