In ancient times, a special mystical role was attributed to the gate. The passage through the arch symbolized purification and the beginning of a new life. The gate also served to honor the victorious warriors. The first triumphal arches appeared in Russia at the beginning of the XVII century.
Instruction manual
1
The history of the metropolitan Red Gate Square begins in the 18th century. It was in this place in 1709, on the orders of Peter I, that the wooden Triumphal Arch was built. Through it, Russian troops entered Moscow, who won the Northern War. For the extraordinary beauty of the Triumphal Gate, the people called "Red", that is, beautiful.
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In honor of the coronation of Catherine I, in 1724 the old gates were broken and new ones, also constructed of wood, were erected in their place. They stood for eight years and burned in a fire in 1732. The Triumphal Gate was restored only in 1742, on the day of the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna. The Empress’s motorcade left the Kremlin and proceeded through them to the Lefortovo Palace.
3
In wooden eighteenth-century Moscow, fires often broke out. In 1748, the Arc de Triomphe was again on fire. Another five years passed and the architect Dmitry Ukhtomsky proceeded to erect new gates made of stone. The work was carried out with unprecedented enthusiasm. Moscow hoped that Peter's daughter would free Russia from the power of temporary workers and the hated ruler Biron. Money for the construction was collected by Moscow merchants.
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The stone structure, located closer to Novaya Basmannaya Street, repeated the ancient architecture of the wooden arch erected by the architects of Catherine. Ukhtomsky retained the shape of the old gate, but increased its height to 26 meters, added stucco molding. Coats of arms of provinces and drawings glorifying the Russian Empire were painted on the walls.
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Eight gilded statues adorned the gates, embodying Courage, Fidelity, Abundance, Wakefulness, Saving, Persistence, Mercury and Grace. Above was a portrait of Empress Elizabeth surrounded by a brilliant halo. The construction was crowned by the bronze figure of the trumpeting angel of Glory.
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Since the middle of the XVIII century, the gates are already officially called Red. Legend connects this with the fact that the path to the Red Village passed through them. And in the 19th century, the original white walls were painted bright red. In 1825, before the coronation of Nicholas I, the arch was restored. At the same time, the portrait of Elizabeth was replaced with the image of a two-headed eagle. Later, the Red Gate was decorated with portraits of members of the government, and posters with the image of Lenin hung on them.
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Moscow developed, the arch began to interfere with the city movement. Since the mid-19th century, authorities have repeatedly tried to demolish the Red Gate. In 1854, they were saved only thanks to the intervention of Baron Andrei Delvig. Trams appeared in the city and, despite the protests of the defenders of antiquity, one of the lines went straight through the arch. By the beginning of the 20th century, the gates began to collapse. Magnificent paintings were lost, the stucco molding was repelled.
eight
In the spring of 1926, the Red Gate was restored, the original white color was returned to the walls, and the coat of arms depicting a two-headed eagle was removed as an element of autocracy. Statues of angels were also removed. Now they are in the Museum of the History of Moscow. Just a year later, the expansion of the Garden Ring began, and the Red Gate was demolished. The place where they stood was called the Red Gate Square. On May 15, 1935, a subway station of the same name was opened here.
9
The second exit to the metro "Red Gate" is located on the ground floor of a high-rise building. In its place was once the home of Major General Fedor Tolya, in which Mikhail Lermontov was born on October 3, 1814. The memory of the Red Gate is preserved in the interior of the ground lobby, made of red marble. The pavilion is made in the form of an arch and is located along the axis of the former Red Gate. The lobby project was designed by architect Nikolai Ladovsky.
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In 1938, the project of the metro station "Red Gate" received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris. Since 1962, the station was called Lermontovskaya. The historical name was returned to her in 1986.
