Derzhprom — short for Budynok Derzhavnoi Promyslovosti, or House of State Industry — is the defining building of Kharkiv and one of the finest examples of Soviet Constructivist architecture anywhere. Three towers connected by elevated glass-enclosed walkways form a unified complex that looms over Freedom Square like a horizontal skyscraper, its stark concrete geometry softened only slightly by the enormous glazed walkway bridges.
The building was designed to house the entire administrative apparatus of Soviet Ukrainian industry in a single structure — a statement of the planned economy's ambitions. Despite its age and the depredations of two world wars (the Germans used it as a headquarters during their occupation), the structure is essentially intact. It is now a listed national monument and houses various government offices. The best views are from the southern end of Freedom Square, where the full sweep of the complex — three towers, four walkways, forty entrances — can be taken in at once.