Kharkiv

Kharkiv grew as an industrial and university city and was the Ukrainian capital in the 1920s, which is when its defining building went up: Derzhprom, finished in 1928, a group of reinforced concrete blocks linked by bridges on Freedom Square, one of the first high-rise office complexes in Europe and a landmark of constructivism. The square itself is among the largest in Europe. A dozen universities give the centre its character.

Background

Kharkiv is the second-largest city in Ukraine and the largest in the historic region of Sloboda Ukraine, with an estimated 1,421,125 residents in 2022. Founded in 1654, it had grown by the late 19th century into a major centre of trade and industry. The city covers 350 km², the metropolitan area 3223 km², and it lies at 152 m above sea level across 9 districts. Principal landmarks include Derzhprom on Freedom Square, the Annunciation and Dormition cathedrals, the National University of Kharkiv, the Kharkiv Railway Station and the Kharkiv Tractor Factory. Machinery and electronics have been leading industries.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kharkiv"

What's there

• Derzhprom - the 1928 constructivist complex of linked concrete blocks.
• Freedom Square - one of the largest squares in Europe, with the university on it.
• The Annunciation cathedral - a striped brick cathedral of the 1880s.
• The university quarter - the institutions the city's life runs on.

When to go

May to September is the most comfortable. The city is at its liveliest in term time. Winters are cold and grey.

Practical notes

The city is spread out and the sights are far apart; the metro is the practical way around. Museum opening is unreliable and should be checked. Much of the centre is workaday Soviet fabric.

Nearby

Sharivka Palace is west, and Parkhomivka is southwest.

Key facts