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The hotel lobby
It is a working hotel. The upper rooms look out over Independence Square and Khreshchatyk. Before you travel, check whether the hotel is taking guests and find out about the situation in the city.
Kyiv
Hotel Ukraine in Kyiv
The Kyiv sister that never got its spire. It was designed as a Stalinist skyscraper but finished under Khrushchev in a simplified form.
At a glance
- Can you go in
- It is a working hotel
- Best view
- From Independence Square and Khreshchatyk
- Architect
- Anatoly Dobrovolsky and his team
History
Before the war the Ginzburg skyscraper stood on this site, an 11-storey apartment house of 1912 and the tallest building in Kyiv at the time. In September 1941 it was destroyed along with the city centre.
After the war it was decided to put a new high-rise here to complete the Khreshchatyk ensemble. It was designed in the spirit of the Moscow skyscrapers, with a tower and a spire reaching 120 to 150 metres.
But in 1955 the fight against architectural excess began. Floors were cut, the spire was dropped, and the building rose to only 66 metres.
The hotel opened on 28 September 1961 under the name Moskva. In 2001, for the tenth anniversary of Ukrainian independence, it was renamed Ukraine.
© Thomas Taylor Hammond (1920-1993), CC BY-SA 4.0Architecture and numbers
The building stands on a hill above Independence Square, so it looks taller than it is. Without a spire it looks more austere than its Moscow sisters, but the silhouette of the tower with its stepped sides is instantly recognisable.
66 mheight
120–150 mheight in the first design
1961year opened
2001year renamed
What is inside and can you go in
It is a working hotel, so you can visit the lobby without staying.
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People behind the building
Anatoly Dobrovolsky
Architect
Chief architect of Kyiv in the postwar years and one of the authors of the Khreshchatyk ensemble. The hotel became part of his plan for the city centre.
Where to take photos
View of the building. Independence Square © Волтарс, CC BY-SA 4.0
View of the building. Independence Square © Wildcatjane, CC BY-SA 4.0
Independence Square
From the square you see the hotel at the top of the hill above the fountains and the Independence Monument.
Instytutska Street
From the street that climbs up from the Maidan you see the building from the side, with the tiers of its tower.
Where to stay nearby
Hotel in the skyscraper itself
Hotel Ukraine with views of the Maidan and Khreshchatyk.
Hotels on Khreshchatyk
Kyiv’s main street, at the foot of the hotel.
What to see nearby
Walking times are from the hotel.
Map
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Address
Ukraine, Kyiv, Instytutska Street 4
Getting there
Maidan Nezalezhnosti metroabout 5 minutes
- Exit onto Independence Square.
- The hotel stands on the hill above the square, reached by Instytutska Street.
Other Moscow skyscrapers
1
Moscow State University Main Building
2
Hotel Ukraina
3
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building
4
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
5
Kudrinskaya Square Building
6
Red Gates Building
7
Hotel Leningradskaya
Moscow State University Main Building
2
Hotel Ukraina
3
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building
4
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
5
Kudrinskaya Square Building
6
Red Gates Building
7
Hotel Leningradskaya
Never built
More “sisters”
FAQ
Why does Hotel Ukraine in Kyiv have no spire?
The spire was dropped during construction after the 1955 decree on eliminating architectural excess.
What was the hotel called before?
From its opening in 1961 until 2001 it was called Moskva.
How tall is Hotel Ukraina?
66 metres. In the first design, with a spire, it would have been 120 to 150 metres.
Why does the Kyiv hotel have no spire?
In 1955 the fight against architectural excess began. The design was simplified, floors were cut and the spire was dropped.