day. Being erected as a memorial of a military victory, the main concept behind the gate was the ostentatious display of state power. This concept is inherent in most of Stasov's designs in Saint Petersburg, such as the Pauline Barracks (1817–1821), the Trinity Cathedral (1827–1829), the Saviour Cathedral (1828–1835) and the Narva Triumphal Gate (1827–1834). 20th century In 1936, during the period of Joseph Stalin's concentration of power over the Leningrad leadership, the historic gate was dismantled with plans to move them to Moscow Square Park. Later, during the Siege of Leningrad in 1941, when the German army approached the outskirts of Leningrad, the cast iron blocks of the gate were used in creating an anti-tank defensive structure near the southern border of the city, helping to repel the Germans during the siege. The gate was restored from 1958 to 1960. A group of restorers led by the architect Ivan Kaptsyug — who had been responsible for the restoration of the destroyed Constantine Palace in 1949–1956 — managed to recreate most of the lost sculptural details of the monument. The new columns, friezes and cornices were cast at the Kirov factory in Leningrad. References Раскин А. Г. Триумфальные арки Ленинграда. Leningrad, 1977. Buildings and structures in Saint Petersburg Vasily Stasov buildings and structures Triumphal arches in Russia Russo-Turkish War (1828–29) Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg