Golden Gate

From all the historical monuments that can be seen in the capital of Ukraine, Golden Gate perhaps has the biggest value. Do you wonder why? Well, the fact that this gate exists today as one of a few remains from Kyivan Rus time speaks for itself. This gates’ service was to represent the main entrance into the capital city. Back then, it was the residence of the East Slavic federation Kyivan Rus. 

This gate was built during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, also known as Yaroslav I whose statue is opened to the public and can be seen beside the gate. He was Kyivs’ prince from 1019 to his final living days. The gate was raised in the year 1037. Alongside the famous St. Sophias’ Cathedral, it is one of the oldest buildings in the entire city. Since ancient times, citizens have used it for triumphal celebrations as well as a defensible portal. People started to use it as a place for holding celebrations after the victory of Yaroslav the Wise who managed to save the gate from the nomadic tribes who were situated outside of it.

The biggest part of its creation consists of bricks and stone with the addition of a domed passageway that is 12m in height and 7.5m in width. 

The biggest characteristic of this gate is its complete restoration from 1982 done by Soviet authorities. This is something that has split the way of thinking among the citizens. Reasons for this are led by the fact that the appearance of the original Golden Gate is unknown. It affected many reputable members of the city of Kyiv and some of them weren’t satisfied with this decision. Consequently, some of them stated a desire to totally demolish the newly designed gate to see what it looked like. But it didn’t happen.

In the year 1240, the gate was almost destroyed by Mongols but people continued to utilize it as a passage until the 16th century. Later on, in 1750, the gate was buried to the ground following the victory over the Poles. But in 1832, an archaeologist called Kindrat Lokhvytsky found its remains. The gate soon gained reinforcement in the form of a metal framework. With all of this information, you can conclude how important this place is. The historical, traditional, and cultural significance of it is immense and indisputable. 

One quick tip related to this amazing place is that it is even better looking during the night. During that period when illumination is turned on, visitors can get an intense impression of the gate. As of nearby places, there is a well-visited restaurant “11 Mirrors Rooftop Restaurant & Bar”, located less than half of a mile from it.