Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Ukrainian: Майдан Незалежності[mɐjˈdɑn nezɐˈlɛʒnosʲtʲi], literally: Independence Square) is the central square[1] of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the city's main squares, it is located on Khreshchatyk Street in the Shevchenko Raion. The square has been known under many different names, but often it is called simply Maidan ("square").
In the 19th century, the square contained buildings of the city council and noble assembly.
Since the start of Ukraine's independence movement in 1990, the square has been the traditional place for political rallies, including four large-scale radical protest campaigns: the 1990 student "Revolution on Granite", the 2001 "Ukraine without Kuchma", the 2004 Orange Revolution, and the 2013–14 Euromaidan.[2] Maidan is also a regular site for non-political displays and events, however since 2014 most of them were moved to Sofiyivska Square or elsewhere, because making entertainment on a place where people were killed during Euromaidan was considered inappropriate. Most notably, Christmas Fairs and New Year celebrations were moved to Sofiyivska Square.[3]
The square received its current name Майдан НезалежностіMajdan Nezaležnosti "Independence Square" in 1991 in the aftermath of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Maidan is a Ukrainian word for "square, open space", Maidan is widely used in South Asia to refer to an open space in or near a town, used as a parade ground or for events such as public meetings. From Urduمیدان (maidān), and its source, Persianمیدان (meydân, "town-square or central place of gathering"), from Arabicمَيْدَان (maydān), itself an Iranian borrowing ultimately from Proto-Indo-European*médʰyos. Compare Avestan (maiδya), Sanskrit मध्य (madhya), Latin medius.
City squares called Maidan Nezalezhnosti are also found in Khmelnytskyi[4] and Sumy.[5]Kropyvnytskyi, Kremenchuk and Odessa have "Independent Squares" named Ploshcha Nezalezhnosti (using the more familiar ploshcha rather than maidan for "square").
Independence Square is one of three squares located along Khreshchatyk, close to the northeastern end of the street. It is situated close to European Square, which is the terminal end of Khreshchatyk. Besides Khreshchatyk, which splits the square in half, several other streets lead to the square. These include Architect Horodecki Street, Institute Street, Michael Street, Kosciol Street, Minor Zhytomyr Street, Sophia Street, Taras Shevchenko Lane, and Boris Hrinchenko Street.[citation needed]
The square itself is a multi-level location. At ground level is the intersection of Khreshchatyk, which splits Institute Street (vulytsia Instytutska), and Michael Street (vulytsia Mykhailivska). Underneath the square, the Obolonsko–Teremkivska line of the Kiev Metro stretches across with its station Maidan Nezalezhnosti located underground.[citation needed] Also the "Hlobus" mall is situated underneath the square.
Until the 10th century, the future square's site, as well as the rest of Khreshchatyk, was called Perevisyshch.[citation needed] It was located just to the south of the Kiev City, beyond which were located territories of the Cave Monastery (Kiev-Pechersky) along the Dnipro River.
At the lower end of Sofiivska vulytsia (Sofia Street), which led to the High City, stood one of the three main gates of Old Kyiv (Yaroslav's City), the Lyadski Gates; the other two were the Golden Gates and Zhydivski Gates. Those gates are also mentioned in 1151, and around them lived the Polish population of the city, Lacka Sloboda. The Lyadksi Gates were destroyed during the storm of city by the Mongol army of Batu Khan in 1240.
Sometime during the 18th century, the new Pecherski Gates were erected; they stood until 1833. Until the early 19th century, the area was a low-lying vacant ground known as Goat Swamp (Kozyne Boloto).
In the 1830s, the first wooden dwellings were built on the site, and in the 1850s stone buildings appeared. The most famous Ukrainian writer, Taras Shevchenko lived in that area in 1859, in a building between Mala Zhytomyrska (Little Zhytomyr) and Mykhailivska vulytsia (Michael's Street).
Development rapidly intensified after the mid-19th century, when the territory gradually became the commercial center of Kiev, which underwent an immense boom during the Russian Industrial Revolution, becoming the third most important city in the Russian Empire. Until 1871, it was called the Khreshchatitskaya Ploshchad (Khreshchatyk Square); it was a location for the local market and folk entertainment. In 1876 the Kiev City Duma building was built here, and the area became to be known as the Dumskaya Ploshchad (Duma Square). A line from the Kiev tram, the first electric tram built in the Russian Empire (opened 1892) reached the square in 1894.
In 1913 in front of the City Duma, a monument of Pyotr Stolypin (who was assassinated in Kiev in 1911) was constructed, and it stood there until March 1917 at the dawn of the Revolutionary war within the Empire.
Much of the square was destroyed in the Second World War.[citation needed]
In 1919 the square was renamed Soviet Square. Beginning in 1935 it was called Kalinin Square, after Mikhail Kalinin, the first chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
During the first couple of years after the war, the square was completely rebuilt from scratch. It was architecturally integrated with the newly constructed Khreshchatyk in the typical (for the time) neo-classicalStalinist architecture. The newly constructed Kiev Central Post Office and Trade-Union House with its high-rise clock located in the square, is very well known and frequently appears in pictures of the center of the city.
In 1976-77, as a part of metro construction, much of the square was again rebuilt, and it was renamed October Revolution Square (Ploshcha Zhovtnevoyi revolyutsii). During the reconstruction, the massive cubist monument to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution was put up as was the complex ensemble of fountains.
During the Soviet period, the square was used for demonstrations and parades in honor of May 1 (until 1969), Victory Day and the October Revolution.
After Ukraine's independence in 1991, the square was given its current name. The competing proposal of Liberty Square (Ploshcha Svobody) was raised at the time as well as in the years to follow, but the current name commemorating the Ukrainian independence is now firmly associated with the square (see the section below).
In 2001, as the square was the major center of the "Ukraine without Kuchma" mass protest campaign, the new extensive construction of the area was abruptly ordered by the Kiev mayor of the time, Oleksandr Omelchenko. The square was fenced off for construction and became inaccessible for the protesters and many observers claimed that the main goal of the project ordered by the city mayor was to disrupt the
protests,[6][7][8][9] especially since similar tactics were commonly used by local authorities throughout Ukraine.
Following the construction, the old familiar look of the square, with its many fountains, was significantly altered and the public reaction to the new look of the square was mixed at first.[10] However, by now the square's monument to Kyi, Schek and Khoryv, the legendary founders of Kiev, the folklore hero Cossack Mamay, the city's historic protector Archangel Michael as well as a more modern invention, the protecting goddess Berehynia, and the many glass domes are easily recognisable as parts of the modern city centre.
A mostly underground shopping mall called Hlobus was built under the square to replace the old and shabby giant underpass formerly dubbed by Kievans as "Truba" (the Tube).
Trade-Unions House was severely damaged during the fire in February 2014, so later it went through a reconstruction.
Future developments of the square include the demolition of the old "Ukrayina" hotel (formerly hotel "Moskva"), and building a new 68-floor building instead.
As the central Kiev square, following the end of Soviet era the Maidan has been the centre of public political activity. In the autumn of 1990, students' protests and hunger strikes also known as the Revolution on Granite at the Maidan resulted in the resignation of the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR Vitaliy Masol.[11][12]
In the 2000s the biggest political protests in Ukraine, such as the Ukraine without Kuchma campaign and the Orange Revolution took place in this square. During the Orange Revolution in late 2004, Maidan Nezalezhnosti received global media coverage, as hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in the square and nearby streets, and pitched tents for several weeks, enduring the cold and snow. One of the eminent activists during that time became Paraska Korolyuk. The protests against electoral fraud resulted in an additional round of presidential elections being ordered by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, which were won by the opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko.
Following his election as the President of Ukraine, and after taking the official oath in the parliament, Yushchenko took a public oath at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in front of his numerous supporters.
After the Orange Revolution, Maidan Nezalezhnosti continues to attract political protesters, but no protest related event has ever approached the scale of the Orange protests.[13][14] Mass rallies for political candidates, however, have attracted large numbers, with the 2009 "Batkivshchyna" party congress (during which Yulia Tymoshenko was nominated as a candidate for president) being a notable example that brought nearly 200,000 people to the square.
The square was the site of Euromaidan protests beginning in November 2013, progressing to violent clashes, fires, and ending in the February 2014 Ukrainian revolution.[15] The square was covered in protesters all day and night since 1 December 2013.[16][17][18] On 27 January 2014, Ukrainian police reported a 55-year-old man from Western Ukraine found dead hanging from the framework of a huge artificial 'New Year tree' in central Kiev. The body was found hanging inside the cone-shaped tubular steel construction on Kiev's Independence Square. The tree, which had become a symbol of anti-government resistance, was at that time decorated with a poster of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and scrawled with graffiti opposing President Viktor Yanukovich.[16][17][18] The 2014 Ukrainian revolution of the following month led to more than 100 people perished.[19]
^"Київська влада оприлюднила план святкування Нового року та Різдва" [Kiev government published the plan of New Year and Christmas celebrations] (in Ukrainian). Тиждень.ua. November 6, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2019. But, like in previous year, considering the events of winter of 2013-2014, no celebrations are planned on Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
^Strikha, Maksim. Київ моєї пам'яті й надії. Ukrainian Republican Party "Sobor" (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
Khreshchatyk is the main street of Kyiv, Ukraine. The street has a length of 1.2km. It stretches from the European Square (northeast) through the Maidan and to Bessarabska Square (southwest) where the Besarabsky Market is located. Along the street are the offices of the Kiev City Council which contains both the city's council and the state administration, the Main Post Office, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the State Committee of Television and Radio Broadcasting, the Central Department Store (TsUM), the Besarabka Market, the Ukrainian House, and others.
European Square (Kiev)
European Square is a square located in what is known as the Old Town or the Upper Town, in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 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.
Khreshchatyk (Kiev Metro)
Khreshchatyk is a station on the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line of the Kiev Metro. The station is named for the Khreshchatyk street, the most central street in Kiev. The station was opened in 1960 along with the first stage of the Metro. It The station is pylon trivault that features ceramic Ukrainian ornaments framed by metallic grills on the central hall sides of the pylons. White marble is used elsewhere, particularly for the walls and the main pylon frames. The ceiling is covered in white plaster and lighting comes from hidden lamps in the niches of the central vault and a central row of lamps.
Ukrainian House
The International Convention Center "Ukrainian House" is the largest international exhibition and convention center in Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine. Popularly referred to as just "Ukrainian House", this five-storey building is the host venue for a variety of events from exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences to international association meetings, product launches, banquets, TV-ceremonies, sporting events, etc.
Kiev City Duma building
The Kiev City Duma building housed Kiev City Duma before World War II. The building was located on the then Dumskaya Ploschad of the Khreschatyk street and stood in the centre of it.
Shevchenkivskyi District, Kiev
The Shevchenkivskyi District is an urban district of the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It was originally established on 4 April 1937, although in 2001 its area was increased following an annexation of the former Radianskyi and Starokyivskyi districts.
Victory Square, Kiev
The Victory Square in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is a large square in the city, dedicated to victory in World War II. The square is located on the Kiev's main westward thoroughfare being its one of the main transportation hubs.
Obolonsko–Teremkivska Line
The Obolonsko–Teremkivska line, is the second line of the Kiev Metro, first opened in 1976, it extended northwards along the right bank of the Dnieper river and began deviating from the river towards the southwest. As the current stations were built in the 1970s and 1980s, architecturally the line shows some of the best examples of late-Soviet architectural features. It is generally coloured blue on the maps.
Bessarabska Square
The Bessarabska Square is a square located at the southwest end of Khreshchatyk, the main thoroughfare of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is located in the city's Shevchenko Raion (district), at the busy intersection of Khreshchatyk, Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Velyka Vasylkivska Street, and the Krutyi Descent streets.
Euromaidan
Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kiev. The protests were sparked by the Ukrainian government's decision to suspend the signing of an association agreement with the European Union, instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. The scope of the protests soon widened, with calls for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych and his government. The protests were fueled by the perception of "widespread government corruption", "abuse of power", and "violation of human rights in Ukraine". Transparency International named President Yanukovych as the top example of corruption in the world. The situation escalated after the violent dispersal of protesters on 30 November, leading to many more protesters joining. The protests led to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
Vladimir Lenin monument, Kiev
The Vladimir Lenin monument in Kiev was a statue dedicated to, Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It became noticed as being directly involved in the Euromaidan events when it was violently toppled from its pedestal and crushed by an angry mob on December 8, 2013. Later in its place, a golden toilet was installed atop the pedestal as a metaphorical symbol of state corruption, and since then, it has become a site of political artwork.
Maidan People's Union
The Maidan People's Union is an alliance in Ukraine formed by several political parties and non-partisan individuals and public organizations on the fifth Sunday of the Euromaidan-protests with the aim of "building a new Ukraine and a new Ukrainian government"
by creating a new Ukrainian constitution, and removing corrupt judges and prosecutors. It also aims to organize opposition to the current regime and to coordinate the protest movement in all regions of the country. In practise this means broadening support for the goals of the organization in the pro-government and pro-presidential heartland East Ukraine.
Trade Unions Building (Kiev)
The Trade Unions Building, or Budynok Profspilok, is a large office building in Kiev, Ukraine. Located on the city's main Khreshchatyk Street, its façade faces the central Maidan Nezalezhnosti square and contains the city's main clock tower.
Hrushevsky Street (Kiev)
Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Street or simply Hrushevskyi Street is a street in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
Timeline of the Euromaidan
The Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with very large public protests demanding closer European integration. The scope of the protests evolved over subsequent months, culminating in resignation of Azarov's government and ousting of President Yanukovych. Protesters also have stated they joined because of the dispersal of protesters on 30 November and "a will to change life in Ukraine". By 25 January 2014 the protests had been fueled by the perception of widespread government corruption, abuse of power, and violation of human rights in Ukraine.
Spilna Sprava
Spilna Sprava is a Ukrainian radical opposition group, which came into existence in December 2010 during the 2010 Maidan protests in Kiev against the fiscal policies of the Government of Ukraine. It advocated honest parliamentary and local elections, people's control over parliament between elections and fiscal reform. As a political pressure group, Spilna Sprava embraced non-parliamentary means of political mobilization, along with the Right Sector it formed a radical wing of the Euromaidan. The usage of upside-down national colors represents a political standpoint and symbolizes national emergency, protest and call for action.
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