Freedom Square (Kharkiv)
Freedom Square in Kharkiv, Ukraine, is the 8th largest city-centre square in Europe.
On 1 March 2022, during the battle of Kharkiv in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the square and the surroundings were hit by Russian missiles.
Names
Originally named Veterinarnaya square, its name was changed to Maidan Dzerzhynskoho in 1926, following the Soviet takeover of the city. This name refers to Felix Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Bolshevik secret police. It is depicted on maps of Kharkiv of 1938.During the brief German occupation the name of the square changed twice: in 1942 the square was named German Army Square, and in 1943 Leibstandarte SS Square. After the independence of Ukraine it was renamed Freedom Square.
Location
The main part of the square is bordered to the west by the site of a removed statue of Lenin, to the east by Sumska Street, to the north by the Hotel Kharkiv and to the south by. It is approximately long and wide. The area of the complete square is approximately.Landmarks
A notable landmark of the square is the Derzhprom building, a prime example of constructivist architecture. The other two major buildings are the House of Projects and the House of Cooperation, which were originally constructivist but later reconstructed after World War II in the Stalinist style.The Kharkiv regional state administration is situated at one end of the square.
A monumental statue of Lenin was erected in 1964 and was torn down by protesters on 28 September 2014. In August 2016, pavers were laid on the site where the statue of Lenin stood. A new fountain on the site of the former statue was opened on 23 August 2020.
In 2019, the reconstruction of the Round Square, located in the northwestern part of the square, began. It is planned to reconstruct all the paths, install benches, upgrade lighting, plant trees, and install a dry fountain. The work is expected to be completed by the city's day on August 23, 2019.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine on March 1, 2022, the square was attacked by Russian Kalibr missiles. The explosion severely damaged the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building and nearby buildings.