European Square (, ) 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. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

(Stare Misto) or the Upper Town, in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, the capital of

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. 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 Euromaidan ( ; , , ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv. The p ...

protests.Live updates of the protests

Kyiv Post The ''Kyiv Post'' is Ukraine’s first and most prominent English-language newspaper. It was founded in 1995 in Kyiv by American businessman Jed Sunden. In 2018, the publication was acquired by prominent Ukrainian businessman Adnan Kivan, foun ...

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

Euronews Euronews (stylised in lowercase) is a pan-European television news broadcasting, news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of the ...

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

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...

(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 (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. * 1851 - ''European Square'' (''Yevropeyskaya Ploschad''), when the Yevropeysky Hotel was built to the designs of the architect Alexander Vikentievich Beretti. * 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, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Grand Du ...

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 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

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 Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

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

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

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

Attractions

* Hotel Dnipro *

UNIAN The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News () is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business and financial information, and a photo reporting service. As of October 2022, it was the most v ...

news agency building * Ukrainian House ''(Ukrainskyi Dim)'' conference and exhibitions hall originally built in the late 1970s as a Lenin Museum * Khreshchatyi Park ** Kyiv Philharmonic (19th century building) ** Parliamentary Library of Ukraine building ** Bridge over Saint Volodymyr Descent pedestrian and bicycle bridge

Streets

List of streets that connect to the square. * Hrushevsky Street (Kyiv) * Khreshchatyk * Volodymyr Descent * 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 (''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)