Going to St. Petersburg, many want to get acquainted with the traditional attractions of this city. Of course, there are many monuments of cultural heritage, however, some of them deserve special attention. One of such objects is the Narva Gate. They are not as famous as many other sights of St. Petersburg, but nevertheless are of particular interest from the point of view of culture and history of the city and even the whole country. The article will discuss the history of this cultural object, how it looks, and some interesting facts about it will be given.
Narva Gate in St. Petersburg: description and general information
So, we already know that this wonderful facility is located in the center of St. Petersburg. The architectural building is made in the Empire style. Narva Gate was created in 1827-1834. Their construction was carried out over several years. The main goal of creating the object is to perpetuate the memory of the participants in the war of 1812.
A lot of specialists were involved in the work on the construction. The result is a wonderful monument that has survived to this day. You can always see a lot of tourists here, since the Narva Gate in St. Petersburg is listed in many guides. In addition, it is impossible not to pay attention to them, being nearby. Due to its rather large size, they are perfectly visible in the middle of the rest of the city landscape. For example, the height of the object reaches more than 30 meters, the width is 28 meters. The gate span is 8 meters wide. Its height is 15. Thus, we can make sure that their dimensions are really significant.
How did the cultural object appear?
Now it’s worth talking about how this wonderful architectural monument was built. Naturally, many people (both tourists and local residents) are interested in such a grandiose object of cultural heritage as the Narva Gate in St. Petersburg. The history of their creation is interesting and instructive.
Initially, they were erected in order to meet the Russian military forces, who returned in 1814 from Europe. Then the gate was built of wood according to the project of the architect Quarenghi and decorated with some details. They were located at the Narva outpost. The construction was erected very quickly - all the work was done in a month.
The decorative elements were a horse- drawn chariot. The arch was decorated with figures of Roman warriors. However, in this design, the Narva Gate did not last long. After some time, they fell into decay. Nevertheless, everyone understood their importance and significance, therefore, a decision was made to create a new object from other materials, as well as slightly change its location.
Gate conversion
Thus, we examined the question of how this cultural object appeared, for what purposes it was decided to build it. The new project, according to which it was decided to rebuild the Narva Gate, was created by another architect - Stasov. There was no fundamental difference between the two monuments, since the design of the building itself did not change.
After the project was approved, in 1827 the construction of new gates began. The main difference from the old object was that the construction of the monument was built of brick, then it was sheathed with copper sheets. Sculptural details adorning the gate were also created from their copper sheets. Now they looked like six horses and a figure of Glory. In addition, here you can see figures depicting old Russian knights.
It is interesting that many experts pay great attention to the monument. They argue that the gates have a lot of differences from other objects of this time. Among the features most often noted are the rigor and simplicity of the design, as well as the absence of too complex images used to create the sculptural group.
Object restoration
So, we got acquainted with the process of creating such a wonderful monument as the Narva Gate in St. Petersburg. History, however, does not end there. Without a doubt, for some time the gates delighted all visitors with its beautiful view. But a few years after its creation, copper began to deteriorate under the influence of the local climate. At the end of the XIX century, it was decided to restore. Already in 1870-1877, work began to restore the appearance. They decided to replace the copper sheets with iron, but this only intensified the corrosion processes. Since there were rooms inside the gate, it was decided to transfer part of the archive of the City Duma here.
In 1917, the monument was badly damaged: it was set on fire. Then the archive completely burned down, and the appearance and decorative elements decorating the gate deteriorated. In 1924, the monument was again decided to be repaired. However, the restoration did not have time to fully, since the war began.
Gate during the Great Patriotic War
At that time, the gates were again badly damaged, many holes appeared in them, some parts of the decor were completely destroyed. The city was constantly bombed, as well as shelling.
Through this gate, troops went from Leningrad to the front. Also, special anti-tank fortifications were built here. Already at the end of the war, through the same gate, the troops returned back. Of course, the monument would not have stood for a long time in such poor condition, so after the war the object had to be restored several more times. In 1987, a museum was opened here dedicated to the war of 1812. Periodically, you can see various exhibitions.
Where is the monument located?
So, we got acquainted with the history of this wonderful object of cultural heritage. Many may want to visit the Narva Gate in St. Petersburg. The address of the monument: Stachek Square, 1. It is absolutely easy to get here, since the gate is right in the center of the city. The nearest metro station, from which it is most convenient to reach the monument, is Narvskaya. It will be very interesting to visit the site for another reason - the place where it is located also has a rich history, which is worth reading and learning more. There are many cultural institutions nearby that are worth paying attention to.
What is inside now?
Thus, we now know where this unique monument is located. Of course, it is worth telling in more detail about what is inside the gate. As already mentioned, there are several rooms, and quite extensive. Now the gate is one of the branches of the Museum of Urban Sculpture. The interior rooms include the Museum of Military Glory. It is open to the public.
To get into the premises, you must climb two spiral staircases, which will be very interesting for all visitors. The museum began to operate relatively long ago, in 1978. Since then, many people have visited here: both tourists and local residents who are interested in the culture and history of the city. Thus, one of the most famous sights of the city is the Narva Gate in St. Petersburg. Photos of the monument can be seen in many guidebooks and other tourist materials.
Interesting facts about Narva Gate
Since the object has a rich and rather long history, there are many interesting details associated with it. For example, when the gates were still built in the wooden version and began to collapse, none other than the hero of the war of 1812 stood up for them - General M.A. Miloradovich. It was then that Emperor Nicholas I decided on the reconstruction.
Also of interest is the fact that initially the object was not in the place where it is located now. During the construction of the new gate already in stone, they were moved south from the previous location, to the bank of the river called Tarakanovka. Thus, we got acquainted with the wonderful Narva Gate, their history, location and other interesting details.