In the central square of Kishinev - "Pita Marii Adunari Nationale" - ("the Square of Great National Meeting"), there is its oldest edifice - "Portile Sfinte" ("Saint Gates"). Having built as Triumph Arch in 1840 (architect I. Zaushkevich) in honour of the victory of the Russian Army over the Turkish, it was destined for putting the 400-pound bell, cast from the captured guns. The square architectural construction, 13 metres in hight, is divided into 2 tiers. The lower one has transparent rectangular apertures in two directions and 4 pylons with Corinthian columns on the pedestals. The clock, striking every 15 minutes, is embeded from the side of the square.

The history of the arch creation is interesting. A participant of the Russian-Turkish war of 1812, Bessarabian General M.S. Vorontsov addressed to the Emperor with the request to grant 1 500 pounds of copper for founding bells. And Tsar Nikolai I presented to Kishinev Cathedral a part of Turkish cannons, captured as trophies and kept in the Ismail fortress. But where would the bells be founded? There were no enthusiasts to carry the cannons to Moscow or Kiev, taking into account the lack of roads. The only way out was to cast the bells in Ismail, where bell-craftsman Vasilii Losenko was invited. Right in the fortress yard the smelting furnace and moulds were constructed. So, Vasilii Losenko cast five bells: the bell-giant of 400 pounds, the second - twice as light, the third - 100 pounds, the forth - 50 and the fifth - 25 pounds.

Meantime Count Vorontsov ordered to repair roads from Ismail to Kishinev. The bells were put on specially made carriages and the caravan started on a journey. But it turned out in Kishinev, that the bell tower is too small for the bell-giant. And it was decided to make "a special building for the bell... where it would be possible to place the bell and city tower". That means that it was decided to built an arch, that should be both a belfry and the triumph building in honour of the victories of the Russian Army over the Turkish as well as the ceremonial entry into the park. Architect I. Zaushkevich was entrusted with elaboration the project. He took the project of the Triumph Arch in Roma as a model. On 3 August 1839 the bell was raised and strenthened on the arch, as it was being built, and by the end of 1940 Triumph Arch appeared before the inhabitants of Kishinev.