Lomov gate in Tula

In Tula, on Revolution Street from Denisovsky Lane, there is an interesting historical object of the XVIII century — Lomovsky Gate. Previously, they decorated the entrance to the mansion of Ivan Vasilyevich Liventsev, today they are on the verge of destruction. There are disputes about authorship: some local historians are convinced that the project was developed by a Russian architect with Italian roots, Rastrelli, others attribute the creation to D. V. Ukhtomsky.

Gate history

The Lomovsky gate in Tula was built in the 1750s-1760s in the Baroque style of red brick. In their center is the main passage, on the sides are gates. The gates looked magnificent: three arches covered the solemn pediments, the parapets were decorated with sculpted vases, the capitals were decorated with elegant curlicues — everything indicated the high skill and delicate taste of the decorator.

The gates sheltered the mansion of the merchants Liventsevs from prying eyes. In 1812, it passed into the possession of the Lomov family of merchants, so the gate and lane began to be named after their last names.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the building of the Tula City Duma was built, and the mansion was located in its courtyard. The Lomovsky gate was boarded up as unnecessary. Over time, they began to crumble: the bricks were painted, the facade moldings fell off in pieces.

In 1939, Tula architect I.P. Gryzlov developed a project for the reconstruction of the gate. He planned to restore all the lost and damaged stone decorations and grilles. They did not reach the implementation of the project, reconstruction work was constantly postponed, and during the Second World War reconstruction was completely abandoned. Later, the architects developed several more projects, but no work was carried out to restore the architectural monument.

Lomovsky gate nowadays

There are practically no traces of the former luxury and pomp of the gate. Over time, they sank by about 1 meter and tilted. In the 2000s, they were propped up with beams and reinforced with rail ties. In 2015, the Inspectorate for the State Protection of Cultural Heritage sites gave permission for reconstruction, but all projects remained only on paper.

The Lomovsky gate in Tula is in a dilapidated state: the soil hides the lower part, the decor is almost destroyed, grass grows in the cracks. Perhaps in the future, a new restoration project will be developed and approved, which will breathe a second life into this monument of urban planning and allow it to become one of the best examples of architecture again.