The Red University building
Kyiv University was founded in 1834 and named after St. Vladimir. There are various explianations for why it is red but the most likely is that the red building with the black fragments on the columns and eves correspond to the red and black stripes on the ribbon of the order of St. Vladimir.

The Library Buildings
The buildings are symmetrically seated on the two sides of the Red Building. The building on the left is occupied by a branch of the V. Vernadskiy National Library of Ukraine. It holds the collection of rare works (and yes after taking special collections I soooo wanted to go inside but couldn't). The building on the right houses the university's scientific library.

Shevchenko Park
This is located across from the Red building of the University. 150 years ago this place use to be a dusty parade ground. The park was opened to the public in 1889. There was a monument to Tsar Nikolay I but the soviets removed it. In the same spot as the previous monument, a monument to Tsar Shevchenko was placed in 1939 who was persecuted severely by Nikolay I.