Разом нас богато (2005)
This square, cut into two parts by Khreschatik street, symbolises Kyiv for many tourists, but in ancient times this low-lying boggy area was outside the city walls and protected the city from attack.
However in the 21st century this area has become the epicentre of living history. Almost all of the key moments of Ukrainian history since independence have happened here. Most recently Euromaidan.
In the 19thC Maidan Nezalezhnosti was an elegant shopping area and park, but it was almost totally destroyed by the retreating Soviet army during WWII. Therefore the architecture today is almost uniformly 1950's "Stalinist baroque".
Now it has a metro station and shopping centre.
Let's explore it a bit further.
Emerging from the metro you come first of all into a large underpass below the street packed with souvenir shops. The underpass is covered in wacky mosaics.
This is probably the largest collection of tourist souvenir shops in the city.
Staying below ground the underpass leads you also through large glass doors into a two-storey underground shopping centre. Here you can find a number of designer Ukrainian fashion shops and a food court below a glass dome.
Exiting to street level at that side brings you into the arch-shaped end of the square, which is completed by a curved trio Stalinist buildings. These were on our TV screens throughout the Euromaidan in 2014. The building on the left houses three restaurants: A sushi restaurant; a Georgian and a Crimean one. The central building is the home of a fast food chain.
With your back to these three buildings there's a huge building covered in material on the left.
This is the former HQ of the Ukrainian trade unions. It formed the nerve centre of the Euromaidan.
The building was burned down during Euromaidan and around 40 people inside died.
On the right of the square is the main post office building.
This is the best place to post things back to Europe.
The Post Office also sells post cards and stamps.
Outside there is often a book stall.
In front of you is the second part of the square. This area has become a shrine to those fallen during Maidan also known locally as The Heavenly Hundreds. It is a focal point at weekends for rallys, some by veterans of Maidan and the conflict in the east, some by paramilitary groups.
On this side of the square there is also a few more useful things to check out.
First this is the location for the start of a route of the hop-on hop-off city tour bus. The tour is available in several languages and helps newcomers to get their bearings.
Nearby there is also a tourism kiosk that sells maps, guides and tickets for events.
Just behind it there's also public toilet.
Finally you can also get a lift to Mezhgoriya from here.
Mezhgoriya is the former private home of the President who fled the country after Euromaidan.
This massive complex with a zoo, golf course, parkland, sports centre and security block on the shores of the Kiev Lake is now open to the public.
What else would you recommend on the square?
The City Centre
KYIV DESTINATION: Around Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti)
This square, cut into two parts by Khreschatik street, symbolises Kyiv for many tourists, but in ancient times this low-lying boggy area was outside the city walls and protected the city from attack.
However in the 21st century this area has become the epicentre of living history. Almost all of the key moments of Ukrainian history since independence have happened here. Most recently Euromaidan.
In the 19thC Maidan Nezalezhnosti was an elegant shopping area and park, but it was almost totally destroyed by the retreating Soviet army during WWII. Therefore the architecture today is almost uniformly 1950's "Stalinist baroque".
Now it has a metro station and shopping centre.
Let's explore it a bit further.
Emerging from the metro you come first of all into a large underpass below the street packed with souvenir shops. The underpass is covered in wacky mosaics.
This is probably the largest collection of tourist souvenir shops in the city.
Exiting to street level at that side brings you into the arch-shaped end of the square, which is completed by a curved trio Stalinist buildings. These were on our TV screens throughout the Euromaidan in 2014. The building on the left houses three restaurants: A sushi restaurant; a Georgian and a Crimean one. The central building is the home of a fast food chain.
With your back to these three buildings there's a huge building covered in material on the left.
This is the former HQ of the Ukrainian trade unions. It formed the nerve centre of the Euromaidan.
The building was burned down during Euromaidan and around 40 people inside died.
On the right of the square is the main post office building.
This is the best place to post things back to Europe.
The Post Office also sells post cards and stamps.
Outside there is often a book stall.
On this side of the square there is also a few more useful things to check out.
First this is the location for the start of a route of the hop-on hop-off city tour bus. The tour is available in several languages and helps newcomers to get their bearings.
Nearby there is also a tourism kiosk that sells maps, guides and tickets for events.
Just behind it there's also public toilet.
Mezhgoriya is the former private home of the President who fled the country after Euromaidan.
This massive complex with a zoo, golf course, parkland, sports centre and security block on the shores of the Kiev Lake is now open to the public.
What else would you recommend on the square?
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