Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kyiv (Kiev)

As Kiev's main plaza and gathering place, Maidan Nezalezhnosti has served as the site of many influential protest movements and rallies throughout Ukraine's recent history. Though the site developed as a residential area during the 1800s, the destruction during World War II caused the area to be rebuilt in Stalinist style. Visit the square for yourself to admire the triumphal sculptures and angel-topped pillar. Envision the crowds that gathered here in 1989 and 1990 at the start of Ukraine's bid for independence from the Soviet Union, in 2004 during the Orange Revolution that marked its transition into infant democracy, and again one decade later in the Euromaidan protests. PutMaidan Nezalezhnosti into our Kyiv (Kiev) online tour itinerary maker and find out what's close by, where to stay, and where to head next.