Description of the attraction
The symbolic gateway to Asia, installed at the descent to the Ural embankment, is one of the historical sights of the city of Orenburg. The Elizabethan Gate, granted by the Empress in 1755, consists of two stone pillars with niches in which sculptures of angels are installed, holding palm branches and shields. On a wooden crossbar connecting the pillars, there is a white bas-relief stone with side images of guns, banners, drums, axes and other military paraphernalia of that time. In the center of the stone is a double-headed eagle with the initials of Empress Elizabeth (I. R. E.) on the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.
The original location of Elizaveta Petrovna's gift was the territory of the Water Gate of the rampart. The empress presented a gift to the city after the victorious report of the governor I. I. Neplyuev about the suppression of the uprising that broke out in the Bashkir steppes. For instilling into the steppe people arriving in the city, the gate was facing the Kyrgyz-Kaisak steppe (nowadays - M. Gorky Street).
In the sixties of the 19th century, the Orenburg fortress was abolished as unnecessary, and the rampart was razed to the ground. The Elizabethan Gates were moved to the beginning of the descent to the Ural River, where, under the influence of time and climatic conditions, they gradually collapsed. By September 2008, the bas-reliefs preserved in the museum's storerooms were restored from photographs and drawings of that time. The Elizabethan Gate, according to the watchmen, has magical powers - if you take a picture under it with your loved one, then the couple will have a wedding and a happy life. And although the figures of angels, according to historians, are more reminiscent of stone women installed in the steppes by nomads, the popularity of the Elizabethan Gate does not subside today.
The highest gift of the Empress of Russia Elizabeth to the city of Orenburg - the historic gate - is one of the favorite attractions of the guests of the city.
