December markets originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, eventually becoming a popular Advent tradition during the Protestant Reformation. However, winter fairs didn’t become common in Ukraine until the 18th century. Western Ukrainian cities that were part of Austria-Hungary or Poland held European-style Christmas markets, while Eastern Ukrainian cities that were part of the Russian Empire, including Kyiv, had winter fairs held around important religious holidays, though not necessarily Christmas.
The last major winter market in Kyiv before Ukraine’s independence took place on Troyitska Square in 1914. After that, all public events were put on hold during World War I and the Ukrainian War of Independence, and no Christmas markets were held during the Soviet era, although there were New Year’s festivities. Modern Christmas markets combining Ukrainian and Western European traditions began emerging in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Until late 2013, the Kyiv New Year’s and Christmas Market was held near Ukraine’s main Christmas tree at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), the central town square of Kyiv. However, due to the events of Euromaidan, the market was moved in December 2013 to Sofiiska Square (Saint Sophia’s Square) and the nearby Mykhailivska Square (Saint Michael’s Square). In 2014, the main Christmas tree was moved to Sofiiska Square as well. During that time, the Kyiv Christmas Market began to resemble its European counterparts.
In 2022, Kyiv’s main Christmas market was put on hold due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, though the Christmas tree was still installed in Sofiiska Square. In December 2025, a scaled-down version of the market named Christmas on Podil (a historic neighborhood in Kyiv) opened in Kontraktova Square (Contract Square). The new location was fitting, as Kontraktova Square was the main center of commerce in Kyiv in the 18th century due to its proximity to the city’s port. The Christmas on Podil market featured a Christmas tree, a skating rink, a craft fair, a food court, a photo zone, and a coffee shop in a double-decker bus.
In addition to the Christmas market, Kyiv hosts an annual winter festival called Winter Wonderland at VDNG. It opens at the Expocenter of Ukraine in late November or early December and runs until the beginning of Great Lent.
