Archive · then and now

Photo memories

Kyiv in photographs — from the Chain Bridge and horse trams to Euromaidan and the city that held out in 2022. For many of them we found a modern photo taken from the same spot: drag the slider to compare.

Then and now

Drag the divider to compare the old and new photo.

  • Maidan after reconstruction — Today Maidan after reconstruction — 2001 2001Today
    Maidan NezalezhnostiMaidan after reconstructionMaidan Nezalezhnosti in summer 2001: the column with the Berehynia statue has just gone up and the square is still empty of crowds. The Independence Monument was unveiled for the 10th anniversary of independence on 24 August 2001.Archival photo: Максим Козленко, 2001, CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Modern photo: Ralf Roletschek, 2017, GFDL 1.2 · Wikimedia Commons
  • St Michael's rebuilt — Today St Michael's rebuilt — 2000 2000Today
    Mykhailivska SquareSt Michael's rebuiltSt Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in 2000, shortly after the cathedral and bell tower were rebuilt (1997–1999). The 12th-century original was destroyed in the 1930s; work was still going on around it.Archival photo: Максим Козленко, 2000, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Modern photo: Andrew Milligan, 2018, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • The Orange Maidan — Today The Orange Maidan — 2004 2004Today
    Maidan NezalezhnostiThe Orange MaidanNovember 2004: after the presidential run-off, the square fills with people in orange. The protests against electoral fraud lasted weeks and ended with a repeat vote on 26 December. The "now" photo was taken from the same slope in October 2023: no tents and no crowd, but the same Independence Monument and Khreshchatyk buildings.Archival photo: Toronto_guy, 2004, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
    Modern photo: Мандрівниця, 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

From the archive

  • "Ukraine without Kuchma", 2001 2001
    Central Kyiv"Ukraine without Kuchma"A protest on 6 February 2001 during the "Ukraine without Kuchma" campaign, sparked by the "cassette scandal" and the disappearance of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze — the first major opposition movement of independent Ukraine.Archival photo: Майдан-Інформ, 2001, GFDL · Wikimedia Commons
  • Khreshchatyk traffic, 2001 2001
    KhreshchatykKhreshchatyk trafficKhreshchatyk in summer 2001: Ladas alongside foreign cars, chestnut trees and trolleybus wires. Since then Khreshchatyk has been closed to cars and given over to pedestrians at weekends and on holidays.Archival photo: Максим Козленко, 2001, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • The first morning of the revolution, 2004 2004
    Maidan NezalezhnostiThe first morning of the revolutionThe morning of 22 November 2004, the first day of the Orange Revolution: people gather on the square beneath Hotel Ukraine and the Independence column.Archival photo: Serhiy, 2004, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • Maidan on 23 November, 2004 2004
    Maidan NezalezhnostiMaidan on 23 November23 November 2004: the square and Khreshchatyk packed with protesters and orange flags. A tent camp soon sprang up along Khreshchatyk.Archival photo: Віктор Полянко, 2004, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  • Teatralna escalators, 2004 2004
    Teatralna metro stationTeatralna escalatorsThe long escalator tunnel of Teatralna metro station (1987). Kyiv’s metro is among the deepest in the world: Arsenalna, the deepest station, lies more than 100 metres underground.Archival photo: Jason Minshull, 2004, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Have old photos of Kyiv? Send them to [email protected] and we will publish them with credit. Kyiv timeline →