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Moscow Triumphal Gate, Saint Petersburg

The Moscow Triumphal Gate is a Neoclassical triumphal arch in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The monument, built mainly in cast iron, was erected in 1834–1838 to commemorate the Russian victory in the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829. At the beginning, the triumphal gate was supposed to be erected by the Obvodny Canal, but as the city expanded further to the south, the site for the gate was moved to the intersection of the Moscow highway (today: the Moscow Avenue) and the Ligovsky Canal. In addition, two guard posts were erected on both sides of the Moscow highway. In this way, the monument not only became a triumphal structure, but also a gateway into the imperial capital. The Moscow Triumphal Gate were designed by the Russian architect Vasily Stasov, who was also responsible for the re-design of the Narva Triumphal Gate in St. Petersburg. Stasov, an exponent of the Empire style, originally developed two different designs for the gate before a full size model of one of the designs was erected. The project was confirmed on September 14, 1834. In the following year, the Neoclassical sculptor Boris Orlovsky developed models of the sculpture details of the gate, including war trophies and figures of geniuses. In 1936, during the period of Joseph Stalin's concentration of power over the Leningrad leadership, the historic gate was dismantled with plans to move them to Moscow Square Park. Later, during the Siege of Leningrad in 1941, when the German army approached the outskirts of Leningrad, the cast iron blocks of the gate were used in creating an anti-tank defensive structure near the southern border of the city, helping to repel the Germans during the siege. The gate was restored from 1958 to 1960. A group of restorers led by the architect Ivan Kaptsyug — who had been responsible for the restoration of the destroyed Constantine Palace in 1949–1956 — managed to recreate most of the lost sculptural details of the monument. The new columns, friezes and cornices were cast at the Kirov factory in Leningrad.