Triumphal Arch in Moscow (Triumphal Gate)
The Triumphal Arch in Moscow, located on Kutuzovsky Avenue, not far from Poklonnaya Gora, is a unique object of historical and cultural heritage. It is hardly possible to find another monument of antiquity in the Russian capital, which would have undergone so many reconstructions during its entire existence – up to the re-building from scratch. However, all these metamorphoses in no way affected the historical value of the structure, its deep symbolic meaning for many generations of compatriots, which was laid 200 years ago, when the first triumphal gates appeared in Moscow.
Video: Triumphal Arch in Moscow
Contents- General information
- A bit of background
- Construction of the Triumphal Arch in Moscow
The monument before the revolution and during the Soviet era - The Triumphal Arch in Moscow today
- How to get there
General information
The Arc de Triomphe is a real architectural masterpiece that has provided our capital with a “kinship” with Paris, Berlin, London, Barcelona, New Delhi, Bucharest and many other cities that have the same or similar structures. At the same time, the Moscow Arc de Triomphe, despite the external similarity with them, upon closer examination turns out to be quite different: original, with its own zest and, of course, with its own unique history. It impresses with its beauty and grandeur. In this gate, even the most unsophisticated tourist sees the embodiment of high self-consciousness of the Russian people, its pride in its sons, who on the battlefields defended the freedom of their native Fatherland.
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A bit of backstory
The Moscow mayor ordered to organize lavish festivities in honor of the entry into the French capital of the Allied forces and the achievement of the long-awaited peace. By his order in June 1814, the construction of wooden triumphal gates at Tverskaya Zastava began. Why was this place chosen? It seems that there were no other options. When the Emperor came to the Mother See, it was here that he was met by the leaders of Moscow together with a large retinue of local nobility and merchants.
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At the same time, Emperor Alexander I feared that the triumphant meeting of the victors could develop into popular unrest, and in this regard he banned mass meetings and receptions in early July 1814. At that time the Triumphal Arch in Narva was almost ready, only the external decoration work remained, which was completed by the end of the month.
.Construction of the Triumphal Arch in Moscow
The Triumphal Gate in the capital is perceived today as a kind of collective symbol of all our victories over foreign invaders who have ever set foot on our land and received a worthy response. Meanwhile, the history of this landmark began with a single victory – in the Patriotic War of 1812. The immortal feat of its very heroes was called to immortalize this unique architectural structure.
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It should be noted that the ground-breaking ceremony was mostly a formality, as by that time the work on the erection of the gate was already in full swing. The foundation, which was based on a bronze plate, had already been brought up to the surface level. Also 3000 piles were driven. Interesting fact: in the foundation put a handful of silver coins of the same year of minting, as they call it, “for good luck.”
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For the construction of the Triumphal Arch in Moscow, the most diverse material from different places was used. The walls were faced with stone from the Samotechny Canal, which just happened to be dismantled, and “Tatar marble” – stone imported from the village of Tatarovo, Moscow district. The columns and the sculpture crowning the structure were cast-iron, but Ivan Timofeevich Timofeev and Ivan Petrovich Vitali worked on the sculptural decoration of the gate. The masters were oriented on the drawings of the “father” of the project, the architect Bove.
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Monument before the revolution and in Soviet times
The Moscow Triumphal Gate is connected, albeit indirectly, with such a historic event for the capital as the beginning of operation in 1899 of the city’s first electric tramway – it passed just under them. The streetcar line ran from Pushkinskaya Square (then called Strastnaya Square) to Petrovsky Park, which is now adjacent to Leningradsky Avenue. When approaching the arch, the conductor invariably announced: “Tverskaya Zastava. Triumphal gates. Alexandrovsky vokzal.”
By the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, which was celebrated in 1912, the capital’s Triumphal Arch was cleaned and restored. On the day of celebrations on the occasion of this epochal date, the Moscow authorities laid a wreath at its foot. The next time the monument was renovated was after the October Revolution, in the mid-20s. The restoration work was led by the talented Russian and Soviet architect Nikolai Vinogradov.
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Subsequently, however, the fate of the monument turned out to be unenviable. In accordance with the reconstruction plan of the square located on Kutuzovsky Avenue – it is in the area of its intersection with Barclay Street, General Yermolov and 1812 – in the summer of 1936, the triumphal gates were dismantled. Before dismantling the architects carefully measured the arch, photographed it and made appropriate drawings and sketches, because it was planned that it would be restored in the future in a new place, namely on the square of the Belorussky railway station. But since this was not done, the details of the gate and part of the sculptures remained where they were sent for storage after dismantling – in the Museum of Architecture, on the territory of the former Donskoy Monastery. The cast-iron columns of the gates lay for several years on Miusskaya Square until they were melted down during the Great Patriotic War. All but one of them.
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In 1965, the Soviet government recognized that the Arc de Triomphe was of great social, historical and artistic value, adopting a decree to restore it. A group of architects consisting of I. P. Ruben, D. N. Kulchinsky and G. F. Vasiliev was formed under the direction of the architect-restorer V. Y. Libson, who within two years (1966-1968) built a new Triumphal Arch. On Kutuzovsky Avenue for her found a new place – next to the museum-panorama “Battle of Borodino”, opened to the 150th anniversary of the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812.
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Despite the fact that the construction of the gate used sketches and measurement drawings made before dismantling, the resulting copy still differs from the predecessor arch. Here are the main differences: the walls, vaults and plinth made reinforced concrete (on the previous gates they were brick), grayish Crimean limestone and granite replaced on the facing of white stone, and grates and cordeguardia and not at all restored. The authentic details kept in the former monastery – the same statues and cast-iron reliefs – were not used either. More than 150 sculptures were cast from scratch at the factory in Mytishchi, and 12 new cast-iron columns were cast at the Stankolit factory, taking as a basis the only original column that survived during the war. The height of each column is no less than 12 meters.
.The texts on the commemorative plaques have also been changed. In particular, they found their place lines from the order of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army MI Kutuzov of December 21, 2012, in which he honors our victorious soldiers, indicating that future generations will keep their exploits in their memory.
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And now the long-awaited day of the opening of the capital’s new Triumphal Arch has arrived. The solemn ceremony took place on November 6, 1968.
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Triumphal Arch in Moscow nowadays
In 2012, Russia celebrated the 200th anniversary of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. In preparation for the celebrations, it was decided to restore this unique monument. The leadership of Moscow by the mouth of Mayor Sergei Sobyanin officially announced that the Triumphal Arch is in an emergency condition, from which it followed that the authorities planned extensive repair and restoration work.
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They were carried out by the Mosrestavratsiya state agency. The deteriorated cladding was replaced almost completely, the stone walls and sculptural groups were thoroughly cleaned. The chariot crowning the arch with six horses and the sculpture of the goddess Nika was also removed (on May 31, 2012 they were returned to their original place). Restorers did not neglect even those elements of the gate, which were not subject to dismantling and could still serve for some time.
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The restoration of the Triumphal Gate cost the capital’s treasury 231.5 million rubles. The renewed and rejuvenated beauty-arch was inaugurated on September 4, 2012 in the presence of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev – three days before the historic date of the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Borodino. During this battle, as is known, neither side achieved a decisive victory, but the French, who suffered serious damage, failed to destroy the Russian army and force Russia to surrender on its own terms, which ultimately predetermined Napoleon’s defeat.
.How to get there
The Triumphal Arch in Moscow is located at the address: Victory Square, 2, k1.
.You can get there by metro by going to the station “Park Pobedy” of the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line. From there, you can walk there.
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