Bessarabska Square is one of the key urban hubs in the center of Kyiv, located at the intersection of Khreshchatyk, Velyka Vasylkivska Street, Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Krutyi Descent, and Baseina Street. In the 18th–19th centuries, the crossroads of streets and routes was transformed into a marketplace. Peasants from southern Ukraine and Bessarabia brought fruits, wine, and other goods here, which gave the future square its name. Soon, Bessarabka became a lively commercial center of the city and an important trade venue.
A pivotal moment in the history of the square was the construction of the Bessarabsky Market, the first indoor market in Kyiv, opened on July 3, 1912. It was built with funds donated by philanthropist Lazar Brodsky and quickly became one of the city’s most notable architectural landmarks. The market survived Soviet transformations, the war, and the post-war reconstruction, retaining its original appearance. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, large hotels and commercial buildings emerged around it, and in 2001 a subterranean shopping center, “Metrograd,” was opened beneath the square.
Today, Bessarabska Square is a blend of history, commerce, and urban dynamism — one of the vibrant symbols of central Kyiv.