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History of names of Independence Square

It's no secret how you name the ship - so it will sail. But few people know that a place called "Independence Square" had the same independent names like itself.

Like all the stories of the great squares, the story of Maidan began with the area covered by impenetrable brushwood. Up to the tenth century, this region was named Perevesische in honor of excess - a grid with the help of which people hunted small animals and birds. Already in the late XVIII - early XIX century, this area became a vacant lot named "Goat's Bog". It often happens that guides and tour guides, in order to emphasize the contrast between the times, astonish listeners by shocking facts that this name has a literal meaning.We should disappoint these swindlers and “romantics” because historians of the time confirm that the name is applied to the tract, and later to the shopping area, situated on the place of the long-suffering Maidan. And how can they imagine - a bog at the place where even at that time was an entrance to the city - Lyadsky gate? It is difficult to imagine a bog filled with goats right at the entrance to the glorious Kiev city.

Going into details, we learn that it was a bog, but it was in a nearby today's lane of Taras Shevchenko. Ironically, in those good times this street was called Kozebolotnoy Street (Goat's Bog) or just Kozinkoy ( Goat) . It is easy to guess that the name went to the territory of the Maidan due to its exceptional coloring, rather than the physical characteristics of the bog as such.

But the story goes on, and we get to the 1830s, when the authorities finally found time to take down the defensive walls, which cut the Square in two parts. It wasn't worth tinkering with the name, and the area was named after the adjoining street Khreschatyk - Khreschatytska Square. But even this name did not last long: in 1876 there was building of city council, and the place had to rename in the Duma Square. In 1913, a monument to Stolypin was installed here - fearless premiere of tsar's Russia, who had died two years earlier.

The history of Maidan as a part of the Russian Empire finished at that moment and continued to exist in the power of council. These "council" was not very creativity that we can clearly see from the name, they gave to the Duma Square at that time. If you have not guessed yet, this will tell you a secret: the name was changed into "Soviet". After a while, videlicet in 1935, "Soviet publicists" nevertheless managed to complicate the name, though not gone very far into their ideological pioneering. The place was called Kalinin Square - in honor of one of the main leaders of the revolutionary movement.Such toponymic motion cannot be called as original because the prevalence of the names of streets and squares in honor of Mikhail Kalinin could successfully compete with the prevalence of such in honor of V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin), and those were just in every city.

After the Second World War, considerable proportion of Kalinin Square was destroyed and was liable to be reconstructed. Site development was being carried out on both sides of the street Khreschatyk - odd and even, when previously the Square located purely on the even side. Contemporary look of Independence Square is under an obligation to the Soviet buildings of 1950 - 1970's. In 1977, the monument of Oktyabrskoy (October's) revolution illuminated Square with its proletarian spirit and the name changed to the Square of Oktyabrskaya Revolution.

Ukraine obtained its independence in 1991 and its present name at the same time. In 10 years, in 2001 a capital restructuring was made: all around Maidan appeared fountains, and a couple of shopping malls underground. Resembling a triumphal arch, updated Lyadsky gate serves as a pedestal for the archangel Michael, who suspiciously similar to Batman. Residents and politicians repeatedly point out to this non-trivial fact.

It is important to remind that during the reconstruction, it was not restricted with one monument. The main asset of contemporary Maidan is the so-called Independence Monument. Few people know the reason why the monument symbolizes independence. It is noteworthy that before the reconstruction a monument to Lenin was at this place. Majority perceive this woman with uncertain grass in hands as a "loving mother, who symbolizes hospitality and Ukraine itself." In colloquial language, she has a name "Galya", and in some special cases, they call her "sissy with barbecue" - a name which, for all its vulgarity, is great for the description of the monument.When trying to find out what is really symbolizes this architectural element composition of Independence Square, it is explained by the fact that the monument combines the projects of three sculptors. It turns out that this statue is Virgin Mary dressed in Ukrainian national costume and holding in hands arrow-wood branch. Decoding of the character is not a problem. Ukrainian culture is a consequence of mixing Christianity with national elements and paganism. Just three of these components form the basis of the composition in this case. The monument says: "This is all that we have, but we are proud of it and independent." Under such slogan Maidan got his fame in 2004 - the time of the Orange Revolution.