65 Years of Hotel Ukraine: From Kyiv’s Lost Skyscraper to a Wartime Landmark

Hotel Ukraine is one of Kyiv’s most recognizable high-rise buildings. Opened in 1961 in the heart of the capital, it was built as part of the postwar reconstruction of Khreshchatyk and the city center. On Sept. 28, the landmark will mark its 65th anniversary.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. But the story of the building begins long before 1961 – with another Kyiv skyscraper that did not survive the war. Before Hotel Ukraine stood here, the site was occupied by the Ginzburg Building, an 11-story early 20th-century landmark built by Kyiv businessman and developer Lev Ginzburg. Completed in 1912, it was one of the tallest buildings in Kyiv and among the early high-rises in Eastern Europe. Instytutska Street, with L. Ginzburg’s 12-story skyscraper, 1930s. (Photo via the Hotel Ukraine.) The building housed apartments and shops, while Ginzburg’s own residence stood at the rear of the property. It was destroyed in September 1941, when central Kyiv was devastated during World War II. After the war, Soviet authorities sought to create a new architectural landmark on the site and reshape Kyiv’s skyline. A series of proposals followed. The project was eventually developed by a team led by architect Anatolii Dobrovolskyi, with architects including Abraham Miletskyi, Borys Pryimak, Vadym Sozanskyi, and Anatolii Kosenko. Other Topics of Interest Budanov Announces Major POW Exchange With Russia as Early as Next Week Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov said a possible exchange could come “very quickly,” though no date or number of prisoners had been disclosed. Collage via Kyiv Post The original concept was considerably more ambitious than the building Kyiv knows today. Inspired in part by the monumental high-rises being built in Soviet cities, the hotel was initially planned as a much taller structure, with a tower and spire. The final design was scaled back, however, and the building was completed at 14 stories. Construction took place from 1958-61, taking advantage of Kyiv’s distinctive hills and terrain. Hotel Ukraine officially opened on Sept. 28, 1961, under the name Hotel Moscow. Collage via Kyiv Post For decades, the hotel was one of Kyiv’s principal places for visiting politicians, diplomats, artists, athletes, and other international guests. Its location overlooking Independence Square made it part of the visual identity of the capital. In 2001, on the 10th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, the hotel was renamed Hotel Ukraine. Today, the four-star property has more than 360 rooms, including conference and event facilities in the center of Kyiv. Photo: Hotel Ukraine. Another layer of the building’s history lies underground. The hotel retains a Cold War-era shelter built in 1961. Designed as a protected space, it includes areas for people to stay during an emergency and reflects the security concerns of the Soviet era. More than six decades later, the shelter has acquired a very different relevance. In 2024, Hotel Ukraine became one of the major state assets offered for sale as part of Ukraine’s large-scale privatization program. At the Sept. 18 auction, the hotel was sold for Hr.2.5 billion ($56 million) to ARS Capital. In the early hours of May 24, 2026, Russia’s massive missile attack on Kyiv once again brought war into the history of Hotel Ukraine. The blast wave damaged the building, breaking dozens of windows and balcony units, affecting parts of the façade, interiors, and rooms. Temporary wooden panels replaced some of the shattered windows. Later, Ukrainian teenagers decorated some of the panels with traditional Petrykivka paintings, turning traces of wartime damage into temporary public artwork. Photo: Hotel Ukraine. The hotel continues to operate as Kyiv itself does – under the conditions of a full-scale war. Hotel Ukraine was conceived as a symbol of postwar reconstruction. It survived the Soviet era, the transition to independence, privatization, and now Russia’s full-scale invasion. Its history began on the site of a skyscraper destroyed by war. Today, the building stands again in a city at war – damaged, awaiting transformation, but still part of Kyiv’s skyline. Hotel Ukraine has changed its name, ownership, and political era. What has remained is its place in the city and its ability to reflect Kyiv’s history as it is being written. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.