Name
Dzerzhinsky Square
Years of construction
1923-1932
Architect
Address
Freedom Square
An architectural project that has never been completed. Dzerzhinsky Square in Kharkiv
Freedom Square in Kharkiv In memory of Igor Lavrentyev, who inspired me for this article The territory of the modern Freedom Square had become a part of the city in 1886. Large areas from Rymarska Street almost to modern Kultury Street belonged to the University. In 1891, the construction of the University Scientific Medical Center began. Not all the buildings of that time have been preserved till now, but both complexes of Regional Hospital and the Museum of Nature are still remarkable. In 1923, the city authorities decided to create one more square on these lands. They held a closed contest, in which participated architects O. Beketov, O. Molokini, O. Eingorn, and V. Trotsenko. Victor Trotsenko's project was considered the best. The architect proposed to build a round square, with a system of radial and ring streets. The square was next to the park behind the wooden building of the University morgue, which faced Sumska Street opposite the modern building of the Regional Executive Committee. It was connected with the main road artery of the city - Sumska Street (then Karl Liebknecht street) only through a narrow Veterynarna Street (modern Svobody Street). The University Scientific Medical Center was built as a system of separate buildings in the middle of the garden. According to the plan of Trotsenko, this garden had to be expanded, and it was planned to build a cottage town around the round square. In 1925, it was decided to build the Palace of Industry (known as Derzhprom) in Kharkiv. For this purpose, the round square was considered a perfect place. At the same time, the city desperately needed a place for mass events (rallies, marches, parades), which were a sign of those times. Local architects did not consider the new square (local landfill) as a possible place for rallies. But Serhiy Serafimov proposed a very interesting urban planning and set a new dimension and a new concept for the entire square: the place in front of Derzhprom was considered a nationwide forum. So the previous project of the square lost its relevance. At the same time, there were other design competitions for buildings that were planned to erect on the territory of the square. In addition to the Derzhprom, there were built: the House of Design Organizations (1934, architects S. Serafimov, M. Zandberg-Serafimova), the House of Cooperation (1930, A. Dmitriev), the International Hotel (1935, G. Yanovytsky), House of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) (reconstruction 1932, architect Y. Steinberg). Therefore, the unique architectural ensemble was created by different architects. In 1929, the square named after Dzerzhinsky was in development. In 1930, the morgue and the building of the Medical Faculty on Sumska street were destroyed. With the building of the Chemistry Faculty of the University (destroyed during World War II) the square received a unique "retort-like" shape. In the 1930s, there were several design contests to combine two separate parts of the square. The ensemble of the square was badly damaged during World War II. All buildings, except the Derzhprom, were reconstructed in the style of Stalinist art deco. The rectangular part of the square was supplemented with new multi-story buildings of architectural institutions. The building of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party (architects V Orekhov and V. Kostenko) is the best example of Stalin's Art Deco in Kharkiv. The first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev had forbidden the reconstruction of Derzhprom. And architects had to hide the "Soviet firstborn" behind the trees of the new park so that it did not interfere with the grand beauty of the new ensemble. But the square still remained unfinished. In the 1960s, a contest was announced for the construction of a large cultural complex on the opposite side of the Kharkiv Hotel (formerly the International). But this project was not implemented, as well as a bunch of similar projects. There were built only the monument to Lenin (1963, demolished in 2014), the new high-rise building of the Kharkiv Hotel on the outskirts of the square, and the underground metro stations. In the early 2000s, the idea of underground centers under the round part of the square was widely discussed. And the project of the Premier Palace Hotel, winner of the architectural competition, was an issue for professional discussion. While the debate took place, the developer invited a third-party architect who created a building that looks alien to local architecture. Today the discussion continues whether there is a need to supplement the complex of Freedom Square with new buildings? How to combine convenience, historical value, and environmental friendliness? How to make the square look modern but preserve the historical heritage? Olga Shvydenko
Dzerzhinsky Square / Square / Freedom Square
Trotsenko V. and others / 1923-1932 / Freedom Square
Square / Constructivism
It is recommended to take care of as a architectural monument / reconstructed
Romanticism of Industrial Revolution
Influence of classical art
Constructivism
Art Deco
Influence of Ukrainian folk architecture
Influence of European Modern architecture
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