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Svobody (freedom) square

Kharkiv main square is the largest square in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe.

This is the venue of festivals, concerts, fairs, rallies, meetings, and other public events. The central part of square is occupied by the State Industry Building or Derzhprom. This is one of city’s unique architectural and historic sights. It was built in 1925-1928 to become the first high-rise building in the country. The Derzhprom consists of a group of blocks connected by passages running on different levels. The building was designed by architects S.Serafimov, S.Kravets, and M.Feldher. The construction work was headed by prominent civil engineer and academician of architecture P.Rottert.

To the left of the Derzhprom is the building of the Kharkiv National University named after V.Karazin, one of the oldest and largest higher educational institutions founded in 1805. The University building has about 2,500 lecture rooms and laboratories.

A monument to the University founder V.Karazin is located nearby on the side of the Shevchenko Gardens. The monument was designed by sculptor I.M.Andreoletti and architect A.I.Beketov in 1906.

An eight-story building of the Hotel “Kharkiv” also faces the Svobody Square.

The square’s architectural ensemble is completed by the building of the Oblast Council of People’s Deputies erected in 1954 on site of the old one destroyed by Nazis during the war. The building was designed by architects V.Orekhov and V.Kostenko.

On the grounds of the T.Shevchenko Gardens there is an astronomical observatory of the Kharkiv National University founded in 1808. Scientists study solar processes, observe planets of the solar systems and satellites. For many years, the observatory was headed by a prominent scholar Academician N.P. Barabashov. In recent yeas, his name is more often associated with the Metro station named after this prominent scientist and Ukraine’s largest Barabashov Market. So, the T.Shevchenko Gardens provide an opportunity to recall who really was Academician Barabashov.

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