Zoloti Vorota (Kiev Metro)

Zoloti Vorota ( _uk. Золотi Ворота _ru. Золотые Ворота, Zolotye Vorota) is one of the most famous stations on the Kiev Metro. Named after the Golden Gates historical structure, the station is arguabely one of the most stunning achievements in late Soviet architecture.

The station was opened as part of the first stage of the Syretsko-Pecherska Line on December 30, 1989. The design contributed a number of architects, but the station itself is due to the masterpiece of Boris and his son Vadim Zhezherin and artistic architects S.Adamenko and M.Ralko. It features a column trivault, with the theme of the Architecture of Kievan Rus, for this the central vault was enlarged to allow for an interior reminiscent of an ancient Russian Orthodox cathedral. The motives include large chandeliers holding candle like light bulbs, and characteristic inter-vault and inter-column mosaics (artists G.Koren, V.Fedko). White marble, with matte polish was used for the walls and columns, deliberately further make the station imposing. Even the platform hall contains the chandeliers, albeit slightly smaller, and suspended from niches over the platform. Grey granite is used for the floor.

When the station was built, it was done as a single unit with its transfer station Teatralna of the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line, which opened two years prior to specifically for the role. The stations are connected with the escalator tunnel coming out of the back of Zoloti Vorota and connecting to the centre of the Tetralna station via staircases. Initially Zoloti Vorota was the northern terminus of the line for exactly seven years.

The vestibule of the station (architects T.Tselikovskaya, A.Krushinky and F.Zaremba) was built into a building on the corner of Volodymyrska street and Zoloti Vorota driveway, next to the ancient historical memorial. Due to the station's location and depth there are two two separate escalator paths that connect via an intermediate lobby.

To date the station remains one of the most popular in Kiev and along with Dnipro, are always used to represent the system and the people who built it.

External links

* [http://www.metro.kiev.ua/Ukr/ZolotieVorotaUkr.html Kyivsky Metropoliten] - Station description and Photographs
* [http://www.metropoliten.kiev.ua/station.php?lang=0&station_id=34 Metropoliten.kiev.ua] - Station description and Photographs
* [http://metro.zarohem.cz/kyjev/02-sireskopecerska/03-zolotivorota/index.html Zarohem.cz] - Photographs
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kiev,+Ukraine&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=50.448446,30.513915&spn=0.003382,0.013561&t=k Google maps] - Satellite view centred on the vestibule