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Iberian Gate and Chapel: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Pedestrians cutting between Manege Square and Kitay-gorod learn to dodge tour groups tossing coins at the highway marker, treating the twin arches as a daily commute shortcut instead of a monument.

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About the place

Resurrection Gate marks the northern entry into Red Square as the sole surviving gate of the Kitay-gorod defensive wall.

The gate connects Manege Square to Red Square, framed directly between the State Historical Museum and the Moscow City Hall building. Its twin passages support upper chambers that once housed the imperial mint, the central pharmacy, and the printing press of Moscow University under Nikolay Novikov. The passage links central government avenues with the historic commercial district, creating a busy pedestrian bottleneck.

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In front of the portal stands the chapel dedicated to an icon replicated from Mount Athos, topped by an angel with a cross. Travellers, monarchs, and condemned rebels historically stopped here to pray before crossing into the Kremlin. Soviet authorities demolished the structure to make passage for heavy military vehicles during Red Square parades, followed by a post-Soviet reconstruction that restored the landmark.

Associations
  • Highway system originA bronze ground plaque marks the starting point of the national road system.
  • Iveron sanctuaryThe chapel displays a sacred replica produced at a monastery on Mount Athos.
  • Parade demolitionSoviet planners razed the gate to create passage for military parade vehicles.
  • Kitay-gorod wallThe structure remains the sole preserved gate from the brick defensive belt.
Facts
  • The gate adjoins the Moscow City Hall building on its eastern flank and the State Historical Museum on its western flank.
  • A bronze plaque set into the ground before the chapel marks the origin point of the Russian highway system.
  • Soviet authorities demolished the gate and chapel to allow military vehicles into Red Square for parades.
  • The upper chambers over the gate passages previously accommodated the printing press of Moscow University.
Source: Wikipedia
Iberian Gate and Chapel in pictures8 photos · 1 place
State Historical Museum
Philipp Hienstorfer · cc-by-3.0 · Jun 23, 2008
State Historical Museum
EagleX · pdm · Jun 12, 2009
State Historical Museum
Liem Bui · cc-by-sa-3.0 · Jun 15, 2008
State Historical Museum
Liem Bui · cc-by-sa-3.0 · Jun 15, 2008

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