Hostomel: History, Remembrance and Architecture

Hostomel on the “Marshruty pam’iati” route

Hostomel is part of the official “Marshruty pam’iati” route. It passes through Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, Borodyanka and Moshchun and includes a total of nine key sites associated with war crimes, destruction, heroism and suffering. The route through several locations places Hostomel in a wider context: the town is one part of the route, not its sole setting. This is useful when planning your trip if you are interested in commemorating the events of the war and want to distinguish between local points of interest and other stops. The airport and church are specific points of interest in Hostomel; Moshchun is outside the town.

Antonov Airport and the events of 2022

One specifically named site on the Hostomel section is the destroyed “Antonov” airport, which is included on the route. Fighting around the military town of Hostomel began on February 24, 2022, the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. At the airport, a Russian airborne unit made several attempts to land before advancing on Kyiv. The “Mriya” aircraft was based at the airport and was described as the world’s largest cargo aircraft and a source of technical pride for Ukraine. It is no longer based there. The fighting and landing attempts are part of Hostomel’s wartime history; the “Mriya’s” former presence offers a different perspective on the airport.

Church and remembrance in the surrounding area

The Sviato-Pokrovska Church is located at 235 Sviato-Pokrovska Street in Hostomel and is an architectural monument dating from 1890. The year places the site in a historical period well before the events of 2022. Thus, an architectural monument and the more recent history of the war stand side by side in Hostomel as different perspectives on time.

The village of Moshchun is near Hostomel. There, the “Yanholy peremohy” Memorial was built at the site of the fighting for Moshchun. It is dedicated to the defenders who stopped the advance on the capital at the cost of their lives. The complex includes information stele, touchscreen terminals and signposts. Moshchun is outside Hostomel; the memorial is therefore a separate point of interest in the surrounding area, not a site within the town.

Digital perspective and trip planning

As a digital supplement, the virtual museum “VR Museum of War Remembrance” offers 3D tours exploring the effects of the war in Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel, Horenka and other places. The tours broaden the perspective on Hostomel to include several locations across the region.

When looking for a hotel in Hostomel, it helps to keep the locations distinct: the airport and church are in Hostomel, while the memorial is nearby in Moshchun. The route also passes through several towns. So plan your overnight stay and the sites you want to visit as separate decisions, rather than treating all destinations as being in Hostomel. Before travelling, check the current conditions along the route and, before visiting Moshchun, check local travel conditions.

Discover more destinations: Kyiv, Hvozdiv, Vorzel, Stoyanka, Sadove, Bilohorodka, Vasylkiv, Kyp'yachka.

See the regional travel overview: Kyiv Oblast.