2 K. Podryadchikova St., Gatchina, Leningrad Region, Russia, 188308
The Birch Gates were built between 1795 and 1798 according to the design of architect Vincenzo Brenna. The construction of the gates was overseen by master stonemason Giovanni Visconti. A contract for the construction of the "gates made of Pudost stone in the English garden near the Birch House" was signed on January 24, 1795, with local merchant Martyan Vorobyov (according to other sources — Mokey Fyodorovich Vorobyov). A few months later, on April 30, local builder Kiryan Plastinin, known for his participation in the construction of many Gatchina landmarks, was brought in to assist with the construction. The builders were instructed to complete the gates by September 1, 1795, "at the designated location from the purest Pudost stone," but the extraction and processing of the stone were delayed until 1797. By the end of that year, the construction of the gates themselves was already completed, although the finishing touches on their appearance continued until April 1798, when they were finally finished.
Unique in their compositional solution for the parks of the suburbs of Saint Petersburg, the Birch Gates serve as the eastern entrance to the Palace Park. On the park’s plan, the gates are located on one of the two main imaginary axes running approximately south to north through the Grand Gatchina Palace, and they mark one of the starting points for the most interesting routes for viewing the park. They are part of one section of the Palace Park, the English Garden, forming together with the Birch House complex and the adjacent territory a designated area called the "Birch" section.
The composition of the gates highlights three parts. The main mass of the structure is created by two symmetrical, rectangular-in-plan pavilions (guardhouses), which act as pylons supporting the upper tier of the gates and framing the tall arched passage. The upper parts of the pavilions are crowned with cornices and platforms above, surrounded by attic walls with stone balusters. The gate’s structure creates the impression of a vault resting on the cornices of the pylons. The pavilions contain rooms, with entrances located on the inner side of the gates, within the passage. These rooms are illuminated through windows on the end facades. On the outer facades of the pavilions are semicircular niches where, according to the architect’s design, statues were to be installed. The dominant part of the gates is the upper tier, which sets the overall height of the gates at 12.7 meters. The lower part of the central facade contains an arched opening with a profiled archivolt crowned by a keystone. The upper part of the facade is finished with a classical entablature with a cornice resting on 48 stone brackets running around the entire perimeter of the upper tier. The central part of the gates determines the height of the passage, which is 9 meters.
The guardhouses are richer in architectural and decorative elements. The lower part of the pavilions is highlighted by a small plinth. On the facade sides of the guardhouses are deep niches, semicircular in profile. Above the niches protrudes the shaped edge of a relief panel located in the upper part of the pavilions. Even higher is a classical entablature that wraps around all four sides of each guardhouse. The window openings on the side facades of the gates are rectangular and set within semicircular recesses. The window casings are straight-lined and topped with profiled sandriks. The door openings under the arch have relief sandriks supported by brackets at the top. Above them is a panel framed by a recessed rectangular frame. The pylons are topped with platforms surrounded by balustrades and have a total height of 8 meters. The platforms are covered with iron roofing.
The chosen architectural solution for the gates traces back to the style of Ancient Rome. The structure leaves an impression of triumphality and monumentality, achieved through the overall proportions of the building and the relationship of its individual parts. The equal height and width of the structure give a sense of immutability and stability, while the monumentality is emphasized by the narrow arch relative to the pylons, as if squeezed between the massive pavilions.
Individual elements of the gates also play an important role in the perception of the entire structure. The picturesque and expressive play of light and shadow is created both by the deeply recessed niches in the pylon masses and by the widely projecting cornices. This effect is emphasized by the relief panels on the wall surfaces of the structure. A characteristic feature of the gates is the combination of the elegance of some elements with the expressiveness of others; for example, the archivolt of the arch is crowned by a monumental keystone.
The texture and color of the gates are provided by the material chosen — Pudost stone. The stone blocks accentuate the architectonics of the structure, creating rhythmic segmentation of its individual elements — friezes, panels — enhancing the contrast between load-bearing and supported constructions and visually emphasizing the resilience and structure of the span.
The project of the Birch Gates, dated to the 1790s, has been preserved. It can be noted that the overall appearance of the built gates and the gates in the project drawings differ mainly in the presence of richer sculptural decoration.
It was planned to install sculptures of deities, patrons of war — Mars and Bellona — in the niches, for which pedestals have been preserved. Above the niches, instead of shaped panels, sculptural medallions connected by garlands were to be placed. Above the arched vault, the drawing depicts bas-reliefs of flying geniuses of victory; in the upper parts of the pylons — flutes; and on the keystone — a relief mask (similar motifs were realized on some gates of Saint Petersburg — the Arch of the General Staff, the Narva Triumphal Gates), and on the frieze — compositions of trophy antique weapons. The gates were to be crowned by a sculptural composition of the goddess Nike (Victory) on an oval pedestal, towering above banners and "trophies," holding a shield with the coat of arms of the Russian Empire in her left hand and carrying a laurel wreath in her right hand. The existing shaped panels were left by the stonemasons as a tradition to realize the design ideas for the gates directly on site, but this did not happen.
The architect’s ideas present in the project but not realized were intended to enhance the impression of the gates’ triumphality. Although the project was not fully implemented, many researchers agree that the Birch Gates are one of Brenna’s most successful constructions in the Gatchina Palace Park.
After the Great Patriotic War, restoration and conservation work was carried out on the gates.
Sources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_Gates
https://gatchinapalace.ru/park/attractions/birch_doors.php
