Golden Gates of Kyiv (Zoloti vorota)

A former entrance through the city walls of Kyiv

One of the few architectural masterpieces which survived the course of history. The majestic monument of defensive art was built in the 11th century during the time of Prince Yaroslav (the Wise) Mudry. First it was part of a defense system, protecting it from enemy attacks from the south. That is where the first name "South Gate" came from. Subsequently, by order of the prince above the gate a church was built, which is called Blahovist Church. The architectural design of the gates is very different from other works carried out at same time in Europe. Defense installations had their focus on protective functions and did not have decorative elements like in Kyiv. The Golden Gates have more in common with their counterparts in Constantinople. This may be explained by the fact that the grand entrance arch on the main street had a width of 7.5 meters, a height of 12 meters and a length of 25 meters. They emphasized the majesty of gilded bronze, which was bound from the outside arch and the Blahovist Church to the main battle tower. The enemies were afraid to break through the main gate of the city and decided to come to town from the other side. Many important moments of history of Ukraine have been witnessed here: Bogdan Khmelnitsky came back with a victory after the Battle of Zhovti Vody. Every time, as a symbol of power the Slavic spirit greeted the winners. But the course of time left its mark on the building and it started to collapse. Also partial destructions made it necessary to reconstruct the site. In 1832, an amateur archeologist K. Lohvitsky conducted excavations and turned into a historical site for Kyiv. Later, with the participation of Beretta others work was conducted to reinforce the construction of the site. In 1970 he decided to build a pavilion over the Golden Gate, which not only protects from destruction and atmospheric phenomena, but also recreated the original type of monument. There you can now find a Museum devoted to the Gate's history.

Finally in 1982 a complete restoration was ready for the 1500. Anniversary of Kyiv. Since 1997 a monument of Yaroslav the Wise can be found near the Golden Gate.

Tel:                        + 38 (044) 224-70-68
Open:                     from May till October
Hours                     10am - 5pm  
Location:                40A, Vladimirskaya str., Kyiv   
How  to get there:   Metro station Zoloti Vorota.