Description of the attraction
Kontraktova Square is the main square of Kiev Podil. This is one of the oldest squares in Kiev, known since pre-Mongol times. It was she who, after the capture of Kiev by the troops of Batu and until the end of the 19th century, remained the city center. During its existence, the square changed its name several times, being called either Red or Aleksandrovskaya. Kontraktova Ploshcha received its present name thanks to the Kontraktova Fair, which was once located here, where merchants signed contracts for the wholesale supply of various products. This was due to the fact that not far from the square was the Kiev port - the main source of supply of goods. And although over time the significance of the fair gradually faded away, since the dynamically developing railways entered into force, nevertheless, the name of the square has remained to this day.
A number of buildings of cultural and historical value are located on Kontraktova Square. Among these attractions, the most interesting is Gostiny Dvor, built in 1809 and rebuilt in 1828 and 1980-1982, thanks to which the two-story building turned into a three-story one, as the authors of the project intended. Also here you can see the building of the famous Kiev-Mohyla Academy, founded in 1632 and for more than one century was one of the main centers of education in Eastern Europe. In addition, on Kontraktova Square there is a well-fountain "Samson", built in the middle of the 18th century and restored in 1982, a monument to the outstanding Ukrainian teacher and philosopher Grigory Skovoroda and the equally famous hetman Pyotr Konashevich-Sagaidachny. Also of interest is the building of the Sinai courtyard, which today houses the administration of the National Bank of Ukraine.
