Victoria Memorial

In one of the largest and most populous cities in India, Calcutta, there is a Victoria Memorial. Now it is a museum, a garden and park complex and one of the most interesting historical and architectural monuments of the era of British rule. It was built in memory of Queen Victoria of England.

Queen Victoria

Victoria ruled in Great Britain for more than 63 years, from 1837-1901, and from 1876 she was considered the Empress of India. Her reign became the real Victorian era, when the British Empire reached unprecedented industrial and cultural prosperity, political and military power. India in those years was part of the British Empire.

In January 1901, the Queen died at the age of 81. In memory of her, it was decided to build a grand memorial in the very center of Calcutta, which for some time was the capital of the British possessions in India. The Victoria Memorial is still the most famous and visited monument in the city.

Construction of the memorial

The author of the project was the famous English architect William Emerson, who had previously worked extensively and fruitfully in India. Buildings built in the Italian Renaissance style were taken as an architectural model. During construction, the classical style was richly decorated with Asian elements of local architecture.

Construction began in 1905 and lasted 15 years until 1921. It is interesting that funds for the construction of the memorial were provided not only by the state treasury or the English rich. Ordinary Indian residents also donated money. 

Architectural appearance of the memorial

The general appearance of the building looks quite classical: above the central arch there is a dome decorated with a bronze figure of an angel. There are light turrets on the sides. To ensure that the appearance of the structure was impeccably snow-white, the building was lined with special marble mined in the same Makran where the facing material for the famous Taj Mahal was mined.

What else can you see on the territory of the memorial

First of all, you should pay attention to the bronze statue of Queen Victoria, made by sculptor George Frampton. The ruler of a huge empire, over which the sun never sets, is depicted on the throne already in adulthood, in her hands she holds the attributes of royal power. This short, plump woman was called “Grandmother of Europe” behind her back. Interestingly, her grandson was also the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II. The sculptor conveyed well the imperious and even slightly arrogant look of the queen.
On the central dome of the memorial there is an image of a trumpeting angel. He is also called the “Angel of Victory” or “Angel of Victoria”. The figure was made in Italy specifically for the memorial; the angel is cast in bronze and has quite impressive dimensions - 6 meters in height.

In the semicircular gallery of the memorial there is a statue of Lord Cornoulis, thanks to whom many magnificent buildings were built in India. In the palace and park complex you can see many beautiful flowers, walk along the alleys, and admire the clean, cool ponds.