Triumphal arch - in honor of the winner

The concept of the "triumphal arch" originated in ancient Rome. It was there that a similar construction was erected for a more solemn reception of the winners. The most famous are the arches of Titus, Trajan, Septimius Severus, Constantine, etc. Images of some of them in the days of Nero and Augustus were even minted on medals.

The triumphal arch in Paris, perhaps the most famous of them, was built in honor of the victory of Napoleon Bonaparte and his army at the Battle of Austerlitz in December 1805. There were a lot of projects for implementation, they were all different and original. There was even a version to present it in the form of a huge elephant made of stone with a museum located inside, so that everyone could learn about all the victories of the emperor. And yet, the Arc de Triomphe, which we know today, has become the prototype of a similar structure in Rome, the author of which was Titus. And the columns, and the openings - all completely copied from the Italian original.

This majestic structure rises fifty meters high at almost the same width. However, such dry figures can not convey all the beauty and monumentality that the Paris Arc de Triomphe has. The project is made in antique style. Beautiful winged maidens, trumpeted in fanfare, symbolize the triumph and glory of the emperor. Their author is the Swiss architect Jean Jacques Pradier, awarded the prize for his not only sculptural, but artistic achievements.

The Paris Triumphal Arch, a photo of which, together with the image of the Eiffel Tower, can be considered a visiting card of the city, is, according to the authors, a precious reward to the great commander and his legion. The capital of France is not the only place where you can find such a construction. There are a lot of them scattered around the world, and most of us have not heard about many of them. However, the Parisian arch is familiar to anyone.

It is decorated with sculptures, each of which can be called a separate masterpiece. For example, "Marseillaise", symbolizing the protest against the Russian army, "Triumph", dedicated to the signing of the Vienna Peace, "Resistance" and "World", sponsored by Etex. Unfortunately, this architect in the world is practically unknown, and even in France he is known only in a narrow circle, although his creations are in some way famous for the Arc de Triomphe.

Napoleon was not destined to see what a monument built in his honor looks like for the glory of France's victory, power and authority. The construction was completed in 1836, when the emperor was not alive. And only once, in 1810, he saw the mock-up of his dream project: on the stone foundation was built a wooden arch with a hint of a canvas decorated for the future project.

In Russia, such grandiose gates were arranged at the entrances to the capital and were intended for the solemn entry of commanders. For the first time they were arranged under Peter the Great in 1696, when he returned with a victory from under Azov. And in 1703, not one triumphal arch was built, but three: in honor of Repnin, Sheremetyev and Bruce, the companions of the Russian tsar in the war against Ingermanlandia. They were adorned by the Myasnitsky and Ilyinsky Gates, and also by the Zaikospassky Monastery.

Apart from Paris and Moscow, today such triumphal gates stand in the city on the Neva, in Kursk, Novocherkassk, Potsdam, Barcelona, Bucharest, Berlin and even Pyongyang.