The Triumphal Arch () is a
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
situated in
Central Chișinău
Sectorul Centru () is one of the five sectors in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. The local administration is managed by a pretor appointed by the city administration. It governs over a portion of the city of Chișinău itself (central and wes ...
next to the
Nativity Cathedral on Piața Marii Adunări Naționale nr. 2 and directly opposite
Government House
Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries.
Government Houses in th ...
.
History
The Triumphal Arch was built in 1840 by the architect Luka Zauschevic and thanks to the
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
's of
Bessarabia
Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
initiative to commemorate the victory of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
over the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
during the
Russo-Turkish War (1828–29)
The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...
. From its construction to 2011 the monument sheltered at its second level a huge bell of nearly 6.400 kg (400 Puduri).
The building is square in plan and has two levels. The height of the monument is 13 m. The capitals of the four pillars of the building were carved in Corinthian style. The upper level is decorated in a classical style. A mechanical clock is mounted on the front, illuminated at night, but does not sound to announce the exact time. The ornaments and capitals are executed in ceramic.
The first clocks on the arcade appeared in 1842. They were brought from Odesa, and seven years later, a strong wind tore off the dial, and the mechanism worked until 1881 and had to be replaced. The new mechanism was purchased in Austria. The real clock worked without repair until the beginning of the war, when it was hit by the bombings in 1941.
In 1945, plaques were installed on the walls of the Arch with the names of the fighters of the Soviet army and the citizens of Moldova, who fought on the territory of Bessarabia in the Second World War and received the distinction of "Hero of the Soviet Union". The plaques were removed in 1991 after independence.
The triumphal arch in Chișinău is located on the axis of symmetry of the architectural ensemble that also includes the Nativity Cathedral, its bell tower, the Great National Assembly Square and the Government House in Chișinău.
It was smelted with the copper of the cannons captured by the Russian forces from the Ottoman Empire. The bell "clopote–velican" was initially made for the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
's belfry but happened to be too big for it. Finally it was installed in this arch, which was designed in purpose.
The monument and the mechanism of its clock were fully restored in 1973.
File:Arcul de Triumf din Chișinău 04 - February - 2020 16.20.31 37.jpg
File:Триумфальная Арка, Кишинев, Республика Молдова Arcul de Triumf, Chisinau, Republica Moldova Arch of Triumph, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova (51161091844).jpg
File:Arcul de Triumf din Chișinău 11 - May - 2019 18.09.59 67.jpg
References
*''Centrul istoric al Chișinăului, la începutul secolului al XXI-lea'', Chișinău, Editura ARC, 2009
*
Iurie Colesnic;
Petru Starostenco (1997). Chișinău. Enciclopedie. Chișinău: ed. "Museum". pp. 381–382.
Ceasul de pe Arcul de Triumf
Buildings and structures completed in 1841
Bessarabia Governorate
Triumphal arches in Moldova
Monuments and memorials in Chișinău
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