diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5a0241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+FROM golang:1.22
+
+WORKDIR /usr/src/app
+
+# pre-copy/cache go.mod for pre-downloading dependencies and only redownloading them in subsequent builds if they change
+COPY go.mod go.sum ./
+RUN go mod download && go mod verify
+
+COPY . .
+RUN go build -v -o /usr/local/bin/app ./...
+
+CMD ["app"]
diff --git a/backend/cmd/app/main.go b/backend/cmd/app/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6d75ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/cmd/app/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	//"encoding/json"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	router := mux.NewRouter()
+	router.HandleFunc("/ping", ping).Methods("GET")
+
+	log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(":8080", router))
+}
+
+func ping(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "pong")
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/go.mod b/backend/go.mod
index 406daa9..b1ea11c 100644
--- a/backend/go.mod
+++ b/backend/go.mod
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 module git.weirdcat.su/weirdcat/personal-website/src/backend
 
 go 1.22.5
+
+require github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.1 // indirect
diff --git a/backend/go.sum b/backend/go.sum
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7128337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/go.sum
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.1 h1:TuBL49tXwgrFYWhqrNgrUNEY92u81SPhu7sTdzQEiWY=
+github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.1/go.mod h1:AKf9I4AEqPTmMytcMc0KkNouC66V3BtZ4qD5fmWSiMQ=