Where there is a golden gate. Golden Gate (Vladimir)

The city of Vladimir, which was founded in 990, has a large number of attractions that have survived from medieval times. One of the most important is the Golden Gate, built in the middle of the 12th century and partially preserved to this day.

History of the Golden Gate in Vladimir

This gate is known as a monument of ancient Russian architecture, which is located in the city of Vladimir. They are also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The year of their construction is 1164th. This is the time of the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky. Initially, they were used as a defensive structure. The gate was the main entrance to the very rich boyar and princely part of the city.

Presumably, the Golden Gate in Vladimir was created by princely craftsmen. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that on one of the white stone blocks used in the construction there is a princely sign. The gate was laid in 1158, its construction was completely completed at the end of April 1164, when the Church of the Robe was consecrated above the gate. During the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, the city was surrounded by a rampart, and there were six more gates, these are Torgovye, Ivanovskie, Copper, Orinins, Volzhsky and Serebryany. However, until our time, only the Golden ones remained intact.

Golden Gate in the city of Vladimir

It says that the prince ordered to cover the top of the gate with gilded copper sheets, which sparkled brightly in sunny weather. Built embankments adjoined the gates from the south and north, next to which there were deep ditches on the outside. A retractable bridge was built across the moat, which led outside the city.

The height of the arched span was 14 meters, there were massive gates made of oak planks. They were attached to strong forged hinges and joined to the lintel located on the arch. This lintel also served as the basis for a wooden deck, which was an additional defensive battle area. Until now, only the holes in the walls have survived, where the beams for the flooring were attached.

The entrance to the platform itself was made in the southern wall, inside which a staircase of stone was built, it led to another flooring, located above. The latter had scalloped tops that served as loopholes.

White stone church

The Golden Gate in Vladimir in the center of the area of ​​the upper tier has a square church built of white stone, which was erected in the name of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God. Most likely, the church was a square building of the four-pillar type with three altar apses. The building had three arched portals and a cylindrical structure with a pommel. The middle of the church facade was decorated with a decorative stucco belt.

Until now, the building has come with major reconstructions and alterations. The original parts of the building include a wide passable arch and massive side pylons, as well as a battle platform located above them, but fragmentary preserved. The building itself was made using half-boulder masonry, which was widespread in the Vladimir-Suzdal architecture of that time. The church was very similar to the temples built during the reign of Yuri Dolgoruky.

Restoration of the Golden Gate

Numerous invasions of enemy troops and severe fires significantly changed the image of the Golden Gate in Vladimir. According to a number of sources, the restoration of the church built over the gate was carried out in 1469 under the leadership of the wealthy merchant Ermolin, who was also an architect. In 1641, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich issued a decree, according to which the architect A. Konstantinov made an estimate for the restoration of the Golden Gate, but all restoration work began only in the last quarter of the 17th century.

In 1778, during a severe fire, the gate was significantly damaged. A few years later, in connection with the general urban redevelopment, the embankments adjoining the walls at the gates were removed, ensuring free passage past them. Because of this, the gate supports weakened, and it became necessary to reconstruct the ancient building. In 1795, the project of the architect Chistyakov was approved, according to which buttresses were attached to the corners of the pylons and enclosed in rounded towers. At the same time, the vaults of the gates are being rebuilt using old stone, and a new brick church is being erected.

Museum "Golden Gate" in Vladimir

The famous Vladimir Gate is an integral part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. It includes 56 architectural monuments of the XII-XVII centuries. In the church, located at the top of the gate, there is a military-historical exposition. The main thing in it is the diorama, which shows the events of 1238, when the horde of Khan Batu attacked the city of Vladimir. The opening hours of the "Golden Gate" in Vladimir can be clarified on the official website of the museum, since restoration work is currently being carried out there.

And also in the museum are widely presented combat equipment of warriors, weapons belonging to different periods. Here you can see: arrowheads and spearheads dating from the 13th century, chain mail of the Russian squad, berdysh, a trophy crossbow of the Polish army of the early 12th century, flintlocks that were used during the time of Catherine II. And also a blunderbuss and a metal cuirass dating back to the period of the Patriotic War of 1812. The museum displays portraits and documents of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, who were originally from Vladimir.

Hotel at the Golden Gate. Vladimir

A cozy small hotel was built not far from the gate itself. Walk to them for about three minutes. It offers 24-hour reception, comfortable rooms and free parking near the hotel. Other city attractions are also nearby.

You can book a hotel room near the Golden Gate in Vladimir by phone or through a large number of sites that provide this service. Numerous reviews of vacationers indicate that this hotel has the best combination of price, quality and availability of the main attractions of the city of Vladimir.

Once in Vladimir, you should definitely look at the Golden Gate, which is one of the architectural gems and a monument to ancient Russian architecture. The beauty and history of this beautiful structure will not leave anyone indifferent.

The historical monument is striking in its grandeur, despite the fact that it has not fully survived to this day. The oak doors of the gate were covered with gilded plates, for this reason the gate got its name - Golden.

The monument is interesting for its history, architecture and is definitely worth a visit. There is a museum at the top of the building, where an exposition is open, presenting weapons and military equipment of the past centuries - spearheads and arrows, weapons from the times of Catherine and the Patriotic War with Napoleon, as well as captured weapons of the 17th-19th centuries.

Your attention, undoubtedly, will be attracted by a small diorama with musical and announcer accompaniment, which tells about the assault of Vladimir by Khan Batu in 1238. The entrance fee to the museum is quite low, but the performance at the diorama exposition, lasting only 15 minutes, will be interesting for both adults and children.

Golden Gate in Vladimir - address

Vladimir, Dvoryanskaya street, 1A.

How to get to the Golden Gate in Vladimir

The Golden Gate is located in the very center of the city. You can walk from the railway and bus stations in 20-25 minutes: walk two blocks along the Kommunalny descent to Bolshaya Moskovskaya street. Turn left and follow Bolshaya Moskovskaya street.

The main attractions of Vladimir are within walking distance, for example, the observation deck, the Assumption and Dmitrievsky cathedrals.

Golden Gate - opening hours in 2019

Opening hours of the military-historical exposition at the Golden Gate

  • Daily from 10:00 to 18:00
  • The last Thursday of each month is a cleaning day

Golden Gate - ticket prices in 2019

  • For adults - 150 rubles
  • For children under 16 years old - free
  • For children over 16 and students - 100 rubles

From the history

In 1157, Prince Andrei Bogolyubov, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, moved the capital of his principality from Suzdal to Vladimir and began to fortify the city. Ramparts 5 km long were poured around Vladimir, and a wooden fortress wall with towers and seven gates was built. Some of them were called Golden, they were built for 6 years - from 1158 to 1164 on the western side of the wall and served as the main entrance to Vladimir.

In addition, the Silver Gates were built, leading to Suzdal, Ivanovskie - to Ivanovo, Trade and Volga, Copper and Irina gates.

According to legend, Prince Andrew, who sincerely loved the city, wanted to please the townspeople and open the Golden Gate on the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. The builders did not wait for the shrinkage of the building and immediately after the completion of the masonry they hung the gate. As a result, the sash fell and crushed 12 townspeople.

Then the prince turned with a prayer to the Queen of Heaven, asking her to save the victims: "If you do not save these people, I, a sinner, will be guilty of their death." Andrey's plea was heard and a miracle happened: when the gates were raised, it turned out that all the people crushed by them remained alive and unharmed.

After the assassination of Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1174, his younger brother Vsevolod the Big Nest, who was also called Vsevolod III, occupied the grand ducal table.

The monument of history and architecture has reached us in a highly distorted form. For the first time, the passable arch was probably destroyed in 1238 during the storming of the city by the Tatar-Mongol army. The gate also suffered from frequent fires, after which they were restored. The last global restructuring was the work done at the end of the 18th century.

According to legend, the reason for this reconstruction could be a large puddle in which the carriage of Catherine II was stuck. The Empress was unable to pass through the arch and ordered to tear off the shafts on the side of the span and arrange a passage for her carriage.

One way or another, but in 1795 the ramparts from the north and south of the arch were torn down, and to strengthen the Golden Gate, buttresses (vertical structures to support the walls) were brought up on both sides, camouflaged with round towers. In addition, the vault, which had become dilapidated by this time, was strengthened and a new Church of the Robe made of bricks was built over it. In this form, the structure has survived to our time.

In 1991, the Golden Gate greeted the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, which were transported from St. Petersburg to Diveevo (Diveevsky monastery is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region).

Description

The structure is distinguished by its height and slender proportions. The huge oak doors were covered with gilded copper sheets. The wooden walls of the New Town fortress adjoined the gates.

The height of the building is 14 meters. The golden gates of Vladimir are the main, ceremonial ones, they led to the richest part of the city, where the Vladimir prince and the boyars lived. Accordingly, this structure performed the most important functions:

  • The Golden Gate served as the entrance to Vladimir on the most solemn occasions - it was opened for important guests even after successful military campaigns
  • The structure also played a defensive role, there was a battleground above it to protect the city from the attacking enemy.
  • The Golden Gate, shimmering in the sun, served as an adornment of the main entrance to Vladimir, emphasized the power and might of the prince, that is, it also performed a decorative function. There is an assumption that the gates were decorated not with ordinary gold leaves, but with a gold tip on an engraved drawing (like the doors of the Nativity Cathedral in Suzdal)
  • Considering that at the top, on the battlefield, there was a gate church, the building also had religious significance.

The Golden Gate is made in the form of a passable arch with a hemispherical vault, around which graceful towers are arranged. A deep ditch was dug in front of the rampart, a heavy wooden bridge was thrown across it, which was burned in case of danger.

The most ancient part of the Golden Gate is the passable arch with massive pilasters (fortifications supporting the arch on both sides). The white stone walls are made of rubble stone on a strong lime foundation. By our time, the walls have sunk into the ground by about 1.5 meters, which means that at the beginning of the 12th century they were even higher. The vault was constructed from a lighter porous tuff.

This height of the passable arch created difficulties in the defense of the western entrance to the city. Therefore, approximately in the middle of the arch, a lintel was arranged, and hinges were attached to the side for hanging the panels. These hinges and bolt groove have survived to this day.

Although initially the oak gates were covered with gilded copper, nowadays we will not see gold on them, since the gold plates from the gate were removed and hidden by the inhabitants of the city when there was a threat of the capture of Vladimir by the army of Khan Batu. Unesco has added this relic to the list of lost objects.

There is another version of the loss of the Golden Gate, according to which Batu Khan removed the gold and loaded it into a train. However, he could not take the valuable cargo far. The thin ice of the Klyazma cracked and the train went under water.

The Japanese offered to clear the bottom of the river, and instead of paying, take whatever they find at the bottom. But our archaeologists did not agree with such conditions.

The architectural monument was created by princely masters, confirmation of this is the two princely signs of Rurik, preserved on the stones of the building. Currently, the Church of the Robe is not functioning.

Golden Gate in Vladimir - official site

The exposition is part of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve: www.vladmuseum.ru


According to historians, in the XII century, the Golden Gate was a unique structure not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. In Western countries, fortress towers played only a defensive role, and in Vladimir, the Golden Gate, in addition to this function, served as a front entrance and an important decorative element.

Golden Gate (Ukraine) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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What the people of Kiev call the Golden Gate, the symbol of their city, is actually a newly rebuilt pavilion. The gates themselves, or rather their remains, are inside this massive structure. The reconstruction pavilion was erected in order to preserve the unique monument of the defense architecture of Ancient Russia, which has survived to this day. The Golden Gate performed not only a defensive function, but also served as the main entrance to the great city, its landmark. Eminent guests and foreign ambassadors were welcomed here. Here they saw off the princely squads, and after the completion of the campaigns they met the winners with honors.

The Kiev Golden Gate got its name from the triumphal gates of Constantinople. This was probably a kind of rivalry with the great Byzantine Empire.

The Golden Gate was built during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. Some sources say that the date of creation of the monument of defensive architecture is 1164, others say 1037. The latest version is confirmed by the "Tale of Bygone Years", which mentions these Kiev gates, and the fact that the prince died in 1054. Initially, the gate was a rather wide arch with a battle platform above it. The site was crowned with a white-stone Church of the Annunciation, so that guests would know that they had arrived in a Christian city. The structure amazed with its grandeur and inaccessibility. The Kiev gate got its name from the triumphal Golden Gate of Constantinople. Perhaps this is how Russia competed with the great Byzantine Empire.

In general, the main city gates built in 1164 differed from similar structures erected in Europe. The Church of the Annunciation above the battle tower emphasized that there is an entrance to the Christian city here, and the general appearance of the building resembled, rather, the triumphal Golden Gate of Constantinople.

In 1240, the gate was badly damaged during the attack on Kiev by Khan Batu. From the notes and drawings of travelers, it becomes clear that by the 17th century the fortress was badly destroyed. They brought it into a presentable form only in 1982, when Kiev celebrated its 1500th anniversary. But the reconstruction was carried out in a hurry, poor-quality concrete and wooden fortifications began to collapse quickly, and the gates were dilapidated again. Another restoration was carried out in the 21st century, in 2007.

The Golden Gate in Kiev is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Now there is a museum inside the pavilion, where you can see the preserved parts of the fortifications, learn the history of the Golden Gate. There is also a staircase, along which you can climb and admire the panorama of modern Kiev.

HGIOL

Golden Gate- a monument of ancient Russian architecture, located in the city of Vladimir. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1164 under the Vladimir prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. The Golden Gate was used as a defensive structure and as a triumphal arch. They decorated the front entrance to the richest princely boyar part of the city.

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    Most likely, the Golden Gate was built by princely craftsmen. This, in particular, is evidenced by the princely sign left by the builder on one of the white stone blocks. The building was built using the half-foot masonry technique, which was widespread in the Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. The strict proportions of the passable arch, covered with a powerful semicircular vault, and the special grace of the small church at the top gave the building a majestic character, well suited to its purpose. The date of the laying of the gate dates back to 1158, the end of construction was on April 26, 1164, when the Gate Church of the Robe was consecrated.

    During the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the city was girded with an extended rampart and had seven entrance gates (except for the Golden ones, these are Copper, Irinins or Orinins, Silver, Ivanovsky, Torgovye and Volzhsky). Only the Golden Gate has survived to this day.

    It was the most front gate of the city in the XII-XIII centuries. The Ipatiev Chronicle reports that the prince of them "uchini" with gold, meaning that they were covered with sheets of gilded copper, which shone brightly in the sun and amazed the imagination of contemporaries. Close to the gate from the north and south were embankments with deep ditches on the outside. A bridge passed through the moats from the gate leading out of the city. The arch was 14 meters high. Massive oak gates, hanging on forged hinges, adjoined the arched lintel, which is preserved to this day. On top of this bulkhead, a wooden flooring was arranged, which served as an additional combat platform. Only the slots for the beams in the masonry of the walls have survived from the flooring. The entrance to the site was carried out through a doorway in the southern wall, in the thickness of which a stone staircase with a creeping corrugated vault passed. On the same level, on the opposite side of the staircase, there was an exit to the southern line of the earthen ramparts. From the north to the ramparts there was a passage directly from the platform through a door in the wall. The staircase in the southern wall led further to the upper battle area, which had battlements in the form of loopholes. In the center of this site, a white-stone gateway church of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God was erected. Most likely, it was a rather slender temple of the type already familiar from the buildings of Yuri Dolgoruky: square in plan, four pillars with three altar apses with inner and outer shoulder blades on the walls, three arched portals, a cylindrical drum and a modest decoration in the form of a decorative belt running in the middle of the height facade.

    The gate has been preserved with major restructuring. The ancient parts of this structure include a wide passable arch with powerful side pylons and a battle platform above them, which has come down fragmentarily.

    Frequent devastating fires and invasions of enemies significantly distorted the appearance of the Golden Gate. According to written sources, the renovation of the gate church was carried out in 1469 under the direction of the architect and sculptor V. D. Ermolin. In 1641, by decree of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, the Moscow architect Antipa Konstantinov made an estimate for repairing the gates, but restoration work was started only at the end of the 17th century.

    Golden Gate Museum

    The Golden Gate is run by the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. A military-historical exposition is located in the gate church. The central place in the exposition is occupied by a diorama conveying the dramatic events of February 1238: the defense of Vladimir during the assault by the troops of Khan Batu (author - People's Artist of the RSFSR Efim Deshalyt, 1972).

    The exposition presents weapons and military equipment from different periods: battle bolts of a throwing machine, arrowheads and spearheads of the 13th century, chain mail, a berdysh, a trophy Polish crossbow of the early 17th century, flintlock guns of the Catherine's era, a steel cuirass and a blunderbuss from the period of the Patriotic War of 1812, a rifle, uniform, banners and awards of the late 19th century, captured Turkish weapons.

    The exposition continues on the former battle ground, which was turned into a closed gallery-porch at the beginning of the 19th century. Here is the "Gallery of Heroes of Vladimir": portraits, memorial things, documents, photographs of 160 Heroes of the Soviet Union - participants in the Great Patriotic War and heroes of peace. The exposition presents samples of small arms created by designers-gunsmiths from the city of Kovrov: Vasily Degtyarev, Sergey Simonov, Georgy Shpagin and others. An unusual showcase was made up of the things of cosmonaut Valery Kubasov.

    Other information

    • According to some researchers, in particular, Nikolai Voronin, the Vladimir Golden Gate had no analogues in medieval Europe; the architecture of the European Middle Ages knew only purely fortress tower structures, while the Golden Gate in Vladimir, in addition to defensive functions, played the role of a ceremonial entrance to the city and served directly for religious purposes - there was a functioning Church of the Robe.
    • According to one of the legends, in June 1767, the carriage of Empress Catherine II, when she passed through Vladimir to Nizhny Novgorod, at the entrance to Vladimir, got stuck in the arch of the gate in a large puddle. By order of the Empress, the ramparts were partially torn down (dismantled) on both sides of the Golden Gate, and driveways were arranged to bypass the gate. The left shaft was subsequently torn off completely. Its remains can be seen behind the building of the Pedagogical Institute near the Golden Gate.
    • In the middle of the 19th century, in connection with the laying of a water supply system in Vladimir, the then inactive Golden Gate was supposed to be adapted for a water collector-distributor, but the project was not destined to come true. For these needs, a special building of a water tower was built near the gate, which now houses a museum and an observation deck.
    • During the construction of the Golden Gate, a partial collapse of the vault occurred, fortunately, there were no casualties. Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky ordered a thanksgiving service on this occasion and replaced the construction team. According to legend, they were Italian masters who came from the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

    NS That story deserves attention, because gold has not yet been found. Here's what I found out:

    Grand Duke Andrei Bogolyubsky, having declared Vladimir the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, began to strengthen his capital city. In 1158 he surrounded the city with a rampart, and in 1164 he built five entrance gates.

    To this day, only the Golden Gate has survived, serving as the front entrance to the richest princely boyar part of the city.

    The oak gates, which are not there now, were bound with sheets of gilded copper, shining brightly in the sun, therefore the gates were called Golden. The gate was built by Vladimir architects. This is evidenced by two princely signs carved on one of the stones in the southern niche of the Golden Gate.

    There is a legend that when the work was coming to an end and the scaffolding was dismantled, the arches of the gate suddenly collapsed and buried 12 people. None of the eyewitnesses doubted that people were crushed to death under the weight of stones, but Andrei Bogolyubsky ordered to bring the miraculous icon of the Mother of God and turned to the heavenly patroness with a prayer for the unfortunate. They cleared the blockage and found the people lying under it safe and sound. In honor of the miracle that happened, Andrei Bogolyubsky ordered to build a tiny white-stone chapel of the Position of the Robe of the Mother of God over the Golden Gate.

    GOLDEN GATES PERFORMED A NUMBER OF FUNCTIONS

    Firstly, they served as the main entrance to the city - through them the prince's squads, returning from the battlefield, rode into Vladimir. A white-stone triumphal arch, reaching a height of 14 meters, a grandiose pass-through tower and massive oak gates hanging on forged hinges, gave the structure a majestic appearance that corresponded to its purpose.

    Secondly, the Golden Gate, along with the non-preserved Copper, Irinin, Silver and Volga gates, constituted a single complex of defensive fortifications of the city of Vladimir. The gates were adjacent to an arched lintel, on the top of which a wooden flooring was arranged, which served as a battle platform. From this site, the defenders of the city fired at the enemy. From the flooring, only large square nests have survived, intended for powerful wooden beams. The ascent to the site was carried out by a stone staircase, arranged in the thickness of the southern wall.

    Among other things, the Golden Gate served as a decorative function, acting as a symbol of princely power and wealth. The graceful gate chapel crowning the gate blessed everyone who came to Vladimir in peace. In 1810, the Church of the Robe was completely rebuilt, and today the exposition of the military history museum is located within its walls.

    In 1238, hordes of Mongol-Tatars, having devastated many Russian cities, approached Vladimir. The townspeople prepared for the defense and hid all the valuable relics in case the enemy did break through.

    The idea was a success: the gilded doors of the Golden Gate have not been found so far and are officially included in the UNESCO registers as masterpieces lost by mankind.

    Photo: book33.ru

    SLEEPY JAPANESE

    In the 1970s, the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union received an unexpected proposal from Tokyo. The Japanese corporation promised to clear the bottom of the Klyazma River and even widen its bed.

    For their work, the Japanese did not demand either Sakhalin or the Kuril Islands and did not even ask for money. As payment, they wanted to take everything that they would find at the bottom of the Klyazma.

    This proposal was never accepted by the Soviet authorities, but it made us think about the question: "What values ​​did the Japanese want to find in the river in order to recoup their costs?"

    Perhaps the Japanese were looking for gilded plates that once adorned the gates of the Golden Gate. Saving the precious doors from Khan Batu, the townspeople drowned them in the Klyazma.

    Some researchers believe that this hypothesis is implausible, since enemy scouts were vigilantly watching the city and its environs, so the inhabitants did not have time to take out the gold from Vladimir or drown it in the waters of the Klyazma. According to an alternative version, the relic is hidden in one of the city walls or rests in an underground cache under the foundation. One way or another, the location of the gilded plates still remains a mystery.