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.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, this area developed into an important marketplace where peasants from southern Ukraine and Bessarabia sold fruit, wine, and other goods — giving the square its name. In 1912, the Bessarabsky Market opened here as Kyiv’s first covered market, built with the support of philanthropist Lazar Brodsky. It quickly became one of the city’s architectural landmarks.
At the turn of the 20th century, the square evolved into a prestigious urban space with hotels and commercial buildings. Nearby, on Baseina Street, lived the family of Golda Meir, the future Prime Minister of Israel, who was born in Kyiv and spent her early childhood there.
Despite numerous historical upheavals — including wars, Soviet reconstruction, and post-Soviet transformations — Bessarabska Square has retained its role as a vibrant center of urban life. Today, the area is complemented by the underground shopping complex Metrohrad and the contemporary art center PinchukArtCentre, combining historical memory with the dynamic energy of modern Kyiv.