European Square (Kyiv)
European Square is a square located in what is known as the Old Town or the Upper Town, in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is also located at the north-eastern end of the Khreschatyk, the city's main thoroughfare. Other streets connected to the square are Tryokhsvyatytelska Street, Volodymyrskyi Descent, and Hrushevsky Street.
In 2013–14 the square was one of the centres of the EuroMaidan protests.
Former names
The square was known under at least nine different names during the last two hundred years.- Originally, the square was called the Horse's Square, because its location was used for horse trading.
- 1806 - Theatre Square, after the 1805–1806 construction of the first theater in Kyiv by the architect Andriy Melensky located at the current place of Ukrainian House.
- 1851 - European Square, when the Yevropeysky Hotel was built to the designs of the architect Alexander Vikentievich Beretti.
- 1869 - Tsar Square. During that time the square was also referred to as Aleksandrovskaya for the same reason and because through it was passing ulitsa Aleksandrovskaya.
- 1919 - Third International's Square, after the Soviet occupation of Ukraine.
- 1941 - Adolf Hitler Square, German occupation
- 1944 - Stalin Square, Soviet return
- 1961 - Lenin's Komsomol Square, destalinization process
Attractions
- Hotel Dnipro
- UNIAN news agency building
- Ukrainian House conference and exhibitions hall originally built in the late 1970s as a Lenin Museum
- Khreshchatyi Park
- * Kyiv Philharmonic
- * Parliamentary Library of Ukraine building
- * Bridge over Saint Volodymyr Descent pedestrian and bicycle bridge
Streets
- Hrushevsky Street
- Khreshchatyk
- Saint Volodymyr Descent
- Three-Saints Street
- Peter's Alley