Kharkiv is a city in northeast Ukraine, and with a million and a half people, the second largest city in the country. A main cultural, educational and industrial hub, Kharkiv once served as the nation’s capital briefly in the early 20th century. It features zoos, a history museum, and Sprawling Freedom Square, one of the widest squares in the world and home to the constructivist Derzhprom building. The city is also a center for Ukraine's fledgling IT industry, with an active rock-music scene and
a sprouting hipster culture. Large music and cinema festivals are hosted in Kharkiv almost every year.