Have you heard anything about the Egyptian gate in Pushkin? The distance between Cairo and St. Petersburg is enormous - almost 5 thousand kilometers, but the charm of the culture of ancient Egypt, its distinctive myths gave rise to all Egyptian fashion in the 18th century. In the northern capital there is a suspension bridge in Egypt, and sculptures of sphinxes. By order of Catherine II , a pyramid was built in Tsarskoye Selo (today it is the city of Pushkin). And at the highest command of Nicholas I, the magnificent Egyptian gates were set up there. Here about this amazing building is described in the article.
Egyptian gate in Pushkin
This original architectural monument can be called one of the most striking examples of Egyptomania. According to the architect’s plan, the gates were the decoration of the main entrance to Tsarskoye. To the right and left of the light elegant gate are two powerful three-story guard towers (guardrooms) guarding the entrance to the former imperial residence. They were built so that guards could live there.
The Egyptian gates in Pushkin are generously decorated with a variety of Egyptian hieroglyphs and ornaments. The reliefs and bas-reliefs of the towers were made according to the sketches of the artist V. Dodonov, which were carefully drawn full-size, and the overall artistic appearance was developed by the artist Ivanov, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Arts.
Initially, the Egyptian gate was called Kuzminsky, because they were installed on the side of the settlement of Bolshoi Kuzmino.
Construction history
The history of the Egyptian gate in Pushkin begins in 1827. It was then that the construction of this architectural object was started under the leadership of the English architect Menelas.
From the technical point of view, the most difficult was the manufacture of huge cast-iron plates with plots of ancient Egyptian mythology, which were supposed to clad the facades of towers and gate posts. These products were made at the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry.
The complete decoration of the watchtowers was completed in 1831, and in 1831 a gate grid was brought to Tsarskoye Selo, the labor-intensive installation of which took a whole year. The chief architect Menelas died from cholera before the end of construction. After his death, the management of the project passed to master Ton, who brought him to the end.
Egyptian gate in Pushkin: interesting facts
Egyptian-style watch towers, between which the gates to the city of Pushkin open, are the very first attraction that tourists meet on their way to the Catherine Palace.
Two guard towers are similar to the pylons facing the entrance to the Egyptian temple. Their main purpose is a security function. It is interesting that in European countries, which Egyptomania did not pass by, similar structures in the form of the Egyptian gate usually serve as a decoration of the entrance to the cemeteries in memory of the cult of the dead, which was very developed in ancient Egypt.
The Egyptian gate depicts more than 37 mythological scenes about the life of the pagan gods Isis and Osiris.
The Egyptian gate in Pushkin was badly damaged by bombing and shelling during World War II. In 1949, during restoration work in the gate towers, several huge holes and 1,085 holes of various sizes were closed, and 358 cracks were made. 15 decorative tips and 2 snakes were made anew.
Until 1987, the entrance road to the city of Pushkin passed right under the gate. That was until a huge truck crashed into a unique architectural monument. After the accident, the gates were repaired and restored, and the road for transport was circumvented bypassing the structure. Now, under the gate arch, only pedestrians are allowed to pass.
Tourists coming to Tsarskoye Selo often want to see the monument to Pushkin at the Egyptian gate. This attraction is located directly opposite them, at the intersection of three streets: Oktyabrsky Boulevard, Palace Street and Petersburg Highway.
How to get there
From St. Petersburg you can get to the station Tsarskoye Selo station, and from there any bus or taxi will take you to the stop called the Egyptian Gate.
Another convenient route for tourists: to get to the Egyptian gate by minibus, bus or taxi from the metro stations "Star", "Moscow" or "Kupchino" in St. Petersburg.