Arc de Triomphe sculpture. Triumphal Arch on Kutuzovsky Prospekt

Triumphal Arch on Kutuzovsky Prospekt

Since ancient times, triumphal arches have been erected in honor of generals who achieved great victories. This tradition continued for several centuries. In many countries, victors returning from a campaign entered the city through triumphal gates specially built for the occasion.

There was such a tradition in Russia. In 1814, by the time the Russian army returned from Europe, having completed the defeat of Napoleonic troops, a wooden Triumphal Arch was built at the Tverskaya Zastava. However, the wooden arch did not last long, and in 1826 it was decided to replace it with a stone one. The design of the new Arc de Triomphe was commissioned to the famous architect Osip Ivanovich Bova (the building of the Bolshoi Theater was built according to his design). The project was ready within a year, but the redevelopment of the area where it was to be installed forced the architect to reconsider it. As a result, the final project was presented in 1829.

The foundation stone for the memorial took place in August 1829. At the same time, a bronze plate was walled up at the base, the inscription on which read: “These Triumphal Gates were laid as a sign of remembrance of the triumph of Russian soldiers in 1814 and the restoration of the construction of magnificent monuments and buildings of the capital city of Moscow, destroyed in 1812 by the invasion of the Gauls and with them twelve languages."

Construction of the monument dragged on for several years. The reasons for this were the lack of funds and the indifference of the city authorities. As a result, the opening of the memorial took place only five years later in 1834.

The triumphal arch stood at Tverskaya Zastava for more than a century, until in 1936 a decision was made to redevelop the square again. As a result, the arch was dismantled and placed in a branch of the Shchusev Museum. Some of its fragments: part of the column and relief images of military armor are still located there.

30 years later, Moscow authorities decided to recreate the monument. It was decided to install it in a new location. The question of the location of the Arc de Triomphe has caused much controversy. Some suggested installing it on Leningradskoe Highway, others on Poklonnaya Hill. In addition, it was decided not to restore some of the decorations and fencing, so that the monument would not interfere with busy traffic.

The architects had to rack their brains a lot about how best to place the monument. Initially, the arch was surrounded by low houses, and against their background it was a majestic structure. Modern houses exceeded the arch in height. As a result, the current Victory Square on Kutuzovsky Prospekt was recognized as the best location option.

Basically, the appearance and size of the Arc de Triomphe should have remained the same. For this, architects and engineers used the surviving drawings, drawings and photographs of the monument. Sculptors used the same materials to recreate relief images, some of which were lost, while others were used in the design of the Battle of Borodino panorama museum.

Finally, on November 6, 1968, work on recreating the Arc de Triomphe was completed. The monument was located near Poklonnaya Gora and formed a memorial complex with the Battle of Borodino Museum, Kutuzovskaya Izba and several other monuments located nearby. The front side of the Arc de Triomphe faces the entrance to the city.

The monument consists of a single-span arch and 12 columns located around two pylons - arched supports. The height of the columns is 12 meters, the weight of each of them is 16 tons. Between pairs of columns on pedestals there are cast figures, the equipment of which repeats the equipment of ancient Russian warriors: long spears, chain mail and pointed helmets.

Above these figures are mounted elegant high reliefs depicting battle scenes, as well as the Russian Emperor Alexander I and heroes of ancient myths. In one of them, Russian warriors in antique armor attack a retreating enemy. This high relief is called "The Expulsion of the French". Masterfully made high reliefs create the appearance of a three-dimensional image: the foreground and background figures differ in size.

Above the Arc de Triomphe there is a sculptural group depicting an ancient chariot harnessed to six horses. The chariot is driven by the goddess of victory Nike. In her right hand she holds a laurel crown, which has always been awarded to winners. By the way, when the arch was opened in the 19th century, the Moscow Metropolitan even refused to consecrate the structure because of the image of the ancient gods.

Memorial plaques are placed on the sides of the arch. On one of them are the words of Kutuzov: “This glorious year has passed. But your great deeds and exploits done in it will not pass away and will not be silenced; posterity will keep them in their memory. You saved the Fatherland with your blood. Brave and victorious troops! Each of you is the savior of the Fatherland. Russia greets you with this name.” On another board is the inscription that was on the plate walled up when it was laid, shown above.

Under the vault of the arch there is a cast-iron memorial plaque, which contains a brief history of the construction and reconstruction of the arch, as well as the names of the people who took part in it: “The Moscow Triumphal Gate in honor of the victory of the Russian people in the Patriotic War of 1812 was built in 1829–1834. designed by the architect Osip Ivanovich Bove, sculptors Ivan Petrovich Vitali, Ivan Timofeevich Timofeev. Restored in 1968."

The history of this monument begins in 1814 - a wooden Triumphal Arch was built on Tverskaya Zastava Square for the ceremonial welcome of Russian troops returning home after the victory over Napoleon.

Nicholas I wished that a monumental monument dedicated to the events of the Patriotic War be erected in Moscow. The emperor instructed the architect O. Beauvais to implement this plan. The construction of the Triumphal Gate lasted five years. On September 20, 1837, construction was completed.

The triumphal arch is decorated with six pairs of cast iron 12-meter columns, niches in which figures of Russian soldiers are located, above them there are high reliefs depicting scenes of the expulsion of the French, the liberation of Moscow, etc. Statues of Victory are erected above the cornices, and the top of the arch is decorated with the Chariot of Glory.

However, the most important question still remains unanswered. Where does all this come from?

Muscovy, which grew into the Russian Empire and made St. Petersburg its capital, since the reign of the Romanov dynasty, did nothing but engage in genocide of its own population and appropriated the lands of the former Tartaria. This social policy did not at all contribute to the flourishing of culture and crafts. Only in terms of luxury goods. But those aspects of the industry that we touched on still reflect its general, basic state.

It seems that this economic wealth was acquired along with the annexation of supposedly wild new lands. The richest craft centers were probably captured in the Urals and Siberia. The new capital was decorated with remnants of the grandeur of the old Empire...

By April 2015, St. Petersburg plans to restore the triumphal arch, built in 1945. The arch will be erected in the Krasnoselsky district in memory of the defenders of the Fatherland who died in battles for the Motherland. It will symbolize victory in the Great Patriotic War. Can help in recreating the Victory Arch.

In the shadow of massive triumphal arches,
Banners of bowed, prostrate gun carriages,
The history of masterpieces and blots,
History of tyrants and poets.

I read bas-reliefs and sculptures,
Listening to revelations and bravado.
Cast iron figures frozen in place
In Moscow, in Paris, in Rome, in Petrograd.

Where there is triumph, there, at the epicenter, are the arches!
There are Roman quadrigas bursting into the sky...
Forgotten, on the bench, Remarque's volume
Gone, the world of noisy streets is not for the book.

Nikolay Yurievich

Story

The tradition of greeting winners with triumphal gates dates back to the times of Peter the Great. The Moscow and Narva triumphal gates were built in St. Petersburg, erected in honor of the major victories of the Russian army - in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. and the Patriotic War of 1812.

On July 8, 1945, troops of the Leningrad Guards Corps were supposed to enter the city. They were supposed to enter Leningrad in three columns: from the Volodarsky (Nevsky), Moskovsky and Kirovsky districts. The architects of these areas were urgently tasked with developing sketches of triumphal arches and taking charge of their construction. Only one day was given to create the sketches, and the arches were built in only seven days. The arches were considered temporary and were made of plywood and plaster. Three years later they were dismantled.

In 2007, Daniil Granin, chairman of the board of the International Foundation named after Academician Likhachev, approached the government of St. Petersburg with a proposal to restore at least one of the three existing arches.

Victory Arch in Krasnoselsky district

« It is no longer possible to build such a structure on a historical site, since the city has grown, and modern social infrastructure does not allow this. It was necessary to choose a place so that this arch would fit in and look good. The Krasnoselsky district was proposed, firstly, because it was already planned to reconstruct the road network at the intersection of Lenin Street with access to Gatchinskoye Highway, Kingiseppskoye Highway and Vosstanovleniya Street. Secondly, because the Krasnoselsky district is active in the civic and military-patriotic education of youth. We, a veteran organization, decided to pay tribute to the history of the Great Patriotic War, so we supported this project. Thirdly, on the territory of Krasnoe Selo there were many events related to the completion of the breaking of the siege of Leningrad».

Chairman of the Interregional public organization “Council of Heroes of the Soviet Union,
Heroes of the Russian Federation and full holders of the Order of Glory of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region"
Gennady Fomenko

Facade from Gatchina and Kingisepskoe highways

Location

It is assumed that the Victory Arch will appear at the crossroads of roads along which the victorious Soviet soldiers returned from the front. The triumphal arch will be built on a ring formed by Lenin Avenue, Gatchinskoye and Kingisepskoye highways.

At the same time, reconstruction and repair of the existing road network will be carried out here. According to the project, a traffic circle will be created at the intersection. For pedestrians, two underground and one surface crossings will be built, stops will be moved and replaced.

View of the arch from Lenin Avenue

« The arch will become a work of monumental art - a grandiose structure 21 meters high, 20 meters wide. It will be made of concrete, the cladding will be made of marble. We don’t want to complicate its decoration with extra columns and canopies. It should be simple, beautiful, and should symbolize the unity of all efforts in victory. We have decided on the front part of the arch; its front side will be directed towards the Gatchina and Kingisepp highways - from here the troops entered the city».

Chairman of the Interregional public organization “Council of Heroes”» Gennady Fomenko

View of the arch from Gatchina Highway

Financing

The collection of funds for the construction of the triumphal Arch of Victory is organized by the Interregional public organization “Council of Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and Full Knights of the Order of Glory of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region” with the support of the administration of the Krasnoselsky district.

« The Victory Arch is a people's project. Everything related to the road network will be done at the expense of the city budget. The construction of the arch and its design will be created using public money. We are holding a campaign and have already opened a bank account where money can be transferred for the construction of the monument. Many families have grandfathers and great-grandfathers who died; many do not know where their relatives are buried. Not everyone is buried in their native land. By making even a small contribution to the construction of this arch, everyone pays tribute to the memory of their ancestor who died. 1.5 million rubles have already been deposited into the current account", noted Gennady Fomenko.

Anyone can help restore the Arch of Victory. An account has been opened to transfer funds.

Current account details:

Recipient bank - North-West Bank OJSC "Sberbank of Russia" St. Petersburg

BIC Bank of the recipient - 044030653

Midrange Recipient's Bank No. - 30101810500000000653

Midrange Recipient number - 40703810955040000190

Recipient's TIN - 7840017884

Recipient checkpoint - 784001001

OGRN of the recipient - 1077800027821

OKPO recipient - 82224060

Read more about the Victory Arch with the chairman of the Interregional public organization “Council of Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and Full Knights of the Order of Glory of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region” Gennady Fomenko.

The triumphal gates were first built in Ancient Rome and were intended for ceremonies marking the entry of the victorious army into the city. Russia was the first to adopt foreign experience Peter the Great, and later arches were erected on the occasion of each major victory of Russian weapons or simply for a significant date.

Triumphal Gate in Moscow

With the idea of building a triumphal gate in Moscow, dedicated to the victory over the army Napoleon, spoke Nicholas I. The arch was created according to the design of one of the largest architects of that time Osipa Bove. During the ceremonial laying of the gate on August 30, 1829 (new style) at Tverskaya Zastava, a bronze slab and a handful of silver coins minted in 1829 were laid into the foundation, “for good luck.” The construction of the gate took quite a long time due to a lack of funds: the opening took place only on September 20, 1834. The inscription on the attic was approved by Nicholas I and read: “Blessed memory Alexandra I, which raised from the ashes and adorned this capital city with many monuments of paternal care, during the invasion of the Gauls and with them twenty languages, in the summer of 1812 it was dedicated to fire, 1826.”

In 1936, during the implementation of Stalin's General Plan, the arch was dismantled. Some of the sculptures were transferred to the Museum of Architecture on the territory of the former Donskoy Monastery. Moscow owes a lot to the restoration of the gates Yuri Gagarin, who at the VIII Congress of the Komsomol Central Committee in 1965 stated: “In Moscow, the Triumphal Arch of 1812 was removed and not restored, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, built with money collected throughout the country in honor of the victory over Napoleon, was destroyed. Has the name of this monument eclipsed its patriotic essence? I could continue the list of victims of the barbaric attitude towards the monuments of the past. Unfortunately, there are many such examples.” To this he answered Nikita Khrushchev: “Gagarin is Gagarin. Therefore, the first thing we will do is definitely restore the Arc de Triomphe.” The arch was restored in 1966-1968 on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, next to the Battle of Borodino Museum. The text on the attic was changed: “These Triumphal Gates were laid as a sign of remembrance of the triumph of Russian soldiers in 1814 and the resumption of the construction of magnificent monuments and buildings of the capital city of Moscow, destroyed in 1812 by the invasion of the Gauls and with them the twelve languages.”

Moscow Triumphal Gate. Photo: RIA Novosti / Sergey Guneev

Red Gate in Moscow

Red Gate. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The Red Gate existed in Moscow from the beginning of the 18th century until June 3, 1927. The first arch that appeared at this place in Russia was created in 1709, in honor of the victory Peter I over the Swedes, and later rebuilt many times. So, Catherine I rebuilt them in 1724 in honor of her coronation, but 8 years later this wooden structure burned down.

In 1742 already Elizaveta Petrovna built a new gate on this site, but after 6 years it was again destroyed by fire. The first stone arch was built to replace the burnt gate in 1753 architect D. Ukhtomsky. It was made in the Baroque style, with red walls, snow-white relief, and gold capitals. 50 bright drawings personified the “Majesty of the Russian Empire”, and the arch was crowned with a golden figure of an angel. The arch was demolished along with the nearby Church of the Three Saints due to the expansion of the Garden Ring. Today, only the square of the same name and the metro station that opened in 1935 remind us of it.

Narva triumphal gates in St. Petersburg

The Narva triumphal gate, like the Moscow triumphal arch, was dedicated to the victory in the War of 1812. The triumphal arch was originally built to welcome troops returning home from Europe in 1814 at the Narva Gate. These gates were made of alabaster and wood in one month and quickly fell into disrepair. Nicholas ordered the construction of new stone gates in a new location, next to the Tarakanovka River. In general, the new gate retained the appearance of the first arch, but there were some peculiarities. The construction of the gate was brick, lined with copper sheets, and the sculptures of Roman soldiers were replaced with copper Russian heroes. On the arch there are inscriptions about the places of decisive battles. The gates took on their usual appearance later, when the copper began to rust in the harsh northern conditions. During the siege of Leningrad, the gates were heavily damaged by bombing (they received more than two thousand bombs, parts of the decor were knocked off, and the cornice was destroyed). It was through the Narva Gates that parts of the Leningrad garrison were sent to the front. After the war the gate was restored. Now in the premises of the gate there is a museum-monument “Narva Triumphal Gate”.

Narva triumphal gates in St. Petersburg. Photo: RIA Novosti / D. Chernov

Moscow Triumphal Gate in St. Petersburg

These gates were built in 1834-1832 in honor of the victory of Russian weapons in the Russian-Turkish war. Created by project V. Stasova, they were located at the intersection of Moskovsky and Ligovsky prospects, on the square of the same name. In 1936, the gates were dismantled in connection with the planned relocation of the city center. However, the authorities did not plan to destroy the architectural monument: they were going to decorate the park with them. However, the project was never implemented, and in 1959-1960 the gate was restored in its original location.

Moscow Triumphal Gate. 1834-1838. Architect Vasily Stasov. Photo: RIA Novosti / B. Manushin

Alexander's triumphal arch in Krasnodar

Monument to Empress Catherine II and the Alexander Triumphal Arch in Krasnodar. Photo: RIA Novosti / Mikhail Mokrushin

Triumphal arches were built not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in other cities, and they were dedicated not only to military victories. The Alexander Arch in Krasnodar was built in honor of the arrival of the emperor Alexandra III to the capital of Kuban in 1888.

Having stood at the intersection of Sedina and Mira streets for half a century, it was demolished by the new authorities in 1928. Residents of Krasnodar decided to restore the arch in 2006. The difficulty of restoring the arch was that the drawings of the original arch were not preserved, and therefore the reconstruction took 2 years. The arch was installed in a new location, near the reconstructed fountain at the intersection of Krasnaya and Babushkina streets. There was a park next to the arch, and the arch itself soon became a new landmark of the city.

Brandenburg Gate in Kaliningrad

The first wooden gates in Kaliningrad (then Königsberg) were built on this site in 1657, and 100 years later, at the direction of Frederick II were replaced by stone ones. Initially, these gates were not triumphal, but served a practical function: they protected the city from enemy raids. There was always a garrison of guards on duty outside the walls, and there were also utility rooms. In the middle of the century, the gates ceased to have a fortification function. In 1843 they were rebuilt and decorated with decorative pediments, cruciform flowers, leaves on the finials, coats of arms and medallions. They also featured portraits of famous Prussian military personnel. The gate was preserved by the Soviet authorities and has survived to this day. Today they continue to perform a transport function, remaining travel cards.

The Brandenburg Gate in Kaliningrad was part of the city's defense system and served as shelter at the entrance to it. This is the only city gate in Kaliningrad that is still used for its intended purpose. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Fedorenko

Amur Gate in Irkutsk

These gates were built to meet Governor General Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, who signed an agreement with the Chinese Empire on the Amur and was returning to Irkutsk. Under this treaty, Russia received the left bank of the Amur and vast territories. In addition, it was this document that determined the border between states. In 1891, the gate was reconstructed, but after 29 years it fell into disrepair again and was demolished. During the celebrations of the 350th anniversary of Irkutsk in 2009, it was proposed to restore the gates, but work was never started.

Amur Gate on a 19th century postcard. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Moscow triumphal gates in Irkutsk

There are other triumphal gates in Irkutsk, built in 1813 in honor of the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander I. The arch was located at the exit from Irkutsk towards the European part of Russia, on the Moscow highway, and that is why it received such a name. The arch contained several rooms occupied by the caretakers of the Moscow outpost and the water rescue society station. In 1890, an archive was located here. The dilapidated gate was demolished in 1928, but before that large-scale work was carried out to photograph and measure the monument. This made it possible to restore the arch to its original form. The reconstruction was carried out with private funds and was completed in 2011. After the restoration of the Moscow Gate, it is planned to create a museum dedicated to the history of this architectural monument.

Sergei Petrov and Tatyana Ermakova near the Moscow Triumphal Gate in Irkutsk during the Olympic torch relay. 2013 Photo: RIA Novosti / Ramil Sitdikov

Nikolaevsky triumphal gates in Vladivostok

The Nikolaev Triumphal Gate in Vladivostok was built in honor of the arrival of Tsarevich Nicholas. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Russian.dissident

The Nicholas Triumphal Gate in Vladivostok was built to honor the arrival of Tsarevich Nicholas (later crowned Nicholas II) in 1891, during his trip to the Far East.

Construction was carried out with private funds: industrialists, merchants and other wealthy residents of the city took part in it.

The arch did not last long: with the advent of Soviet power, it was demolished. It was decided to restore it in the year of the 135th anniversary of his birth and the 85th anniversary of the death of the last Russian emperor. In May 2003, its grand opening took place.

This arch is also dedicated to the visit of Tsarevich Nicholas and was built in the same year as in Vladivostok.

The 20-meter stone arch was decorated with double-headed eagles and icons. In 1936 it was destroyed by flood. Reconstruction of the arch began in 2003 with funds from entrepreneurs, the diocese and ordinary residents of Blagoveshchensk. The arch was opened in 2005.

Triumphal Arch in Blagoveshchensk. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / AmSU student

Triumphal Arch "Kursk Bulge" in Kursk, Russia

In Kursk, the triumphal arch was built in 2000, in honor of the victory of Soviet troops at the Kursk Bulge. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Georgy Dolgopsky

In Kursk, the triumphal arch was built in 2000, in honor of the victory of Soviet troops at the Kursk Bulge. The project was developed and approved in the shortest possible time. Work began in 1998 and lasted two years. A monument to the Soviet commander was erected at the northern facade of the arch Georgy Zhukov. The arch was decorated with a sculptural composition of St. George the Victorious slaying a dragon with a spear.

Triumphal Arch "Grozny"

Another triumphal gate, built quite recently, was the Grozny arch in Chechnya. This building was opened on October 5, 2006 on Khankalskaya Street in Grozny and dedicated to the 30th anniversary Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. The arch is located above the highway and is decorated on the sides with seventeen-meter-high Chechen battle towers, as well as two portraits - Russian President Vladimir Putin and the first president of the Chechen Republic Akhmat Kadyrov. The arch is the main gate to the city of Grozny.

Since the time of Peter the Great, the most striking victories of the Russian people have been celebrated with some kind of majestic structure that will remind of the country’s feat. The Arc de Triomphe or the Moscow triumphal gate, erected in the early thirties of the 19th century in honor of the 1812 victory over Napoleon Bonaparte, is precisely such a monument.

History of the monument

The history of the monument goes back to the first half of the 19th century to the distant Tverskaya outpost, where it was originally erected, not from stone, but from wooden materials. The architectural structure was crowned by a chariot of glory; the cornice rose on monumental columns, which represented a majestic gate decorated with statues of liberators and images of the departure of enemy troops. But, since the monument quickly deteriorated and became unusable, they soon decided to replace the wooden arch with a stone one in order to preserve it for a longer period.

Nicholas I and the Arc de Triomphe

Initially, the idea of creating the Arc de Triomphe belonged to the Russian Emperor Nicholas I, who was inspired by the projects being built at that time in St. Petersburg, and wanted to build something similar in Moscow. The project was entrusted to the most famous at that time Osip Ivanovich Bova. But lack of finance and lack of government assistance have been the centuries-old scourge of Russia, so construction was extended over several years.

For more than a century, the legendary monument to the great victory of the Fatherland existed at the Tverskaya Zastava, and only in 1936, in connection with the reconstruction and expansion of Moscow streets and squares, a decision was made to move the famous gate.

Relocation of the Arc de Triomphe

Tverskaya Zastava and Triumphal Gate in the 1920s. In the background is Belorussky Station

The arch was carefully disassembled, the museum architects made careful measurements for subsequent restoration work, and the parts were placed in storage at the museum. It was not restored immediately, but only thirty years later. One can only imagine how complex and painstaking work fell to the architects and engineers of that time.

Using the remaining drawings, drawings and old photographs, it was necessary to restore the monument to its original form, filling in those details that had irretrievably disappeared. On the arch cornice alone, it was necessary to place more than a thousand independent parts!

A huge team worked to recreate the lost fragments: using plaster casts, they re-cast the shapes of details of military armor and coats of arms of ancient cities. The panorama of the “Battle of Borodino” helped a lot in this process, some compositions from whose paintings were also used.

There was also a lot of controversy regarding the choice of location. Undoubtedly, when the arch was initially erected in the 19th century, it looked majestic anywhere in Moscow, since the nearby houses were not distinguished by their height, and after a century the capital had changed beyond recognition, and it was difficult to preserve the architect’s original idea among the high-rise buildings and highways.

The Arch was installed on Kutuzovsky Prospekt not far from Victory Park, where it fit perfectly into the bustle of Moscow life, reminding people of the great feat of the Russian people, who from time immemorial have stood guard over the Fatherland.

Arc de Triomphe- This is one of the most significant monuments of the Patriotic War of 1812, which silently reminds of those great events sung by many writers of past years.