You're reading: RFE/RL: Russian church flexes secular muscle with restitution push

RFE/RL: Russian church flexes secular muscle with restitution push

Published Aug. 19, 2018 at 12:42 pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) attends a Christmas service in a church in Saint Petersburg late on January 7, 2018.Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7 in the Middle East, Russia and other Orthodox churches that use the old Julian calendar instead of the 17th-century Gregorian calendar adopted by Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox and commonly used in secular life around the world / AFP PHOTO / SPUTNIK / Alexey NIKOLSKY

Photo by AFP

The unique, UNESCO-protected 12th-century Golden Gate is a gem of this ancient city some 200 kilometers east of Moscow.

Currently, it is owned by the Culture Ministry and houses an exhibition about the seizure of the city by Mongols in 1238. It is one of the key stops along the legendary Golden Ring tourist route of quintessential medieval cities including Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Kostroma, Rostov, among others.