In 1157, the Grand Duke of Rostov became Andrei Bogolyubsky. He moved his capital from Rostov to Vladimir and began to actively strengthen and decorate the city.
The Golden Gate is one of 6 entrances to the city. They served as the main gateway.
The gate tower of white stone combined with the golden reliefs of the gate created an indelible impression. The gate temple was dedicated to an event that happened in Constantinople: the position of the belt of the Virgin in the Vlacher temple.
When they began to remove the forests, to look at the beautiful building and pray in the temple gathered a great many people. Seeing the gate from a distance, the crowd began to pass under them. At this point, the roof collapsed and buried 20 people.
Prince Andrew, with tears in his eyes, offered a prayer to the Most Holy Mother of God, kneeling, he did not cease to ask for mercy while the rubble was being dismantled. All 20 people were rescued unharmed. It was truly a miracle of God.
The Golden Gate proved its strength during the invasion of Batu. They survived a few days of siege. The enemy broke into the city elsewhere, through the rampart.
By the 19th century, the gates themselves and the church above them were so dilapidated that services there were stopped. In 1810, many years of repairs were completed, and services were not resumed until 1814. In 1853, they stopped again due to lack of funds.
In 1874, the stairs and the building at the top were renovated. However, the gate temple was built like a chapel. In the 20s of the last century, the chapel was closed. The Golden Gate was declared a historical monument and transferred to the provincial museum. This did not prevent them from adapting their northern part to housing.
In 1972 the building was renovated. Since then, it has deteriorated again and needs a comprehensive restoration.
In 2023, a contract for restoration work was concluded. The state allocated almost 140 million rubles for the revival of the monument. In early July 2023, work began.
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Russian Temples and Monasteries
