The Moscow Triumphal Gate was solemnly erected in St. Petersburg

“To victorious Russian army in commemoration of feats in Persia, Turkey and while pacification of Poland in 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831”.

Dedicatory inscription on the Moscow Triumphal Gate, composed by Nicholas I

On October 16 (28) 1838 in St. Petersburg in memory of victories of the Russian arms in wars with Persia and Turkey 1826-1829 was solemnly opened the Moscow Triumphal Gate — which used to be the major assembled construction out of cast iron worldwide of that time.

The project of triumphal gate was developed by the architect Vasily Petrovich Stasov. 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 of the gate was moved to the intersection of the Moscow highway (today: Moscow Avenue) and the Ligovsky Canal.

On January 5 (17) 1834 was approved the plan of the gate’s location near the bridge over the Ligovsky Canal, and a week later, after the installation of a life-size model on the site, the project was finally accepted. On September 14 (26) 1834 was held a ceremony of laying of the foundation stone of the Moscow Triumphal Gate. Following a traditional custom on the bottom of the foundation pit was put a flat stone with a hole. There were thrown platinum, gold, silver and copper coins, and on top was placed a plate with engraved date of the foundation laying and text of the Imperial decree. After that were put 22 small stones with initials of high officials, the Committee’s members who attended the ceremony and the architect Stasov.

The main material to be used in building of the Moscow Triumphal Gate was cast iron. Casting of the entablature and attic, and forgoing sculpture details (trophies, figures of geniuses and capitals of columns) from the sheets of copper were produced at the Alexandrovsky factory, on Schlisselburg road. Cast iron blocks for columns were made at the old ironworks factory on Peterhof road. The works on casting of the details and their installation on the site were managed by the masters of the Alexandrovsky factory Malikov and Zaburdin.

The sizes of the gate are impressive: it reaches 36,27 m in width, 23,74 m in height; the height of columns is 15 m, diameter — over 2 m, the total weight of twelve columns amounts to 450 t. A commemorative medal was minted to mark the completion of the gate construction.

The gate was not only a triumphal construction but also an outpost. On the sides of the highway at the entrance were erected two guardhouses for military guards.

In 1878 under the Moscow Gate solemnly marched regiments which participated in liberation of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Bessarabia, Adzharia and a part of Armenia from the Turks.

In September 1936 in the view of reconstruction of the Moscow Avenue it was decided to dismantle the gate and demolish the guardhouses.

In 1941 cast iron blocks of the gate were used while erection of antitank defense in the southern approaches to Leningrad. After the Great Patriotic War all the town planning programs included an item on restoration of the Moscow Triumphal Gate on the former site. Taking into account the fact that key parts necessary for gate’s revival were preserved, on May 8 1956 the Leningrad Municipal Executive Committee (Lengorispolkom) took a decision on restoration of the Moscow Triumphal Gate.

In 1958-1960 the the gate was revived on the former site following the project of architects I.G. Kaptsyug and Ye. I. Petrova.

In 2001-2002 the State Museum of City Sculpture undertook a major restoration of the Moscow Triumphal Gates with the replacement of the top, complete restoration of the décor and cast iron details, and revival of the gate’s historical color and the original historical dedicatory inscription.

Lit.: Паршина Е. А. Московские ворота (Санкт-Петербург) [Электронный ресурс] // Экскурсии по Санкт-Петербургу. Б. д. URL: http://www.hellopiter.ru/The_moscow_gate.html; Раскин А. Г. Триумфальные арки Ленинграда. Л., 1977. С. 183-207.