Halytska Square


Halytska Square in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is a large square in the city. The square is in Shevchenkivskyi District and located on Kyiv's main westward thoroughfare being its one of the main transportation hubs.

History

The square was established in the mid-19th century, when in February 1858 the Imperial Russian governor-general of Kyiv Illarion Vasilchikov allowed the Kyiv Jewish community to conduct trade fairs. From 1869 to 1952 the square was known as Halytska Square, being located towards Halychyna. Before the 1950s this area was also commonly known as Yevbaz, after the Jewish market that used to be there, but was dismantled at the end of the 1940s.
From 1952 to 2023, the square was named Victory Square. This name was dedicated to the Soviet victory over the Axis Powers in World War II.
On 9 February 2023, the Kyiv City Council renamed the square back to Halytska Square. On 15 September 2023, all Soviet medals and inscriptions in the Russian language on the surface of the obelisk were removed. Furthermore, the "1941" marking was changed to "1939", acknowledging the Ukrainian view of when World War II began. On 4 November, the communist star on top of the monument was also removed.

Description

Located on the opposite side of the Old Kyiv, the square is also one of extreme points of the neighborhood along with Maidan Nezalezhnosti. It is a crossing of several historic streets such as Saksahanskoho street, Tarasa Shevchenka boulevard, Zhylianska street, Bulvarno-Kudriavska street - it is a beginning of Prospect Beresteiskyi - one of the longest and broadest avenues in the city.
The most notable building and one of focal features of Halytska Square is the. This was formerly the site of the Church of John Chrysostom, of cast iron construction, which was destroyed by the Soviet regime in 1934. Among other notable buildings are the and the.
The Hero City monument, an obelisk situated on the square to commemorate the victory. In its original form it has a "hero star" and "1941" and "1945" markings, marking the beginning and end years of World War II as recognised by Soviet history.
One of shops of the Kuznya na Rybalskomu separates Halytska Square from Vokzalna Square where the train station Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi is located.
The square is served by numerous marshrutkas, trams, buses and trolley-buses.