Kharkiv Guide: Ukrainian City with an Impressive Square

The journey to discover Kharkiv begins right at Freedom Square, which enchants visitors with an area of eleven hectares, making it one of the ten largest squares in the world. Freedom Square includes within its tree-lined ellipse the university and government buildings, such as the Derzhprom, the first Soviet skyscraper that now houses the Ministry of Industry. Especially during summer evenings, the square becomes a charming meeting point for both tourists and locals.
Thanks to its highly efficient three subway lines (open from 6 AM to midnight), Kharkiv allows tourists easy transportation. Leaving Freedom Square, head south towards Shevchenko Park, where you can admire statues of the revolutionary Lenin and the poet Taras Shevchenko. Inside the park, you can have fun at the largest and most famous zoo in Ukraine, the dolphinarium, and the available arcades. In the area closest to Freedom Square, during summer, charming open-air clubs and restaurants open their doors where you can taste the typical Borsch soup and traditional syrniki (cheese pancakes).
Continuing the itinerary southwards, you can admire the Pokrovskyi Monastery, while crossing to the other bank of the Lopan River, you can visit the Blahovishchenskyi Cathedral in Turkish style. If you prefer shopping, head north to the Tsentralny Rynok market, where you can find everything and more, from mechanical parts to typical local products such as shapki (fur hats).
Kharkiv also offers a series of very interesting museums: from the more traditional History Museum (at 5 Universytetska St.) to the more original World Sexual Cultures Museum (at 81a Mironositska St.).
It is worth noting that in 2012 Kharkiv hosted some matches of the European Football Championship.