It runs from Olhynska Street and Heroyiv Nebesnoyi Sotni Alley to the Klovskyi Descent.

Instytutska Street arose at the beginning of the 19th century along the ancient Ivanivsky Way, known since the time of Kievan Rus'.

From the 1820s and until 1842, it was called Begichevska Street, after the surname of General Dmitry Begichev, the owner of the estate in this area.

The street became especially famous during the Euromaidan events on 18 to 20 February 2014, when mass shootings of peaceful protesters took place on it.

Since that time, the street was sometimes unofficially called Avenue of the Heavenly Hundred in honour of the casualties.