Kharkiv is ready to show its guests many interesting tourist sites. Freedom Square is one of them. What is her story? And what sights can be seen in this square?
Freedom Square (Kharkov): photo and location
Freedom Square (Maidan of Freedom in Ukrainian) is the main one in Kharkov. It is here that various citywide events are regularly held: fairs, rallies, concerts.
The area has an unusual shape. It consists of two parts: western rounded (with a small square in the center) and eastern rectangular. At one time, city architects proposed forming here not one, but two squares, dividing them with a flowerbed or fountain. However, this idea was abandoned, and instead of the fountain in 1963, an impressive monument to Vladimir Lenin “grew”.
Almost the entire perimeter of the square is occupied by important and architecturally valuable buildings. The park named after Taras Shevchenko (formerly City Garden) directly adjoins it from the south side.
How to get to Freedom Square in Kharkov? Make it easier than ever, because it is located in the very center of the city. Under it there are two stations of the Kharkov metro - Gosprom and Universitet. In addition, you can drive to the square by tram (route number 12) or by trolleybus (number 2 and number 18).
A brief history of the square
What is the city of Kharkov famous for? Freedom Square will immediately be called by many of its inhabitants the main attraction. It began to form only at the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to this, on the site of a modern and large-scale area there were various buildings of Kharkov University (the oldest in Ukraine).
The construction of the square began in 1925. Soviet architects initially wanted to create something gigantic and impressive. And they completely succeeded. Six years later, the square was already paved. Interestingly, it was originally named in honor of Dzerzhinsky. Many foreigners still call her that. At different times, monuments to Stalin and Lenin stood on this square. None of the Soviet leaders have survived to this day (the sculpture of Stalin was removed in 1960, and the monument to Lenin was dismantled in 2014).
Kharkov: Freedom Square - the largest in Europe?
Very often in different sources you can find information that the Freedom Square in Kharkov is the largest in Europe. This is actually not the case. Its size is 11.9 hectares. For comparison: Chess square in Bordeaux - 12 hectares, and Kuibyshev square in Samara - 17 hectares.
Nevertheless, the scale of this object is really amazing. The famous Soviet journalist Yaroslav Golovanov at one time described this area as "gigantic" and "frightening in its size." Its length reaches 750 meters, and the maximum height difference is almost 11 meters!
Building area and attractions
The architectural ensemble of the square is represented by several interesting and valuable buildings. First of all, it is worth calling “Gosprom” - a building that is considered the standard of Soviet constructivism. The building was built during the years 1926-1928 from solid reinforced concrete. Then it was called the first skyscraper of the Soviet Union.
The main building of Kharkov University named after Karazin is entering Freedom Square . It was erected in the early 30s in the same style as the building of the Gosprom. The architecture of the main building of KNU resembles the famous Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow.
There are neoclassical buildings on the square. So, in 1954 in its eastern part a beautiful six-story building was built for the Kharkov Regional Committee of the CPSU.
Finally…
What places are worth visiting for the tourist, whom fate brought to the Ukrainian city of Kharkov? Freedom Square is a must for any study tour of this metropolis. It is one of the ten largest areas of Europe, its size is really impressive. In addition, the area is surrounded by a number of buildings and structures of historical and architectural value.