The Kyiv City Council has approved plans to create a park named after former Prime Minister Golda Meir. Meir, born on May 3, 1898, in central Kyiv, spent her early years in the city. The park will be located on a prime plot of land in the heart of the city, on Borychiv Tik Street in the Podil district.
According to the proposed plan, the park will feature a massive wall made of Jerusalem stone, engraved with quotes from Meir’s memoirs. Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2025 after the winter snow has melted.
The project is being funded by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and will include accessible features for people with disabilities and parents with strollers.
Historian and journalist Shimon Briman noted that the land designated for the park previously served as a leased site intended for new Russian diplomatic facilities. However, the lease was terminated in 2014, and the property reverted to Kyiv's municipal ownership.
"As a historian, I’ve observed Golda Meir’s growing popularity in Ukraine in recent years," Briman said. "She’s increasingly celebrated as one of the great women born in Ukraine. Many Ukrainian texts refer to her as ‘one of us’ because of her Kyiv roots and early childhood here."
Briman highlighted another reason for Meir’s rising prominence: Her memorable quotes often resonate in Ukrainian media. For instance, her famous words from her memoirs: 'We want to live. Our enemies want us dead. That leaves little room for compromise,’ has been widely adopted as a metaphor for Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression.
"Ukrainians see themselves as the ‘Israel of Eastern Europe,’ and Meir’s legacy aligns with that sentiment," Briman added.
In 2023, the Kyiv City Council officially designated the site as a park, naming it after Meir in honor of the 125th anniversary of her birth and as one of Israel’s founders. To develop the design, the project enlisted multiple architectural firms, including two from Ukraine, one from Germany, and one from Spain. The city’s Department of Cultural Heritage selected the best concept from several proposals.
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The future park aims to be more than just a scenic space; it will stand as a tribute to Meir’s legacy, with her words etched into stone for visitors to reflect upon.