The Golden gate in Kiev is the main gate of the fortress wall that surrounded Kiev in the 12th century during the time of Yaroslav the Wise rule. It was built in 1037. In Constantinople, the main gate was called the Golden gate. Prince Yaroslav wanted to emphasize the status of his capital, so he also called the main gate of Kiev Golden.
During the time of Yaroslav the Wise, the town was actively developing. The area of Vladimir settlement and Izyaslav settlement (they were on the tops of neighboring hills) was not enough, therefore, according to the chronicle, 1037, construction began on the Yaroslav Town. It covered an area of over 60 hectares, and was surrounded by a ditch with water 12 meters deep, and wooden fortified walls 16 meters high. The length of the rampart was 3.5 kilometers. The Golden gate was built of red brick plinth. It was 7.5 meters wide and 12 meters high. The Gate Church of the Annunciation was built over the gate. Its dome was covered with gold, and the facade was decorated with a mosaic image of the Mother of God. According to legend, the gates were also covered with gold sheets.
During the siege of Kiev by the army of Batu Khan, the city was stormed through the Lyadsky gate, which was less fortified than the Golden gate. After the capture of the city, Batu ordered the destruction of the Golden Gate, but it was only partially destroyed, and was later restored.
With the expansion of the city in the following centuries, the Golden gate was buried underground, but in 1832, during the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of the city`s founding, large-scale excavations were made here. Archaeologists have found the ruins of the Golden gate of the 11th century.
Today, over the ruins of the Golden gate erected their reconstruction of a similar brick plinth, which clearly shows how they looked in the time of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Inside there is a Museum where you can get acquainted with the history of the Town of Yaroslav, see the finds that were made during the excavations in this place, and also see the ruins of the original Golden gate of 11th century.
