Description of the attraction
The Triumphal Arch on the central square of Chisinau is one of the brightest decorations in the capital of Moldova. This impressive architectural monument is also called the Holy Gates, since the arch is on the same axis with the bell tower and the Cathedral and is in fact the main gate of this magnificent temple. In addition, the arch has another name - "Victory Arch", since it was originally erected in honor of the victory of the Russian troops over the Turkish army in the war of 1806-1812.
On the Arc de Triomphe, you can see fragments of documents that are very important in the formation of Chisinau, carved in Moldovan and Russian, including the Order on the liberation of the city from the German-Romanian invaders, as well as the names of the soldiers of the Soviet Army who displayed heroism in battles on the territory of Moldova during World War II. war. So the Arc de Triomphe became a vivid symbol of the victory over fascism.
The history of the Arc de Triomphe began in the first half of the 19th century. after the governor of Chisinau Vorontsov appealed to the king with a petition for a salary of 1600 poods of copper for casting bells for the city's Cathedral. For these needs, most of the guns captured during the Turkish campaign, which were located in the Izmail fortress, were allocated. To reduce costs, the bells were cast in Ishmael itself. The largest of them weighed 400 pounds, and the smallest - 25 pounds. When the bells were delivered to Chisinau, it was discovered that the size of the largest bell did not allow it to be installed either on the cathedral or on the bell tower. As a result, the authorities decided to build an arch, which would become not only a belfry for a large bell, but also the main decoration of the city. The construction of the arch was completed in 1839. The author of this project was the architect Ivan Zaushkevich, and the prototype was the Roman triumphal arch. The grand opening of this magnificent building took place in 1840.
The Triumphal Arch of Chisinau is a square structure, consisting of two tiers and reaching a height of 13 m. The lower tier of the arch, made in the antique architectural style, has through rectangular openings for pedestrian traffic. The upper part of the structure with decorated friezes is separated from the lower part by an entablature. There are three bells on the second tier of the majestic Arc de Triomphe. On one side, the arch is decorated with a large clock purchased in Austria.
Today, the Arc de Triomphe is one of the most attractive monuments in the Moldovan capital.
