The Golden Gate is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Russian architecture in Vladimir

Historical monument strikes with its grandeur, despite the fact that it has not completely reached our days. The oak gate leaves 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. At the top of the building there is a museum with an exposition representing weapons and military equipment of past centuries - spearheads and arrowheads, weapons from the times of Catherine and Patriotic War with Napoleon, as well as captured weapons of the 17th-19th centuries.

Your attention will undoubtedly be attracted by a small diorama with musical and announcer accompaniment, which tells about the assault on Vladimir by Batu Khan in 1238. The entrance fee to the museum is quite low, but the performance at the diorama exposition, which lasts 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 Kommunalny Spusk to Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street. Turn left and follow Bolshaya Moskovskaya street.

Within walking distance are the main attractions of Vladimir, for example, the observation deck, Assumption and Dmitrievsky Cathedrals.

Golden Gate - opening hours in 2019

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

Daily from 10:00 to 18:00
On Saturdays, the opening hours are extended until 19:00
Third Tuesday of every month - sanitary day

Golden Gate - ticket prices in 2019

Adults - 150 rubles.
Children under 16 - free of charge
Children from 16 years old, students and pensioners (citizens of the Russian Federation and the CIS) - 75 rubles.

From the history

In 1157, Prince Andrei Bogolyubov, son of Yuri Dolgoruky, moved the capital of his principality from Suzdal to Vladimir and began to fortify the city. Around Vladimir, ramparts 5 km long were poured, 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, Ivanovsky - to Ivanovo, Trade and Volga, Copper and Irinina gates.

According to legend, Prince Andrei, who sincerely loved the city, wanted to please the townspeople and open the Golden Gate on the feast of the Assumption. Holy Mother of God. The builders did not wait for the building to shrink and immediately after the masonry was completed, they hung the gate. As a result, the doors fell and crushed 12 citizens.

Then the prince prayed 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." Andrei's prayer 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, took the throne.

A monument of history and architecture has come down to us in a highly distorted form. For the first time, the travel arch was probably destroyed in 1238 during the assault on the city by the Tatar-Mongol army. The gates 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 got stuck. The empress was unable to pass through the arch and ordered to tear down the ramparts 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), disguised by round towers, were brought up on both sides. In addition, the vault, dilapidated by this time, was strengthened and a new Rizopolozhenskaya gate church made of brick was built over it. In this form, the building has come down to our time.

In 1991, the Golden Gate met the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, who 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. Huge oak doors were covered with gilded copper sheets. The wooden walls of the fortress of the New City adjoined the gate.

The height of the building is 14 meters. The golden gates of Vladimir - the main, front, 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 - they were opened for important guests even after successful military campaigns.
The construction also played a defensive role, above it was a battlefield to protect the city from an attacking enemy.
The Golden Gate shimmering in the sun served as a decoration of the main entrance to Vladimir, emphasized the power and might of the prince, that is, they also performed a decorative function. There is an assumption that the gate leaves were decorated not with ordinary gold sheets, but with a gold tip according to an engraved pattern (like the doors of the Mother of God-Nativity Cathedral in Suzdal)
Considering that at the top, on the battlefield, there was a gate church, the building also had a religious significance.

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

The most ancient part of the Golden Gate is the travel arch with massive pilasters (fortifications that support the arch from its two sides). The white-stone walls are made of rubble stone on a strong limestone base. By our time, the walls have gone 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 built from lighter porous tuff.

Such a height of the passage arch created difficulties in the defense of the western entrance to the city. Therefore, approximately in the middle of the arch, a jumper was arranged, and loops were attached to the side for hanging panels. These loops and the groove for the bolt have survived to our time.

Although the oak gates were originally covered with gilded copper, at the present time we will not see gold on them, since the golden plates from the gates were removed and hidden by the inhabitants of the city when there was a threat that Vladimir would be taken by the army of Batu Khan. UNESCO has included this relic in 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 the convoy. However, he could not take away the valuable cargo. The thin ice of the Klyazma cracked and the convoy went under water.

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

The monument of architecture was created by princely craftsmen, two princely signs of Rurikovich, preserved on the stones of the building, are confirmation of this. At present, the Rizopolozhenskaya Church 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 building not only in Rus', 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.

Vladimir is one of the ancient cities of Russia, famous for its glorious historical past, as evidenced by numerous historical and architectural masterpieces created by our great ancestors. Thousands of tourists come here every year, many of them begin their acquaintance with the city from the Golden Gate, one of the most famous sights of the city. This - ancient monument Russian architecture, which has survived to this day. It's hard to believe, but this unique structure is already 850 years old.

The construction of the Golden Gate in Vladimir was begun by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. According to the plan of the Grand Duke, a small fortress was to become the heart of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. He surrounded the city with high earthen ramparts, and installed log walls with loopholes on top. Outside, the prince ordered to dig a deep, 8-meter ditch, the width of which reached 22 meters. Thrown across the ditch wooden bridge, the townspeople could burn it when the enemy approached. It was possible to enter the city through one of the five gates built into the fortress ring: from the north - through the Copper and Orinin gates, from the south - through the Volga, from the east - through the Silver. The western Golden Gate, which has survived to this day, was the front door. These gates led to the rich part of the city, where the princes and boyars lived. The laying of the gate began in 1158 by Vladimir craftsmen, as evidenced by the prince's sign found on one of the stones inside the building. Local limestone was used as building material. Slabs of hewn white limestone were laid on the outer parts of the walls. From the inside, the containers were filled with rubble stone in a special solution, which ensured the safety of the building to this day. A similar masonry technique was found everywhere in North-Eastern Rus', which proves the fact that the gate was built by Russian craftsmen. You can get to Vladimir to get acquainted with its history and unique sights by train, bus and even by car. On the site to buy a train ticket, the price will pleasantly surprise you. It should be noted that the railway station is located near the Golden Gate and other historical sights of the city.
These gates, unlike the others, were not only part of the defensive structures of the city, they also served as a triumphal arch through which noble guests solemnly entered the city or the prince returned after military campaigns with his squad. Above the 14-meter white stone arch was a stone church, surrounded by a combat platform with a battlement parapet along the edges. This was the main platform, from where the area was clearly visible. It was possible to climb to the church and to the platform by an internal staircase. In the middle of the arch there was a stone lintel, below which oak doors hung on forged hinges. Above the jumper and the alignments there was a second combat platform, which covered the entrance to the city. The gates upholstered with plates of gilded copper, together with the domes of the church and the cornices of the gates, sparkled brightly in the sun with gold, which is why the structure was called the Golden Gate.
The construction of the gate was completed in 1164. They became a visible reflection of princely power and wealth. The Golden Gates and the church above them were badly damaged by the raids of the Tatars in 1238. When their hordes approached the city, the townspeople decided to hide all the most valuable, fearing that the enemy would break through the defenses. They buried many valuable relics, including gilded gate plates, which have not been found to this day. They have been listed by UNESCO as lost masterpieces. Serious damage was done to the Golden Gate during the Time of Troubles of the 17th century, as well as in 1778, during a terrible fire. In 1785, under Catherine II, they began to tear down the ramparts around the gate in order to build a road here. Such work weakened the structure of the supports, which required another reconstruction, which began in 1795. According to the project of the architect Chistyakov, they attached and "drew" into round towers buttresses, reconstructed the vaults of the Golden Gate, a new brick church was erected on the vaults. Today, this island of history is in the heart of the great ancient city Vladimir.

The city of Vladimir was first mentioned in chronicles in 1108, it was founded by Prince Vladimir Monomakh. By the middle of the XII century, it became the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality and the most influential settlement of North-Eastern Rus' - even Moscow was once just one of its "suburbs".

Today Vladimir is one of the largest tourist centers European part of the country, the city is included in the route of the Golden Ring of Russia. We offer you to get acquainted with its main attractions.

Panorama of the Bogolyubovsky Monastery. Photo: Natalia Volkova / photo bank "Lori"

VLADIMIRO-SUZDAL MUSEUM-RESERVE

The Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve introduces the monuments of ancient Russian architecture located in Vladimir, Suzdal, Gus-Khrustalny, Bogolyubovo, Kideksha and Muromtsevo. Among the most valuable objects are monuments of white-stone architecture of the 12th–13th centuries: the Assumption Cathedral, the Golden Gates, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, the Suzdal Kremlin and others.

The branches of the museum-reserve in Vladimir have collected unique exhibits. In the Historical Museum there is a church riza sewn from a velvet fur coat of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, in the Trinity Church - the creations of masters of glass, artistic embroidery and lacquer miniatures, and in the museum complex "Chambers" - paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky and Alexei Savrasov.

CATHEDRAL OF THE DORMITION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

The first stone building of the Assumption Cathedral was built in 1160 by the decision of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. In 1185, the cathedral was damaged by fire - then it was significantly rebuilt by the masters of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. In the 15th century, the temple building became a model for the construction of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

A large composition of The Last Judgment of 1408 by Andrey Rublev and Daniil Cherny has been preserved in the Assumption Cathedral. Here are the most valuable frescoes - "The Bosom of Abraham", fragments of the "Descent of the Holy Spirit", "Baptism", "Transfiguration" and other famous images.

GOLDEN GATE

The Golden Gate is the rarest example of an ancient Russian defensive structure. The gate was built as the main battle and passage building of the city fortress, which was erected in Vladimir by Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in the middle of the 12th century. The Golden Gate was a powerful tower with a 14-meter arch. Above the vault there was a combat platform, and in the upper part of the tower there was a miniature white stone Rizopolozhensky temple.

Despite fires and enemy raids, the appearance of the Golden Gate remained unchanged until the beginning of the 19th century. Then the building was seriously rebuilt, and gate church re-consecrated. Today at historical building hosts a branch of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. Here is a diorama depicting the assault on Vladimir by the troops of Batu Khan, the gallery of "Heroes of Vladimir" and other expositions.

Cathedral of Demetrius of Thessalonica

Demetrius Cathedral in the princely court was erected in 1194 by Vsevolod the Big Nest. The temple was consecrated in honor of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. Russian architects, as well as Greek, German and Italian masters worked on the construction of the cathedral. Dmitrievsky Cathedral is famous for its white stone carvings: the walls of the temple are decorated with about 600 reliefs depicting saints, animals and plants.

Today the Cathedral of Demetrius of Thessalonica is a branch of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. The main exhibit of the museum is ancient building temple with interior decoration. Fragments of frescoes of the 12th century have been preserved here, including the Last Judgment composition.

VLADIMIR REGIONAL ACADEMIC DRAMA THEATER

The theater in Vladimir appeared in 1848, when the actor Ivan Lavrov convinced the local governor that every city needed a theater. By the 30s of the 20th century, the capital's newspapers were already writing about Vladimir productions - the theater's performances were a great success.

A graduate of the Gorky Theater School, Yevgeny Evstigneev, a future famous theater and film actor, made his debut on the Vladimir stage as a comedian. In 1971, the creative team moved to the building where the theater is located today. The new stage was opened with the play "Andrei Bogolyubsky". In the year of its 150th anniversary, the theater was awarded the title of "Academic".

More cultural objects in the cities of the Golden Ring -

Golden Gate- an outstanding monument of ancient Russian architecture. Built in 1164 under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. This is the main entrance to the city in the XII-XIII centuries. also served as a powerful defensive structure. It was from the Golden Gate that they went away Lake Peipsi squads who fought in Battle on the Ice; Alexander Nevsky solemnly entered the city through these gates. In 1380, Vladimir and Suzdal regiments marched through them to Kulikovo field, and in 1611 Prince Dmitry Pozharsky gathered a militia here to liberate Moscow.

The Golden Gate was built under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1158-1164. They performed 2 most important functions: it was the main entrance to the city, as well as a powerful fortification, which was built at the level of the shafts of the XII century.

The Golden Gate of Vladimir is unique - it is the only monument of its kind that has survived in our time. The fact is that similar gates were built in Kyiv, Jerusalem and Constantinople. When the capital of Rus' was moved to Vladimir, Grand Duke Andrey Bogolyubsky wished to see gates in the city similar to those in Kyiv, but surpassing them in grandeur, beauty and architectural power. In Kyiv, now the Golden Gate has also been restored, but their safety was much less and the real appearance Kyiv Golden Gate is essentially unknown.

In the XII-XIII centuries. the city was surrounded by an extended rampart and had five entrance gates (Copper, Irinina, Silver, Volga and Gold). Only the Golden Gate has survived to this day. The most festive entry into the city in the XII-XIII centuries.

Outwardly, they represent a powerful tower with a 14-meter travel arch, at the top of the platform used for military purposes, on it there is a small gate church of the Rizopolozhenskaya. In ancient times, the copper upholstery of the wooden gates was covered with gold - hence the name and the brilliance that amazed contemporaries. Powerful forged loops for hanging these alignments have survived to this day. Large square sockets for supporting beams indicate the existence of an additional wooden platform, which was used for defensive purposes, from here the enemy was shelled. Nearby, to this day, the remains of an ancient rampart have been preserved, which the locals call Kozlov, after the name of the owner of this land already in the 18th century.

Of interest are the ancient gates and the walls of the inner staircase. Hundreds of years ago, fighters left inscriptions on these walls - ancient Russian graffiti. 13th century inscription - "Gyurgich" (i.e. Yurievich) and a cross next to her. This modest inscription was left by one of the defenders of Vladimir during the Batyev invasion in honor of Grand Duke Vladimir Yurievich, who died during the siege of the city in front of the Golden Gate.

The modern appearance of the monument, while retaining the original volume and design, bears traces of alterations of a later time. The first repair work was carried out already in the 15th century under the guidance of the Moscow architect V.D. Yermolin, who restored more than one building in the Vladimir region. In the 18th century, it was decided to increase the capacity of the entrance to the city, and the ramparts did not fit into new plan buildings of the city, in connection with this, the ramparts adjoining the gates were torn down. The results of this "operation" had an immediate effect: the building cracked. The corners of the Golden Gate had to be reinforced with props, disguised with round towers, which significantly distorted the appearance. As you can see, not only military danger could destroy the creation of ancient Russian architects, especially since later, in the middle of the 19th century, the "fathers of the city" put forward a monstrous project for the reconstruction of a masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture in water tower, fortunately not realized

The Golden Gate in can be called almost the main attraction of the city. The golden gate is unique monument Russian architecture, a symbol of the greatness and power of the North-East. The Golden Gate in Vladimir was built in 1164, unfortunately, it has not been completely preserved to this day.

The Golden Gates in Vladimir were built during the reign of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. The gate was part of the defensive fortifications of the city. They also performed the function triumphal arch. It was through these gates that honored guests came to the city of Vladimir, it was through the Golden Gate that Andrei Bogolyubsky solemnly returned after military successes.

Inside the arch of the Golden Gate was closed by heavy oak doors, upholstered with gilded copper (hence the name of the gate - Golden). The Golden Gate was the main entrance to the noble part of the city, where mainly princes and boyars settled. The Golden Gate was built by local craftsmen. This assumption is based on the fact that a princely sign was left on one of the stone blocks of the gate. The Golden Gates were built by builders in semi-domestic masonry. This technique of building stone products was widespread in the cities of North-Eastern Rus'. This fact is another reason to assume that they were built by Russian masters. The Golden Gate was not the only gate. In the massive walls, the Copper, Irinin, Silver and Volga gates were “cut down”. Unfortunately, these buildings have not survived to this day.

In 1238, during the raid of the Tatars on Vladimir, the Golden Gate was seriously damaged. In the 17th century, during the years, the gate again had a hard time. In 1778, there was a big fire in Vladimir, during which the Golden Gate was also damaged.

In 1785, the Golden Gates in Vladimir underwent a major restoration. These were the years of government. The Empress, together with her officials, developed plans for the development of cities. So, in the development plan of Vladimir, there was an instruction to tear down the ramparts that adjoin the Golden Gate and build a road in their place. The structures of the pillars of the Golden Gate were weakened during the breaking of the ramparts. There was a question about the next reconstruction. So, in 1795, the architect Chistyakov developed a project for the reconstruction of the Golden Gate. Now, buttresses were attached to the corners of the pylons, which were “driven” into round towers. The vaults of the Golden Gate were also reconstructed, and a new brick church was built on the vaults themselves.
Since then, the view of the Golden Gate in Vladimir has not changed. Back in the early 19th century, officials and architects tried to develop a project to restore the Golden Gate to its original form. However, this did not lead to anything.

Why else is the Golden Gate so unique and famous? Similar buildings existed in different years in large Orthodox cities - Jerusalem, Kyiv and Constantinople. And to this day, only the Golden Gates of Vladimir have survived.