Sphinxes from ancient Thebes to Saint-Petersburg
History of sphinxes finding and acquisition
At the present time the place, where the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III in Kom el-Hettan (Egypt) was, appears so from the satellite in "Google Earth" system. On the right hand there is a couple of titanic statues, known as “Memnon Colossus”. Behind these statues a great empty space, where the temple itself was, is spreading. It is supposed that it was about 1 kilometer high. Now archeological excavations are carried out there.
In 1828 Greek antiquity merchant Yanis Aftanazi found and excavated these two magnificent statues of sphinges. Being an energetic and go-getting man, he decided to move them to Alexandria and then look for the buyers. On a small drawing of Nestor Lotta the moment of transporting of one of the sphinges is captured. There is also a drawing, or just a scheme, of one of the sphinges, made by Barton. On the upper photo there is an autograph of Yanis Aftanazi, made in 1829. The autograph was found by restorer Stanislav Schigoretz on the top surface of the “western” sphinx plinth, under the left forepaw, during the restoration works in 2002.
Egyptian sphinges were moved to Alexandria, where after some time the potential buyer, diplomat and writer A. N. Muravyov, became interested in them. In 1830 he wrote that "a giant granitic sphinx, covered with hieroglyphs astounded him at the Ancient Egypt residues". Enthusiastic, Andrey Nikolaevich wrote a petition to count Ribeaupierre, Russian ambassador in Constantinopolis, about possibility of purchase of the sphinges from red Asuan granite for 100000 franks.
The correspondence was very slow, because Nikolay I was in Prussia at that time. Nikolay I considered the petition and referred it to Academy of Arts with the request, if “this acquisition is useful». The Council endorsed a proposal about sphinges purchase.
During long correspondence with Nikolay I the sphinges were bought by France, but the July Revolution intervened its transportation. So Russia bought the forgotten sphinges secondary for 64 000 roubles.
In V. I. Kochedamov book "Neva Embankments" (published in 1954) we can read the following: "In May 1832 the statues were moved to Russia. Quay was still built and there was decided to establish them in the yard of Academy of Arts temporary, where they were staying for two years. The constructing of quay began in a year after embankment construction. The works were intended to finish in 1833. However these works ran over for the next year spring. In April they successfully began the racking for the sphinges installation and after three weeks, on May 2, 1834, the statues took their seats. After five days the bronze lamps (girandoles), made by the drawing of K. Ton, were installed.
Besides sphinges and lamps, the project of K. Ton provided one more decorative element – griffons by the ends of half-round benches. They are stated in both variants of the project of K. Ton, represented at the picture by M. N. Vorobyov, depicting the quay in 30 - 40 years and at some lithographies of the same period, but then they disappear, it is unknown, when and at what circumstances".