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Hotel Ukraine

Hotel Ukraine received its first guests in September, 1961. Since its beginning the hotel was called Moscow and just in 2001, on Kiev government initiative, it was given the new name. Hotel Ukraine is located in Kiev downtown. The high-rise building is placed on the hill above Square of Independence (Maidan Nezalejnosti) and is visible from every corner of this square.

At the turn of the 18 century, Pechersky plateau spur, covered with lime grove, was located at the place of the present hotel. On the one side there was the old Ivanovskaya road, known since the Kievan Russia times, on the other side – the road, leading to the Trade Baths. The street, laid here in the beginning of 19 century, changed its name several times. At first it was Ivanovskaya, then Begichevskaya, in honour of general Begichev, whose estate located here. Later, in 1842, the street was renamed in Institutskaya (in honour of Institute for Noble Maidens, built here in 1842). It’s named so till now.

In the end of 19 – beginning of 20 century, the active building was started on Institutskaya street and the land became the most expensive in Kiev. In 1912 the first tower block appeared at the future hotel place. It was built by contractor Ginsburg and was known as "Ginsburg skyscraper". The building consisted of 11 floors and 94 roomy flats; the ground floor was occupied by shops. Two-level mansion of Lev Borisovich Ginsburg was built nearby.

During Great Patriotic War, on September 24, 1941, in fifth day of the fascist occupation, guided missiles, put by NCHA (National Commissariat if Home Affairs), began explode on Kreschatik. As a result, Ginsburg house was destroyed as well as Kiev downtown and Kreschatik. After Kiev liberation, the building frame was blown up during the city clearing.

When the tenders for the best project of Kiev restoration were invited on June 22, 1944, many architects suggested building of the new high block on the hill in the city downtown. During this project realization, in 1953, Council of Ministers of USSR adopted the resolution about the construction of the new hotel on Kreschatik. The hotel technical plan had been developing and coordinating for a long time; architects from all over USSR took part in this work, a lot of versions were rejected and, finally, the variant of architects Dobrovolsky A.V., Priymak B.I., Sozansky V.A., Miletsky A.M., Kosenok A.Y. and engineers Pechenov O.M., Linovich L.E., Vlasov A. was approved. Thereby the Moscow hotel building began in 1954, later renamed in Hotel Ukraine. The hotel building became the first high-rise one in Kiev again.

Spreading then struggle against "architectural extravagances" also obstructed the building. It was difficult to show creative initiative and individuality in atmosphere of political control and only high level of specialist enabled the architecture be equal to the occasion. The hotel Ukraine project was also reduced. Its developers didn’t manage to uphold the primary concept and the building lost its top part. In the building members memoirs it is told about the following fact: during one of his visit to Kiev, N.S. Khrushchev inquired about the hotel top which project he had seen. Having listened the answer, Khrushchev observed that the decree about the architectural extravagances and storey limit concerned only dwelling houses and not the unique architectural monuments, but unfortunately it was too late.

Despite everything, hotel Moscow (Ukraine) was opened in Kiev downtown in 1962. The hotel building is presented on many pictures of Kiev and became the visiting card of Maidan Nezalejnosti. Despite modern buildings of the last years, concentrated on the square, the hotel is an important architectural element of Kiev downtown.