Central Post Office (Kyiv)

Coordinates: 50°27′00″N 30°31′24″E / 50.4499°N 30.5232°E / 50.4499; 30.5232
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Central Post Office
Map
General information
AddressKhreshchatyk, 22
Kyiv, Ukraine[1]
Coordinates50°27′00″N 30°31′24″E / 50.4499°N 30.5232°E / 50.4499; 30.5232
Current tenantsUkrposhta
Completed1958 (66 years ago) (1958)[1]

The Central Post Office (Ukrainian: Головпоштамт, romanized: Holovposhtamt) in Kyiv, Ukraine, is located in Maidan Nezalezhnosti.[2] It houses Ukrposhta, Ukraine's national postal service, and includes offices and a 24-hour internet café on the upper floors.[2][3] The building was completed in 1958, and underwent a renovation during the 1990s.[1]

History[edit]

Construction for a new post office began in 1914, was halted by World War I, and was eventually completed in 1941.[1] It was deliberately destroyed later that year by Soviet forces in an explosion during the 1941 demolition of Kyiv [uk], once Nazi forces had entered the city following the Red Army's retreat.[1][4] The current building was built between 1952 and 1958.[1]

On 2 August 1989, during heavy rainfall, the portico of the building collapsed, killing 13 people.[5][1][6][a] At the time of the collapse, the building had been undergoing reconstruction.[5]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, although many Ukrposhta employees either moved to safer areas in Western Ukraine or left the country entirely, the post office remained operational.[3] Ukrposhta also released a number of popular stamps, highlighting events such as the sinking of the Moskva, the 2022 Crimean Bridge Bombing, and the liberation of Kherson, leading people to queue up for hours outside the post office.[7][8][9][10]

Building[edit]

The seven-story brick building has concrete floors and a tin roof.[1] It is L-shaped, with its wings being about 80 m (260 ft) in length.[1] The wing located along Khreshchatyk has a slight curvature.[1] The façade includes Ukrainian Baroque elements.[1] The building used to have a parapet, but it does no longer.[1] White marble tiles were added to the central hall during a renovation in the 1990s.[1] On the first floor, the frames for the doors and windows are made of dark granite.[1]

Gallery[edit]

  • Three-quarter view
    Three-quarter view
  • Monument in front of building
    Monument in front of building
  • Central hall
    Central hall
  • Seal of Ukrposhta
    Seal of Ukrposhta
  • Lit for the holidays
    Lit for the holidays
  • The old post office in 1937[b]
    The old post office in 1937[b]
  • The old building, destroyed in 1941
    The old building, destroyed in 1941
  • Collapsed portico in 1989
    Collapsed portico in 1989
  • Around the start of Euromaidan
    Around the start of Euromaidan
  • Around the end of Euromaidan
    Around the end of Euromaidan

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ United Press International had reported that 11 were killed and 2 others seriously injured.[6]
  2. ^ Although the arrow appears to point to the original post office from the pictured angle, the word on the sign actually means "passage".

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Головпоштамт, 1952—58 | Звід Історїї Памяток Києва". pamyatky.kiev.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ a b "Central Post Office | Basics | Kyiv". inyourpocket.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ a b Wilder, Shelby. "As war drags on, Ukraine's postal service perseveres | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera". aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Украина, Комментарии. "Лицо Киева: мифы о взорванном Крещатике | Комментарии Украина". Комментарии Украина (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ a b "Part of Kiev Post Office Falls; Pedestrians Hurt". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ a b "Eleven killed in post office collapse in Kiev". UPI. 3 August 1989. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "'Russian warship, go fuck yourself': what happened next to the Ukrainians defending Snake Island?". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "Про історичне звільнення Херсона: у центрі Києва зібралася черга за новою маркою". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ R, Mark. "Russian Warship Stamp Becomes Collector's Item in Ukraine – Kyiv Post – Ukraine's Global Voice". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ Dutczyn, Peter. "Renowned "Russian Warship" Stamp Gets New Lease of Life With Sequel Issue – Kyiv Post – Ukraine's Global Voice". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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