Postcard UA-952998

Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Ukrainian: Майдан Незалежності [maɪ̯dˈan nezal'ɛʒnosci], literally: Independence Square) is the central square[1] of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the city's main squares, it is located on Khreshchatyk Street in the Shevchenko Raion. The square has been known under many different names, but often it is called simply Maidan ("square").

In the 19th century, the square contained buildings of the city council and noble assembly.

Since the start of Ukraine's independence movement in 1990, the square has been the traditional place for political rallies, including four large-scale radical protest campaigns: the 1989 student "Revolution on Granite", the 2001 "Ukraine without Kuchma", the 2004 Orange Revolution, and the ongoing Euromaidan.[2] Besides, the Maidan is a traditional point for several non-political events such as the city's Christmas Tree and the various festivities annually held on the Ukraine Independence Day and Kiev City Day.