Karazin University, Kharkiv
A university of 1804 with three Nobel laureates; the main building has twice been mauled by strikes.
The university was founded on the initiative of Vasyl Karazin: its Statute was approved in 1804 and the ceremonial opening took place on 29 January 1805. It is the only university in Ukraine where three Nobel laureates studied or worked — Ilya Mechnikov, Simon Kuznets and Lev Landau. The present main building on Freedom Square is the former House of Design Organisations, under construction from 1930; the rebuilt university complex opened in 1963. On 1 March 2022 the main building was damaged by shelling, and on 2 January 2024 missile strikes again caused major destruction to the main and northern buildings — the blast wave knocked out about 550 windows; Germany supported the repairs.
4 Freedom Square. A university, not a museum — no free entry; view from outside between alerts. Kharkiv is under regular strikes.