Iberian Gate and Chapel

The Iberian Gate and Chapel is the pair of gateway arches and a small chapel that mark the entrance between Red Square and Nikolskaya Street in central Moscow. The structure historically contained a venerated icon and served as a ceremonial and processional entrance to the square.

The reconstructed gate and attached small chapel are visible as a decorated archway linking Red Square with adjacent streets; the chapel houses a copy of the Iveron-style icon and is a frequent photo subject for visitors moving between the square and surrounding historic streets. The gate sits in a dense historical context beside the State Historical Museum, GUM and other central landmarks.

The original gate and the small chapel were part of the Kitay-gorod fortifications and the religious landscape of Moscow; they were demolished in the early Soviet period. The gate and chapel were reconstructed in the late 20th century and reinstated as the pedestrian entrance between Red Square and Nikolskaya Street.

The Iberian Gate and Chapel stand on the northern side of Red Square in central Moscow, directly linking the square with Nikolskaya Street and adjacent historic buildings.

• Destruction and reconstruction: The gate and chapel form the entrance from Red Square to Nikolskaya Street and were demolished in the early Soviet period before being restored and reopened in the 1990s.

What to See #

• Iberian Chapel: The small chapel that sits above the gate houses an icon of the Theotokos in the tradition of the Iveron (Iberian) icon and is the chapel element visible from Red Square.