Moscow Gate

From the hotel: 15 minutes

The Triumphal Arch in Irkutsk, on the Lower Embankment of the Angara River, appeared back in 1811. It was built in honor of the 10th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander I. The historical monument stood for 115 years: it was reconstructed only in 1890, and subsequent extremely necessary reconstructions were postponed more than once, as a result, the monument completely dilapidated, and it was dismantled.

The construction of the modern gates was timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of Irkutsk. They look identical to the old ones, and those who are not familiar with their complicated history might think that this is a high-quality restoration.

The idea of building an arch appeared in 1811. It was the year of the tenth anniversary of the reign of Emperor Alexander I, so the arch was named after him. Later it was used as an outpost for many years. However, by the end of the XIX century, the use of the gate as an outpost ceased to be relevant. Indeed, the gates were no longer able to perform their functions, they were in a deplorable condition, the foundation, as it turned out, was very fragile and required urgent reconstruction. But there was no money for the reconstruction of the monument. And then the Irkutsk city administration made a rather controversial decision — to demolish the arch. This decision caused a public outcry and the public at that time managed to protect the landmark. The gate remained in this condition until 1928. Then there were no other options besides demolition. The arch was in disrepair and it was demolished. This is how the more than a century-old epic of the historical monument ended.

In 2009, when Irkutsk celebrated its three hundred and fiftieth anniversary, it was decided to restore the monument. The work was carried out quickly, the facility was commissioned just three months after the start of work.

The builders managed to restore the structure as it was in the past. In particular, the width is about 16 meters, the thickness is about 7 meters, the height is 19 meters. The walls of the arch are decorated with stucco, which is designed to symbolically depict the traditional features of the city. The crown is a symbol of Irkutsk's strong economy, the cornucopia — traditionally well—developed agriculture, flag and weapons — speaks of strong power in the city of Irkutsk.

Trying to recreate the former appearance of the monument, the masters also tried to take into account the mistakes made in the past. Since the drawings of the structure, of course, have not been preserved, the arch was restored according to ancient photographic images and preserved descriptions of people who lived in that era. Both modern and ancient technologies of construction and architecture were used. The gates, as many years ago, are executed in the Empire style, and are divided into four levels. Spiral staircases are placed in the supporting columns, which serve for communication between the rooms inside the arch. At the very top there is an observation deck. On the one hand, it offers a picturesque view of the Angara River, and on the other a wonderful view of Irkutsk.