The Golden Gates of Kiev

The Golden Gates of Kiev was the main gate in the 11th century fortifications of Kiev, the capital of Kievan Rus'. It was named in imitation of the Golden Gate of Constantinople. The structure was dismantled in the Middle Ages, leaving few vestiges of its existence. It was completely rebuilt by the Soviet authorities in 1982, though no images of the original gates have survived. The decision has been immensely controversial, for there were many competing reconstructions of what the original gate might have looked like