Golden Gate is located in Vladimir, and is an outstanding monument of ancient architecture. They are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Golden Gate was built when Andrew Bogoliubsky 1164 in addition gate defense purposes were also triumphant character. They represented the main entrance to the princes and boyars of the Vladimir.

Construction performed in the technique polubutovoy masonry, which was widespread at the time of Vladimir-Suzdal architecture. Clear proportions travel arch, which was blocked by a semicircular arch, and elegant at the top of the church building filled with majestic sense for its intended use.

It has survived only the Golden Gate, although during Bogolyubsky the city had seven entrance gates: Copper, Silver, Volga, Irinin, Business, Ivanovo and gold.

From the north and the south close to the gate sided shafts with deep ditches outside. From the gate, trenches passed through the bridge, which goes beyond the city. The height of the arch is 14 meters. Massive oak target that hung on wrought iron hinges, directly adjacent to the arched bridge. It has been preserved to this day. On top of the bridge was made wood flooring, is an additional combat area. Login to the site was through a door in the south wall. At the same level on the other side of the stairs to find a way to the southern ramparts. On the ramparts to the north led to the passage of the platform through a door in the wall. The staircase in the south wall was a battle to the top platform, which had battlements in the form of battlements. At the center of the site was placed a white stone gate church in honor of Our Lady of the provisions of Reese.

To this day the gates come down with strong restructuring. The oldest parts of this building is a passage arch with massive side pylons to combat them on a platform that has been preserved only in fragments.

Frequent enemy invasion, devastating fires greatly distorted the original appearance of the Golden Gate. According to written sources it found that the repair of the church gate was carried out in 1469 under the direction of sculptor and architect Ermolina VD In 1641 Moscow architect A. Konstantinov by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich was an estimate to repair the gates of the gate, but the works were started only in the late 17th century.

During the great fire in Vladimir in 1778 the gates burned. A few years after the implementation of this new regular urban planning shafts, which are adjacent to the walls of the Golden Gate, sryli device directions. Construction gate poles thus been weakened, and the issue became urgent repair of ancient buildings. In 1795, architect Chistyakov was attached to the corners of the buttresses of the pylons, which were concluded in the round tower. There were also shifted back gate arches, and they built a new brick church. In this form, the Golden Gate and kept up to date.

In the summer of 1991, Vladimir met with residents at the Golden Gate relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who were solemnly transferred from St. Petersburg to Diveevo. In the mid-1990s. above the gates were placed, as in the old days, the icon of Christ the Savior and the Mother of God.

The last 50 years of the Golden Gate belong to Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. The Gate Church placed the military-historical exposition, the central place in which occupies a diorama that recreates the dramatic events of 1238, when Vladimir defended himself against the assault troops of Batu.

It also represented military equipment and weapons of different times: spears and arrows 18 in., Combat bolts from catapults, captured Polish crossbow 17 in., Mail Berdysh, silicon guns since Catherine, steel, blunderbuss of the Patriotic War of 1812, uniform rifle, banners and awards the late 19th century, the Turkish captured weapons.

There are some interesting facts from the history of the Golden Gate. According to NN Voronin, in medieval Europe, the Golden Gate had no analogues; European architecture of that time was familiar only with the purely fortified tower structures, and the Golden Gate of Vladimir defensive functions besides playing a role and the main entrance, as well as served as a religious purpose - they housed a functioning church.

According to legend, in 1767 the carriage of Empress Catherine II during the entrance to the city is stuck in the arch. Therefore, its order on both sides of the gate were dug passages.