The Moscow Triumphal Gates

The Moscow Triumphal Gates is a triumphal arch that combines the styles of Empire, Renaissance, and Romanesque. It was constructed in 1813 in Irkutsk according to the design by the provincial architect Yakov Alexeyevich Kruglikov to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Alexander I's ascension to the throne. The gates were located at the intersection of Moskovsko-Laninskaya Street and the Lower Angara Embankment, on the way out of Irkutsk towards the European part of Russia, along the Moscow Highway. Hence, they were named Moscow Gates. The official opening of the arch took place on September 15, 1813. The Moscow Gates were a four-story building, 19 meters high and almost 16.5 meters wide. At the very top, there was a tea room where a reception was held on the opening day for the then civil governor, Nikolay Treskin, and Bishop Veniamin I. On May 13, 1911, the City Duma decided to demolish the monument, which caused a series of protests from public figures and citizens. Engineer Pavel Shchusev (the younger brother of Alexey Shchusev) stood up in defense of the Moscow Gates. By 1928, the Moscow Gates had become dilapidated and were dismantled. Thus, the monument stood for 115 years. In August 2009, it was decided to restore the Moscow Gates for the 350th anniversary of Irkutsk. Construction of the triumphal gates began in the summer of 2011, exactly 200 years after the laying of the first structure.