STREETS AND NAMES

BORYS HMYRIA

(1903 – 1969)

Borys Romanovych Hmyria is an Ukrainian singer (bass) and a folk artist. He was born into the family of the worker-mason. In 1935 he graduated from the Engineering-building Institute in Kharkiv and in 1939 – from the conservatory in Kharkiv. He has been the soloist of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kharkiv and later – the soloist of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kyiv. He possessed the beautiful voice of warm velvet timbre, wide range and discriminating artistic taste. In his performing there was inherently complete confluence of dramatic and musical beginning. He came forward as a chamber singer with great success. Borys Hmyria has toured abroad a lot of times. He was the Laureate of the All-union competition of vocalists in 1939. Borys Hmyria received the State Prize in 1952.
He was called “Borys the Great”, his talent was considered miraculous, his voice was regarded to be a perfect bass, his vocal mission was believed to be ideal and unsurpassed by anyone till today. Hmyria was a singer, a philosopher, a unique phenomenon in Ukrainian and world culture.
Let’s make a note that Hmyria’s vocal and epistolary heritage has been collected and kept by the singer’s family in his flat in Kyiv, where the famous singer lived and created.

BORYS HMYRIA STREET

Kyiv – is the biggest city of Ukraine. So many streets are here: short and long, wide and narrow, picturesque and not very exciting. How to remember all of them? What are the characteristic features of every particular street? The answer is: try to find out everything by yourself traveling along this or
that street.
While researching Borys Hmyria Street I found out a lot of interesting information about this street. First of all, it is called after the greatest composer and singer of the 20th century Borys Hmyria. The length of this street is 9.5 kilometers, so you see that it would be quite difficult to go along Borys Hmyria Street at once, especially on foot. There are a lot of different buildings in this street. Each house has its own number and due to this specific feature it is quite convenient, especially for foreigners, to find a concrete house really very quickly.
Going along this street I saw a big road and four bus stops on the opposite sides of the road. On this road I saw a lot of different cars, buses and taxes. And if to speak about buses, there are only two routes of them which take passengers along Borys Hmyria Street and their numbers are 591 and 407.
Due to my pocket map I continued my researching at the end of which I made really interesting conclusion. Now I would like to tell you something about the buildings which are situated in Borys Hmyria Street. In this street there are a lot of different shops, primary schools, kindergartens, yards. The most famous shop is a small supermarket called “Eckos”. You can buy here almost everything you want: different kinds of meals, clothes, toilet means…Next to this supermarket the newest house in this street is situated. To tell the truth, it is really very beautiful and modern. Almost on each old house it is possible to see new graffiti. I do not know if it is bad or good, but in my opinion they are really cool. The most important building in Borys Hmyria Street is a state inspection of the quarantine of the plants in Kyiv. Almost near all old houses there is a car parking on which it is really very convenient to leave your car. There are also two big garages in this street.
Now my researching is finished. Owing to this researching I found out a lot of interesting details about Borys Hmyria Street and I hope that some of these details I will remember for years.

Olexandra Khodak 10-A Form, 16 years
Olexandr Pylypenko 10-B Form, 16 years

STREETS AND NAMES

Petro Grigorenko

(1907-1987)

Petro Grigorenko was a high-ranked Soviet Army commander of Ukrainian descent, later a prominent Soviet human rights activist, dissident and writer.
Petro Grigorenko was born in a village of rural Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. He went on a military career and reached high ranks during the World War II. After the war, being a decorated veteran, he left active career and taught at the Frunze Military Academy, reaching the rank of a Major General.
In 1961 Grigorenko criticized Nikita Khruschev's policy and was transferred to the Russian Far East as punishment. In 1963 he created the Union of Struggle for the Restoration of Leninism. In the 1960s Grigorenko became a member of the Moscow Helsinki Watch Group. The authorities sent him to a psychiatric imprisonment from 1964-1965, and he was stripped of his military rank, medals, and retirement benefits.
After his release, Grigorenko actively participated in the struggle for the Crimean Tatar autonomy, and demonstrated against the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and became a leading figure in Soviet human rights movement along with his fellow celebrated dissidents Vladimir Bukovsky, Andrei Sakharov, Alexander Yesenin-Volpin and others.
He was arrested on May 7, 1969 and incarcerated for five years. Colonel-Doctor Lunts diagnosed his activities as evidence of paranoid schizophrenia and arranged to have him sent to the Chernyakhovsk prison hospital.
Grigorenko was one of the first who questioned the official Soviet version of World War II history. In 1977, when Grigorenko left for medical treatment in the United States, he was stripped of his Soviet citizenship.

Petro Grigorenko Street

Petro Grigorenko Street begins from the crossing of Boris Hmyria Street and Solomia Krushelnytska Street. On the right side of the street you can find houses with even numeration, and on the left side, accordingly, houses with odd numeration. Its general length along the road is 2,6 kilometers. I think you wouldn’t be tired after walking it along. But if you can’t foot it, you may catch one of a fixed - route taxies, e.g. # 487, 492 or catch a tram #8.
As Petro Grigorenko Street is situated in a new residential area there are a lot of newly built high-storeyed houses. The street begins with two enormous gipermarkets “Metro Cash & Carry” and “Epicenter”, where you can find everything you want.Then you can easily find a lot of kiosks, shops, even in the residential houses, such as “Laminate & Parquet”, “Curtains”, car service “ Delta Motors”, auditors firm “AKSIS”, ZHEK#211, “World of doors”, “Svetskaja zhizn” etc. There you can’t pass by the salon “Beauty”, stomatology “ABOT”, furniture shop “Mebli”, Chemist’s. While walking along the street you can also see a water pump and very bright and nice children’s playground. Near the pump you can find the Center of financial favours, Credits & Deposits, Peggy Style beauty salon, the driving school, the shop of Burning tours, computer service and some building services.
Petro Grigorenko Street is quite admirable in spring & summer because of greenery, nice park and flower-beds. Inhabitants living in this street like to spend their free time in the park & nearby cafes. This park is one of the most attractive places with its picturesque scenery around. There are a lot of things to do here. The park is situated not far from the underground station “Pozniaky”. There’s a little but lovely lake, a lot of benches, wonderful children’s playground and other summer attractions. But some of them are open all year. So I don’t think it would be boring to spend time here. In any case there is something unusual, attractive in this park. There’s even one monument, which says that this path is the alley of agreement.
There is a bridge over Mykola Bazhan prospect. Along the whole road we can see bigboards advertising shops, products, some road signs. Under the bridge there’s an underground station “Poznjaky”. After the bridge on the right side near the crossing of P.Grigorenko Street and Dragomanov Street is situated a temporary Circus “Kobzov” which you can visit and enjoy the show.
Next evident building is the trade center “Bashta Plus”, which has a very interesting architecture. It looks like a castle from a fairy tale. Here you can also find a dry-cleaner and some other services. Then you‘ll pass by “Repairing clothes” kiosk and one of the numerous departments of “Ukrtelekom” company. On the opposite side you can see a great parking, so if you come here by car, it isn’t difficult to find a place to park you car. Behind the parking you can easily find branches of some banks such as “VAB bank”, “Alfa bank”, bank “Stolytsia”, supermarket “Velyka Kyshenia”, cafes and a variety of the most different shops. While walking along the road you can see the signboard of the private clinic “ALFA”. At once behind the clinic you can find a day-nursery #7, private kindergarten & a school “Harmony” and the lyceum “Naykova zmina”. At the crossing of Anna Ahmatova Street & P.Grigorenko Street you can find Optics.
There are no industrial enterprises in this street. It is attractive by its modern architecture &beauty. Personally I advise you to take a walking tour of the street. If you are interested in architecture you shouldn’t fail to see “Bashta Plus” in the first place. It took me not very much time to travel along the street because it is straight and not so long. Only sometimes you can see here heavy traffic. But despite this all kinds of vehicles ride up and down the street: lorries, taxes, private cars. There are some road crosses and underground passages there. Mostly you can see ten- and twelve-storeyed buildings in this street.
Speaking about this street I would like to mention that it is quite a good place for living. Here you can find all you need: shops, banks, schools, clinics, parking, cafes, a nice park, beauty salons, in one word everything for comfortable living.

Vira Lungol, 10-A Form, 16 years

Anastasia Prytova 10-B Form, 16 years

Streets and Names

Larysa Rudenko

Larysa Arkhypivna Rudenko was born on January 28, 1918 in the town of Makiyivka in the Donetsk region. When she was 16, she came to the capital of Ukraine and entered the conservatoire. Being a talented girl, she was highly appreciated by her teachers.
The singer was among the most significant representatives of the Ukrainian vocal school and was supervised by Olena Muravyova. Larysa Rudenko was offered to work in Moscow, but she had a strong desire to live and sing in Kyiv. The first part she performed was “The Queen of Spades” by Pyotr Chaykovsky. She had worked in the National Opera House for 30 years and performed about 50 vocal parts.
Among the most popular operas with Larysa Rudenko participation were “Christmas Night” and “Taras Bulba” by Mykola Lysenko, “Boris Godunov” by Musorgsky, “Carmen” by Bize, “Aida” by Verdi. She was also shot in the Naimychka opera-film at Kyiv’s cinema studio.
Larysa Arkhypivna was gifted enough to personify different images: happy and suffering, strong and weak characters. When the singer was giving conserts, her mezzo-soprano would captivate her audience. She also sang folk songs, romances, arias and taught students at Kyiv’s conservatoire and Theater Institute.
The singer died in 1981 and was buried in the Baikove cemetery.

Larysa Rudenko Street

Larysa Rudenko Street appeared on the map of Kyiv in 1993. It starts from the street of Solomiya Krushelnytska and runs until the avenue of Mykola Bazhan. Rudenko Street is connected with the street of Oleksandr Mishuha and Vyshniakivska Street.
This street is one of the most attractive places in the Poznyaky area because in this part of the Darnytsky district one can find many newly built apartment houses, while there are some built in the so-called post-Soviet era. In Rudenko Street alone there are more than a dozen of such post-Soviet buildings, maybe, they are not so beautiful but they reflect our past and we can see the examples of the architecture of our parents’ youth. This is a residential area, therefore there are no industrial enterprises here.
Housing construction goes on in Rudenko Street and one can still see some ongoing construction projects.
Rudenko Street is short – it is a mere 700 meters long. So you can easily pass it through on foot, but you can also catch a public bus or a shuttle taxi bus because this street incorporates a highway.
For your information, these are the numbers of public buses or shuttle taxi buses you can catch there - 407, 492, 225d, 591, 594.
Many young families live in this area, therefore there are many colourful playgrounds for children and one kindergarten. Besides, one school is located here.
If you come here by car, it is easy to find a place to park the car, as there is a specially built parking building, offering 150 parking lots.
In summer or during warm periods of spring or autumn, you may walk along the street planted with green or yellow and red (in autumn) trees, and if you have some spare time, you can visit one of the small cafes located along the street.
If you need to buy some food or medicines in Rudenko Street, you can easily find a small food store or a chemist’s here.
Despite the fact that the architecture of the street looks usual at first sight, one can see some unusual buildings – these are round office buildings occupied by different companies.

Maria Bodnar 10-A Form, 16 years

Artem Aksionov 10-V Form, 16 years

STREETS AND NAMES

Anna Akhmatova
The real name of Anna Akhmatova was Gorenko. She was born on June 11, 4 798,06 cm Bolshoi Fontan near Odessa. From the family legend the ancestors of Akhmatova from mother’s line ascended to the Tatar Khan Akhmat (maybe this is the route of her pseudonym).
Her father was a mechanic on fleet and he was engaged in journalism.
In 1905 after her parents’ divorce Anna moved to Evpatoria. In 1906 – 1907 she studied at Funducleev Grammar School in Kyiv and in 1908 – 1910 at the Law Faculty of Kyiv High Female Courses.
In 1964 she got the Italian Premium of Etna-Taormina and in 1965 a rank of the honorable doctor of Oxford University.
She died on March 5, 1966 in Domodedovo, near Moscow.
Anna Akhmatova was the greatest poetess of the time and she is known and loved not only in our country but in the whole world.

Anna Akhmatova Street
According to the architectural plan Akhmatova street is one of the most beautiful streets of Kyiv. Its length is nearly two kilometres. There are a lot of buildings in the street. Most of them are new and modern. There are no private houses or cottages. People live in high blocks of flats. They are eleven- sixteen storeyed buildings.
All kinds of vehicles ride up and down the street: lorries, taxes, private cars. Also you can see there a lot of route taxes: But there are only two buses going through this street. They are № 91 and №108.
If you want to ride along the street, you should try to go by tram. Unfortunately, there is now only one tram №8, riding along Akhmatova street. But you should travel on foot if you want to see all sightseeings of the street.
There are a lot of places to see here. As for me, one of the most attractive places to see in this street are two big trade centres. You can buy nearly everything in those centres :furniture, clothes for adults and children, food, toys, etc.There are also a sportclub, some banks, the veterinary clinic, the cafe “Guests” and the restaurant “Kalhida”. Except those two centres you can find many little private shops. Some cafes and restaurants are really attractive. And I would like to mention a little beautiful church, the main cultural centre of the street.
There are some schools and kindergartens in the street. They are school №303, school- kindergartens “Malva”, “Poznyaki”, “Montessori”. The Council of social self-governing is situated here.
There are no parks in the street but , nevertheless, it looks really picturesque. Much greenery makes this street especially admirable in spring and summer.
The inhabitants are proud of their street. There is no rubbish there. The wallls are not painted and it isn’t noisy, so you can easily relax.
I visited this street for the first time and I was greatly impressed.. I think Akhmatova street is worth seeing.

Yulia Menzheres, 16 years, 10-A Form.

Anna Khilko, 16 years, 10-B Form.

Get Acquaintance with Mykhaylo Dragomanov!

Mykhailo Petrovych Drahomanov

(August 30, 1841, Gadiach – July 2, 1895, Sofia)
This is a famous Ukrainian political theorist, economist, historian, philosopher, ethnographer and public figure.
He went down into the history of Ukrainian culture and literature as a prominent literary critic and publicist, a specialist in folklore, a real patriot and inflexible fighter for freedom of his Fatherland.
You are invited to observe the street after the name of this great person.
Come along with us!

You are welcome to the street which is named after one of the greatest persons of Ukraine: a writer, a historian, a socially active person Mykhailo Drahomanov.
Drahomanov street is a long street, it took me much time to travel along it, Drahomanov street is mainly straight, not very wide, with much greenery along it, but traffic is light. It is a very beautiful and picturesque street and there are a lot of places to see and of course it is very clean. This new residential district was built not so long ago so most of the buildings are modern.
I traveled on foot but if you come here by car there are some places for parking. At the beginning of the street there is a tram and bus station. All kinds of vehicles ride up and down the street : lorries, taxis and private cars. Nevertheless, air in this district is fresh. There is a small but very beautiful park, where you can sit and have a rest or have a picnic. The architecture is really attractive, small old nine - storeyed buildings are situated along the street and behind them there are new skyscrapers they are painted in different colours. They are built of glass and bricks and look like modern castles. There are a lot of things to see here. If to speak about architecture I liked the building of the Prominwest bank of Ukraine. If you want to spend your time with fun, you can visit one of the numerous comfortable cafes or restaurants. There are a lot of shops along the street so you can find there all things you need. In the end, I would like recommend you to visit this street, really it is worth seeing.

Maxim Golovin, 10-B Form, 16 years.
Tetiana Bryl, 10-A Form, 16 years.
Artem Bekarevich, 10-B Form, 16 years.