Birch gate - the gate on the eastern border of the park of the Palace, built in the late 18th century. architect V. Brenna and his creation is the best in the Gatchina park. By its architectonic they have no analogues among other palace and park buildings of the suburbs of St. Petersburg. Birch Gate is the eastern entrance to the park. In addition, they are part of the ensemble of the English Garden, forming together with the Birch house and the surrounding area "section of Birch."

The composition of the gate consists of three parts. The bulk of the construction is formed by two symmetrical rectangular pavilions that serve as pylons framing arched passage and supporting the upper tier of the gate. The upper part of the pavilions is crowned by cornices and upstream sites. The pavilions are located premises, which are illuminated windows on the facades of the end of construction. The entrances to the pavilions are located in the passage on the inner side of the gate. Exterior facades of the gates are semicircular niches where, according to the architect, had to stand the statue.

The architectural solution of the gates close in style to the architecture of ancient Rome. The construction gives the impression of monumentality and the Arc due proportions construction as a whole and the relation of its constituent elements. Identical in size height and width of construction create a sense of stability and firmness and monumental buildings is emphasized, as it is sandwiched between the massive arch pavilions.

Particular emphasis by the play of light and shadow give far made by cornices and deeply embedded niches. This effect is also underlined by the relief panels on the walls of buildings. Birch gates made of pudostskogo stone, which due to its color and texture emphasizes the architectonic building, performing rhythmic articulation of its elements: panels, friezes, strengthening the opposition and carried by the structural and optical emphasizing flexibility span.

The initial plan of the architect different from building gates. Up to now the project has reached a birch gate 1790s. The main difference - in the more saturated sculptural decoration. In the niches to be installed sculpture of Mars and Bellona. Instead shaped panels of niches were to be associated with garlands sculpted medallions. At the top of the pylons had to be grooves on the curved arch - reliefs flying genius of victory, on the frieze - the composition of the ancient captured weapons. Gates was to crown the statue of the goddess Nike on an oval plinth.

Birch gates were built in 1795-1798 gg. They are engaged in the construction of Giovanni Visconti, the master of the stone. The contract for the construction of Birch gate in the English Garden near Birch House was signed with a local merchant Martianov Vorobiev January 24, 1795 April 30 for the construction of the famous attracted the participation in the construction of other Gatchina attractions, local builder Kyrianna Plastinina. Construction was completed by September 1, 1795, but the extraction and subsequent processing of stone stretched to 1797 by the end of 1797 the gates were built. But they continued to finish in 1798

Protections for the upper platform guardhouse designed and used as one of the observation points of the Gatchina park. It offers views of White Lake and adjacent to the gate area.

Venues on the side pavilions in 1843 were covered by a roof made of iron. This significantly changed the face of the gate as a whole. Then it was demolished staircase that led to the observation deck top of the guardhouse of the interior construction of the gate. The premises began to be used as a storage of garden tools.

In 1881, close to all the gates of the Palace Park, designed by architect Ludwig Frantsevich Sporer, in Vol. H., And close to Birch gate, built of red brick guardhouse.

Initially Birch gates were called "the gates at Birch House" because they were near the house built before Birch. In the mid-19th century. they were replaced by the name of "Big stone gate", and is now generally accepted their name sounds like "Birch gates."

After World War II carried out restoration and conservation works Birch gate.