MY FAVORITE PLACE IN KYIV IS KHRESHCHATYK

MY FAVORITE PLACE IN KYIV IS…

KHRESHCHATYK STREET

Khreshchatyk is the main street of Kiev. The street has a length of 1. 2 km. It stretches from the European Square (northeast) through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square (southwest) where the Besarabsky Market is located.

HISTORY

RUSSIAN EMPIRE For a long time, Khreshchatyk remained an undeveloped ravine. By the middle 19 th century, it was developed as Kiev's main thoroughfare in the climate of rapid growth of the city during the Industrial Revolution in imperial Russia. The street soon became the center of Kiev's commercial life, as the city itself developed into the main commercial center in the Empire's south-west.

RUSSIAN EMPIRE In 1892, the first electric tram line in the Russian Empire ran in Kiev and by 1894, the line was extended to Khreshchatyk. The street was served by the tram for about 40 years.

WORLD WAR II During World War II, almost every building on the street was mined with explosives by the retreating Red Army troops and rebuilt in the neo-classical style of post-war Stalinist architecture. Among prominent buildings that did not survive were the Kiev City Duma.

WORLD WAR II Hotel Natsional

WORLD WAR II the Ginzburg House

SOVIET UKRAINE Following the war, Khreshchatyk was rebuilt in the 1950 s and 1960 s. The street was widened to 75 -100 meters and new buildings were erected in the Neoclassical Stalinist architectural style. The street was one of Kiev's first landmarks that was serviced by the Kiev Metro in 1960, and was the system's first transfer station when the second line opened in 1976.

INDEPENDENT UKRAINE Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Ukraine becoming independent, the avenue gained a wider context as the central street of the country. During the late 1990 s, a complex reconstruction took place, and most of the buildings were cosmetically cleaned up from elements, structurally upgraded and enhanced with colourful illumination. Modern electronic billboards and screens were also installed.

OUR DAYS Khreshchatyk is a popular attraction for tourists. During weekends and public holidays, the street is closed to road traffic and reserved for pedestrians. Khreshchatyk contains many up-market stores, cafés, and restaurants. Points of interest situated along Khreshchatyk are the following:

BESSARABSKA SQUARE named for the large indoor Besarabsky Market(1910– 1912) located at its northern end, offers a few attractions: the relatively new office and shopping Mandarin Plaza complex, which is located on the southern end of the square, and the Metrohrad Shopping Complex (built in 2001) located underground, near the Khreshchatyk metro station.

BESSARABSKA SQUARE Kiev's main monument to Vladimir Lenin was also located on the square on the Taras Shevchenko Boulevard until it was pulled down and destroyed by anti-Government protestors in December 2013.

CENTRAL DEPARTMENT STORE

KIEV PASSAGE, A SMALL NARROW COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL STREET is a building complex with a small, narrow street stretched through it. The street has many small outdoor cafés and shopping stores on the buildings' first floors and residential apartments on the upper floors.

CITY COUNCIL BUILDING (KYIVRADA) is the city council of Kyiv municipality, the highest representative body of the city community. The members of city council are directly elected by Kyivans and the council is chaired by the Mayor of Kyiv or the City Council Secretary. The council meets in a 1950 s City Council building constructed in neoclassical Stalinist architectural style.

MAIDAN NEZALEZHNOSTI is the central square of Kiev. Since the start of Ukraine's independence movement in 1990, the square has been the traditional place for political rallies, including four large-scale radical protest campaigns: the 1989 student "Revolution on Granite", the 2001 "Ukraine without Kuchma", the 2004 Orange Revolution, and the 2013 – 2014 Euromaidan. Besid es, the Maidan is a traditional point for several non-political events such as the city's Christmas Tree and the various festivities annually held on the Ukraine Independence Day and Kiev City Day.

INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT Berehynia is a female spirit in Slavic mythology, which recently came to be regarded as a "Slavic goddess" with a function of "hearth mother, protectoress of the home" in late 20 th century Ukrainian romantic nationalism centered on matriarchal myth. In 2001, a column with a monument to Berehynia on top, as a protector of Kiev, was erected at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in the center of the city, on the site of the former Lenin monument.

CENTRAL POST OFFICE (POSHTAMT) is on a corner of Maidan Nezalezhnosti opposite the tall monument. A myriad of windows as well as colourful pictures of city landmarks await in the main hall straight ahead. The less intimidating hall to the right offers a wide selection of postcards and hosts a 24 hrs Internet café upstairs.

TRADE UNIONS BUILDING its façade faces the central Maidan Nezalezhnosti square and contains the city's main clock tower. The building was built in place of the Noble Assembly building that stood in its place during (1851 -1976) and even survived the World War II. The building was set afire on February 18, 2014, during Euromaidan clashes.

KIEV CONSERVATORY The Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine is a Ukrainian state institution of higher music education. Its courses include postgraduate education. The organization of the conservatory was spearheaded by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Glazunov, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

GLOBUS UNDERGROUND SHOPPING CENTRE, AND THE PRESERVED RUINS OF MEDIEVAL LIADSKI GATE BENEATH THE SQUARE In Globus there are 192 shops on three levels - two of which are underground. Lach Gates is a monument built in 2001 and commemorated to one of the Medieval Kiev city gates. At the top of the gates is a sculpture of Archangel Michael which is the city's symbol.

HOTEL UKRAYINA is a four-star hotel located in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The hotel was built in 1961 as the Hotel "Moscow“.

EUROPEAN SQUARE European Square is a square located in what is known as the Old Town or the Upper Town, in Kiev. It is also located at the north-eastern end of the Khreschatyk, the city's main thoroughfare. Other streets connected to the square Tryokhsvyatytelska Street, Volodymyrskyi Descent, and Hrushevsky Street. In 2013– 14 the square was one of the centres of the Euro. Maidan protests.

HOTEL DNIPRO

UKRAINIAN HOUSE is the largest international exhibition and convention center. This five-storey building is the host venue for a variety of events from exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences to international association meetings, product launches, banquets, TVceremonies, sporting events, etc.

KIEV PHILARMONIC BUILDING is a complex of two adjacent concert halls in the Khrestchaty Park in Kiev, Ukraine. Formerly the Merchant's House, the building's use for musical performances is associated with the Philharmonic Society, established by Mykola Lysenko. The historic building was built at the end of the 19 th century.

KHRESHCHATYK IS A TRADITIONAL SETTING FOR OUTDOOR CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS, AND IS FREQUENTED BY STREET MUSICIANS. MAJOR PARADES AND CELEBRATIONS ARE HELD ON KIEV DAY (THE LAST SUNDAY OF MAY), VICTORY DAY (MAY 9) AND UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY (AUGUST 24).

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