Khreshchatyk

The Khreshchatyk (Ukrainian Хрещатик; Russian Крещатик / Khreschatyk ) is the central street of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The Khreshchatyk firstly has the function of a six-lane main road, on the other hand due to its wide sidewalks of 80 to 100 meters wide boulevard is also boulevard. On weekends and some holidays the Khreshchatyk is closed during the day for car traffic and thus temporarily pedestrianized.

The street name is derived from the Slavic word krest or Chrest from ( the cross).

Course of the road

The Khreshchatyk extends to a length of 1.2 kilometers from the European Square to Bessarabska Square, so from northeast to southwest. He crosses the Maidan Nezalezhnosti ( Independence Square ). The metro stations " Maidan Nezalezhnosti " and " Khreshchatyk " lie directly under the boulevard. Below the road lie the shopping centers "Metro degrees " and " globe ".

Directly on Khreshchatyk are important and representative buildings, such as the building of the City Council and City Parliament ( Ukr Київрада ), the General Post Office, the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine and the built in style of constructivism, central store " TO " ( ЦУМ ).

While on the road side with even numbers long and high blocks dominate that serve mostly for administrative purposes, emboss on the side with the odd numbers houses in sugar baker's style, such as the 85 -meter-high residential building Khreshchatyk 25, the street scene. In their ground floors are shops and cafes. Is located at the entrance to the house number 19a Khreshchatyk subway station with underground connection to the Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station.

History

The Khreshchatyk was to the 19th century, a barely -developed connection between the districts Podil, Pechersk and the Upper Town. In the second half of the 19th century, he then became the central Promeniermeile Kiev and the commercial and business center. 1892, the first electric tram line of Russia here.

As early as the year 1945 began the reconstruction of the Khreshchatyk, there was a largely harmonious ensemble in the style of Soviet architecture of Stalinism ( Socialist Classicism ).