Besarabsky Market

Coordinates: 50°26′33″N 30°31′18″E / 50.44250°N 30.52167°E / 50.44250; 30.52167

The Besarabsky Market (Ukrainian: Бесарабський ринок, Besarabs'kyi rynok), also referred to as the Besarabka (Ukrainian: Бесарабка), is an indoor market located in the center of Kiev on the Bessarabska Square at the southwest end of the city's main thoroughfare, the Khreshchatyk. Constructed in 1910-1912 to a design of Polish architect Henryk Julian Gay, the market features 896 square metres (9,640 sq ft) of market space.

Its name originates from Bessarabia, a region conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Turkish Wars and now partially located in southwestern Ukraine on the territory of the Odessa Oblast (province).

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Kiev

Kiev (/ˈkiːɛf, -ɛv/) or Kyiv (Ukrainian: Київ [ˈkɪjiu̯]; Russian: Киев [ˈkʲiɪf]) is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population in July 2013 was 7006284720000000000♠2,847,200 (though higher estimated numbers have been cited in the press), making Kiev the 8th largest city in Europe.

Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.

The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders (see Name, below). During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial centre as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kiev was a tributary of the Khazars, until seized by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours; first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia.

Khreshchatyk

Khreshchatyk (Ukrainian: Хрещатик, Khreshchatyk;) is the main street of Kiev, Ukraine. The street has a length of 1.2 km. 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 located buildings of the Kiev City Administration 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.

The entire street was completely destroyed during World War II by the retreating Red Army troops and rebuilt in the neo-classical style of post-war Stalinist architecture. Among prominent buildings that did not survive were the Kiev City Duma, the Kiev Stock Exchange, Hotel Natsional, the Ginzburg House. The street has been significantly renovated during the modern period of Ukraine's independence. Today, the street is still significant to administrative and business city organizations, as well as a popular tourist attraction.

European Square

European Square may refer to:

See also

Bessarabska Square

Coordinates: 50°26′32″N 30°31′14″E / 50.44222°N 30.52056°E / 50.44222; 30.52056

The Bessarabska Square (Ukrainian: Бессарабська площа, Bessarabs'ka ploscha) 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.

Until the late 1840s, the square was located on the outskirts of town, where immigrants from Bessarabia in the southern regions of Ukraine would come to sell their products. Nowadays, the Bessarabska Square is one of three squares of the Khreshchatyk street complex, the others being the Maidan Nezalezhnosti and the European Square, located in the street's center and northeastern end, respectively.

Attractions

The Bessarabska Square, named for the large indoor Besarabsky Market (1910–1912) located at its northern end, offers a few attractions: the relatively new office and shopping Mandarin Plaza complex, which is located on the southern end of the square, and the Metrohrad Shopping Complex (built in 2001) located underground, near the Khreshchatyk metro station. Kiev's main monument to Vladimir Lenin was also located on the square on the Taras Shevchenko Boulevard until it was pulled down and destroyed by anti-Government protestors in December 2013.