Triumphal Arch, Chișinău

Triumphal Arch

Arcul de Triumf
The Triumphal arch and Nativity Cathedral
Coordinates	47°1′29″N 28°49′57″E
Location	Piața Marii Adunări Naționale, Central Chișinău
Designer	Luca Zaușkevici
Type	Triumphal arch
Material	white stone
Width	10 metres (33 ft)
Height	13 metres (43 ft)
Beginning date	1840
Opening date	1841
Dedicated to	Russo-Turkish War

The Triumphal Arch (Romanian: Arcul de Triumf) is a monument situated in Central Chișinău next to the Nativity Cathedral on Piața Marii Adunǎri Naționale nr. 2 and directly opposite Government House.

History

The Triumphal Arch was built in 1840 by the architect I. Zauschevic and thanks to the governor's of Bessarabia initiative to commemorate the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1828–29). From its construction to 2011 the monument sheltered at its second level a huge bell of nearly 6.400 kg (400 Puduri).

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'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.

References

• Centrul istoric al Chișinǎlui, La începutul secolului al XXI-LEA, Chișinǎu, Editura ARC, 2009
• Iurie Colesnic; Petru Starostenco (1997). Chișinău. Enciclopedie. Chișinău: ed. "Museum". pp. 381–382.
• Ceasul de pe Arcul de Triumf