The Verkhovna Rada building (, romanized: Budynok Verkhovnoi Rady) is located in the center of Kyiv, the Pecherskyi District. The building is located at the Constitution Square. It is the place where the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) meets for all regular and ceremonial sessions. The building was erected between 1936–38 to a design by Volodymyr Zabolotnyi in the neo-classical Ukrainian architectural style. Zabolotny was awarded the State Prize for that project in 1940 and was appointed the chief architect of the city. The building is located on the eastern side of Hrushevsky Street, across from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine building, and is surrounded by the Mariinskyi Palace, Mariinskyi Park, and a pedestrian park square. From the square, the building and the palace are seen next to each other, along with views from the Kyiv heights to the left-bank neighborhoods across the Dnieper River. History At the beginning of 1934, after the capital of the Ukrainian SSR was transferred from Kharkiv to Kyiv, many new projects were started for the reconstruction of the new capital. Many prominent administrative buildings to house the government institutions of the Ukrainian SSR were planned to be erected in downtown Kyiv, including the building of the government and the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The very heart of the city was chosen for that purpose – the Pecherskyi District which lies on the right bank of Dnieper river. In February 1936, a contest for the best building design of the Verkhovna Rada was announced. Numerous prominent specialists were invited, including Volodymyr Zabolotnyi, Valerian Rykov, and Yakiv Steinberg. The jury selected the design of Zabolotnyi. The construction was initiated in 1936 and lasted until 1939 with the final inspection taking place at the beginning of the summer, having the building passed with an excellent grade. The first session of the Verkhovna Rada took place at 5, Hrushevsky Street on 25 July 1939. Main features The building is designed in a strict rectangular-symmetrical form and is three floors high. It is crowned with a dome, made of metal and glass, providing the building with natural lighting. The hundred-tonne glass dome over the main session hall is the building's most memorable feature. The red-and-blue Flag of Ukrainian SSR was flown on top of the dome for over 50 years, until it was replaced by the yellow-and-blue national Flag of Ukraine, following Ukraine's attainment of independence