Triumphal Arch

The Triumphal Arch (Triumfalnaya Arka) stands on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow, on Victory Square next to Poklonnaya Hill, about 150 meters from the Park Pobedy metro station. The 28-meter Empire-style gate was built to commemorate Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.

History

The first Triumphal Gate was built of wood in 1814 near the Tverskaya Zastava, to ceremonially welcome Alexander I's troops returning from Paris after the defeat of Napoleon.

In 1829–1834, on the order of Emperor Nicholas I, a stone arch was built on the same site to a design by architect Osip Bove. The sculptural decoration, based on his drawings, was created by Ivan Vitali and Ivan Timofeev. The arch opened on September 20, 1834, timed to the 21st anniversary of the Battle of Borodino.

In 1936 the arch was dismantled during the reconstruction of Moscow, as it stood in the way of widening Gorky Street (now Tverskaya Street). By then the gate had stood at Tverskaya Zastava for 102 years. The sculptures and decorative elements were carefully preserved during dismantling — some of the original fragments are now kept at the Shchusev Museum of Architecture.

In 1966–1968, to mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, the arch was recreated on a new site — on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, next to the future Borodino Panorama Museum. The reconstruction was led by architect Vladimir Libson, and the sculptures were recast at the Stankolit factory from the surviving originals.

In 2012, for the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, the arch was restored: the facing was renewed and the stone walls and metal sculptures were cleaned. The restoration project won the Moscow Restoration award for heritage preservation. A time capsule with a message to future generations was placed in the base of the gate, to be opened in 2062.

Architecture and symbolism

The arch is 28 meters high with a span of about 12 meters. It is a single-span gate resting on two massive pylons surrounded by columns; each column weighs 16 tons.

The gate is crowned with a chariot carrying the goddess of Glory, drawn by six horses. Between the pylons stand statues of warriors in ancient armor — pointed helmets and plate cuirasses — while female figures above the columns personify Victory, Glory and Valor.

The cornice around the arch bears the coats of arms of 36 Russian cities and provinces whose militias fought Napoleon. The pylons are decorated with high reliefs titled "Expulsion of the French" and "Liberation of Moscow", telling in allegorical form the story of Russia's deliverance from the invasion.

The inscription facing the city was changed during the reconstruction: it had originally honored Alexander I, but now carries lines from Kutuzov's victory order. The present-day copy does not reproduce the 19th-century arch in every detail — the side guardhouses and the railings were not rebuilt.

Getting there

The nearest metro station is Park Pobedy on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line, about 150 meters from the arch. Nearby there is also a surface transport stop, "Metro Park Pobedy", served by buses No. 91, 116, 324 and 474.

Close by are Victory Park, the Museum of the Great Patriotic War with its outdoor display of military equipment, the Borodino Panorama Museum and the Kutuzov's Hut museum — together with the arch they form a memorial complex dedicated to the War of 1812.