Kharkiv, Freedom Square: history, architecture, interesting facts

Many interesting tourist sites are ready to show their guests the city of Kharkov. Freedom Square is one of them. What is its history? And what sights can be seen on this square?

Freedom Square (Kharkov): photo and location

Freedom Square (Maidan Svobod 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: the western round (with a small square in the center) and the eastern rectangular. At one time the city architects proposed to form here not one but two squares, dividing them by a flower bed or a fountain. However, this idea was abandoned, and instead of a fountain in 1963, an impressive monument to Vladimir Lenin grew up.

Almost the entire perimeter of the square is occupied by important and valuable buildings in the architectural sense. On the south side, the park named after Taras Shevchenko (the former City Garden) directly adjoins it.

How to get to Freedom Square in Kharkov? This is easy, because it is located in the heart of the city. Under it are two stations of the Kharkov subway - Gosprom and the University. In addition, you can reach the square by tram (route No. 12) or by trolleybus (No. 2 and No. 18).

A Brief History of the Square

What is Kharkiv famous for? Freedom Square will immediately name many of its residents the main attraction. It began to form only in the early twentieth century. Before that, on the site of a modern and large-scale square, there were various buildings of the Kharkov University (the oldest in Ukraine).

The erection of the square began in 1925. Soviet architects initially wanted to create something gigantic and impressive. And they quite succeeded. Six years later the square was already paved. It is interesting that initially it was named in honor of Dzerzhinsky. Many foreigners still so it is called. At different times on this square there were monuments to Stalin and Lenin. None of the Soviet leaders have survived to this day (the sculpture of Stalin was removed in 1960, and the monument was dismantled in Lenin in 2014).

Kharkiv: 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. In fact, this is not so. Its size is 11.9 hectares. For comparison: The chess square in Bordeaux is 12 hectares, and the Kuibyshev square in Samara is 17 hectares.

Nevertheless, the scale of this facility is really amazing. The well-known Soviet journalist Yaroslav Golovanov once described this area as "gigantic" and "frightening by its size". Its length reaches 750 meters, and the maximum difference in altitude is almost 11 meters!

Building area and attractions

The architectural ensemble of the square is represented by several interesting and valuable buildings. First and foremost is Gosprom, a construction that is considered a standard of Soviet constructivism. The building was built throughout 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 leaves for Freedom Square . It was erected in the early 30's in the same style as the building of "Gosprom." In its architecture, the main building of KhNU reminds famous Stalin 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 a tourist, whom fate brought to the Ukrainian city of Kharkov? Freedom Square is a must for any orientation tour of this metropolis. It is one of the ten largest areas in Europe, its dimensions are really impressive. In addition, the square is surrounded by a number of buildings and structures of historical and architectural value.