Embassy of the United States, Kiev


The Embassy of the United States in Kiev is the diplomatic mission of the United States of America to Ukraine.

History

The United States recognized the independence of Ukraine on December 26, 1991, and opened an embassy in its capital, Kiev, on January 22, 1992. This first embassy was located in the former office of the Communist Party of Ukraine for the Shevchenkivskyi District that was confiscated from the Communists soon after the 1991 August putsch in Moscow. That building was erected sometime in the 1950s on territory that previously belonged to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church that was destroyed by the Soviets in 1935.
In 2012, the embassy moved to its current 4.5 hectare location, acquired for $247 million. The embassy is on Igor Sikorsky Street, close to Kiev’s western outskirts, and 15 minutes walk from Beresteiska station. Previously known as Tankova Street, the street was renamed by the City Council after Ukrainian-born aircraft design engineer Igor Sikorsky, due to a request from the embassy.
On June 8, 2017, a blast occurred outside the embassy.

Picketing

Since 2004, the embassy has been picketed annually on April 8 by the "Institute Republic" group of human rights activist Volodymyr Chemerys, due to the refusal of the US government to pay compensation for the death of Ukrainian journalist Taras Protsyuk, who perished in 2003 during the Iraq War.

Staff

The U.S. Embassy in Kiev is staffed by approximately 181 Americans and more than 560 Ukrainians.
The current Chief of Mission, as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, is Kristina Kvien.
Key U.S. Embassy officials include: