Place Alma in Paris. Alma Square and the Flame of Freedom. Replacing an old bridge with a modern one

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Excerpt describing the Alma Bridge

Many historical places in Paris are inextricably linked with the history of Russia and the names of Russian people. This is evidenced by 51 names of streets and squares in Paris.

The Crimean War turned out to be fruitful Russian names. For example, this Parisian address looks nice: XVI arrondissement, Tavern Street. But the point is not the French’s passion for Russian cuisine - in 1855 in Crimea, near the Tavern Bridge on the Chernaya River near Sevastopol, the French inflicted a humiliating defeat on a 50,000-strong Russian army, five times their number. The painting “The Battle of the Tavern Bridge” is exhibited in the Army Museum in the Invalides.

Alma Bridge

The Alma Bridge was opened by Napoleon III on April 2, 1856. It was built during the Crimean War of 1854–1856 and named after an obscure river in Crimea where Anglo-French troops defeated the Russian army on the Alma River in Crimea on September 20, 1854. The bridge was rebuilt in the early 1970s, but Parisians still measure the water level of the Seine by the persistent stone zouave.

Alma Square

Place Alma was opened on March 2, 1858. It got its name due to its proximity to the Alma Bridge. Alma is an 83 km long river located in Crimea in Ukraine. Flows into the Kalmytsky Golf of the Black Sea. During the Crimean War of 1853–1856, there was a battle between Russian and French, English and Turkish troops landing in Yevpatoria. Russian forces of 33,000 soldiers and 96 guns were defeated and retreated to Sevastopol due to the Coalition's strength of 55,000 soldiers and 120 guns. The loss of Russian troops amounted to 5,700 soldiers, the Coalition 4,300, including 3,000 British.

Alma town

Town of Alma Private passage. Named "Cité Alma" because it borders the bridge and Place Alma. Learned the name in 1859.

Evpatoria Street

Yevpatoria Street received its name in 1864 in honor of the landing of Franco-Turkish troops in Crimea in September 1854. Evpatoria is a city in Crimea famous for its sanatoriums and treatments with sea and mud baths, mainly for children. The appearance of Evpatoria is attributed to Greek settlement under the name Herchinites in the 5th-6th century BC. In the 16th-17th centuries, a Turkish fortress appeared on this site and the city was renamed Gozlev: a commercial center for slaves. In 1784, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, Evpatoria regained its name.

Passage Evpatoria

The Evpatoria Passage got its name in 1878, as it begins on Evpatoria Street.

Crimea street

Crimea Street received its name in 1848. It was on the Crimean peninsula in the now world-famous city of Yalta that a meeting took place between Roosevelt, Churchel and Stalin. On this street is the Church of St. Sergei. Crimea or Crimean peninsula with an area of ​​25.5 thousand square kilometers is located in the southern part of Ukraine. It is washed by two seas: in the south the Black Sea, in the east the Azov Sea. The first traces of man and his settlements, called Kik-Kaba and Staroselye, found on this peninsula lead in the Paleolithic era to the remains of a Neanderthal. In the first millennium BC, Simmeriens, Torua and Scetes lived in Crimea. In the fifth millennium BC Kerch Peninsula The Bosphorus State appeared. In the third millennium BC, monasteries appeared in the Crimean steppes. In the second half of the first century BC, part of the coast was occupied by Rum, who retained his power until the third century. In the 13th and 15th centuries, the Principality of Fedora and the commercial centers of Genoa emerged. Since 1475, Crimea has been under Turkish influence. At the end of the 17th century, Russia begins the Russian-Turkish war in order to gain access to the Black Sea. In 1783, Crimea was annexed to Russia. During World War II it was almost completely destroyed. Today it has again become an important medical center.

Passage Crimea

Passage Crimea is located next to Crimea Street, which determined its name, which it received on February 1, 1877. The passage begins at number 219 of Crimea Street.

Malakhov Avenue

On August 24, 1864, the avenue called Saint-Denis was renamed Malakhov Avenue. The avenue was named in honor of the capture of Malakhov Hill by French troops on September 8, 1855. This victory over the Russian bastion provoked the fall of the southern part of the city of Sevastopol. Malakhov Hill is located on the heights in the southeastern part of the city of Sevastopol. During the defense of Sevastopol in 1845–1855, this hill played an important role in the defense of the city. It became the main site of attacks by French troops on August 6 and 27, 1855. During the siege, admirals V.A. Kornilov and P.S. Nakhimov were mortally wounded, V.I. Istomin was killed. The panorama museum “Defense of Sevastopol from 1854 to 1855” is currently open on Malakhov Hill.

Deadlock Malakhov

The Malakhov dead end received its name in 1854 because of its proximity to Malakhov Avenue. This private cul-de-sac begins at number 30 Avenue Raymond Poincaré. It bears this name due to its proximity to Malakhov Avenue.

Boulevard Sevastopol

Boulevard Sevastopol is one of the busiest French boulevards, leading from central square Chatelet to the “folk” northern quarters of Paris. Built in the middle of the last century, it was initially called Central. But the Crimean War arrived and a long - a whole year - siege, and then a successful assault naval base Russian fleet. And Emperor Napoleon III opened the boulevard under a name that immortalized the victory over Russian weapons.

The Alma Bridge in Paris was erected in the mid-19th century in honor of the victory of French troops over the army. Russian Empire in the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War. For a long time he was ordinary road bridge, which does not attract much attention from tourists. The structure became notorious after Princess Diana died in a car accident in the tunnel running underneath it. Today, fans of Lady Di from all over the world come to the Alma Bridge. At the site of the death of the English princess there are always fresh flowers, and the walls around it are covered with declarations of love addressed to her.

The history and appearance of the bridge

The death of Princess Diana on the last day of summer in 1997 shocked the whole world. The death of the people's favorite became a personal tragedy for tens of millions of people, and the bridge, at the entrance to which there was a bloody accident, turned into a place of pilgrimage for tourists.

What is the Alma Bridge, which played a fatal role in Lady Di’s life? The history of the 153-meter arched structure begins in 1854, when, in honor of the French victory over Russian troops, French Emperor Napoleon III ordered the construction of a new bridge over the Seine. Construction of the building was completed in 1856. It received its name in honor of Alma Square located not far from it. Initially, the length of the bridge was about 75 m, but in 1900 it became 2 times longer due to the pedestrian road attached to it. Triumphal Arch

, Paris

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The foundations of the bridge on which Princess Diana died were previously decorated with statues of soldiers of the French army, namely an infantryman, a grenadier, a zouave and an artilleryman. Using these figures, Parisians determined the water level in the Seine. If it touched the ankles of the statues, passers-by were prohibited from being near the river. If the water reached the level of the military’s thighs, this meant that the Seine River in Paris could overflow its banks at any moment. In such situations, river navigation in the city was temporarily suspended.

In the 70s of the last century, the capital's authorities underwent a thorough reconstruction of the bridge, as a result of which it was expanded and completely renovated. Of the 4 statues, the city planners decided to leave only the figure of the Zouave. With its help, Parisians still determine the water level in the Seine. art gallery Orsay and the Museum of Sciences and Arts. But it cannot be argued that the bridge has nothing to do with the legendary statue, since in 1989, at the entrance to it, a sculptural composition called “The Flame of Freedom” was placed. It accurately reproduces the fire of the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Palace of Versailles

For unknown reasons, tourists visiting Paris lay flowers at the monument, believing that it is installed on the spot where Princess Diana died, although in fact she fell to her death in a tunnel located directly below it.

Below you can see the entrance to the tunnel (under the Alma Bridge), where, in fact, everything happened.

Fatal accident in the tunnel at the entrance to the bridge

Prince Charles's ex-wife Diana and her fiancé Dodi Al-Fayed died in the disaster on August 31, 1997. The car the lovers were in was involved in a fatal accident in a tunnel under the Alma Bridge. Dodi Al-Fayed and the driver of the car died instantly. Princess Diana's death occurred 2 hours after the accident. Today there are several versions trying to explain the cause of the disaster on the Alma Bridge. According to experts, Lady Di’s death could have occurred due to:

• harassment by paparazzi, who blinded the princess's driver with the flashes of their photographic lenses;
• driver intoxicated;
• revenge of the English queen on her former daughter-in-law.

The photo in which correspondents captured the scene of Princess Diana's death spread throughout the world within a few hours. Parisians and city guests began to come to the Pont Alma to lay flowers at the scene of the accident. Almost 20 years have passed since the death of the English princess, but crowds of people still come to the bridge to honor her memory. The parapet of the tunnel is covered with poems and declarations of love to the Princess of Wales, and near the Flame of Freedom, installed not far from the site of the tragedy, there are fresh flowers even in winter.

Basilica of Sacré-Coeur Paris and its beauties

The Pont Alma in Paris became widely famous due to the fact that Princess Diana died in the tunnel under it. The princess left the Ritz Hotel on the night of August 31, 1997 with her friend Dodi Al-Fayed. Then she walked towards death. 10 minutes later, the car, which was moving away from the paparazzi motorcycles at great speed, crashed into a tunnel support.
Locals crowds went to the site of the tragedy to honor the memory of the beautiful girl. Today, the Flame of Freedom can be seen above the tunnel at the entrance to the bridge. This gilded replica of the torch of the Statue of Liberty was given by America to France as a sign of friendship between the two countries. This is where people put mountains of flowers. Many people think that this torch was installed in memory of Diana, but this is not so. Perhaps this somehow offended both France and America, because the Paris mayor’s office now needs to constantly remove bouquets, remove graffiti, and monitor the safety of the sculpture. This is probably why in 2008 a new similar monument was erected in the courtyard of the US Embassy in Paris.
The Alma Bridge was opened in 1856. Then it was given the name in honor of the victory over the Russian troops of the French-English coalition during the battle on the Alma River. This was the first major battle of the Crimean War.
Under the bridge on four sides there were sculptures of soldiers who took part in the Battle of Alma. There were a French colonial Zouave soldier, a grenadier, an infantryman and an artilleryman. After reconstruction in the 1970s, only the Zouave remained, and the remaining statues were moved to other places. Zouave was left because it was impossible to remove such a legendary figure for Parisians. Moreover, it was precisely by it that the water level in the Seine River was determined. When the water covers the Zouave's feet, the police block the passage to the river; if it reaches the thighs, navigation stops. During the famous flood in Paris in January 1910, the maximum level was recorded at the shoulders of the Zouave!
Today, the Tournelle Bridge is used to officially determine the water level of the Seine River, but Parisians find it easier to see the Zouave under the Alma Bridge.
The Alma Bridge is 150 meters long. This arch bridge is located near the square of the same name. It was opened on April 2, 1856 by Emperor Napoleon III. For the World Exhibition in Paris in 900, the length of the structure was doubled and a pedestrian bridge was added to it.
The modern building appeared in 1974. Then the ancient bridge was replaced with a modern one to expand traffic.
The artist Edouard Manet built a structure near the Pont Alma in Paris to display his works. The master did this after the government refused to exhibit his paintings at the official Salon.

Avenue Montaigne and Place Alma.

The most elegant street in Paris leads from Place Rhone Point to the Pont Alma. On Avenue Montaigne(avenue Montaigne) there are boutiques of famous couturiers, jewelers and perfumers: Dolce Gabbana and Emmanuel Ungaro (N2), Prada (N10), In?s de la Fressange (N14), Valentino (N18), again Dolce Gabbana (N22), Christian Lacroix (N26), Christian Dior (N30), Chanel (N42), Bvlgari (N45), Thierry Mugler (N49), Louis Vuitton (N54) and others. Buildings N13-15 occupies Theater of the Champs Elysees(Th??tre des Champs-Elys?es), built by the architects the Perret brothers before the First World War. Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" was performed for the first time there, Diaghilev's ballet was performed, Rudolf Nureyev danced, and the music of Strauss and Boulez was heard. The allegorical sculptures on the facade of the theater were made by Antoine Bourdelle, and the ceiling Great Hall decorated with four panels by Maurice Denis. Look at the doorman guarding the entrance to the Plaza Ath?n?e hotel, which is opposite the theater, with meaning: Marlene Dietrich greeted him every morning. The diva, who lived out her last years in a neighboring house, always had breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

Avenue Montaigne leads to Alma Square(place d`Alma), where the tunnel under the Seine emerges, in which Princess Diana crashed on the night of August 31, 1997. For five years, fans of the deceased threw flowers and notes at the golden torch sticking out above the entrance to the tunnel - in full confidence that it was a monument to the ex-wife of the Prince of Wales (in fact, it is a copy of the torch of the Statue of Liberty, designed to personify Franco-American friendship). Recently, the city authorities got tired of this, and the place was fenced off from raging tourists. It is unclear for how long.11