Moscow triumphal arches for the coronation of Catherine II in the sources of the 1760s. New materials

Tyukhmeneva Ekaterina Alexandrovna PhD in Art History Head of the Russian Art Department, Research Institute of Theory and History of Fine Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts 21 Prechistenka Street, Moscow, 119034, Russia tyukhmeneva@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Interest in such a kind of art of festive decoration of the city in Russia of the XVIII century, as the triumphal gate, arose in Russian science quite a long time ago, since the middle of the XIX century ^{[1, p. 16-27],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]}. After a half-century break, the study of temporary monuments continued in the 1950s ^[7],[8]. From that moment on, works began to be published periodically, mainly concerning the specific triumphal gates of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the first half of the XVIII century. ^{[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20]}. A monograph by the author of this article, published in 2005, became a generalizing art history study devoted to this period ^[21]. The Triumphal gates of the second half of the XVIII century are considered in A. A. Makhotina's dissertation on official secular celebrations during the reign of Catherine II (Makhotina A. A. The panegyric program and its artistic embodiment in the art of state celebrations of the era of Catherine II. Dissertation for the degree of PhD. art History. Moscow, 2011; ^[22]). Currently, the sources used by A. A. Makhotina for the reconstruction of the Moscow triumphal gates, erected in honor of the coronation of the Empress, can be supplemented with unique archival documents.

The purpose of this work is to introduce into scientific circulation and analyze previously unpublished written materials related to the Triumphal gate in 1762, as well as to compare these materials with the sources already available to researchers. In the article offered to the reader, quotations from documents of past eras are given while preserving the spelling of the originals with the following exceptions: obsolete letters are replaced with modern analogues; where necessary, lowercase letters are replaced with uppercase letters, and vice versa; "b" is omitted at the end of words; "y" is inserted; the author's inserts are enclosed in parentheses. — (). The main provisions of the work were presented as a report at the III scientific and practical conference "Preserving heritage. Science and technology. Soviet Heritage" (St. Petersburg, the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, November 8-9, 2003).

In accordance with the ceremonial tradition established in Russia in the first half of the XVIII century ^{[20, pp. 55-66]}, four temporary triumphal gates were erected on the path of Catherine II's coronation passages in Moscow. Two of them towered on Tverskaya Street — in Zemlyanoy and Bely Gorod. The function of the third and fourth triumphal gates was performed by the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-gorod and the Nikolsky Gate of the Kremlin, endowed with festive decorations (RGADA. F. 2. Op. 1. 95. L. 19 vol.; RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. II vol. – III). On the occasion of the new monarch's accession to the throne, the Red Triumphal Gate, built by D. V. Ukhtomsky "for the ages" during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna (demolished in 1927), was also renovated. However, as noted by A. A. Makhotina, they were actively involved not in the September coronation events of 1762, but in the masquerade procession "Triumphant Minerva" in late January – early February 1763 (Makhotina A. A. The panegyric program and its artistic embodiment in the art of state celebrations of the era of Catherine II. Dis. for the degree. art. kand. Art History. Moscow, 2011. pp. 30-31).

The preserved sources allow reconstructing the appearance of the triumphal gate in 1762. Until now, art historians have mainly had visual materials introduced into scientific circulation by a major specialist in Russian graphics, M. A. Alekseeva ^{[23],[24, pp. 183-223]}. First of all, these are several drawings created by J. L. Devely (de Velli; 1730-1804, in Russia — since 1754) and M. I. Makhaev (1717-1770) for the coronation album of Catherine II, which was not released in the XVIII century (J. L. Devely, Mahaev M. I. The Resurrection Gate from the Neglinka Bridge They're the same. Red Square towards the Nikolskaya Tower and the Voskresensky Gate with a street auction scene. Both drawings are from the late 1760s; ink, pen, brush; State Hermitage Museum). Simultaneously with the joint work on the coronation sheets, the Russian master executed independent views of the ancient capital for the Academy of Sciences. These drawings have not been preserved, however, some of them, including those depicting the triumphal gates, can be judged by the engraved analogues intended for the "Court Calendar" (Balabin T. P. The Triumphal gates of the Zemlyanoi City in the direction of Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street; He is the same. The Triumphal Gate on Tverskaya Street in the White City; Artemyev P. A. or Chelnakov N. F. The Voskresensky Gate from the Neglinka Bridge; Chelnakov N. F. The Voskresensky Gate from the Red Square; He. Nikolsky Gate with part of the Arsenal; Sablin N. Ya. The Red Triumphal Gate in the Earthen City. All engravings are from drawings by M. I. Makhaev; 1765; etching, chisel). So, the above drawings and engravings depict both facades of the Voskresensky and Nikolsky Triumphal Gates, the rear facades of the Tver Triumphal gates of the Zemlyanoi and the White City, as well as the front facade of the Red Triumphal Gates.

Meanwhile, the pictorial materials presented above can be supplemented by a number of written sources that have not yet received adequate coverage in the scientific literature. Among them is a draft program for the pictorial and plastic decoration of the triumphal gate and several groups of inventories of ready-made festive ensembles compiled at different times. Unlike the graphics, these documents do not include the Red Triumphal Gates of D. V. Ukhtomsky, which had received the status of a memorial structure by that time. Together, the visual and written sources allow us to trace the process of work on the temporary triumphal gate from the original idea to its implementation in reality. Let's look at each document in more detail.

The materials containing the draft program for the pictorial and plastic decoration of the triumphal gates of 1762 (Tverskaya Zemlyanogo and Bely Goroda, Voskresenskiy and Nikolsky) are stored in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. 179) and originate from the papers of Catherine II's State Secretary G. V. Kozitsky (1724-1775; secretary of the Empress in 1768-1774). Although these materials were partially used and published in the above thesis by A. A. Makhotina, they deserve further research. In this article, we will highlight the most important points. First of all, it is worth emphasizing that the document in question includes not only the initial draft of the program for the pictorial and plastic decoration of gates - paintings, emblems, statues and inscriptions, but also edits and comments made during its testing. This unique material shows what requirements were placed on the decoration of the triumphal gate at the end of the Baroque era, what was expected from the allegorical, emblematic and verbal images that decorated the state holiday ensembles.

The document has not been signed, but it is known that the authors or, as they said in the XVIII century, the "inventors" of the 1762 Triumphal gate decoration program were M. M. Heraskov (1733-1807), A. A. Rzhevsky (1737-1804) and I. F. Bogdanovich (1743-1803). Moreover, their duty was not only to "exhibit paintings, emblems and inscriptions on the triumphal gate," but also to be "at the viewing of the painters during their work" (A detailed description of the solemn procedures for the safe entry into the imperial ancient residence, the God-spared city of Moscow, and the consecrated coronation of Her August Majesty, the Most Illustrious Sovereign Great Empress Catherine II, Autocrats of All Russia, mothers and deliverers of the Fatherland; which took place on September 13, coronation on September 22, 1762 // Kamer-Fourier magazines, 1762 [B. M., B. G.]. p. 255). M. M. Kheraskov and I. F. Bogdanovich were writers associated with Moscow University. In the context of our topic, it is worth noting that they also composed odic works in honor of the accession to the throne of the Russian monarchs Peter III and Catherine II. In addition, M. M. Kheraskov was involved in the preparation of the "Triumphant Minerva" masquerade dedicated to the coronation of the Empress, which was mentioned above ^{[25, p. 104],[26, p. 42-43, 347]}. The edits and comments to the 1762 Triumphal Gate decoration program obviously belong to those members of the Coronation Commission who were well acquainted with this field of activity. First of all, it could have been N. Y. Trubetskoy (1699-1767), who headed the Coronation Commission of Catherine II and had serious experience in this matter. In 1742, he oversaw preparations for the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna, including the construction of the triumphal gates, and then the publication of her coronation album ^{[27, pp. 287-291]}. According to a number of indirect facts, it is worth assuming the participation of a prominent German representative of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Jacob Stehlin (1709-1785; in Russia — since 1735), in the testing of the 1762 Triumphal Gate program, but this issue still needs further study (more about the life of Ya. See Steelin in Russia and the publication of his notes: ^[28]).

According to the plan of M. M. Kheraskov, A. A. Rzhevsky and I. F. Bogdanovich, the Tver Triumphal Gates, both of the Zemlyanoi and the White City, which were being built for the coronation celebrations of Catherine II, should be decorated with three allegorical paintings, several dozen emblems and ten to twelve statues. On the Nikolsky Gate of the Kremlin, designed as a triumphal one, the paintings were complemented by two emblems, inscriptions and picturesque bas-reliefs. The facades of the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod were decorated in different ways. The front facade was supposed to contain five paintings and three inscriptions, the rear — two paintings and two inscriptions, as well as fifteen emblems and four statues. According to the archival document, the revision of the members of the approbation commission of the project proposed by the writers turned out to be quite significant — it affected the content of almost all the paintings of the triumphal gate and more than half of the emblems. In addition, it was decided to abandon the inscriptions proposed on the Voskresensky and Nikolsky gates, because, in the opinion of the commission, "inscriptions without paintings are obscene" (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 28 vol.).

In the version of the program of the triumphal gates created by M. M. Kheraskov, A. A. Rzhevsky and I. F. Bogdanovich, the word is put forward in the first place: all allegorical compositions have a complex, detailed character and serve as an almost literal illustration to the accompanying inscriptions. It is quite natural that in the text of the project the inscriptions precede the description of the images. Many paintings and emblems are based on intricate semantic relationships, overloaded with images and details, openly emotional, and in this respect are close to the openly laudatory works of court poets of that time. At the same time, these features are characteristic of the canvases of the triumphal gate of the first quarter of the XVIII century, which were characterized by the richness of the plot and the originality of its interpretation, sometimes bordering on naivety. At that time, Russian society was just getting acquainted with the principles of pan-European rhetorical and allegorical culture, and the inventors of the triumphal gates were, as a rule, spiritual persons who had the necessary knowledge for this ^{[20, pp. 67-92],[29]}. The process of mastering a new field of art related to the ceremonial life of the Russian court ended around the beginning of the 1720s. By that time, certain norms corresponding to the Baroque style had been developed, which were subsequently adhered to when creating triumphal and, more broadly, festive and mourning ensembles of national importance ^{[30, pp. 16-55, 69-165]}. Compared to similar works of the first half of the 18th century, the glorification of Catherine II, laid down by the writers in the program of the triumphal gates in 1762, lacks the dignity and moderation that should distinguish a professionally executed work of the panegyric genre of the "enlightened" era. On the contrary, there is a passionate desire to express ardent loyal feelings as vividly as possible. For example, in painting No. 2 of the rear facade of the Nikolsky Gate with the inscription "The Law, the depicted mind to God", the inventors proposed to represent a "woman" with a flame emanating from her head. With one hand on her heart, she used the other hand to ward off insects attacking the other heart in the book. The book lay on a round altar decorated with festoons. At the same time, from under the open robe of the "woman", according to the plan of M. M. Kheraskov, A. A. Rzhevsky and I. F. Bogdanovich, her foot shod in an "iron boot" could be seen (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 31 vol.).

In turn, the members of the approbation commission reviewing the draft program were guided by the panegyric principles developed by the 1760s, according to which each composition of the triumphal gate was supposed to embody one idea, be distinguished by clarity and relative ease of perception. Free use of the canons of the allegorical language was not allowed, much less the use of allegorical scenes, images and inscriptions invented and not accepted in the European emblematic culture of Modern times, since all this could lead to incorrect or ambiguous interpretation. In this regard, the comments of the approbation commission made to painting No. 2 of the front facade of the Tverskoy Gate of the White City are particularly revealing. According to the inventors, it should have represented Victory and a female character in a lion's skin with a rich belt, a helmet crowned with a cross on her head, with a bow and arrow in one hand and a shield with the monogram of the Empress in the other. An altar with a smoking sacrifice was placed near her under a palm tree. The composition was accompanied by the inscription: "Strength and reason overcome everything" (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 8 vol.). The commission's comments clearly explained: "The signature is more appropriate for the emblem than for the painting; and the painting itself recognizes the following shortcomings: 1. Defeating the enemies alone could fill the whole picture. 2. A woman in lion skin is an extraordinary image, and without a mace she does not show courage, besides, a rich belt is not decent. 3. There is never a cross on the helmet, and it is not known why the victim is smoking on the altar." Instead of the allegorical plot invented by the writers, the members of the approbation commission proposed a traditional version, characterized by simplicity and conciseness of the allegorical image, to depict Catherine II in the role of Pallas Athena (Minerva) with the inscription: "Our peace has been confirmed" (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 5).

The approbation commission also ensured that the artist was able to embody the verbal program on the canvas, and the decision of the characters involved in it was based on established iconographic schemes by that time. "The inscription is good," it is explained in one of the comments to the decoration program of the Tver Gate of the White City, "but it will be impossible for the painter to depict the painting itself according to the description" (RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 5 vol.). Indeed, in the writers' project, the representation of various motifs and images is sometimes accompanied by beautiful epithets, such as "mature leaves", "disappearing night", "darkened" sun, "tired flying" of an eagle (and personifying the Moscow province (!); RGADA. F. 17. Op. 1. D. 179. L. 9 vol., 14, 15 vol.), which is almost impossible to convey in visual form, especially in the compositions of the triumphal gate, which have special principles of artistic expression, close to the poster art that arose later. Of course, all this was abandoned in the approved version of the program.

Let's move on to the inventories of the triumphal gates. The first group of inventories is known to us from one of the copies included in the "Ceremonial Journal of the Commission for the Coronation of Catherine II", stored in the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 54-60 vol.). The inventories were made upon completion of construction, apparently in September 1762 (OP. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 45-46). The documents identify the design features of the festive ensembles, their order solution, and list in detail all the elements of decoration and materials of execution. In the inventory of the Tver gates of the Zemlyanoi city, the types of work are even highlighted: painting, carpentry and carpentry (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 60-60 vol.). It is noteworthy that in the analyzed archival file, the inventory of the Tver gates of the Zemlyanoi City is preceded by their "Explanation" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 59 vol.), performed by K. I. Blank (1728-1793). Apparently, this document complemented the drawing of this structure, which is missing in this case.

The second group of inventories was discovered by us in the Department of Written Sources of the State Historical Museum (OP. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 50-68 vol.), in extracts and copies created from documents of the XVIII century for I. E. Zabelin (1820-1908). As we have managed to establish, the originals of these documents are in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (the author of the article thanks M. V. Nikolaeva for her advice on this issue). The marked inventories were compiled by architect Ivan (Yakovlevich) Yakovlev (1728-1783) in 1766, when preparations were underway for Catherine II's next visit to Moscow after the coronation, which was then scheduled for February 1767. They record in detail the existing condition of all the triumphal gates at that time and provide an estimate of the cost of their repair.

The pictorial and written sources considered in the article not only contain identical information, but also complement each other significantly. Based on these sources, it is possible to accurately reconstruct the appearance of the triumphal gate in 1762, to clarify the location and themes of allegorical paintings, emblems, sculptural images and inscriptions, as well as the technique and materials of their execution. Here are the most significant examples. According to the inventories and the preserved engraving by N. F. Chelnakov, the main painting of both facades of the Nikolsky Gate featured a portrait of Catherine II, which is missing from the design of their decoration. It towered over the passage and was enclosed in a golden frame "under a"carved gilded crown "with lavras" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 54 vol.; OPI. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 63 vol.; Chelnakov N. F. (with fig. by M. I. Makhaeva). Nikolsky Gate with part of the Arsenal. 1765. Etching, chisel). In the inventories of the Tver gate of the Zemlyanoi city, it is reported about twenty additional emblems placed "in perapet", probably on the parapet of the roof of the gate (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 60; OPI. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 51).

Unlike graphic sheets, archival documents allow us to judge the decoration of the inner surface of the arched spans of the triumphal gate. As noted in K. I. Blank's "explanation", the ceiling of the central passage of the Tver Gate of the Zemlyanoi City was decorated with a "picturesque painting" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 59 vol.). Judging by the inventories, the "walls and ceiling" of the only span of the Tver Gate of the White City were "covered with canvas, on which niches with statuary (statues) and paneling (panels), and frames with ornaments and fittings" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 59; OP. f. 440. Op. 1. d. 631. L. 54 vol.). "Inside" the Nikolsky Gate was "sheathed and painted, and (with) water, fillenges with four cartels (cartouches)" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 55; OP. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 65 vol. 66).

According to the inventory, all the sculptural images placed on the triumphal gates were edged deceptive figures painted in gold, only the statues in the niches of the Tver gate of the White City were probably "carved", but also "gilded" (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 54 – 60; OPI GIM. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 50-68). In order to hide the "irregularity of the buildings", illumination shields with emblems were used near the Tver Gates of Zemlyanoi and Bely Gorod (OP. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 52, 56). When passing through the triumphal gates, "chiseled" wooden cannons were usually placed for the sake of "protection". According to the inventories of 1766, eight cannons in dilapidated condition were located near the Tver Gate of the White City and four near Nikolsky, eight cannons ("for lack of") should have been placed next to the Voskresensky Gate and four next to the Tver Gate of the Zemlyanoi City (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 52, 55, 60 vol., 66). The city buildings surrounding the triumphal gate could also receive festive decorations, as can be seen in the engraving depicting the Nikolsky Gate with the adjacent Arsenal building (Chelnakov N. F. (from fig. Nikolsky Gate with part of the Arsenal. 1765. Etching, chisel).

The inventories also convey to us the coloristic solution of the triumphal ensembles. Thus, the building of the Tverskoy Gates, which towered one after another, was painted in different shades of green: the gates of the Earthen City turned into green proper, and the White City into green (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 51 vol., 55). The Voskresensk gate was blue, the Nikolsky Gate was obviously red ("in the likeness of porphyry", probably porphyry), consonant with the color of the Kremlin walls (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 55, 57 vol.; OPI. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 60, 65 vol.). The painting of the triumphal gate, made "in places with whitewash," traditionally imitated marble. The white trunks of the columns and the gilded decorative elements of the gates, including statues, heraldic and monogram signs, military fittings and trophies, stood out against this background. The bases and capitals of the columns and pilasters were also covered with gilding. In addition, almost all the emblems were painted in gold (RGIA. F. 469. Op. 2. D. 1412. L. 54-60 vol.; OPI. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 50-68 vol.).

Finally, the written materials analyzed in the article enrich our information about the process of creating the triumphal gate, its participants, the cost of work, and also allow us to trace the fate of festive ensembles. Let's focus on the last point, which is the least covered in other sources and, consequently, in the scientific literature. After the celebrations, at the end of September 1762, the Coronation Commission transferred all four triumphal gates to the jurisdiction of the Moscow Provincial Chancellery. Collegiate adviser Stepan Shaposhnikov and architect Semyon (Yakovlevich) Yakovlev (1715 – after 1768), who was engaged in the decoration of one of the facades of the Resurrection Gate in the form of triumphal ones, were appointed responsible for accepting the gates from the officers and architects who supervised their construction (OP. F. 440. Op. 1. d. 631. L. 45-46 about.). During the transfer of the gates and in their further preservation, the first group of inventories noted above was most likely used. The list of necessary measures to be taken is recorded in detail in the "memorial" drawn up by the Provincial Chancellery in March 1765: "So that the above-mentioned four gates (...) always have a decent guard, so that those gates are always in good working order and inside and around them are always clean and from passing people to those gates." and no damage was done to the shields made with them, and those guards (b). These gates and shields were handed over to each other intact according to the inventory" (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. l. 46 vol. – 47). However, since 1765, the triumphal gate began to deteriorate rapidly: carved and "edged" elements broke off, fell and broke from the wind, the paints burned out and faded, and the paintings were damaged. There was no one to repair the gates, which the Provincial Chancellery constantly reported to the Governing Senate (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 47 vol. – 49).

By the autumn of 1766, when it became necessary to actively prepare for Catherine II's next visit to Moscow, expected in February 1767, the Triumphal gates were in a very deplorable condition. This is evidenced by the second group of inventories of architect I. Ya. Yakovlev presented in the article (OP. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 50-68 vol.). In his opinion, fixing the gates not only required significant costs — more than ten thousand rubles (which was almost 30 percent of their original cost), but also seemed impractical. The wooden structures of the triumphal gates, which were erected in a hurry, in violation of the rules of sound construction ("rapid construction"), could not withstand the updated decoration (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 68-68 vol., 71-74).

The inventory of I. Ya. Yakovlev is supplemented by "sketches" concerning paintings and goldsmith's works (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 69-70 vol.). It is worth noting here that the paintings of the triumphal gates were to be re—executed according to the model of the former ones, "if it is commanded", "Little Russian" D. G. Levitsky (1735-1822), in the future a well-known portrait painter, "with the help" - Ivan Petrov (servant of the actual state councilor M. G. Sobakin) and Alexander Nikiforov (servant of I. I. Shuvalov) (OPI GIM. F. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 69-69 vol.).

To release "such a noble sum" (over 10,000 rubles). The Senate did not dare to repair the triumphal gates without the "permission" of Catherine II. At the end of November 1766, a report was submitted to the Empress, which not only briefly outlined the state of affairs, but also cautiously suggested to the members of the Senate that, taking into account the winter period, only what could not be done at the Triumphal gate should be corrected (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. D. 631. L. 73-74 vol.). In December, this issue was considered by the empress, who personally wrote her resolution on the report: "if they are so dilapidated that there is a danger of their fall, then order them to be broken so that unnecessary costs are not incurred" (OP. f. 440. Op. 1. d. 631. l. 74-74 vol.). However, they did not have time to dismantle the triumphal gates by the time Catherine II arrived in Moscow, and due to the presence of the imperial court in the ancient capital, their dismantling was postponed until the spring of 1768 ^{[7, p. 241]}.

As we can see, the written sources discussed in the article help not only to accurately recreate the appearance of the triumphal gates of 1762 and trace their future fate, but also to shed light on the organization, technique and materials of construction, to estimate the cost of work. In addition, they complement the creative biographies of the masters working in Moscow at that time, first of all, the architects K. I. Blank, S. Ya. and I. Ya. Yakovlev and the painter D. G. Levitsky, expand our understanding of their field of activity and opportunities. The analysis of the initial draft of the Triumphal Gate program and its tested version shows that at that time they were still guided by traditional panegyric principles that had been established in Russia by the beginning of the 1720s. The plots and images proposed by the writers, which were too complex and far removed from the canons of the pan-European allegorical culture of Modern times, were rejected. Taken together, the written and graphic materials significantly enrich the overall picture of the development of the art of festive decoration of the city in Russia of the XVIII century.