This time I want to pay attention to the famous Winter
Palace Gates, through which (according to the film) revolution sailors got
into the Winter Palace in 1917.
In fact nobody got inside through the Gates, the Bolshevik representatives
entered the Palace through another entrance and suggested the Provisional
Government not to resist. The Provisional Government agreed.
The Gates face the Dvortsovaya Ploschad'
(Palace Square).
Formerly they were closed. But last few moths they are opened till
17-18 pm
The first gates, installed in 1771, were
made of wood after the project of Y.M. Fel'ten. They were lost in 1837
when the Place caught fire. Soon they were rebuilt in wood and in 1880s
the metal ones appeared.
The project was made by N. Gornostaev in 1855. However, Alexander III
didn't quite like it even after giving it official approval.
The order was given to the San Gali
factory where the Gates were produced according to the R. F. Mal'tser's
design drawings. Some say that he was the director of this factory, but
some deny it.
As a matter of fact both Mal'tser and Gornostaev are
considered to be the authors of the Gates.
On the Gates you can see monograms of
emperor Alexander III and empress Maria Fedorovna (under the crowns).
As far as I understood it's the same monogram, a superposed Lion. I
guess it means something.
The modern Gates' frames are made of Izhorskaya steel. The coating is
red lead, lacquer, black lead.
The old Gates were made of forge iron.
The eagles on top of the Gates
Unlike the eagle on the Russian emblem, this one holds the orb.
During the Soviet times The Gates didn't
have the eagles on them. They were removed before October Socialist
Revolution, right after the February Bourgeois Revolution.
According
to the Provisional Government's decision emperor symbols were taken away
throughout the country.
The shield has an image of St. Gregory on
it.
In 1980s a decision to restore the eagles was made. The models were made
by sculptor Georgy Tsigankov.
Let's suppose that the Gates are opened
and take some pictures of their inner side..
This ceiling is right behind the Gates,
before the courtyard.
In the same place there is some kind of a
lamppost of unknown use.
The view on the Gates, the Triumphal (or
Alexander) Column and the horses on the General Staff Arch.
The Angel on the Alexander Column, shot
through the Gates
A variant :)
The eagle together with the angel
A view on the General Staff Arch through
the opened Gates
The back of the eagle.
I'm not mocking at you. I could make three albums about the Gates but
what to write in them I don't know.
The next album will be about the
courtyard of the Winter Palace.
To everybody interested: I'll be in Helsinki and Espoo for several
days from August, 8.
