was to disrupt the protests, especially since similar tactics were commonly used by local authorities throughout Ukraine. Following the construction, the old familiar look of the square, with its many fountains, was significantly altered and the public reaction to the new look of the square was mixed at first. However, by now the square's monument to Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid, the legendary founders of Kyiv, the folklore hero Cossack Mamay, the city's historic protector Archangel Michael as well as a more modern invention, the protecting goddess Berehynia surmounting the Independence Monument victory column commemorating the independence of Ukraine, and the many glass domes are easily recognisable as parts of the modern city centre. A mostly underground shopping mall called Globus was built under the square to replace the old and shabby giant underpass formerly dubbed by Kyivans as "Truba" (the Tube). Trade-Unions House was severely damaged during the fire in February 2014, so later it went through a reconstruction. Future developments of the square include the demolition of the old "Ukrayina" hotel (formerly hotel "Moskva"), and building a new 68-floor building instead. Symbol of political activity As the central Kyiv square, following the end of Soviet era the Maidan has been the centre of public political activity. In the autumn of 1990, students' protests and hunger strikes also known as the Revolution on Granite at the Maidan resulted in the resignation of the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR Vitaliy Masol. In the 2000s, the biggest political protests in Ukraine, such as the Ukraine without Kuchma campaign and the Orange Revolution took place in this square. During the Orange Revolution in late 2004, Maidan Nezalezhnosti received global media coverage, as hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in the square and nearby streets, and pitched tents for several weeks, enduring the cold and snow. One of the eminent activists during that time became Paraska Korolyuk. The protests against electoral fraud resulted in an additional round of presidential elections being ordered by the Supreme Court of Ukraine, which were won by the opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko. Following his election as the President of Ukraine, and after taking the official oath in the parliament, Yushchenko took a public oath at Maidan Nezalezhnosti in front of his numerous supporters. After the Orange Revolution, Maidan Nezalezhnosti continues to attract political protesters. Mass rallies for political candidates have attracted large numbers,