The Golden Gate

One of the main attractions of Kiev is the Golden Gate. This architectural monument belongs to the XII century and was built in 1164, during the reign of the Kiev prince Yaroslav the Wise. Initially, the townspeople called them the Southern Gate, which is an integral part of the defensive structures of the south-western side of Kiev. To strengthen the greatness and significance of the building under the leadership of Yaroslav the Wise, a small church was erected in honor of the Orthodox feast of the Annunciation. Since then, chroniclers and travelers began to call them as the Golden Gate of the city of Kiev.

It was the acquaintance with the Golden Gate that began the journey through the city. So, in 1648, at the Golden Gate, citizens met Bogdan Khmelnitsky after a military campaign, and in 1654 - the Russian Embassy after the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. According to experts, the width of the gate was 7.5 meters, the length was about 25 meters, and the height of the passage was 12 meters.

Unfortunately, time did not spare the building and travelers of the XVI-XVII centuries noted the dilapidated state of the architectural monument. At different times restoration and architectural works were carried out at this place. In 1970, a special pavilion was built over the ancient ruins, which protected from destruction and recreated the original appearance of the architectural monument. Currently, tourists can see a beautiful tower with prongs 14 meters high, a gate church, ornaments of brick, characteristic of ancient Russian buildings of that period and much more. On the territory of the architectural monument there is a museum of the same name.