European Square ( uk, Європейська площа, translit=Yevropeiska ploshcha) is a square located in what is known as the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

(Stare Misto) or the Upper Town, in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

, the capital of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. It is also located at the north-eastern end of the

Khreschatyk Khreshchatyk ( uk, Хрещатик, ) is the main street of Kyiv, Ukraine. The street has a length of . It stretches from the European Square (northeast) through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square (southwest) where the Besarabsky Market i ...

, 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 Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhno ...

protests.Live updates of the protests

Kyiv Post The ''Kyiv Post'' is the oldest English-language newspaper in Ukraine, founded in October 1995 by Jed Sunden. History American Jed Sunden founded the ''Kyiv Post'' weekly newspaper on Oct. 18, 1995 and later created KP Media for his holdings. ...

(27, 28 & 29 November 2013)Protests continue in Kyiv ahead of Vilnius EU summit
,

Euronews Euronews (styled on-air in lowercase as euronews) is a European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and covers world news from a European perspective. The majority of Eurone ...

(27 November 2013)In Ukraine, Protests Highlight 'Generational Rift'

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

(27 November 2013)Ukraine: tension in Kyiv as pro and anti government protesters hold rallies
,

(29 November 2013)Ukraine opposition demands leader resign after EU snub
,

Seven News ''7NEWS'' is the television news service of the Seven Network and, as of 2021, the highest-rating in Australia. National bulletins are presented from Seven's high definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins ar ...

(30 November 2013)

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'' (''Konnaya Ploschad''), because its location was used for horse trading. * 1806 - ''Theatre Square'' (''Teatralnaya Ploschad''), after the 1805–1806 construction of the first theater in

by the architect Andriy Melensky located at the current place of

Ukrainian House The International Convention Center "Ukrainian House" ( uk, Український дім. Міжнародний конгрес-центр) is the largest international exhibition and convention center in Kyiv, Ukraine. Popularly referred to a ...

. * 1851 - ''European Square'' ('Yevropeyskaya Ploschad''), when the Yevropeysky Hotel was built to the designs of the architect

Alexander Vikentievich Beretti Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

. * 1869 - ''Tsar Square'' (''Tsarskaya Ploschad'', due to the monument of

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...

erected there). During that time the square was also referred to as ''Aleksandrovskaya'' for the same reason and because through it was passing ulitsa Aleksandrovskaya (today split Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street, Volodymyr Descent, and Petro Sahaidachny Street). * 1919 - '' Third International's Square'' (''Ploschad Tretieva Internatsionala''), after the Soviet occupation of Ukraine. * 1941 - ''

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

Square'' (''Adolf Hitler Platz''),Streets and squares of Kyiv in times of German and Soviet occupations
. OUN-UPA website. German occupation * 1944 - ''

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

Square'' (''Stalinskaya Ploschad''), Soviet return * 1961 - ''

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...

Square'' (''Ploschad Leninskava Komsomola''), destalinization process

Attractions

Hotel Dnipro Hotel Dnipro ( ua, Готель Дніпро) is a four-star hotel located in central Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on European Square, next to Khreschatyk Street and near Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). The hotel was built in 1964 ...

UNIAN The UNIAN or Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News ( uk, Українське Незалежне Інформаційне Агентство Новин, УНІАН, translit=Ukrayins'ke Nezalezhne Informatsiyne Ahentstvo Novyn) is a ...

news agency building *

''(Ukrayinskyi Dim)'' conference and exhibitions hall originally built in the late 1970s as a Lenin Museum *

Khreshchatyi Park Khreshchatyi Park ( uk, Хрещатий парк) is a city park in Kyiv located next to the European Square, on right bank slopes of Dnipro and along the Volodymyr Descent. It covers area of . Since 2019, a glass pedestrian bridge has connecte ...

** Kyiv Philharmonic (19th century building) **

Parliamentary Library of Ukraine The Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine ( uk, Національна бібліотека України імені Ярослава Мудрого, translit.: ''Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine'') is one of the national libra ...

building **

Bridge over Saint Volodymyr Descent Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Saint Volodymyr Descent ( uk, Пішохідно-велосипедний міст через Володимирський узвіз), also known as Klitschko Glass Bridge ( uk, Скляний міст Кли� ...

pedestrian and bicycle bridge

Streets

List of streets that connect to the square. * Hrushevsky Street (Kyiv) *

Khreshchatyk Khreshchatyk ( uk, Хрещатик, ) is the main street of Kyiv, Ukraine. The street has a length of . It stretches from the European Square (northeast) through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square (southwest) where the Besarabsky Market ...

Volodymyr Descent Volodymyrska Hill or Saint Volodymyr Hill ( uk, Володимирська гірка, ''"Volodymyrska hirka"'') is a large park located on the steep right-bank of the Dnipro River in central Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Its most famous and pro ...

* Three-Saints Street * Peter's Alley

Gallery

File:Evropeys'ka ploscha old.jpg, Square in 1911

References

External links

European Square
a
Kiev History Site

An optimistic avenue
in

Vokrug Sveta ''Vokrug sveta'' (russian: Вокруг света, literally: "Around the World") is a Russian geographic magazine. It is the longest running magazine in the Russian language. The first issue was printed in Saint Petersburg, in December 1861, ...

(''Around the World''), November, 2005.
Yevropeyska Ploscha
i
''Wiki-Encyclopedia Kyiv''
{{coord, 50, 27, 8, N, 30, 31, 39, E, type:landmark_region:UA, display=title European Square Khreshchatyk Hrushevsky Street (Kyiv)