Triumphal arches were erected as temporary, built of wood, structures, and monumental - of granite, brick or marble. They have one or more spans and are often decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs.
The history of the construction of triumphal arches goes back more than one century. The first such structures date back to the era of Ancient Rome, they were built for the solemn entry of the winners into the city or in honor of other memorable events. It is easy to imagine a Roman general, crowned with a laurel wreath, astride a war horse, greeted by a jubilant crowd at the moment of his triumph.
Triumphal arches in Russia
The fashion for triumphal arches (triumphal gates) in Russia was introduced by Peter the Great. In honor of the victory over the Turks in Moscow, 3 gates were built, on the occasion of the victory in the Battle of Poltava - as many as 7. The construction of arches continued under Elizabeth Petrovna and under Catherine the Great. In the Soviet period, immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War, 3 arches were built in Leningrad for a solemn meeting of the guards from the Leningrad corps. All of them were temporary and were dismantled 3 years after the construction. At this time, the question of the renewal of one of these arches and its installation in the area of Komsomolskaya Square in St. Petersburg is being resolved.
The most famous triumphal gates in the world
Triumphal arches adorn many cities around the world, and each of them is worthy of a separate story. The Triumphal Arch on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow, for example, has a long history. It was erected in honor of the victory of the Russian troops in the war of 1812 over Napoleon and was originally located in the Tverskaya Zastava area. In 1936, according to the new General Plan, the arch was dismantled, and only in 1966 was it installed in another place - on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, the former Smolensk road, along which the defeated French army retreated from Moscow.
On the Place de la Etoile in Paris, there is the equally famous Arc de Triomphe, erected in honor of the great victories of Napoleon. Its construction lasted for 30 years and was completed in 1836. The Arc de Triomphe of Paris remembers many joyful and sad events, including the passage of the funeral cortege with the ashes of Napoleon himself, who found his last refuge under the arches of the Palace of the Invalides.
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the main symbols of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Their majestic spans are crowned with a six-meter sculpture of the ancient Greek goddess of peace Irena, who rules the quadriga of horses, hence their original name - "Gate of the World". The beginning of their construction dates back to 1789.
