Halytska Square (, translit.: ''Ploshcha Halytska'') 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 ...
, is a large square in the city. The square is in Shevchenkivskyi District and located on Kyiv's main westward thoroughfare (
Prospect Beresteiskyi
Prospect Beresteiskyi (, , ) is the second longest public roadway ( prospekt) in Kyiv, Ukraine. The roadway was created in the second half of the 20th century (1964) as part of the urbanized area of the Brest-Lytovske highway and was known as Br ...
– Tarasa Shevchenka boulevard) being its one of the main transportation hubs.
Located on the opposite side of the
Old Kyiv
Old Kyiv (, ) is a historical neighborhood of Kyiv. Other names include Upper City, Old Town, and others. It is located at the far eastern portion of the Shevchenko Raion, Kyiv , Shevchenkivskyi District. Old Kyiv historically represents the ci ...
, the square is also one of extreme points of the neighborhood along with
Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti (, ) or Independence Square is the central town square of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the city's main squares, it is located on Khreshchatyk Street in the Shevchenko Raion. The square contains the iconic Ind ...
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare. The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or connecting to a park from which trucks and other heavy vehicles are excluded.
Over the years, many different types of roads have been labeled p ...
) in the city.
History
The square was established in the mid-19th century, when in February 1858 the Russian Governor General of Kyiv
Illarion Vasilchikov
Illarion Illarionovich Vasilchikov (1805 – 12 November 1862) was an Imperial Russian general and the great grandson of emperor Alexander I of Russia. He was the son of Illarion Vasilyevich Vasilchikov and Vera Vasilchikova. He was the father ...
allowed the Kyiv Jewish community to conduct
trade fair
A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific Industry (economics), industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest Product (business), products and se ...
s. From 1869 to 1952 the square was known as ''Halytska Square'' (), being located towards
Eastern Galicia
Eastern Galicia (; ; ) is a geographical region in Western Ukraine (present day oblasts of Lviv Oblast, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblast, Ternopil), having also essential historic importance in Poland.
Galicia ( ...
). Before the 1950s this area was also commonly known as Yevbaz (, literally: ''Jewish market''), after the Jewish market that used to be there but was dismantled at the end of the 1940s. From 1952 to 2023In Kyiv, the avenue and Victory Square were renamed
Ukrainska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...
(9 February 2023) the square was named ''Victory Square'' (, translit.: ''Ploshcha Peremohy''), this name was dedicated to victory in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
The most notable building and one of focal features of Halytska Square is the Kyiv Circus. This was formerly the site of the Church of John Chrysostom, of cast iron construction, which was destroyed by the
Soviet regime
The political system of the Soviet Union took place in a federal single-party soviet socialist republic framework which was characterized by the superior role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the only party permitted by the C ...
in 1934. Among other notable buildings are a
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
obelisk
An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...
situated on the square to commemorate the victory. In its original form it has a "hero star" (reflecting Kyiv's status as a Soviet
Hero City Hero City may refer to:
* Hero City (Soviet Union), awarded 1965–1985 to cities now in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine
* Hero City of Ukraine, awarded 2022
* Hero Cities of Yugoslavia, awarded 1970–1975
See also
*City of Heroes
''City of H ...
) 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
marshrutka
''Marshrutnoye taksi''tram
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
s, buses and trolley-buses.
On 9 February 2023 the
Kyiv city council
Kyiv City Council (, ), also known as Kyivrada (), is the city council of Kyiv municipality, the highest representative body of the city community. The members of city council are directly elected by Kyivans and the council is chaired by the M ...
renamed the square back to ''Halytska Square''.
On 15 September 2023, all Soviet medals and inscriptions in
Russian language
Russian is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic languages, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is ...
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.In the center of Kyiv, the obelisk was decommunized
Ukrainska Pravda
''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...
(15 September 2023) On 4 November the communists star on top of the monument was also removed.
Gallery
File:2008-08-04 Peremohy Square, Kiev - 2.jpg, Darker building is the Hotel Lybid (eastward view)
File:2008-08-04 Peremohy Square, Kiev - 3.jpg, Right next to the "Ukraina" department store (eastward view)
File:Kiev-PeremogySquare 01.jpg, Ukraina department store between the Hotel Lybid and the Victory stele
File:Peremohy square, Kyiv.jpg, A perspective onto the Kyiv circus, to the left is the Hotel Lybid
File:Shevchenkivs'kyi district, Kiev, Ukraine - panoramio (89).jpg, Right next to the Kyiv circus (westward view)
File:Начало улицы Воровского от площади Победы.jpg, Beginning of Bulvarno—Kudriavska vulytsia (formerly Vorovskoho), to the right is the Kyiv circus
File:Площа Перемоги, Київ.jpg, Panorama (southward)
File:Площадь Победы в Киеве.jpg, Eastward view
File:Площадь и проспект Победы.JPG, Westward view
File:Обеліск на честь міста-героя Києва.jpg, The Victory
obelisk
An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...
(focused); the Soviet medals still visible on this 2014 photo were removed in September and November 2023
File:Kiev Circus.jpg, The Kyiv circus (main stage)
File:Galickaja sinagoga-fasad.JPG,
Halytska Synagogue
The Halytska Synagogue, also called the Galitska Synagogue or Beit Yaakov Shul, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located at 97a Zhylianska Street, in Kyiv, Ukraine. The congregation worships in the Ashkenazi rite.
History
The Aesopian synagogu ...