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'''Kiev''' or '''Kyiv''' is the capital and most populous city of [[Ukraine]]. It is in north-central Ukraine along the [[Dnieper|Dnieper River]]. Its population in July 2015 was 2,887,974<ref name="Kiev statistical report"/> (though higher estimated numbers have been cited in the press),<ref name="population">The most recent [[Ukrainian Census (2001)|Ukrainian census]], conducted on 5 December 2001, gave the population of Kiev as 2 611 300 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100820175437/http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/eng/regions/reg_mkyiv/ Ukrcensus.gov.ua – Kyiv city] Web address accessed on 4 August 2007). Estimates based on the amount of bakery products sold in the city (thus including temporary visitors and commuters) suggest a minimum of 3.5&nbsp;million. "[http://www.korrespondent.net/main/194785 There are up to 1.5 mln undercounted residents in Kiev]", ''[[Korrespondent]]'', 15 June 2005 </ref> making Kiev the seventh-most populous city in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=City Mayors: The 500 largest European cities (1 to 100)|url=http://www.citymayors.com/features/euro_cities1.html|website=www.citymayors.com}}</ref>
'''Kiev''' or '''Kyiv''' is the capital and most populous city of [[Ukraine]]. It is in north-central Ukraine along the [[Dnieper river]]. Its population in July 2015 was 2,887,974 making Kiev the seventh-most populous city in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=City Mayors: The 500 largest European cities (1 to 100)|url=http://www.citymayors.com/features/euro_cities1.html|website=www.citymayors.com}}</ref>
[[File:1_Верховна_Рада_України_VADIM_CHUPRINA_©.jpg|Verkhovna Rada (Ukranian parliament building)]]
[[File:1_Верховна_Рада_України_VADIM_CHUPRINA_©.jpg|thumb|right|Verkhovna Rada (Ukranian parliament building)]]
 
Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive system of public transport and infrastructure, including the Kiev Metro.
[[File:Ukraine_adm_location_map.svg|thumb|right|Kiev within Ukraine]]
[[File:Ukraine_adm_location_map.svg|thumb|right|Kiev within Ukraine]]


Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive system of public transport and infrastructure, including the [[Kiev Metro]].
The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders. During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of prominence and obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A [[Slavs|Slavic]] settlement on the great trade route between [[Scandinavia]] and [[Constantinople]], Kiev was a tributary of the [[Khazars]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/kiev|title=Kiev|work=TheFreeDictionary.com|accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref> until its capture by the [[Varangians]] ([[Vikings]]) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the [[Kievan Rus']] state. Completely destroyed during the [[Mongol invasion of Rus'|Mongol invasions]] in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours, first [[Lithuania]], then [[Poland]] and [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyiv|title=Kyiv - History|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en|url-status=live|access-date=2020-03-09}}</ref>
 
The city's name is said to derive from the name of [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Kyi]], one of its four legendary founders. During [[History of Kiev|its history]], Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of prominence and obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A [[Slavs|Slavic]] settlement on the great trade route between [[Scandinavia]] and [[Constantinople]], Kiev was a tributary of the [[Khazars]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/kiev|title=Kiev|work=TheFreeDictionary.com|accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref> until its capture by the [[Varangians]] ([[Vikings]]) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the [[Kievan Rus']], the first [[East Slavs|East Slavic]] state. Completely destroyed during the [[Mongol invasion of Rus'|Mongol invasions]] in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours, first [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuania]], then [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Poland]] and [[Russian Empire|Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyiv|title=Kyiv - History|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en|url-status=live|access-date=2020-03-09}}</ref>


The city prospered again during the [[Russian Empire]]'s [[Industrial Revolution]] in the late 19th century. In 1918, after the [[Ukrainian National Republic]] declared independence from [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Russia]], Kiev became its capital. From 1921 onwards Kiev was a city of [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Ukraine]], which was proclaimed by the [[Red Army]], and, from 1934, Kiev was its capital. The city was almost completely ruined during [[Eastern Front (World War II)|World War II]] but quickly recovered in the postwar years, remaining the [[Soviet Union]]'s third-largest city.
The city prospered again during the Russian empire's industrialization in the late 19th century. In 1918, during the Russian Revolution, the Ukraine declared independence and Kiev became its capital. It was reconquered by the [[Red Army]], and from 1921 onwards Kiev was a city of [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Ukraine]], and, from 1934, Kiev was its capital. The city was almost completely ruined during World War II but quickly recovered in the postwar years, remaining the [[Soviet Union]]'s third-largest city.


Following [[Collapse of the Soviet Union (1985–1991)|the collapse of the Soviet Union]] and [[History of Ukraine|Ukrainian independence]] in 1991, Kiev remained Ukraine's capital and experienced a steady influx of ethnic Ukrainian migrants from other regions of the country.<ref name="History of Ukraine">{{cite book|last=Magocsi|first=Paul Robert|title=A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0mKRsElYNkC&pg=PT481|edition=2nd, Revised|year=2010|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-1-4426-9879-6|page=481}}</ref> During the country's transformation to a [[market economy]] and [[electoral democracy]], Kiev has continued to be Ukraine's largest and wealthiest city. Its armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology, but new sectors of the economy such as services and [[finance]] facilitated Kiev's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of [[housing]] and urban infrastructure. Kiev emerged as the most pro-Western region of Ukraine; [[political parties in Ukraine|parties]] advocating tighter [[Ukraine–European Union relations|integration with the European Union]] dominate during [[Elections in Ukraine|elections]].<ref name="radiosvoboda.org">{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.radiosvoboda.org/content/article/24756059.html Виборчі комісії фіксують перемогу опозиційних кандидатів у Києві]</ref><ref name="Битва за Київ">{{cite news | url=http://kontrakty.ua/article/59790 | script-title=uk:Битва за Київ: чому посада мера вже не потрібна Кличку і чи будуть вибори взагалі | date=19 March 2013 | agency=Kontrakty | accessdate=19 August 2013|language=uk}}</ref><ref name="Nebozhenko">{{cite web | url=http://gazeta.ua/articles/politics/_u-kozhnogo-kiyanina-v-golovi-dosvid-majdanu-i-ce-golovnij-bil-vsih-predstavnikiv/493982 | script-title=uk:У кожного киянина в голові – досвід Майдану | date=20 April 2013 | accessdate=19 August 2013|language=uk}}</ref><ref name="pravda1629">{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/10/29/6975859/ Interactive parliamentary election 2012 result maps] by [[Ukrayinska Pravda]]<br/>{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.cvk.gov.ua/ Election results in Ukraine since 1998], [[Central Election Commission of Ukraine]]<br/>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2UoQ-ueHjdEC&pg=PA1629 Nations and Nationalism: A Global Historical Overview], [[ABC-CLIO]], 2008, {{ISBN|1851099077}} (page 1629)<br/>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cQqr7f9QkngC&pg=PA122 Ukraine on its Meandering Path Between East and West] by [[Andrej Lushnycky]] and [[Mykola Riabchuk]], [[Peter Lang (publishing company)|Peter Lang]], 2009, {{ISBN|303911607X}}  (page 122)<br/>[http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/eastweek/2012-11-07/after-parliamentary-elections-ukraine-a-tough-victory-party-regions After the parliamentary elections in Ukraine: a tough victory for the Party of Regions], [[Centre for Eastern Studies]] (7 November 2012)<br/>[https://books.google.com/books?id=H23Pv4Ik3vMC&pg=PA396 Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe] by [[Uwe Backes]] and [[Patrick Moreau]], [[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]], 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-525-36912-8}} (page 396)<br/>[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/126937.html#.UUzMyKnCus0 Party of Regions gets 185 seats in Ukrainian parliament, Batkivschyna 101 – CEC], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (12 November 2012)<br/>[https://archive.is/20130420221924/http://www.interfax.co.uk/ukraine-news/udar-submits-to-rada-resolution-on-ukraines-integration-with-eu/ UDAR submits to Rada resolution on Ukraine’s integration with EU], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (8 January 2013)<br/>{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/publications/electronic-bulletin-your-choice-2012-issue-4-batkivshchyna/lang/en Electronic Bulletin "Your Choice – 2012". Issue 4: Batkivshchyna] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203020408/http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/publications/electronic-bulletin-your-choice-2012-issue-4-batkivshchyna/lang/en |date= 3 December 2013 }}, [[Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research]] (24 October 2012)<br/>[http://www.geopolitika.lt/?artc=4429 Ukraine's Party System in Transition? The Rise of the Radically Right-Wing All-Ukrainian Association "Svoboda"] by [[Andreas Umland]], [[Centre for Geopolitical Studies]] (1 May 2011){{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/10/29/6975859/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-08-18 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825040209/http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/10/29/6975859/ |archivedate=25 August 2013}}</ref>
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence in 1991, Kiev remained Ukraine's capital and experienced a steady influx of ethnic Ukrainian migrants from other regions of the country.<ref name="History of Ukraine">{{cite book|last=Magocsi|first=Paul Robert|title=A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0mKRsElYNkC&pg=PT481|edition=2nd, Revised|year=2010|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-1-4426-9879-6|page=481}}</ref> During the country's transformation to a market economy and electoral democracy, Kiev has continued to be Ukraine's largest and wealthiest city. Its armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology, but new sectors of the economy such as services and finance facilitated Kiev's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of housing and urban infrastructure. Kiev emerged as the most pro-Western region of Ukraine; parties advocating tighter integration with the European Union dominate during elections.


==History==
==History==
Kiev, one of the oldest cities of Eastern Europe, played a pivotal role in the development of the medieval [[East Slavs|East Slavic]] civilization as well as in the modern [[Ukraine|Ukrainian nation]].
Kiev, one of the oldest cities of Eastern Europe, played a pivotal role in the development of the medieval [[East Slavs|East Slavic]] civilization as well as in the modern Ukrainian nation.


The first known humans in the region of Kiev lived there in the late [[Upper Paleolithic|paleolithic period]] ([[Stone Age]]).<ref name=use>[http://leksika.com.ua/13290305/ure/kiyiv Kiev] at [[Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia]]</ref> The population around Kiev during the [[Bronze Age]] formed part of so-called [[Tripillian culture]], as witnessed by objects found in the area.<ref>[http://leksika.com.ua/13290305/ure/kiyiv Kiev] in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia]]: "Населення періоду мідного віку на тер. К. було носієм т. з. трипільської культури; відомі й знахідки окремих предметів бронзового віку."</ref> During the early [[Iron Age]] certain tribes settled around Kiev that practiced land cultivation, husbandry and trading with the [[Scythians]], and with ancient states of the northern Black Sea coast.<ref name=use/> Findings of Roman coins of the 2nd to the 4th centuries suggest trade relations with the eastern provinces of the [[Roman Empire]].<ref name=use/> The carriers of [[Zarubintsy culture]] are considered the direct ancestors of the ancient Slavs who later established Kiev.<ref name=use/> Notable archaeologists of the area around Kiev include [[Vikentiy Khvoyka]].
The first known humans in the region of Kiev lived there in the late [[Upper Paleolithic|paleolithic period]] ([[Stone Age]]).<ref name=use>[http://leksika.com.ua/13290305/ure/kiyiv Kiev] at [[Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia]]</ref> The population around Kiev during the [[Bronze Age]] formed part of so-called [[Tripillian culture]], as witnessed by objects found in the area.<ref>[http://leksika.com.ua/13290305/ure/kiyiv Kiev] in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia]]: "Населення періоду мідного віку на тер. К. було носієм т. з. трипільської культури; відомі й знахідки окремих предметів бронзового віку."</ref> During the early [[Iron Age]] certain tribes settled around Kiev that practiced land cultivation, husbandry and trading with the [[Scythians]], and with ancient states of the northern Black Sea coast.<ref name=use/> Findings of Roman coins of the 2nd to the 4th centuries suggest trade relations with the eastern provinces of the [[Roman Empire]].<ref name=use/> The carriers of [[Zarubintsy culture]] are considered the direct ancestors of the ancient Slavs who later established Kiev.<ref name=use/> Notable archaeologists of the area around Kiev include [[Vikentiy Khvoyka]].
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[[File:Kyi, Czech, Khoryv and Lubed in der Radziwiłłchronik.jpg|thumb|left|Legendary [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid]] in the [[Radziwiłł Chronicle]]]]
[[File:Kyi, Czech, Khoryv and Lubed in der Radziwiłłchronik.jpg|thumb|left|Legendary [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid]] in the [[Radziwiłł Chronicle]]]]
Legendary accounts tell of the origin of the city; one legend features a founding family, members of a Slavic tribe ([[Polans (eastern)|Polans]]): the leader [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Kyi]], the eldest, his brothers [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Shchek and Khoryv]], and also their sister [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Lybid]], who allegedly founded the city (See the ''[[Primary Chronicle]]'').<ref name=use/> According to the ''Chronicle'', the name ''Kyiv''/''Kiev'' means "belonging to Kyi".<ref name=use/> Another legend states that [[Saint Andrew]] passed through the area (1st century), and where he erected a cross, a church was built.{{by whom|date=January 2018}} Since the [[Middle Ages]] an image of [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]] represented the city as well as the [[Duchy of Kiev|duchy]].
Legendary accounts tell of the origin of the city; one legend features a founding family, members of a Slavic tribe ([[Polans (eastern)|Polans]]): the leader [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Kyi]], the eldest, his brothers [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Shchek and Khoryv]], and also their sister [[Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv|Lybid]], who allegedly founded the city (See the ''[[Primary Chronicle]]'').<ref name=use/> According to the ''Chronicle'', the name ''Kyiv''/''Kiev'' means "belonging to Kyi".<ref name=use/> Another legend states that [[Saint Andrew]] passed through the area (1st century), and where he erected a cross, a church was built. Since the [[Middle Ages]] an image of [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]] represented the city as well as the [[Duchy of Kiev|duchy]].


[[File:Pál Vágó (1853-1928) painter The Hungarian at Kiev (1896-99).jpg|thumb|right|[[Hungarians]] at Kiev in 830 during the times of [[Rus' Khaganate]]]]
[[File:Pál Vágó (1853-1928) painter The Hungarian at Kiev (1896-99).jpg|thumb|right|[[Hungarians]] at Kiev in 830 during the times of [[Rus' Khaganate]]]]
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In 1834 the Russian government established Saint Vladimir University, now called the [[Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev]] after the Ukrainian poet [[Taras Shevchenko]] (1814–1861). (Shevchenko worked as a field researcher and editor for the geography department). The medical faculty of the Saint Vladimir University, separated into an independent institution in 1919–1921 during the Soviet period, became the [[Bogomolets National Medical University]] in 1995.
In 1834 the Russian government established Saint Vladimir University, now called the [[Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev]] after the Ukrainian poet [[Taras Shevchenko]] (1814–1861). (Shevchenko worked as a field researcher and editor for the geography department). The medical faculty of the Saint Vladimir University, separated into an independent institution in 1919–1921 during the Soviet period, became the [[Bogomolets National Medical University]] in 1995.


During the 18th and 19th centuries the [[Armed Forces of the Russian Federation|Russian military]] and ecclesiastical authorities dominated city life;{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] had involvement in a significant part of Kiev's infrastructure and commercial activity. In the late 1840s the historian, [[Nikolay Kostomarov|Mykola Kostomarov]] ''({{lang-ru|link=no|Nikolay Kostomarov}})'', founded a secret political society, the Brotherhood of [[Saints Cyril and Methodius|Saint Cyril]] and [[Saints Cyril and Methodius|Methodius]], whose members put forward the idea of a federation of free Slavic peoples with Ukrainians as a distinct and separate group rather than a subordinate part of the Russian nation; the Russian authorities quickly suppressed the society.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the [[Armed Forces of the Russian Federation|Russian military]] and ecclesiastical authorities dominated city life; the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] had involvement in a significant part of Kiev's infrastructure and commercial activity. In the late 1840s the historian, [[Nikolay Kostomarov|Mykola Kostomarov]], founded a secret political society, the Brotherhood of [[Saints Cyril and Methodius|Saint Cyril]] and [[Saints Cyril and Methodius|Methodius]], whose members put forward the idea of a federation of free Slavic peoples with Ukrainians as a distinct and separate group rather than a subordinate part of the Russian nation; the Russian authorities quickly suppressed the society.


Following the gradual loss of Ukraine's autonomy, Kiev experienced growing Russification in the 19th century by means of Russian migration, administrative actions and social modernization. At the beginning of the 20th century the [[Russian language|Russian]]-speaking part of the population dominated the city centre, while the [[Social class|lower classes]] living on the outskirts retained Ukrainian [[folk culture]] to a significant extent.{{Citation needed|date= April 2011}} However, enthusiasts among ethnic Ukrainian nobles, military and merchants made recurrent attempts to preserve native culture in Kiev (by clandestine book-printing, amateur theatre, folk studies etc.)
Following the gradual loss of Ukraine's autonomy, Kiev experienced growing Russification in the 19th century by means of Russian migration, administrative actions and social modernization. At the beginning of the 20th century the [[Russian language|Russian]]-speaking part of the population dominated the city centre, while the [[Social class|lower classes]] living on the outskirts retained Ukrainian [[folk culture]] to a significant extent. However, enthusiasts among ethnic Ukrainian nobles, military and merchants made recurrent attempts to preserve native culture in Kiev (by clandestine book-printing, amateur theatre, folk studies etc.)


[[File:Kiev downtown.jpg|thumb|right|Kiev in the late 19th century]]
[[File:Kiev downtown.jpg|thumb|right|Kiev in the late 19th century]]
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Kiev prospered during the late 19th century [[Industrial Revolution]] in the [[Russian Empire]], when it became the third most important city of the Empire and the major centre of commerce of its southwest. In the [[Ukraine after the Russian Revolution|turbulent period]] following the [[Russian Revolution (1917)|1917 Russian Revolution]], Kiev became the capital of several [[Ukrainian People's Republic|successive Ukrainian states]] and was caught in the middle of several conflicts: [[World War I]], during which German soldiers occupied it from 2 March 1918 to November 1918, the [[Russian Civil War]] of 1917 to 1922, and the [[Polish–Soviet War]] of 1919–1921. During the last three months of 1919, Kiev was intermittently controlled by the [[White Army]]. Kiev changed hands sixteen times from the end of 1918 to August 1920.<ref>{{cite book |title= Walking Since Daybreak|url= https://archive.org/details/walkingsincedayb0000ekst|url-access= registration|last= Eksteins|first= Modris|year= 1999|publisher= [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|Houghton Mifflin]]|isbn= 0-618-08231-X|page= [https://archive.org/details/walkingsincedayb0000ekst/page/87 87]}}</ref>
Kiev prospered during the late 19th century [[Industrial Revolution]] in the [[Russian Empire]], when it became the third most important city of the Empire and the major centre of commerce of its southwest. In the [[Ukraine after the Russian Revolution|turbulent period]] following the [[Russian Revolution (1917)|1917 Russian Revolution]], Kiev became the capital of several [[Ukrainian People's Republic|successive Ukrainian states]] and was caught in the middle of several conflicts: [[World War I]], during which German soldiers occupied it from 2 March 1918 to November 1918, the [[Russian Civil War]] of 1917 to 1922, and the [[Polish–Soviet War]] of 1919–1921. During the last three months of 1919, Kiev was intermittently controlled by the [[White Army]]. Kiev changed hands sixteen times from the end of 1918 to August 1920.<ref>{{cite book |title= Walking Since Daybreak|url= https://archive.org/details/walkingsincedayb0000ekst|url-access= registration|last= Eksteins|first= Modris|year= 1999|publisher= [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|Houghton Mifflin]]|isbn= 0-618-08231-X|page= [https://archive.org/details/walkingsincedayb0000ekst/page/87 87]}}</ref>


[[File:Kiev Radyanskaya pl approx1930.jpg|thumb|right|Kiev's council chambers in 1930]]
From 1921 to 1991 the city formed part of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]], which became a founding republic of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1922. The major events that took place in Soviet Ukraine during the [[interwar period]] all affected Kiev: the 1920s [[Ukrainization]] as well as the migration of the rural [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainophone]] population made the [[Russophone]] city Ukrainian-speaking and bolstered the development of [[Ukrainian culture|Ukrainian cultural life]] in the city; the [[History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953)|Soviet Industrialization]] that started in the late 1920s turned the city, a former centre of commerce and religion, into a major industrial, technological and scientific centre; the [[Holodomor|1932–1933 Great Famine]] devastated the part of the migrant population not registered for ration cards; and [[Joseph Stalin]]'s [[Great Purge]] of 1937–1938 almost eliminated the city's [[intelligentsia]]<ref name="Brama">{{cite web |url= http://www.brama.com/ukraine/history/terror/index.html |title= The Great Purge under Stalin 1937–38 |publisher= brama.com |accessdate= 14 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="Figes">[[Orlando Figes]] ''The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia'', 2007, {{ISBN|0805074619}}, pages 227–315.</ref><ref name="Social Catastrophe">Robert Gellately, ''Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe'' (Knopf, 2007: {{ISBN|1-4000-4005-1}}), 720 pages.</ref>
From 1921 to 1991 the city formed part of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic]], which became a founding republic of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1922. The major events that took place in Soviet Ukraine during the [[interwar period]] all affected Kiev: the 1920s [[Ukrainization]] as well as the migration of the rural [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainophone]] population made the [[Russophone]] city Ukrainian-speaking and bolstered the development of [[Ukrainian culture|Ukrainian cultural life]] in the city; the [[History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953)|Soviet Industrialization]] that started in the late 1920s turned the city, a former centre of commerce and religion, into a major industrial, technological and scientific centre; the [[Holodomor|1932–1933 Great Famine]] devastated the part of the migrant population not registered for ration cards; and [[Joseph Stalin]]'s [[Great Purge]] of 1937–1938 almost eliminated the city's [[intelligentsia]]<ref name="Brama">{{cite web |url= http://www.brama.com/ukraine/history/terror/index.html |title= The Great Purge under Stalin 1937–38 |publisher= brama.com |accessdate= 14 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="Figes">[[Orlando Figes]] ''The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia'', 2007, {{ISBN|0805074619}}, pages 227–315.</ref><ref name="Social Catastrophe">Robert Gellately, ''Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe'' (Knopf, 2007: {{ISBN|1-4000-4005-1}}), 720 pages.</ref>


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==Environment==
==Environment==
{{see also|Kiev Mountains}}
===Geography===
===Geography===
[[File:Kiev L7 20010914.jpg|thumb|left|[[Landsat 7]] image of Kiev and the [[Dnieper]]]]
[[File:Kiev L7 20010914.jpg|thumb|left|[[Landsat 7]] image of Kiev and the [[Dnieper]]]]
Geographically, Kiev is located on the border of the [[Polesia]] woodland ecological zone, a part of the European mixed woods area, and the East European [[forest steppe]] [[biome]]. However, the city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. Kiev is completely surrounded by [[Kiev Oblast]].
Geographically, Kiev is located on the border of the [[Polesia]] woodland ecological zone, a part of the European mixed woods area, and the East European [[forest steppe]] [[biome]]. However, the city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. Kiev is completely surrounded by [[Kiev Oblast]].


Originally on the west bank, today Kiev is located on both sides of the [[Dnieper]], which flows southwards through the city towards the [[Black Sea]]. The older and higher western part of the city sits on numerous wooded hills ([[Kiev Mountains|Kiev Hills]]), with ravines and small rivers. Kiev's geographical relief contributed to its [[toponym]]s, such as Podil (means lower), Pechersk (caves), and uzviz (a steep street, "descent"). Kiev is a part of the larger [[Dnieper Upland]] adjoining the western bank of the Dnieper in its mid-flow, and which contributes to the city's elevation change. The northern outskirts of the city border the [[Polesian Lowland]]. Kiev expanded into the [[Dnieper Lowland]] on the left bank (''to the east'') as late as the 20th century. The whole portion of Kiev on the left bank of the Dnieper is generally referred to as ''Left bank'' ({{lang-uk|Лівий берег}}, Livyi bereh). Significant areas of the left bank Dnieper valley were artificially sand-deposited, and are protected by dams.
Originally on the west bank, today Kiev is located on both sides of the [[Dnieper]], which flows southwards through the city towards the [[Black Sea]]. The older and higher western part of the city sits on numerous wooded hills ([[Kiev Mountains|Kiev Hills]]), with ravines and small rivers. Kiev's geographical relief contributed to its [[toponym]]s, such as Podil (means lower), Pechersk (caves), and uzviz (a steep street, "descent"). Kiev is a part of the larger [[Dnieper Upland]] adjoining the western bank of the Dnieper in its mid-flow, and which contributes to the city's elevation change. The northern outskirts of the city border the [[Polesian Lowland]]. Kiev expanded into the [[Dnieper Lowland]] on the left bank (''to the east'') as late as the 20th century. The whole portion of Kiev on the left bank of the Dnieper is generally referred to as ''Left bank'' (Livyi bereh). Significant areas of the left bank Dnieper valley were artificially sand-deposited, and are protected by dams.


Within the city the Dnieper River forms a branching system of [[tributary|tributaries]], isles, and harbors within the city limits. The city is close to the mouth of the [[Desna River]] and the [[Kiev Reservoir]] in the north, and the [[Kaniv Reservoir]] in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna rivers are [[navigation|navigable]] at Kiev, although regulated by the reservoir shipping locks and limited by winter freeze-over.
Within the city the Dnieper River forms a branching system of [[tributary|tributaries]], isles, and harbors within the city limits. The city is close to the mouth of the [[Desna River]] and the [[Kiev Reservoir]] in the north, and the [[Kaniv Reservoir]] in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna rivers are [[navigation|navigable]] at Kiev, although regulated by the reservoir shipping locks and limited by winter freeze-over.
Line 84: Line 81:


===Climate===
===Climate===
Kiev has a warm-summer humid continental [[climate]].<ref>{{cite journal| last = Kottek | first = M.|author2=J. Grieser |author3=C. Beck |author4=B. Rudolf |author5=F. Rubel | title =World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated| journal =Meteorol. Z.| volume =15 | pages =259–263| url =http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/kottek_et_al_2006_A4.pdf| doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130| year =2006| issue = 3| bibcode = 2006MetZe..15..259K}}</ref> The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of {{convert|13.8|to|24.8|C|F}}. The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of {{convert|-4.6|to|-1.1|C|F}}. The highest ever temperature recorded in the city was {{convert|39.4|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 30 July 1936.<ref name=extremes1>{{cite web |url =http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?fn=k_klimat&f=kyiv&p=1 |script-title =uk:Кліматичні дані по м.Києву |publisher =Central Observatory for Geophysics |language =Ukrainian |accessdate =4 August 2016 |title =Archived copy |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20181021015425/http://cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?fn=k_klimat&f=kyiv&p=1 |archive-date =21 October 2018 |url-status =dead }}</ref><ref name=extremes2>{{cite web |url =http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?dv=klimat-rekords/ |script-title=uk:Кліматичні рекорди |publisher =Central Observatory for Geophysics |language =Ukrainian |accessdate =4 August 2016 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160804044852/http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?dv=klimat-rekords%2F |archive-date =4 August 2016 |url-status =dead}}</ref> The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was {{convert|-32.9|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 11 January 1951.<ref name=extremes1/><ref name=extremes2/> Snow cover usually lies from mid-November to the end of March, with the frost-free period lasting 180 days on average, but surpassing 200 days in some years.<ref name="eob" />


Kiev has a warm-summer [[continental climate|humid continental]] [[climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb'').<ref>{{cite journal| last = Kottek | first = M.|author2=J. Grieser |author3=C. Beck |author4=B. Rudolf |author5=F. Rubel | title =World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated| journal =Meteorol. Z.| volume =15 | pages =259–263| url =http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/kottek_et_al_2006_A4.pdf| doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130| year =2006| issue = 3| bibcode = 2006MetZe..15..259K}}</ref> The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of {{convert|13.8|to|24.8|C|F}}. The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of {{convert|-4.6|to|-1.1|C|F}}. The highest ever temperature recorded in the city was {{convert|39.4|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 30 July 1936.<ref name=extremes1>{{cite web |url =http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?fn=k_klimat&f=kyiv&p=1 |script-title =uk:Кліматичні дані по м.Києву |publisher =Central Observatory for Geophysics |language =Ukrainian |accessdate =4 August 2016 |title =Archived copy |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20181021015425/http://cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?fn=k_klimat&f=kyiv&p=1 |archive-date =21 October 2018 |url-status =dead }}</ref><ref name=extremes2>{{cite web |url =http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?dv=klimat-rekords/ |script-title=uk:Кліматичні рекорди |publisher =Central Observatory for Geophysics |language =Ukrainian |accessdate =4 August 2016 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160804044852/http://www.cgo.kiev.ua/index.php?dv=klimat-rekords%2F |archive-date =4 August 2016 |url-status =dead}}</ref> The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was {{convert|-32.9|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 11 January 1951.<ref name=extremes1/><ref name=extremes2/> Snow cover usually lies from mid-November to the end of March, with the frost-free period lasting 180 days on average, but surpassing 200 days in some years.<ref name="eob" />
==Honor==
 
{{Weather box
| location = Kiev (1981–2010, extremes 1881–present)
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 11.1
| Feb record high C = 17.3
| Mar record high C = 22.4
| Apr record high C = 30.2
| May record high C = 33.6
| Jun record high C = 35.0
| Jul record high C = 39.4
| Aug record high C = 39.3
| Sep record high C = 33.8
| Oct record high C = 28.0
| Nov record high C = 23.2
| Dec record high C = 14.7
|year record high C = 39.4
| Jan high C = -0.9
| Feb high C = 0.0
| Mar high C = 5.6
| Apr high C = 14.1
| May high C = 20.7
| Jun high C = 23.5
| Jul high C = 25.6
| Aug high C = 24.9
| Sep high C = 19.0
| Oct high C = 12.5
| Nov high C = 4.6
| Dec high C = 0.0
|year high C = 12.5
| Jan mean C = −3.5
| Feb mean C = −3.0
| Mar mean C = 1.8
| Apr mean C = 9.3
| May mean C = 15.5
| Jun mean C = 18.6
| Jul mean C = 20.5
| Aug mean C = 19.7
| Sep mean C = 14.2
| Oct mean C = 8.4
| Nov mean C = 1.9
| Dec mean C = -2.3
|year mean C = 8.4
| Jan low C = -5.9
| Feb low C = -5.7
| Mar low C = -1.4
| Apr low C = 5.1
| May low C = 10.8
| Jun low C = 14.2
| Jul low C = 16.1
| Aug low C = 15.2
| Sep low C = 10.2
| Oct low C = 4.9
| Nov low C = -0.3
| Dec low C = -4.6
|year low C = 4.9
| Jan record low C = -32.9
| Feb record low C = -32.2
| Mar record low C = -24.9
| Apr record low C = -10.4
| May record low C = -2.4
| Jun record low C = 2.4
| Jul record low C = 5.8
| Aug record low C = 3.3
| Sep record low C = -2.9
| Oct record low C = -17.8
| Nov record low C = -21.9
| Dec record low C = -30.0
|year record low C = -32.9
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 35
| Feb precipitation mm = 39
| Mar precipitation mm = 37
| Apr precipitation mm = 46
| May precipitation mm = 57
| Jun precipitation mm = 82
| Jul precipitation mm = 72
| Aug precipitation mm = 61
| Sep precipitation mm = 58
| Oct precipitation mm = 40
| Nov precipitation mm = 48
| Dec precipitation mm = 44
|year precipitation mm = 618
| Jan rain days = 8
| Feb rain days = 7
| Mar rain days = 9
| Apr rain days = 13
| May rain days = 14
| Jun rain days = 15
| Jul rain days = 14
| Aug rain days = 11
| Sep rain days = 14
| Oct rain days = 12
| Nov rain days = 12
| Dec rain days = 9
|year rain days = 138
| Jan snow days = 17
| Feb snow days = 17
| Mar snow days = 10
| Apr snow days = 2
| May snow days = 0.2
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0.03
| Oct snow days = 2
| Nov snow days = 9
| Dec snow days = 16
|year snow days = 73
| Jan humidity = 83
| Feb humidity = 80
| Mar humidity = 74
| Apr humidity = 64
| May humidity = 62
| Jun humidity = 67
| Jul humidity = 68
| Aug humidity = 67
| Sep humidity = 74
| Oct humidity = 77
| Nov humidity = 85
| Dec humidity = 86
|year humidity = 74
| Jan sun = 42
| Feb sun = 64
| Mar sun = 112
| Apr sun = 162
| May sun = 257
| Jun sun = 273
| Jul sun = 287
| Aug sun = 252
| Sep sun = 189
| Oct sun = 123
| Nov sun = 51
| Dec sun = 31
|year sun =
| Jan uv  =1
| Feb uv  =1
| Mar uv  =2
| Apr uv  =4
| May uv  =6
| Jun uv  =7
| Jul uv  =6
| Aug uv  =6
| Sep uv  =4
| Oct uv  =2
| Nov uv  =1
| Dec uv  =1
|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net,<ref name="pogoda">{{cite web
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191213141910/http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/33345.htm
| archivedate = 13 December 2019
| url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/33345.htm
| title = Weather and Climate – The Climate of Kiev
| publisher = Weather and Climate (Погода и климат)
| accessdate = 13 December 2019
| language = Russian}}</ref> Central Observatory for Geophysics (extremes)<ref name=extremes1/><ref name=extremes2/>
|source 2 = [[Danish Meteorological Institute]] (sun, 1931–1960)<ref name=DMI>{{cite web | last1 = Cappelen | first1 = John | last2 = Jensen | first2 = Jens | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130427173827/http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | archivedate=27 April 2013| url = http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | work = Climate Data for Selected Stations (1931–1960) | title = Ukraine – Kiev | page = 332 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | language = Danish | accessdate = 1 April 2016}}</ref> and Weather Atlas<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/ukraine/kiev-climate|title=Kiev, Ukraine - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast|last=d.o.o|first=Yu Media Group|website=Weather Atlas|language=en|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}
 
==Legal status, local government and politics==
 
=== Legal status and local government ===
{{Main|Legal status and local government of Kiev}}
 
The municipality of the city of Kiev has a [[Cities with special status|special legal status]] within Ukraine compared to the other [[Administrative divisions of Ukraine|administrative subdivisions of the country]]. The most significant difference is that the city is considered as a region of Ukraine (see [[Regions of Ukraine]]). It is the only city that has double jurisdiction. The Head of [[Chief of Local State Administration (Ukraine)|City State Administration]] — the city's governor, is appointed by the [[President of Ukraine]], while the Head of the City Council – the [[Mayor of Kiev]], is elected by local popular vote.
 
The Mayor of Kiev is [[Vitali Klitschko]] who was sworn in on 5 June 2014;<ref name=KKMs5614>[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/208052.html Vitali Klitschko sworn in as mayor of Kiev], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (5 June 2014)</ref> after he had won the [[2014 Kiev local election|25 May 2014 Kiev mayoral elections]] with almost 57% of the votes.<ref name="votecountKMEIU4614">[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/207829.html Klitschko officially announced as winner of Kiev mayor election], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (4 June 2014)</ref> Since 25 June 2014 Klitschko is also [[Head of Kiev City Administration]].<ref name="Poroshenko appoints Klitschko head of Kyiv city administration - decree">[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/210904.html Poroshenko appoints Klitschko head of Kyiv city administration – decree], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (25 June 2014)<br />[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/210980.html Poroshenko orders Klitschko to bring title of best European capital back to Kyiv], [[Interfax-Ukraine]] (25 June 2014)</ref>
 
Most key buildings of the national government are located along [[Hrushevskoho Street]] (vulytsia Mykhaila Hrushevskoho) and Institute Street (vulytsia Instytutska). Hrushevskoho Street is named after the Ukrainian academician, politician, historian, and statesman [[Mykhailo Hrushevskyi]], who wrote an academic book titled: "Bar Starostvo: Historical Notes: XV-XVIII" about the history of [[Bar, Ukraine]].<ref>Hrushevsky, M., Bar Starostvo: Historical Notes: XV-XVIII, St. Vladimir University Publishing House, Bol'shaya-Vasil'kovskaya, Building no. 29-31, Kiev, Ukraine, 1894; Lviv, Ukraine, {{ISBN|5-12-004335-6}}, pp. 1 – 623, 1996.</ref> That portion of the city is also unofficially known as the government quarter ({{lang-uk|урядовий квартал}}).
 
The city state administration and council is located in the Kiev City council building on [[Khreshchatyk]] Street. The oblast state administration and council is located in the [[Kiev Oblast]] council building on ploshcha Lesi Ukrayinky (Lesya Ukrayinka Square). The [[Kiev-Sviatoshyn Raion]] state administration is located near Kiltseva doroha (Ring Road) on prospekt Peremohy (Victory Parkway), while the Kiev-Svyatoshyn Raion local council is located on vulytsia Yantarna (Yantarnaya Street).
{{Gallery|title=Government buildings in Kiev|width=170|height=120|lines=3|align=center
||The [[Verkhovna Rada building]].
| File:Kiev Cabinet of Ministers.jpg|The seat of the [[Government of Ukraine|Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine]]
| File:Pres-adm-ukraine-2008.jpg|The [[President of Ukraine|presidential administration]] building
| File:Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.JPG|The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]]
| File:Крещатик, 36 (01) - Мэрия.jpg|The seat of [[Kiev City State Administration|Kiev City State]] and [[Kiev City Council|City Council]] on [[Khreshchatyk|Khreshchatyk Street]]
}}
 
===Politics===
{{main|2015 Kiev local election}}
{{expand section|date=August 2013}}
The growing political and economic role of the city, combined with its international relations, as well as extensive [[Internet in Ukraine|internet and social network penetration]],<ref name="Siumar on Kyiv">{{cite news | url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2012/05/22/6964965/ | title=Київ: стратегічна позиція чи "чемодан" без ручки? | date=22 May 2012 | agency=[[Ukrayinska Pravda]] | accessdate=19 August 2013 | author=Сюмар, Вікторія}}</ref> have made Kiev the most pro-Western and pro-democracy region of Ukraine; (so called) [[National democratic|National Democratic]] [[political parties in Ukraine|parties]] advocating tighter [[Ukraine–European Union relations|integration with the European Union]] receive most votes during [[Elections in Ukraine|elections]] in Kiev.<ref name="radiosvoboda.org"/><ref name="Битва за Київ"/><ref name="Nebozhenko"/><ref name="pravda1629"/> In a poll conducted by the [[Kiev International Institute of Sociology]] in the first half of February 2014, 5.3% of those polled in Kiev believed "Ukraine and [[Russia]] must unite into a single state", nationwide this percentage was 12.5.<ref>[http://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=236&page=1 How relations between Ukraine and Russia should look like? Public opinion polls’ results], [[Kyiv International Institute of Sociology]] (4 March 2014)</ref>
 
===Subdivisions===
[[File:View to Kiev.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|View to the left bank neighbourhoods of Kiev]]
{{See also|:Category:Neighborhoods and raions of Kiev}}
{{Main|Subdivisions of Kiev}}
 
====Traditional subdivision====
[[File:2018-07-15 Dniprovska Embankment, Berezniaky, Kyiv 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Berezniaky neighbourhood in [[Dnipro Raion, Kiev|Dnipro Raion]]]]
The [[Dnieper River]] naturally divides Kiev into the Right Bank and the Left Bank areas. Historically located on the western right bank of the river, the city expanded into the left bank only in the 20th century. Most of Kiev's attractions as well as the majority of business and governmental institutions are located on the right bank. The eastern 'Left Bank' is predominantly residential. There are large industrial and green areas in both the Right Bank and the Left Bank.
 
Kiev is further informally divided into historical or territorial neighbourhoods, each housing from about 5,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
 
{{Panorama
|image=File:Панорама Правого берега.jpg
|fullwidth=14570
|fullheight=2000
|caption=<center>A [[Panorama|panoramic]] view of Right-Bank Kiev, where the city centre is located (May 2011)</center>
|alt=
|height=210
}}
 
====Formal subdivision====
 
{|class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:88%;"
|+ {{resize|110%|The ten [[Subdivisions of Kiev|raions (districts) of Kiev]]}}
|style="padding-right:1em;" |
:''Г''&nbsp;— [[Holosiiv Raion]]
:''О''&nbsp;— [[Obolon Raion]]
:''Печ''&nbsp;— [[Pechersk Raion]]
:''Под''&nbsp;— [[Podil Raion]]
:''Ш''&nbsp;— [[Shevchenko Raion, Kiev|Shevchenko Raion]]
:''Св''&nbsp;— [[Sviatoshyn Raion]]
:''Сол''&nbsp;— [[Solomianka Raion]]
'''Left-bank districts'''
:''Дар''&nbsp;— [[Darnytsia Raion]]
:''Дес''&nbsp;— [[Desna Raion, Kiev|Desna Raion]]
:''Дн''&nbsp;— [[Dnipro Raion, Kiev|Dnipro Raion]]
|[[File:Адміністративний поділ Києва.gif|280px]]
|}
 
The first known formal subdivision of Kiev dates to 1810 when the city was subdivided into 4 parts: [[Pechersk, Kiev|Pechersk]], Starokyiv, and the first and the second parts of [[Podil]]. In 1833–1834 according to [[Russian tsar|Tsar]] [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]]'s decree, Kiev was subdivided into 6 police [[raion]]s (districts); later being increased to 10. In 1917, there were 8 Raion Councils (''Duma''), which were reorganised by [[bolshevik]]s into 6 Party-Territory Raions.
 
During the Soviet era, as the city was expanding, the number of raions also gradually increased. These newer districts of the city, along with some older areas were then named in honour of prominent communists and socialist-revolutionary figures; however, due to the way in which many communist party members eventually, after a certain period of time, fell out of favour and so were replaced with new, fresher minds, so too did the names of Kiev's districts change accordingly.
 
The last raion reform took place in 2001 when the number of raions has been decreased from 14 to 10.
 
Under [[Oleksandr Omelchenko]] ([[Mayor of Kiev|mayor]] from 1999 to 2006), there were further plans for the merger of some raions and revision of their boundaries, and the total number of raions had been planned to be decreased from 10 to 7. With the election of the new mayor-elect ([[Leonid Chernovetskyi|Leonid Chernovetsky]]) in 2006, these plans were shelved.
 
Each raion has its own [[local government|locally elected government]] with jurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs.
 
==Demographics==
{{See also|Kiev metropolitan area}}
According to the official [[Resident registration|registration]] statistics, there were 2,847,200 residents within the city limits of Kiev in July 2013.<ref name="Kiev statistical report"/>
 
===Historical population===
{{Historical populations
|state=collapsed
|shading=on
|10xx|100000
|1647|15000
|1666|10000
|1763|42000
|1797|19000
|1835|36500
|1845|50000
|1856|56000
|1865|71300
|1874|127500
|1884|154500
|1897|247700
|1905|450000
|1909|468000
|1912|442000
|1914|626300
|1917|430500
|1919|544000
|1922|366000
|1923|413000
|1926|513000
|1930|578000
|1940|930000
|1943|180000
|1956|991000
|1959|1104300
|1965|1367200
|1970|1632000
|1975|1947000
|1980|2191500
|1985|2461000
|1991|2593400
|1996|2637900
|2000|2615300
|2005|2596400
|2010|2786518
|2015|2890432
|footnote=at 1 January of respective year.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Vilenchuk|first1=S. R.|last2=Yatsuk|first2=T.B. (eds.)|title=Kyiv Statistical Yearbook for 2008|location=Kiev|publisher=Vydavnytstvo Konsultant LLC|year=2009|page=213|isbn=978-966-8459-28-3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kudritskiy|first1=A. V.|title=KIEV entsiklopedicheskiy spravochnik|location=Kiev|publisher=Glavnaya redaktsia Ukrainskoy Sovetskoy Entsiklopedii|year=1982|page=30}}</ref>
}}
 
According to the [[Ukrainian Census (2001)|All-Ukrainian Census]], the population of Kiev in 2001 was 2,611,300.<ref name=population/> The historic changes in population are shown in the side table. According to the census, some 1,393,000 (53.3%) were female and 1,219,000 (46.7%) were male. Comparing the results with the previous census (1989) shows the trend of [[population ageing]] which, while prevalent throughout the country, is partly offset in Kiev by the inflow of working age migrants. Some 1,069,700 people had higher or completed secondary education, a significant increase of 21.7% since 1989.
 
The June 2007 unofficial population estimate based on amount of [[bakery]] products sold in the city (thus including temporary visitors and commuters) gave a number of at least 3.5&nbsp;million people.<ref name="undercounted residents in Kiev">{{cite news | url=http://www.korrespondent.net/main/194785 | title=There are up to 1.5 mln undercounted residents in Kiev | work=[[Korrespondent]] | date=15 June 2007 | accessdate=2 September 2013 | language=ru}}</ref>
 
===Ethnic composition===
According to the 2001 census data, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups reside within the territory of Kiev. [[Ukrainians]] constitute the largest [[ethnic group]] in Kiev, and they account for 2,110,800 people, or 82.2% of the population. [[Russians]] comprise 337,300 (13.1%), Jews 17,900 (0.7%), [[Belarusians]] 16,500 (0.6%), [[Poles]] 6,900 (0.3%), [[Armenians]] 4,900 (0.2%), [[Azerbaijani people|Azerbaijanis]] 2,600 (0.1%), [[Tatars]] 2,500 (0.1%), [[Georgians]] 2,400 (0.1%), [[Moldovans]] 1,900 (0.1%).
 
Both [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] and Russian are commonly spoken in the city; approximately 75% of Kiev's population responded "Ukrainian" to the 2001 census question on their native language, roughly 25% responded "Russian".<ref name=CensusKiev>According to the official [[Ukrainian Census (2001)|2001 census]] data: {{cite web |url=http://ukrcensus.gov.ua/results/general/nationality/city_kyiv/ |title=Всеукраїнський перепис населення 2001 {{!}} Результати {{!}} Основні підсумки {{!}} Національний склад населення {{!}} місто Киів |publisher=ukrcensus.gov.ua |accessdate=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214013239/http://ukrcensus.gov.ua/results/general/nationality/city_kyiv/ |archivedate=14 December 2009}} & {{cite web |url=http://ukrcensus.gov.ua/results/general/language/city_kyiv |title=Всеукраїнський перепис населення 2001 {{!}} Результати {{!}} Основні підсумки {{!}} Мовний склад населення {{!}} місто Київ |publisher=ukrcensus.gov.ua |accessdate=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125152423/http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/results/general/language/city_kyiv |archivedate=25 January 2010}}</ref> According to a 2006 survey, Ukrainian is used at home by 23% of Kievans, 52% use Russian and 24% switch between both.<ref name=ZerkaloKiev>"Kiev: the city, its residents, problems of today, wishes for tomorrow.", ''[[Zerkalo Nedeli]]'', 29 April – 12 May 2006. [http://www.zerkalo-nedeli.com/ie/show/596/53322/ in Russian] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217114918/http://www.zerkalo-nedeli.com/ie/show/596/53322/ |date=17 February 2007 }}, [http://www.zn.kiev.ua/ie/show/596/53322/ in Ukrainian]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217114918/http://www.zn.kiev.ua/ie/show/596/53322/ |date=17 February 2007 }}</ref> In the 2003 sociological survey, when the question 'What language do you use in everyday life?' was asked, 52% said 'mostly Russian', 32% 'both Russian and Ukrainian in equal measure', 14% 'mostly Ukrainian', and 4.3% 'exclusively Ukrainian'.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wumag.kiev.ua/index2.php?param=pgs20032/72|title=What language is spoken in Ukraine?|publisher=Welcome to Ukraine|accessdate=2016-02-12}}</ref>
 
According to the census of 1897, of Kiev's approximately 240,000 people approximately 56% of the population spoke the Russian language, 23% spoke the Ukrainian language, 13% spoke Yiddish, 7% spoke Polish and 1% spoke the Belarusian language.<ref>Первая всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Распределение населения по родному языку и уездам. г. Киев [http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_lan_97_uezd.php?reg=533]</ref>
 
Most of the city's non-Slav population comprises Tatars, [[Peoples of the Caucasus|Caucasians]] and other people from the [[former Soviet Union]].
 
A 2015 study by the [[International Republican Institute]] found that 94% of Kiev was ethnic Ukrainian, and 5% ethnic Russian. The languages spoken at home were Ukrainian (27%), Russian (32%), and an equal combination of Ukrainian and Russian (40%).<ref name=iri1>{{cite journal|title=Ukrainian Municipal Survey, March 2–20 2015|journal=IRI|url=http://www.iri.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/2015-05-19_ukraine_national_municipal_survey_march_2-20_2015.pdf}}</ref>
 
===Jews===
{{main|History of the Jews in Kiev}}
 
The Jews of Kiev are first mentioned in a [[Kievian Letter|10th century letter]], but the Jewish population remained relatively small until the nineteenth century.<ref name="jewishvirtuallibrary.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/kiev|title=Kiev|website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org|access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref> A series of [[pogrom]]s was carried out in 1882, and another in 1905. On the eve of World War I, the city's Jewish population was over 81,000,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Jewish Community of Kiev |url=https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/kiev |publisher=The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot}}</ref> and by 1939 there were approximately 224,000 Jews in Kiev,<ref name="jewishvirtuallibrary.org"/> some of whom fled the city ahead of the [[Operation Barbarossa|German invasion]] of the Soviet Union that began in June 1941. On 29 and 30 September 1941, nearly 34,000 Kievan Jews were massacred at [[Babi Yar]] by the [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Wehrmacht]], [[SS]], [[Ukrainian Auxiliary Police]], and local collaborators.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005421|title=Kiev and Babi Yar|encyclopedia=Holocaust Encyclopedia|publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103133722/http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005421|archive-date=2007-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the Holocaust, vol. 1|last=Gutman|first=Israel|publisher=Macmillan|year=1990|pages=133–6}}</ref> Jews began returning to Kiev at the end of the war, but experienced another pogrom in September 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quest-cdecjournal.it/focus.php?id=212 |title=State-sponsored Anti-Semitism in Postwar USSR. Studies and Research Perspectives; Antonella Salomoni |publisher=Quest. Issues in Contemporary Jewish History / Questioni di storia ebraica contemporanea  |accessdate=2012-07-26}}</ref> In the 21st century, Kiev's Jewish community numbers about 20,000. There are two major synagogues in the city: the [[Great Choral Synagogue (Kiev)|Great Choral Synagogue]] and the [[Brodsky Choral Synagogue]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpeopleworld.com/index.php?dir=site&page=country&subj_cs=4755 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6HjzgTHua?url=http://www.jpeopleworld.com/index.php?dir=site&page=country&subj_cs=4755 |archivedate=29 June 2013 |title=Jewish People Around the World |author=alla levy |accessdate=4 July 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
==Cityscape==
 
{{See also|Category:Buildings and structures in Kiev}}
 
{{Panorama
|image=File:Panorama of Podil.jpg
|fullwidth=5178
|fullheight=982
|caption=<center>A [[Panorama|panoramic]] view of [[Podil]], one of Kiev's central neighborhoods</center>
|alt=
|height=250
}}
 
Modern Kiev is a mix of the old (Kiev preserved about 70 percent of more than 1,000 buildings built during 1907–1914<ref name="Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv">[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/109648/ Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204003123/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/109648/ |date=4 February 2012 }}, [[Kyiv Post]] (28 July 2011)</ref>) and the new, seen in everything from the architecture to the stores and to the people themselves. When the capital of the [[Ukrainian SSR]] was moved from [[Kharkiv]] to Kiev many new buildings were commissioned to give the city "the gloss and polish of a capital".<ref name="Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv"/> In the discussions that centered on how to create a showcase city center, the current city center of [[Khreshchatyk]] and [[Maidan Nezalezhnosti]] (Independence Square) were not the obvious choices.<ref name="Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv"/> Some of the early, ultimately not materialised, ideas included a part of [[Pechersk, Kiev|Pechersk]], [[Lypky]], [[European Square, Kiev|European Square]] and [[Mykhailivska Square]].<ref name="Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv"/> The plans of building massive monuments (of [[Vladimir Lenin]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]) were also abandoned; due to lack of money (in the 1930s–1950s) and because of Kiev's hilly landscape.<ref name="Forgotten Soviet Plans For Kyiv"/> Experiencing rapid population growth between the 1970s and the mid-1990s, the city has continued its consistent growth after the turn of the millennium. As a result, Kiev's central districts provide a dotted contrast of new, modern buildings among the pale yellows, blues and greys of older apartments. Urban sprawl has gradually reduced, while population densities of suburbs has increased. The most expensive properties are located in the Pechersk, and Khreshchatyk areas. It is also prestigious to own a property in newly constructed buildings in the [[Kharkivskyi neighborhood, Kiev|Kharkivskyi Raion]] or [[Obolon Raion|Obolon]] along the Dnieper.
 
[[Declaration of Independence of Ukraine|Ukrainian independence]] at the turn of the millennium has heralded other changes. Western-style residential complexes, modern [[nightclub]]s, classy restaurants and prestigious hotels opened in the centre. And most importantly, with the easing of the visa rules in 2005,<ref>[http://www.workpermit.com/news/2005_08_10/europe/ukraine.htm Workpermit.com]. Retrieved 30 July 2006.</ref> Ukraine is positioning itself as a prime tourist attraction, with Kiev, among the other large cities, looking to profit from new opportunities. The centre of Kiev has been cleaned up and buildings have been restored and redecorated, especially Khreshchatyk and Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Many historic areas of Kiev, such as [[Andriyivskyy Descent]], have become popular street vendor locations, where one can find traditional [[Art of Ukraine|Ukrainian art]], religious items, books, game sets (most commonly [[chess]]) as well as jewellery for sale.<ref>[http://www.kiev.info/shopping/andrey_sp.htm ''Kiev.info'']. Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref>
 
At the [[2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference|United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009]], Kiev was the only [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] city to have been inscribed into the TOP30 European Green City Index (placed 30th).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121013202330/http://www.wam.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1259110921211&pagename=WAM%2FWAM_E_Layout&parent=Query&parentid=1135099399852 Kyiv found among greenest cities in Europe], [[United Arab Emirates|Emirates News Agency]] (10 December 2009)</ref>
 
Kiev's most famous historical architecture complexes are the [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev|St. Sophia Cathedral]] and the [[Kiev Pechersk Lavra]] (Monastery of the Caves), which are recognized by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]]. Noteworthy historical architectural landmarks also include the [[Mariyinsky Palace]] (designed and constructed from 1745 to 1752, then reconstructed in 1870), several [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox churches]] such as [[St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery|St. Michael's Cathedral]], [[St Andrew's Church, Kiev|St. Andrew's]], [[St Volodymyr's Cathedral|St. Vladimir's]], the reconstructed [[Golden Gate, Kiev|Golden Gate]] and others.
 
One of Kiev's widely recognized modern landmarks is the highly visible giant [[Mother Motherland, Kiev|Mother Motherland]] statue made of titanium standing at the [[Museum of The History of Ukraine in World War II]] on the Right bank of the [[Dnieper River]]. Other notable sites is the cylindrical Salut hotel, located across from Glory Square and the [[eternal flame]] at the World War Two memorial [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kiev)|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier]], and the [[House with Chimaeras]].
 
Among Kiev's best-known monuments are [[Mikhail Mikeshin]]'s statue of [[Bohdan Khmelnytsky]] astride his horse located near [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev|St. Sophia Cathedral]], the venerated [[Vladimir I of Kiev|Vladimir the Great]] (St. Vladimir), the [[Christianization of Kievan Rus'|baptizer of Rus']], overlooking the river above [[Podil]] from [[Volodymyrska Hill]], the monument to [[Kyi, Schek and Khoryv]] and Lybid, the legendary founders of the city located at the Dnieper embankment. On [[Maidan Nezalezhnosti|Independence Square]] in the city centre, two monuments elevate two of the city protectors; the historic protector of Kiev [[Michael (archangel)|Michael Archangel]] atop a reconstruction of one of the old city's gates and a modern invention, the goddess-protector [[Berehynia]] atop a tall column.
 
<gallery mode="packed" caption="Architecture and historically significant sites and monuments in Kiev">
File:Golden Gate Kiev 2018 G1.jpg|[[Golden Gate, Kiev|Golden Gate]]
File:Київ, Собор Успенський, Лаврська вул. 9.jpg|[[Kiev Pechersk Lavra|Holy Dormition Cathedral]]
File:St. Sophia's.jpg|[[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev|St. Sophia Cathedral]]
File:St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev.jpg|[[St Volodymyr's Cathedral|St. Volodymyr's Cathedral]]
File:80-391-9007 Kyiv St.Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery RB 18.jpg|[[St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery]]
File:Pokrova Nunnery Kyiv.JPG|[[Intercession Convent, Kiev|Intercession Convent]]
File:St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Cathedral, Kyiv 8.jpg|[[St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Cathedral, Kiev|St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Cathedral]]
File:Kyiv, St Andrew church (2).jpg|[[St Andrew's Church, Kiev|Saint Andrew's Church]]
File:Маріїнський палац в Києві.jpg|[[Mariyinsky Palace]]
File:National Bank of Ukraine new.jpg|[[National Bank of Ukraine]]
File:Будинок із химерами 4.jpg|"[[House with Chimaeras|House With Chimaeras]]"
File:Brodsky_Synagogue.jpg|[[Brodsky Synagogue (Kiev)|Brodsky Choral Synagogue]] - Moorish Revival architecture
</gallery>
 
==Culture==
{{See also|:Category:Culture in Kiev}}
[[File:Kiev Opera.jpg|thumb|180px|The [[National Opera House of Ukraine|Kiev National Opera House]]]]
[[File:Kiev Academic Puppet Theatre (6).jpg|thumb|180px|The [[Kiev Academic Puppet Theatre]]]]
Kiev was the historic cultural centre of the [[East Slavs|East Slavic]] civilization and a major cradle for the [[Christianization of Kievan Rus']]. Kiev retained through centuries its cultural importance and even at times of relative decay, it remained the centre of primary importance of [[Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox Christianity]] . Its sacred sites, which include the [[Kiev Pechersk Lavra]] (the Monastery of the Caves) and the [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev|Saint Sophia Cathedral]] are probably the most famous, attracted pilgrims for centuries and now recognized as a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] remain the primary religious centres as well as the major tourist attraction. The above-mentioned sites are also part of the [[Seven Wonders of Ukraine]] collection.
 
Kiev's theatres include, the [[National Opera House of Ukraine|Kiev Opera House]], [[Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater]], [[Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theater of Russian Drama]], the Kiev [[Puppet|Puppet Theater]], [[October Palace, Kiev|October Palace]] and [[National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine|National Philharmonic of Ukraine]] and others. In 1946 Kiev had four theatres, one opera house and one concert hall,<ref name=life>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iU0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA120 The Ukraine], [[Life (magazine)|Life]], 28 October 1946</ref> but most tickets then were allocated to "privileged groups".<ref name=life/>
 
[[File:Esc 2005 concert on maidan.jpg|thumb|180px|A public concert held on [[Maidan Nezalezhnosti]] during Kiev's 2005 Eurovision Song Contest ]]
 
Other significant cultural centres include the [[Dovzhenko Film Studios]], and the Kiev Circus. The most important of the [[:Category:Museums in Kiev|city's many museums]] are the Kiev State Historical Museum, [[Museum of The History of Ukraine in World War II]], the [[National Art Museum of Ukraine|National Art Museum]], the [[Museum of Western and Oriental Art]], the [[PinchukArtCentre|Pinchuk Art Centre]] and the National Museum of [[Russian culture|Russian art]].
 
In 2005 Kiev hosted the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2005|50th annual]] [[Eurovision Song Contest]] and in 2017 the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2017|62nd annual]] [[Eurovision Song Contest]]
 
Numerous songs and paintings were dedicated to the city. Some songs became part of Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish folklore, less known are German and Jewish. The most popular songs are "How not to love you, Kiev of mine?" and "Kiev Valtz". Renowned Ukrainian composer [[Oleksandr Bilash]] wrote an operetta called "Legend of Kiev".
 
===Attractions===
 
It is said that one can walk from one end of Kiev to the other in the summertime without leaving the shade of its many trees. Most characteristic are the [[Aesculus hippocastanum|horse-chestnut]]s ({{lang-uk|каштани}}, {{lang|uk-latn|kashtany}}).
 
Kiev is known as a green city with [[M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden|two botanical gardens]] and numerous large and small parks. The [[Museum of The History of Ukraine in World War II]] is located here, which offers both indoor and outdoor displays of military history and equipment surrounded by verdant hills overlooking the Dnieper river.
 
{{multiple image
| direction = horizontal
| align = left
| footer = The monument to [[Vladimir I of Kiev|St. Volodymyr, the Baptiser of Rus']], overlooking from [[Volodymyrska Hill]] the scenic panorama of the left bank of Dniepr is one of the symbols of Kiev, often depicted in paintings and photographic works of the city.
| image1 = Володимир Великий.JPG | caption1 =  | width1 = 140
| image2 = Володимир Хреститель.JPG    | caption2 =  | width2 = 158
}}
Among the numerous islands, Venetsianskyi (or [[Hydropark in Kiev|Hydropark]]) is the most developed. It is accessible by metro or by car, and includes an amusement park, swimming beaches, boat rentals, and night clubs. The Victory Park (''Park Peremohy'') located near Darnytsia subway station is a popular destination for strollers, joggers, and cyclists. Boating, fishing, and water sports are popular pastimes in Kiev. The area lakes and rivers freeze over in the winter and ice fishermen are a frequent sight, as are children with their ice skates. However, the peak of summer draws out a greater mass of people to the shores for swimming or sunbathing, with daytime high temperatures sometimes reaching {{convert|30|to|34|C|F}}.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}
[[File:Vydubychi Monastery 2008(Kiev).JPG|thumb|right|Lilacs in the National Botanical Garden, with the [[Vydubychi Monastery]], Darnitskiy Rail Bridge and left-bank Kiev visible in the background]]
 
The centre of Kiev ([[Maidan Nezalezhnosti|Independence Square]] and [[Khreshchatyk|Khreschatyk Street]]) becomes a large outdoor party place at night during summer months, with thousands of people having a good time in nearby restaurants, clubs and outdoor cafes. The central streets are closed for auto traffic on weekends and holidays. [[Andriyivskyy Descent]] is one of the best known historic streets and a major tourist attraction in Kiev. The hill is the site of the [[Andriyivskyy Descent#Castle of Richard the Lionheart|Castle of Richard the Lionheart]]; the baroque-style [[St Andrew's Church, Kiev|St Andrew's Church]]; the home of Kiev born [[Russian literature|writer]], [[Andriyivskyy Descent#Mikhail Bulgakov's house|Mikhail Bulgakov]]; the ''monument to [[Yaroslav I the Wise|Yaroslav the Wise]]'', the Grand Prince of Kiev and of [[Veliky Novgorod|Novgorod]]; and numerous other monuments.<ref name="Sights of Kiev">{{cite web|url=http://www.hotels-kiev.com/andreevsky_spusk.htm |title=Andreyevskiy Spusk |accessdate=20 June 2006 |work=Hotels-Kiev.com |publisher=Optima Tours}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://guide.kyiv.ru/ru/city/streets/2005/10/20/107.html |title=Andreevsky spusk |accessdate=20 June 2006 |work=Kyiv Guide |language=Russian |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312052631/http://guide.kyiv.ru/ru/city/streets/2005/10/20/107.html |archivedate=12 March 2007 }}</ref>
 
A wide variety of farm produce is available in many of Kiev's farmer markets with the [[Besarabsky Market]] located in the very centre of the city being most famous. Each residential region has its own market, or ''rynok''. Here one will find table after table of individuals hawking everything imaginable: vegetables, fresh and smoked meats, fish, cheese, honey, dairy products such as milk and home-made ''smetana'' (sour cream), [[caviar]], cut flowers, housewares, tools and hardware, and clothing. Each of the markets has its own unique mix of products with some markets devoted solely to specific wares such as automobiles, car parts, pets, clothing, flowers, and other things.
 
At the city's southern outskirts, near the historic [[Pyrohiv]] village, there is an [[Open-air museum|outdoor museum]], officially called the [[Pyrohiv|Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine]] It has an area of {{convert|1.5|km2|sqmi|0}}. This territory houses several "mini-villages" that represent by region the traditional rural architecture of Ukraine.
 
Kiev also has numerous recreational attractions like bowling alleys, go-cart tracks, paintball venues, billiard halls and even shooting ranges. The 100-year-old [[Kiev Zoo]] is located on 40 hectares and according to CBC "the zoo has 2,600 animals from 328 species".<ref name=CBCAP>{{cite news|title=Kiev zoo a 'concentration camp for animals'|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/03/23/kiev-zoo-deaths.html|accessdate=27 April 2011|newspaper=CBC news|date=23 March 2011|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
 
{{Panorama
|image=File:Panorama golden domed St Michael's Kiev.jpg
|fullwidth=10215
|fullheight=1816
|caption=<center>A [[Panorama|panoramic]] view of Mykhailiv Square (central Kiev). From left to right: the Diplomatic Academy, [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] (behind the monument to Princess Olga) and [[St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery]]</center>
|alt=
|height=243
}}
 
===Museums and galleries===
{{See also|Museums in Kiev}}
[[File:Будинок Київської художньої школи.jpg|right|thumb|The [[National Historical Museum of Ukraine]]]]
Kiev is home to some 40 different museums.<ref name="CULKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=534&lang=1|title=Culture and Arts|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=23 February 2011}}</ref> In 2009 they recorded a total of 4.3&nbsp;million visits.<ref name="CULKSO"/>
 
The [[Museum of The History of Ukraine in World War II]] is a memorial complex commemorating the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front of World War II]] located in the hills on the [[Subdivisions of Kiev#Historical neighborhoods|right-bank]] of the [[Dnieper River]] in [[Pechersk Raion|Pechersk]]. [[Kiev Fortress|Kiev fortress]] is the 19th-century [[fortification]] buildings situated in [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] capital Kiev, that once belonged to [[western Russian fortresses]]. These structures (once a united complex) were built in the [[Pechersk Raion|Pechersk]] and neighbourhoods by the [[Russian Empire|Russian]] army. Now some of the buildings are restored and turned into a museum called the ''Kiev Fortress'', while others are in use in various military and commercial installations. The [[National Art Museum of Ukraine]] is a museum dedicated to Ukrainian art. The [[Golden Gate, Kiev|Golden Gate]] is a historic gateway in the ancient city's walls. The name ''Zoloti Vorota'' is also used for a nearby theatre and a station of the [[Kiev Metro]]. The small [[Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum]] acts as both a memorial and historical center devoted to the events surrounding the 1986 [[Chernobyl disaster]] and its effect on the Ukrainian people, the environment, and subsequent attitudes toward the safety of [[nuclear power]] as a whole.
 
===Sports===
 
{{See also|Category:Sport in Kiev}}
 
[[File:Пробіг під каштанами (2011). Старт..jpg|right|thumb|The annual {{convert|5.5|km|mi|1|adj=mid|abbr=off}} 'Run under the Chestnuts' is a popular public sporting event in Kiev, with hundreds taking part every year.]]
Kiev has many professional and amateur football clubs, including [[FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv]], [[FC Arsenal Kyiv|Arsenal Kyiv]] and [[FC Obolon Kyiv]] which play in the [[Ukrainian Premier League]]. Of these three, Dynamo Kyiv has had the most success over the course of its history. For example, up until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the club won 13 [[Soviet Top League|USSR Championships]], 9 [[USSR Cup]]s, and 3 [[USSR Super Cup]]s, thus making Dynamo the most successful club in the history of the [[Soviet Top League]].<ref name=trophy>[http://www.fcdynamo.kiev.ua/en/trophy Trophies of Dynamo] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018191534/http://www.fcdynamo.kiev.ua/en/trophy |date=18 October 2011 }} – Official website of Dynamo Kyiv</ref>
 
Other prominent non-football sport clubs in the city include: the [[Sokil Kiev]] ice hockey club and [[BC Budivelnyk]] basketball club. Both of these teams play in the highest Ukrainian leagues for their respective sports. Budivelnyk was founded in 1945, Sokil was founded in 1963, during the existence of the Soviet Union. Both these teams play their home games at the [[Palace of Sports (Kiev)|Kiev Palace of Sports]].
 
During the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] held in the [[Soviet Union]], Kiev held the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament at its [[Olimpiysky National Sports Complex|Olympic Stadium]], which was reconstructed specially for the event. From 1 December 2008 stadium the stadium underwent a full-scale reconstruction in order to satisfy standards put in place by [[UEFA]] for hosting the [[UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012]] football tournament; the opening ceremony took place in the presence of president [[Viktor Yanukovich]] on 8 October 2011,<ref name=YanuBOO>{{cite news|title=Kyiv opens host stadium for Euro 2012 final |url=http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/114397/ |work=[[Kyiv Post]] |date=9 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022164516/http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/114397/ |archivedate=22 October 2011 }}</ref> with the first major event being a [[Shakira]] concert which was specially planned to coincide with the stadium's re-opening during Euro 2012. Other notable sport stadiums/sport complexes in Kiev include the [[Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium]], the [[Palace of Sports, Kiev|Palace of Sports]], among many others.
 
Most Ukrainian national teams play their home international matches in Kiev. The [[Ukraine national football team]], for example, will play matches at the re-constructed [[Olimpiysky National Sports Complex|Olympic Stadium]] from 2011.
 
===Tourism===
[[File:KyivCity2.jpg|thumb|The Hilton Hotel in Kiev]]
{{See also|:Category:Tourist attractions in Kiev}}
Since introducing a visa-free regime for EU-member states and Switzerland in 2005, Ukraine has seen a steady increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2007/tyr/tyr_u/potoki2006_u.htm |title=Туристичні потоки |publisher=Ukrstat.gov.ua |accessdate=16 September 2011}}</ref> Before the [[2008–2009 Ukrainian financial crisis|2008–09 recession]] the average annual growth in the number of foreign visits in Kiev was 23% over a three-year period.<ref name="touristsstat">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=538&lang=1 |title=Головне управління статистики м.Києва – Туристичні потоки |publisher=Gorstat.kiev.ua |accessdate=16 September 2011}}</ref> In 2009 a total of 1.6&nbsp;million tourists stayed in Kiev hotels, of whom almost 259,000 (ca. 16%) were foreigners.<ref name="touristsstat"/> After [[UEFA Euro 2012]], the city became the most popular destination for European tourists. A record number of 1.8 million foreign tourists was registered then along with about 2.5 million domestic tourists. More than 850,000 foreign tourists visited Kiev in the first half of 2018, as compared to 660,000 tourists over the same period in 2013. As of 2018 the hotel occupancy rate from May to September averages 45–50%. Hostels and three-star hotels are approximately 90% full, four-star hotels 65-70%. Six five-star hotels average 50-55% occupancy. Ordinary tourists generally come from May to October, business tourists from September to May.<ref>https://www.unian.info/kiev/10240080-number-of-foreign-tourists-in-kyiv-growing-city-official.html |title=Number of foreign tourists in Kyiv growing – city official</ref>
 
===Kiev city anthem===
In 2014 the Kiev city's council established the city's anthem.<ref name=anthem>[http://kiev.pravda.com.ua/news/5464ecc6c3e17/ The Kiev council approved the Kiev city anthem (Київрада затвердила гімн Києва)]. [[Ukrayinska Pravda]]. 13 November 2014</ref> It became a 1962 song, "[[Yak tebe ne lyubyty, Kyieve miy!]]"<ref name=anthem/> ({{lang-uk|Як тебе не любити, Києве мій!}}, roughly "How one cannot love you, Kyiv, my dear!").
 
===City symbols===
The [[horse chestnut tree]] is one of the symbols of Kiev.<ref name="7253616chestnutKyivD">[https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2020/05/29/7253616/ "Thujoy Khreshchatyk". Why Kyivans miss chestnuts and how they became a symbol of the capital], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (29 May 2019) {{in lang|uk}}</ref> It was heavily present on the [[Coat of arms of Kiev|city's coat of arms]] used from 1969 to 1995.<ref name="7253616chestnutKyivD"/>
 
==Economy==
 
''See also: [[:Category:Economy of Kiev]], [[Economy of Ukraine]]''
[[File:Крещатик 38 дробь 2 Киев 2012 01.JPG|thumb|left|TsUM [[department store]]]]
As with most [[Capital city|capital cities]], Kiev is a major administrative, cultural and scientific centre of the country. It is the largest city in Ukraine in terms of both population and area and enjoys the highest levels of business activity. On 1 January 2010 there were around 238,000 [[list of company registers#Ukraine|business entities]] registered in Kiev.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Vilenchuk|first1=R. G.|last2=Mashkova|first2=L. O. (eds.)|title=Kyiv Statistical Yearbook for 2009|location=Kiev|publisher=Vydavnytstvo Konsultant LLC|year=2010|page=58|isbn=978-966-8459-28-3}}</ref>
 
Official figures show that between 2004 and 2008 Kiev's economy outstripped the rest of the country's, growing by an annual average of 11.5%.<ref name="GDPKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=425&lang=1|title=Gross Regional Product|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="GDPSSC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/|title=Gross Domestic Product|publisher=State Statistics Committee|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref> Following the [[Financial crisis of 2007–2010|global financial crisis]] that began in 2007, Kiev's economy suffered a severe setback in 2009 with [[gross regional product]] contracting by 13.5% in real terms.<ref name="GDPKSO"/> Although a record high, the decline in activity was 1.6 [[percentage points]] smaller than that for the country as a whole.<ref name="GDPSSC"/> The economy in Kiev, as in the rest of Ukraine, recovered somewhat in 2010 and 2011. Kiev is a middle-income city, with prices comparable to many mid-size American cities (i.e., considerably lower than Western Europe).
 
[[File:БЦ Парус як вітрило розсікає міські вулиці.JPG|right|thumb|upright|Kiev is home to many of Ukraine's largest businesses.]]
Because the city boasts a large and diverse economic base and is not dependent on any single industry and/or company, its unemployment rate has historically been relatively low – only 3.75% over 2005–2008.<ref name="JOBKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=512&lang=1|title=Labour Market|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=23 November 2010}}</ref> Indeed, even as the rate of joblessness jumped to 7.1% in 2009, it remained far below the national average of 9.6%.<ref name="JOBKSO"/><ref name="JOBSSC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/|title=Labour Market|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=23 November 2010}}</ref>
 
As of July 2019, the average monthly net salary in Kiev reached 16,249 [[Ukrainian hryvnia|UAH]] (€560 / [[US$]] 630)
<ref>https://index.minfin.com.ua/ua/labour/salary/average/Київ/ https://uteka.ua/calculator/salary-calculator</ref><ref>http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=11140&From=UAH&To=EUR</ref>
 
Kiev is the undisputed center of business and commerce of Ukraine and home to the country's largest companies, such as [[Naftogaz Ukrainy]], [[Energorynok]] and [[Kyivstar]]. In 2010 the city accounted for 18% of national [[retail sales]] and 24% of all construction activity.<ref name="RSKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=1081&lang=1|title=Retail Sales|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=22 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="RSSSC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/|title=Retail Sales|publisher=State Statistics Committee|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=22 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="CWKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=1000&lang=1|title=Construction Works|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=22 January 2011}}</ref><ref name="CWSSC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/|title=Construction Works|publisher=State Statistics Committee|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=22 January 2011}}</ref> Indeed, real estate is one of the major forces in Kiev's economy. Average prices of [[apartments]] are the highest in the country and among the highest in eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Ukraine/square-meter-prices |title=Square Metre Prices in Ukraine |publisher=Global Property Guide |accessdate=2 June 2011}}</ref> Kiev also ranks high in terms of [[commercial real estate]] for it is here where the country's tallest [[office building]]s (such as [[Gulliver (building)|Gulliver]] and [[Parus Business Centre|Parus]]) and some of Ukraine's biggest shopping malls (such as [[Dream Town]] and [[Ocean Plaza]]) are located.
 
In May 2011 Kiev authorities presented a 15-year development strategy which calls for attracting as much as EUR82&nbsp;billion of [[foreign direct investment|foreign investment]] by 2025 to modernize the city's transport and utilities infrastructure and make it more attractive for tourists.<ref>{{cite web|last=Santarovich|first=Andrey|title=Kiev Development Strategy Calls for EUR82&nbsp;billion in foreign investment|publisher=Business Information Network|date=27 May 2011|language=Russian|url=http://bin.ua/news/regional/capital/115757-strategiya-razvitiya-kieva-predpolagaet.html|accessdate=28 May 2011}}</ref>
 
{|class="wikitable"
|+Historical economic data
|-
!
! 2004 !! 2005 !! 2006 !! 2007 !! 2008 !! 2009 !! 2010 !! 2011 !! 2012 !! 2013
|-
|[[Nominal GDP|Nominal]] [[Gross Regional Product|GRP]] (UAH [[1000000000 (number)|bn]])<ref name="GDPKSO"/> ||61.4 ||77.1 ||95.3 ||135.9 ||169.6 ||169.5 ||196.6 ||223.8 ||275.7
|-
|Nominal GRP (USD bn)**<ref name="GDPKSO"/><ref name="SBNBU">{{cite web|url=http://www.bank.gov.ua/files/stat.pdf|title=Statistical Bulletin (May 2012)|publisher=National Bank of Ukraine|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=3 July 2012}}</ref> ||11.5 ||15.0 ||18.9 ||26.9 ||32.2 ||21.8 ||24.8 ||28.0 ||34.5
|-
|Nominal GRP per capita (USD)**<ref name="GDPKSO"/><ref name="SBNBU"/> ||4,348 ||5,616 ||6,972 ||9,860 ||11,693 ||7,841 ||8,875 ||10,007 ||12,192||13,687
|-
|Monthly wage (USD)**<ref name="SBNBU"/><ref name="AWKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=505&lang=1|title=Average Monthly Wage Dynamics|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=16 April 2011}}</ref>
||182 ||259 ||342 ||455 ||584 ||406 ||432 ||504 ||577
|-
|[[Unemployment rate]] (%)***<ref name="LMKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=512&lang=1|title=Labour Market Indicators|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=24 January 2011}}</ref> ||n/a ||4.6 ||3.8 ||3.3 ||3.3 ||7.1 ||6.4 ||6.1 ||6.0 ||5.7
|-
|Retail sales (UAH bn)<ref name="RSKSO"/> ||n/a ||n/a ||n/a ||34.87 ||46.50 ||42.79 ||50.09 ||62.80 ||73.00 ||77.14
|-
|Retail sales (USD bn)<ref name="RSKSO"/><ref name="SBNBU"/> ||n/a ||n/a ||n/a ||6.90 ||8.83 ||5.49 ||6.31 ||7.88 ||9.14 ||9.65
|-
|Foreign direct investment (USD bn)<ref name="FDIKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=477&lang=1|title=Foreign Direct Investment|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=24 February 2011}}</ref> ||2.1 ||3.0 ||4.8 ||7.0 ||11.7 ||16.8 ||19.2 ||21.8 ||24.9 ||27.3
|}
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki> – data not available;</small>
<small><nowiki>**</nowiki> – calculated at annual average official exchange rate;</small>
<small><nowiki>***</nowiki> – [[International Labour Organization|ILO]] methodology (% of [[workforce]]).</small>
 
===Industry===
 
Primary [[industry|industries]] in Kiev include [[public utility|utilities]] – [[i.e.]], electricity, gas and water supply (26% of total [[Output (economics)|industrial output]]), manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco products (22%), [[chemical industry|chemical]] (17%), [[mechanical engineering]] (13%) and manufacture of paper and paper products, including publishing, printing and reproduction of recorded media (11%).<ref name="IPKSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=1002&lang=1|title=Industrial Production by Economic Activity|publisher=Kyiv Statistics Office|language=Ukrainian|accessdate=26 January 2011}}</ref> The [[Institute of Oil Transportation]] is headquartered here.
 
===Manufacture===
[[File:Antonov An-124-100M Ruslan, Antonov Design Bureau AN2177099.jpg|thumb|The [[Antonov An-124 Ruslan|An-124]], the largest aircraft ever mass-produced, designed by [[Antonov]] in Kiev]]
* [[Kuznya na Rybalskomu]], naval production
* [[Antonov Serial Production Plant]] (former Aviant), airplanes manufacturing
* [[Aeros]], small aircraft production
* [[Kiev Roshen Factory]], confectionery
* [[Kiev Arsenal]] (former arms manufacturer), specializes in production of optic-precision instruments
* [[Obolon (company)|Obolon]], brewery
* [[Kiev Aircraft Repair Plant 410]], repair factory located at [[Zhulyany Airport]]
 
==Education and science==
{{See also|:Category:Education in Kiev}}
 
===Scientific research===
[[File:Кампус школи UNIT Factory.jpg|thumb|left|240px|The UNIT (Ukrainian National IT) Factory is a full-stack web development training school.]]
[[File:Владимирская 54 Киев 2010 01.JPG|thumb|right|The [[National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine|Ukrainian Academy of Sciences]] is based in Kiev.]]
Scientific research is conducted in many institutes of higher education and, additionally, in many [[research institute]]s affiliated with the [[National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine|Ukrainian Academy of Sciences]]. Kiev is home to [[Ministry of Education (Ukraine)|Ukraine's ministry of education and science]], and is also noted for its contributions to medical and computer science research.
 
In 2016 UNIT Factory (Ukrainian National IT Factory) opened. It offers a completely new format of IT education. The education is completely free for all trainees subject to compliance with the terms of the program. Within this project are the Technology Companies' Development Center (TCDC), BIONIC University open inter-corporate IT-university, as well as two hi-tech laboratories—VR Lab (Crytek) and Smart City lab.<ref>https://kfund.ua/en/unit-factory-a-key-element-of-the-future-innovation-park-opened-in-kyiv/|title=UNIT FACTORY, A KEY ELEMENT OF THE FUTURE INNOVATION PARK, OPENED IN KYIV</ref>
 
===University education===
[[File:Universidad Roja de Kiev.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kiev University|National Taras Shevchenko University]]]]
Kiev hosts many universities, the major ones being [[Kiev University|Kiev National Taras Shevchenko University]],<ref>See also:[http://www.univ.kiev.ua/ Kiev University official website]. Retrieved 28 July 2006.</ref> the [[Kiev Polytechnic Institute|National Technical University "Kiev Polytechnic Institute"]],<ref>See also: [http://ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/ KPI official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716063346/http://www.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/ |date=16 July 2006 }}. Retrieved 28 July 2006.</ref> [[National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy|Kyiv-Mohyla Academy]]<ref>See also: [http://www.ukma.edu.ua/eng/ Kyiv-Mohyla Academy official website]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013092226/http://www.ukma.edu.ua/eng/ |date=13 October 2013 }} {{cite web|url=http://www.ukma.kiev.ua/eng_site/index.php |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-12-05 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013092226/http://www.ukma.kiev.ua/eng_site/index.php |archivedate=13 October 2013 }}. Retrieved 28 July 2006.</ref> and the [[Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics]]. Of these, the Mohyla Academy is the oldest, founded as a theological school in 1632, but Shevchenko University, founded in 1834, is the oldest in continuous operation. The total number of institutions of higher education in Kiev approaches 200,<ref>See also: [http://www.osvita.org.ua/highedu/?cmd=search&HS%5breg%5d=2&HS%5bp_i%5d=5&HS%5bbutton%5d=go Osvita.org URL accessed on 20 June 2006]</ref> allowing young people to pursue almost any line of study. While education traditionally remains largely in the hands of the state there are several accredited private institutions in the city.
 
===Secondary education===
There are about 530 general secondary schools and ca. 680 nursery schools and [[kindergarten]]s in Kiev.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Vilenchuk|first1=S. R.|last2=Yatsuk|first2=T.B. (eds.)|title=Kyiv Statistical Yearbook for 2008|location=Kiev|publisher=Vydavnytstvo Konsultant LLC|year=2009|page=283|isbn=978-966-8459-28-3}}</ref> Additionally, there are evening schools for adults, specialist technical schools and the [[Evangel Theological Seminary]].
 
===Public libraries===
There are many libraries in the city with the [[Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine|Vernadsky National Library]], which is Ukraine's main [[academic library]] and scientific [[information centre]], as well as one of the world's largest [[national library|national libraries]], being the largest and most important one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/eng/ |title=The Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine |publisher=Nbuv.gov.ua |accessdate=27 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330162634/http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/eng/ |archivedate=30 March 2010 }}</ref> The National Library is affiliated with the Academy of Sciences in so far as it is a [[deposit library]] and thus serves as the academy's archives' store. The national library is the world's foremost repository of [[Jewish music|Jewish folk music]] recorded on [[Phonograph cylinder|Edison wax cylinders]]. Their Collection of Jewish Musical Folklore (1912–1947) was inscribed on UNESCO's [[Memory of the World Register]] in 2005.<ref name=mow>{{cite web |title= Collection of Jewish Musical Folklore (1912–1947) |url= http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=23132&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080623175517/http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D23132%26URL_DO%3DDO_TOPIC%26URL_SECTION%3D201.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 23 June 2008 |date= 16 May 2008 |publisher= UNESCO Memory of the World Programme |accessdate= 14 December 2009}}</ref>
 
==Transportation==
{{main|Transport in Kiev}}
 
===Local public transport===
[[File:ЕлектроЛАЗ-301 фото 2.jpg|thumb|Trolleybus ElektroLAZ-301 at Sofia Square, passing by the statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky]]
Local public transportation in Kiev includes the [[Kiev Metro|Metro]] (underground), [[bus]]es and [[marshrutka|minibuses]], [[trolleybus]]es, [[tram]]s, [[taxi]] and [[Kiev Funicular|funicular]]. There is also an [[Kiev Urban Electric Train|intra-city ring railway service]].
 
The publicly owned and operated Kiev Metro is the fastest, the most convenient and affordable network that covers most, but not all, of the city. The Metro is expanding towards the city limits to meet growing demand, having three lines with a total length of {{convert|66.1|km|abbr=off}} and 51 stations (some of which are renowned architectural landmarks). The Metro carries around 1.422 million passengers daily<ref name="update">{{in lang|uk}} [http://gorstat.kiev.ua/p.php3?c=2257&lang=1 Kyiv General Department of Statistics, 2011]</ref> accounting for 38% of the Kiev's public transport load. In 2011, the total number of trips exceeded 519 million.
 
The historic [[Kiev Tramway|Kiev tram system]] was the first electric tramway in the former Russian Empire and the third one in Europe after the [[Berlin Straßenbahn]] and the [[Budapest]] tramway. The tram system consists of {{convert|139.9|km|mi|abbr=on}} of track,<ref>For a 2004 plan of the Kiev tram, please see [http://www.mashke.org/kievtram/history/schemes/2004/2004-tram.jpg mashke.org]</ref> including {{convert|14|km|mi|abbr=on}} two [[Kiev Light Rail|Rapid Tram]] lines, served by 21 routes with the use of 523 tram cars. Once a well maintained and widely used method of transport, the system is now gradually being phased out in favor of buses and trolleybuses.
 
The [[Kiev funicular]] was constructed during 1902–1905. It connects the historic [[Old Kiev|Uppertown]], and the lower commercial neighborhood of [[Podil]] through the steep [[Volodymyrska Hill]] overseeing the Dnieper River. The line consists of only two stations.
 
All public road transport (except for some minibuses) is operated by the united [[Kyivpastrans]] municipal company. It is heavily subsidized by the city.
 
The Kiev public transport system, except for taxi, uses a simple [[flat rate]] tariff system regardless of distance traveled: tickets or tokens must be purchased each time a vehicle is boarded. [[Digital ticket]] system is already established in Kiev Metro, with plans for other transport modes. Discount passes are available for grade school and higher education students. Pensioners use public transportation free. There are monthly passes in all combinations of public transportation. Ticket prices are regulated by the city government, and the cost of one ride is far lower than in Western Europe.
 
The [[Taxicab|taxi]] market in Kiev is expansive but not regulated. In particular, the taxi fare per kilometer is not regulated. There is a fierce competition between private taxi companies.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Золоті Ворота.jpg|[[Zoloti Vorota (Kiev Metro)|Zoloti Vorota Metro Station Cental Hall]]
File:Pozniaky metro station Kiev 2011 02.jpg|Pozniaky metro station
File:MAZ-215 Marshala Rokossovskoho avenue Kyiv 20190705.jpg|[[MAZ-215]] Bus in Kiev
File:17-07-02-Maidan Nezalezhnosti RR74409.jpg|Taxi and trolleybus
File:Kiev Funicular.jpeg|Kiev funicular
File:Фунікулер.jpg|Station of Kiev funicular
File:KyivTram2018.jpg|A modern Pesa Tram in Kiev
File:Podil's'kyi district, Kiev, Ukraine - panoramio (5).jpg|A ship near the [[Kiev River Port]] passenger terminal
File:Міст Патона з нічною архітектурною підсвіткою та панорама Лівого берега.jpg|[[Paton Bridge]], the world's first all-[[Welding|welded]] bridge
File:Дарницький міст2.jpg|The [[New Darnytskyi Bridge|Novo-Darnytskyi Bridge]] over the Dnieper river
File:Південний міст (Київ).jpg|[[Pivdennyi Bridge (Kiev)|Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge]]
</gallery>
 
===Roads and bridges===
Kiev represents the focal point of Ukraine's "national roads" system, thus linked by road to all cities of the country. [[European route]]s [[File:Tabliczka E40.svg|35px|link=European route E40]], [[File:Tabliczka E95.svg|35px|link=European route E95]] and [[File:Tabliczka E373.svg|35px|link=European route E373]] intersect in Kiev.
 
There are 8 over-[[Dnieper]] bridges and dozens of [[grade separation|grade-separated]] intersections in the city. Several new intersections are under construction. There are plans to build a full-size, fully grade-separated [[ring road]] around Kiev.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fakty.ua/140163-masshtabnoe-stroitelstvo |title=Азаров дал добро на строительство кольцевой дороги вокруг Киева – Газета "ФАКТЫ и комментарии" |publisher=Fakty.ua |accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.segodnya.ua/news/251194.html |title=Вторая кольцевая дорога вокруг Киева обойдется в $5-5,5 млрд. – Последние новости Киева – Однако в направлении окружной дороги уже вся земля выкуплена &#124; СЕГОДНЯ |publisher=Segodnya.ua |date=27 June 2007 |accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://korrespondent.net/kyiv/1259650-azarov-prognoziruet-nachalo-stroitelstva-vtoroj-kolcevoj-dorogi-vokrug-kieva-v-2012-godu |title=Азаров прогнозирует начало строительства второй кольцевой дороги вокруг Киева в 2012 году &#124; Новости Киева |publisher=Korrespondent.net |accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref>
 
In 2009, Kiev's roads were in poor technical condition and maintained inadequately.<ref>[http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/203506.html Kyiv Administration: Roads Are In Poor Technical State Because They Have Reached End Of Their Service Lives And Annual Maintenance Volume Is Low] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090616154750/http://www.ukranews.com/eng/article/203506.html |date=16 June 2009 }}, [[Ukrainian News Agency]] (12 June 2009)</ref>
 
[[Traffic congestion|Traffic jam]]s and lack of parking space are growing problems for all road transport services in Kiev.
 
===Air transport===
 
Kiev is served by two international passenger airports: the [[Boryspil International Airport|Boryspil Airport]] located {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=off}} away, and the smaller, municipally owned [[Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany)|Zhulyany Airport]] on the southern outskirts of the city. There are also the [[Gostomel Airport|Gostomel cargo airport]] and additional three operating [[airfield]]s facilitating the [[Antonov|Antonov aircraft manufacturing company]] and [[general aviation]].
 
===Railways===
Railways are Kiev's main mode of intracity and suburban transportation. The city has a developed railroad infrastructure including a long-distance passenger station, 6 cargo stations, depots, and repairing facilities. However, this system still fails to meet the demand for passenger service. Particularly, the [[Kiev Passenger Railway Station]] is the city's only long-distance passenger terminal (''vokzal'').
 
Construction is underway for turning the large [[Darnytsia Railway Station]] on the left-bank part of Kiev into a long-distance passenger hub, which may ease traffic at the central station.<ref>[http://www.archunion.com.ua/proekt-new-006.shtml Archunion.com.ua] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206120010/http://www.archunion.com.ua/proekt-new-006.shtml |date=6 February 2007 }}. Retrieved 20 June 2006.</ref> Bridges over the Dnieper River are another problem restricting the development of city's railway system. Presently, only one rail bridge out of two is available for intense train traffic. A new combined rail-auto bridge is under construction, as a part of Darnytsia project.
 
In 2011 the Kiev city administration established a new 'Urban Train' for Kiev. This service runs at standard 4- to 10-minute intervals throughout the day and follows a circular route around the city centre, which allows it to serve many of Kiev's inner suburbs. Interchanges between the Kiev Metro and [[Trams in Kiev|Fast Tram]] exist at many of the urban train's station stops.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ua.rian.ru/economy/20111004/78875513.html |title=Азаров запустил в Киеве городскую электричку &#124; Экономика &#124; РИА Новости – Украина |publisher=Ua.rian.ru |date=13 August 2012 |accessdate=12 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083357/http://ua.rian.ru/economy/20111004/78875513.html |archivedate=25 April 2012}}</ref>
 
Suburban 'Elektrichka' trains are serviced by the publicly owned [[Ukrainian Railways]]. The suburban train service is fast, and unbeatably safe in terms of traffic accidents. But the trains are not reliable, as they may fall significantly behind schedule, may not be safe in terms of crime, and the ''elektrichka'' cars are poorly maintained and are overcrowded in [[rush hour]]s.
 
There are 5 ''elektrichka'' directions from Kiev:
*[[Nizhyn]] (north-eastern)
*[[Hrebinka]] (south-eastern)
*[[Myronivka]] (southern)
*[[Fastiv]] (south-western)
*[[Korosten]] (western)
 
More than a dozen of ''elektrichka'' stops are located within the city allowing residents of different neighborhoods to use the suburban trains.
 
==Notable people from Kiev==
[[File:Vladimir Horowitz 1986.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.8|Pianist [[Vladimir Horowitz]] was born in Kiev.]]
* [[Nikolai Amosov]], Soviet and Ukrainian heart surgeon and inventor
* [[Oleh Blokhin]], Ukrainian football player
* [[Leonid Bronevoy]], Soviet and Russian actor
* [[Nikolai Berdyaev]], Russian Orthodox religious and political philosopher
* [[Mikhail Bulgakov]], Russian writer
* [[Konstantin Buteyko]], creator of the [[Buteyko method]] for the treatment of asthma and other breathing disorders
* [[Zino Davidoff]] (born Sussele-Meier Davidoff), Swiss premium tobacco manufacturer; known as "King of Cigars"
* [[Ilya Ehrenburg]], Soviet writer, journalist, translator, and cultural figure
* [[André Grabar]], historian of [[Romanesque art]] and the art of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]] and the [[Bulgarian Empire]]
* [[Eugeniusz Horbaczewski]], Polish fighter pilot
* [[Milton Horn]], Russian American sculptor
* [[Vladimir Horowitz]], classical pianist
* [[Milla Jovovich]], American actress
* [[Jan Koum]], American computer programmer, CEO and co-founder of [[WhatsApp]]
* [[Viktor Kaspruk]], political scientist
* [[Ana Layevska]], Ukrainian-Mexican actress
* [[Serge Lifar]], French ballet dancer
* [[Valeriy Lobanovskyi]], Soviet and Ukrainian football coach
* [[Kazimir Malevich]], pioneer of [[geometric abstract art]] and the originator of the avant-garde [[Suprematism|Suprematist movement]]
* [[Jonathan Markovitch]], Chief Rabbi of Kiev
* [[Golda Meir]], Israeli politician, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel
* [[Moses of Kiev]], 12th century Talmudist
* [[Alexander Ostrowski]], mathematician
* Nicholas Pritzker, scion of the [[Pritzker Family]]
* [[Lev Shestov]], Russian [[Existentialism|existentialist]] philosopher
* [[Andriy Shevchenko]], Ukrainian footballer
* [[Igor Sikorsky]], Russian-American aviation pioneer
* [[Alexander Vertinsky]], Russian and Soviet singer, composer, poet, cabaret artist, and actor
 
==Honour==
* [[Kiev Peninsula]] in [[Graham Land]], [[Antarctica]] is named after the city of Kiev.<ref>[http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=137099 Kiev Peninsula.] SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.</ref>
* [[Kiev Peninsula]] in [[Graham Land]], [[Antarctica]] is named after the city of Kiev.<ref>[http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/scar/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=137099 Kiev Peninsula.] SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.</ref>



Latest revision as of 23:37, 6 January 2023

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper river. Its population in July 2015 was 2,887,974 making Kiev the seventh-most populous city in Europe.[1]

File:1 Верховна Рада України VADIM CHUPRINA ©.jpg
Verkhovna Rada (Ukranian parliament building)

Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive system of public transport and infrastructure, including the Kiev Metro.

Kiev within Ukraine

The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders. During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of prominence and obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kiev was a tributary of the Khazars,[2] until its capture by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus' state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasions in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours, first Lithuania, then Poland and Russia.[3]

The city prospered again during the Russian empire's industrialization in the late 19th century. In 1918, during the Russian Revolution, the Ukraine declared independence and Kiev became its capital. It was reconquered by the Red Army, and from 1921 onwards Kiev was a city of Soviet Ukraine, and, from 1934, Kiev was its capital. The city was almost completely ruined during World War II but quickly recovered in the postwar years, remaining the Soviet Union's third-largest city.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence in 1991, Kiev remained Ukraine's capital and experienced a steady influx of ethnic Ukrainian migrants from other regions of the country.[4] During the country's transformation to a market economy and electoral democracy, Kiev has continued to be Ukraine's largest and wealthiest city. Its armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology, but new sectors of the economy such as services and finance facilitated Kiev's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of housing and urban infrastructure. Kiev emerged as the most pro-Western region of Ukraine; parties advocating tighter integration with the European Union dominate during elections.

History[edit]

Kiev, one of the oldest cities of Eastern Europe, played a pivotal role in the development of the medieval East Slavic civilization as well as in the modern Ukrainian nation.

The first known humans in the region of Kiev lived there in the late paleolithic period (Stone Age).[5] The population around Kiev during the Bronze Age formed part of so-called Tripillian culture, as witnessed by objects found in the area.[6] During the early Iron Age certain tribes settled around Kiev that practiced land cultivation, husbandry and trading with the Scythians, and with ancient states of the northern Black Sea coast.[5] Findings of Roman coins of the 2nd to the 4th centuries suggest trade relations with the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.[5] The carriers of Zarubintsy culture are considered the direct ancestors of the ancient Slavs who later established Kiev.[5] Notable archaeologists of the area around Kiev include Vikentiy Khvoyka.

Scholars continue to debate about the period in which the city was founded: some date the founding to the late 9th century,[7] other historians have preferred a date of 482 AD.[8][9] In 1982, the city celebrated its 1,500th anniversary.[8] According to archaeological data, the foundation of Kiev dates to the second half of the 5th century and the first half of the 6th century.[5] There is also a claim to find reference to the city in Ptolemy's 2nd-century work as Metropolity.[10]

Legendary Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid in the Radziwiłł Chronicle

Legendary accounts tell of the origin of the city; one legend features a founding family, members of a Slavic tribe (Polans): the leader Kyi, the eldest, his brothers Shchek and Khoryv, and also their sister Lybid, who allegedly founded the city (See the Primary Chronicle).[5] According to the Chronicle, the name Kyiv/Kiev means "belonging to Kyi".[5] Another legend states that Saint Andrew passed through the area (1st century), and where he erected a cross, a church was built. Since the Middle Ages an image of Saint Michael represented the city as well as the duchy.

Hungarians at Kiev in 830 during the times of Rus' Khaganate

There is little historical evidence pertaining to the period when the city was founded. Scattered Slavic settlements existed in the area from the 6th century, but it is unclear whether any of them later developed into the city. On the Ptolemy's map there are shown several settlements along the mid-stream of Borysthenes among of which is Azagarium. Some historians believe that it could be the old Kiev.[11] However, according to the 1773 "Dictionary of Ancient Geography" of Alexander Macbean, the settlement corresponds to modern city of Chernobyl. Just south of Azagarium, there is another settlement of Amadoca, which supposedly was the capital of Amadoci people[12] living in area between marshes of Amadoca in the west and Amadoca mountains in the east.

Another name related Kiev mentioned in history, origin of which is not completely clear, is Sambat and has something to do with the Khazar Empire. As previously stated the Primary Chronicle mentions that residents of Kiev told Askold that "there were three brothers Kii, Shchek and Khoriv. They founded this town and died, and now we are staying and paying taxes to their relatives the Khazars". In his book De Administrando Imperio Constantine Porphyrogenitus, mentioning the caravan of small-cargo boats assembled annually before the capital city on the Dnieper, writes, "They come down the river Dnieper and assemble at the strong-point of Kiev (Kioava), also called Sambatas".[13] In addition to that at least three Arabic speaking 10th century geographers who traveled the area mention the city of Zānbat as the chief city of the Russes, among which are Ahmad ibn Rustah, Abu Sa'id Gardezi, and an author of the Hudud al-'Alam. The texts of those authors were discovered by Russian orientalist Alexander Tumansky. The etymology of Sambat has been argued by many historians including Grigoriy Ilyinsky, Nikolay Karamzin, Jan Potocki, Nikolay Lambin, Joachim Lelewel, Guðbrandur Vigfússon and many others. The historian Julius Brutzkus in his work "The Khazar Origin of Ancient Kiev" hypothesizes that both Sambat and Kiev are of Khazar origin meaning "hill fortress" and "lower settlement" respectively. Brutzkus claims that Sambat is not Kiev, but rather Vyshhorod (High City) which is located nearby.

The Primary Chronicles states that at some point during the late 9th or early 10th century in Kiev ruled Askold and Dir who may have been of Viking or Varangian descent and later were murdered by Oleg of Novgorod. The Primary Chronicle dates the Oleg's conquest of the town in 882, but some historians, such as Omeljan Pritsak and Constantine Zuckerman, dispute that arguing that Khazar rule continued as late as the 920s (among notable historical documents are Kievian Letter and Schechter Letter). Other historians suggest that Magyar tribes ruled the city between 840 and 878, before migrating with some Khazar tribes to the Carpathian Basin. The Primary Chronicles also mention movement of Hungarians pass Kiev. To this day in Kiev exists a place known as "Uhorske urochyshche" (Hungarian place),[14] which is better known as Askold's Grave. According to the aforementioned scholars the building of the fortress of Kiev was finished in 840 under the leadership of Keő (Keve), Csák and Geréb, the three brothers, possibly members of the Tarján tribe. The three names appear in the Kiev Chronicle Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv may be not of Slavic origin as Russian historians have always struggled to account for their meanings and origins. According to Hungarian historian Viktor Padányi, their names were put into the Kiev Chronicle in the 12th century and they were identified as old-Russian mythological heroes.[15]

The Baptism of Kievans, a painting by Klavdiy Lebedev

The city of Kiev stood conveniently on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. In 968 the nomadic Pechenegs attacked and then besieged the city.[16] In 1000 AD the city had a population of 45,000.[17]

In March 1169 Grand Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky of Vladimir-Suzdal sacked Kiev, leaving the old town and the prince's hall in ruins.[18][19] He took many pieces of religious artwork - including the Theotokos of Vladimir icon - from nearby Vyshhorod.[20] In 1203 Prince Rurik Rostislavich and his Kipchak allies captured and burned Kiev. In the 1230s the city was besieged and ravaged by different Rus' princes several times. The town had not recovered from Bogolyubsky's sack and the subsequent destruction, when in 1240 the Mongol invasion of Rus', led by Batu Khan, completed the destruction of Kiev.[21] These events had a profound effect on the future of the city and on the East Slavic civilization. Before Bogolyubsky's pillaging, Kiev had had a reputation as one of the largest cities in the world, with a population exceeding 100,000 in the beginning of the 12th century.[22]

Bolesław I of Poland and Sviatopolk the Accursed at Kiev, in a legendary moment of hitting the Golden Gate with the Szczerbiec sword. Painting by Jan Matejko
The 1686 city map of Kiovia

In the early 1320s a Lithuanian army led by Grand Duke Gediminas defeated a Slavic army led by Stanislav of Kiev at the Battle on the Irpen' River and conquered the city. The Tatars, who also claimed Kiev, retaliated in 1324–1325, so while Kiev was ruled by a Lithuanian prince, it had to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Finally, as a result of the Battle of Blue Waters in 1362, Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, incorporated Kiev and surrounding areas into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[23] In 1482 Crimean Tatars sacked and burned much of Kiev.[24] With the 1569 (Union of Lublin), when the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was established, the Lithuanian-controlled lands of the Kiev region (Podolia, Volhynia, and Podlachia) were transferred from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, and Kiev became the capital of Kiev Voivodeship.[25] The 1658 Treaty of Hadiach envisaged Kiev becoming the capital of the Grand Duchy of Rus' within the Polish–Lithuanian–Ruthenian Commonwealth,[26] but this provision of the treaty never went into operation.[27] Occupied by the Russian troops since the 1654 (Treaty of Pereyaslav), Kiev became a part of the Tsardom of Russia from 1667 on (Truce of Andrusovo) and enjoyed a degree of autonomy. None of the Polish-Russian treaties concerning Kiev have ever been ratified.[28] In the Russian Empire Kiev was a primary Christian centre, attracting pilgrims, and the cradle of many of the empire's most important religious figures, but until the 19th century the city's commercial importance remained marginal.

Cossack Bohdan Khmelnytsky entering Kiev after the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish domination. Painting by Mykola Ivasiuk

In 1834 the Russian government established Saint Vladimir University, now called the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev after the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko (1814–1861). (Shevchenko worked as a field researcher and editor for the geography department). The medical faculty of the Saint Vladimir University, separated into an independent institution in 1919–1921 during the Soviet period, became the Bogomolets National Medical University in 1995.

During the 18th and 19th centuries the Russian military and ecclesiastical authorities dominated city life; the Russian Orthodox Church had involvement in a significant part of Kiev's infrastructure and commercial activity. In the late 1840s the historian, Mykola Kostomarov, founded a secret political society, the Brotherhood of Saint Cyril and Methodius, whose members put forward the idea of a federation of free Slavic peoples with Ukrainians as a distinct and separate group rather than a subordinate part of the Russian nation; the Russian authorities quickly suppressed the society.

Following the gradual loss of Ukraine's autonomy, Kiev experienced growing Russification in the 19th century by means of Russian migration, administrative actions and social modernization. At the beginning of the 20th century the Russian-speaking part of the population dominated the city centre, while the lower classes living on the outskirts retained Ukrainian folk culture to a significant extent. However, enthusiasts among ethnic Ukrainian nobles, military and merchants made recurrent attempts to preserve native culture in Kiev (by clandestine book-printing, amateur theatre, folk studies etc.)

Kiev in the late 19th century

During the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century, Kiev became an important trade and transportation centre of the Russian Empire, specialising in sugar and grain export by railway and on the Dnieper river. By 1900 the city had also become a significant industrial centre, having a population of 250,000. Landmarks of that period include the railway infrastructure, the foundation of numerous educational and cultural facilities as well as notable architectural monuments (mostly merchant-oriented). In 1892 the first electric tram line of the Russian Empire started running in Kiev (the 3rd in the world).

Kiev prospered during the late 19th century Industrial Revolution in the Russian Empire, when it became the third most important city of the Empire and the major centre of commerce of its southwest. In the turbulent period following the 1917 Russian Revolution, Kiev became the capital of several successive Ukrainian states and was caught in the middle of several conflicts: World War I, during which German soldiers occupied it from 2 March 1918 to November 1918, the Russian Civil War of 1917 to 1922, and the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. During the last three months of 1919, Kiev was intermittently controlled by the White Army. Kiev changed hands sixteen times from the end of 1918 to August 1920.[29]

From 1921 to 1991 the city formed part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. The major events that took place in Soviet Ukraine during the interwar period all affected Kiev: the 1920s Ukrainization as well as the migration of the rural Ukrainophone population made the Russophone city Ukrainian-speaking and bolstered the development of Ukrainian cultural life in the city; the Soviet Industrialization that started in the late 1920s turned the city, a former centre of commerce and religion, into a major industrial, technological and scientific centre; the 1932–1933 Great Famine devastated the part of the migrant population not registered for ration cards; and Joseph Stalin's Great Purge of 1937–1938 almost eliminated the city's intelligentsia[30][31][32]

In 1934 Kiev became the capital of Soviet Ukraine. The city boomed again during the years of Soviet industrialization as its population grew rapidly and many industrial giants were established, some of which exist today.

Ruins of Kiev during World War II

In World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, and Nazi Germany occupied it from 19 September 1941 to 6 November 1943. Axis forces killed or captured more than 600,000 Soviet soldiers in the great encirclement Battle of Kiev in 1941. Most of those captured never returned alive.[33] Shortly after the Wehrmacht occupied the city, a team of NKVD officers who had remained hidden dynamited most of the buildings on the Khreshchatyk, the main street of the city, where German military and civil authorities had occupied most of the buildings; the buildings burned for days and 25,000 people were left homeless.

Allegedly in response to the actions of the NKVD, the Germans rounded up all the local Jews they could find, nearly 34,000,[34] and massacred them at Babi Yar in Kiev on 29 and 30 September 1941.[35] In the months that followed, thousands more were taken to Babi Yar where they were shot. It is estimated[by whom?] that the Germans murdered more than 100,000 people of various ethnic groups, mostly civilians, at Babi Yar during World War II.[36]

The Ukrainian national flag was raised outside Kiev's City Hall for the first time on 24 July 1990.

Kiev recovered economically in the post-war years, becoming once again the third-most important city of the Soviet Union. The catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 occurred only 100 km (62 mi) north of the city. However, the prevailing northward winds blew most of the radioactive debris away from Kiev.

In the course of the collapse of the Soviet Union the Ukrainian parliament proclaimed the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in the city on 24 August 1991. In 2004–2005, the city played host to the largest post-Soviet public demonstrations up to that time, in support of the Orange Revolution. From November 2013 until February 2014, central Kiev became the primary location of Euromaidan.

Environment[edit]

Geography[edit]

Landsat 7 image of Kiev and the Dnieper

Geographically, Kiev is located on the border of the Polesia woodland ecological zone, a part of the European mixed woods area, and the East European forest steppe biome. However, the city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. Kiev is completely surrounded by Kiev Oblast.

Originally on the west bank, today Kiev is located on both sides of the Dnieper, which flows southwards through the city towards the Black Sea. The older and higher western part of the city sits on numerous wooded hills (Kiev Hills), with ravines and small rivers. Kiev's geographical relief contributed to its toponyms, such as Podil (means lower), Pechersk (caves), and uzviz (a steep street, "descent"). Kiev is a part of the larger Dnieper Upland adjoining the western bank of the Dnieper in its mid-flow, and which contributes to the city's elevation change. The northern outskirts of the city border the Polesian Lowland. Kiev expanded into the Dnieper Lowland on the left bank (to the east) as late as the 20th century. The whole portion of Kiev on the left bank of the Dnieper is generally referred to as Left bank (Livyi bereh). Significant areas of the left bank Dnieper valley were artificially sand-deposited, and are protected by dams.

Within the city the Dnieper River forms a branching system of tributaries, isles, and harbors within the city limits. The city is close to the mouth of the Desna River and the Kiev Reservoir in the north, and the Kaniv Reservoir in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna rivers are navigable at Kiev, although regulated by the reservoir shipping locks and limited by winter freeze-over.

In total, there are 448 bodies of open water within the boundaries of Kiev, which include the Dnieper itself, its reservoirs, and several small rivers, dozens of lakes and artificially created ponds. They occupy 7949 hectares. Additionally, the city has 16 developed beaches (totalling 140 hectares) and 35 near-water recreational areas (covering more than 1,000 hectares). Many are used for pleasure and recreation, although some of the bodies of water are not suitable for swimming.[37]

According to the UN 2011 evaluation, there were no risks of natural disasters in Kiev and its metropolitan area.[38]

Climate[edit]

Kiev has a warm-summer humid continental climate.[39] The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of 13.8 to 24.8 °C (56.8 to 76.6 °F). The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of −4.6 to −1.1 °C (23.7 to 30.0 °F). The highest ever temperature recorded in the city was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) on 30 July 1936.[40][41] The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −32.9 °C (−27.2 °F) on 11 January 1951.[40][41] Snow cover usually lies from mid-November to the end of March, with the frost-free period lasting 180 days on average, but surpassing 200 days in some years.[8]

Honor[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Brutzkus, J. “The Khazar Origin of Ancient Kiev.” Slavonic and East European Review. American Series, vol. 3, no. 1, 1944, pp. 108–124. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3020228. Accessed 16 June 2020.

References[edit]

  1. "City Mayors: The 500 largest European cities (1 to 100)". www.citymayors.com.
  2. "Kiev". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  3. "Kyiv - History". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  4. Magocsi, Paul Robert (2010). A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples (2nd, Revised ed.). University of Toronto Press. p. 481. ISBN 978-1-4426-9879-6.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Kiev at Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia
  6. Kiev in the Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia: "Населення періоду мідного віку на тер. К. було носієм т. з. трипільської культури; відомі й знахідки окремих предметів бронзового віку."
  7. Rabinovich GA From the history of urban settlements in the eastern Slavs. In the book.: History, culture, folklore and ethnography of the Slavic peoples. M. 1968. 134.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Kyiv", Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
  9. Tolochko, P., Ivakin, G., Vermenych, Ya. Kiev. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine.
  10. Wilson, Andrew (2000). The Ukrainians. Unexpected Nation. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-08355-6
  11. Roman Kiev: or Castrum Azagarium at Kievan Podil (Римский Киев: или Castrum Azagarium на Киево-Подоле
  12. The Classical Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Ancient Geography, Sacred and Profane
  13. Sigfús Blöndal. "The Varangians of Byzantium".
  14. History. Pechersk Raion in the Kiev City.
  15. dr. Viktor Padányi – Dentu-Magyaria p. 325, footnote 15
  16. Lowe, Steven; Ryaboy, Dmitriy V. "The Pechenegs". Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  17. Paul M. HOHENBERG; Lynn Hollen Lees; Paul M Hohenberg (2009). The Making of Urban Europe, 1000–1994. Harvard University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-674-03873-8.
  18. Plokhy, Serhii (2006). The Origins of the Slavic Nations (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780521864039. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017.
  19. Martin, Janet L. B. (2004) [1986]. Treasure of the Land of Darkness: The Fur Trade and Its Significance for Medieval Russia. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 127. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511523199. ISBN 9780521548113.
  20. Janet Martin, Medieval Russia:980–1584, (Cambridge University Press, 1996), 100.
  21. The Destruction of Kiev, University of Toronto Research Repository
  22. Orest Subtelny (1989). Ukraine. A History. [Illustr.] (Repr.). CUP Archive. p. 38.
  23. Jones, Michael (2000). The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 6, c.1300–c.1415. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-36290-0
  24. Jerzy Lukowski, W. H. Zawadzki (2006). A concise history of Poland. Cambridge University Press. p.53. ISBN 0-521-61857-6
  25. Davies, Norman (1982). God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 1: The Origins to 1795. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-05351-8
  26. Magocsi, Paul Robert (1996). A History of Ukraine, University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-97580-6
  27. Т.Г. Таирова-Яковлева, Иван Выговский // Единорогъ. Материалы по военной истории Восточной Европы эпохи Средних веков и Раннего Нового времени, вып.1, М., 2009: Под влиянием польской общественности и сильного диктата Ватикана сейм в мае 1659 г. принял Гадячский договор в более чем урезанном виде. Идея Княжества Руського вообще была уничтожена, равно как и положение о сохранении союза с Москвой. Отменялась и ликвидация унии, равно как и целый ряд других позитивных статей.
  28. Eugeniusz Romer, O wschodniej granicy Polski z przed 1772 r., w: Księga Pamiątkowa ku czci Oswalda Balzera, t. II, Lwów 1925, s. [358].
  29. Eksteins, Modris (1999). Walking Since Daybreak. Houghton Mifflin. p. 87. ISBN 0-618-08231-X.
  30. "The Great Purge under Stalin 1937–38". brama.com. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  31. Orlando Figes The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russia, 2007, ISBN 0805074619, pages 227–315.
  32. Robert Gellately, Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe (Knopf, 2007: ISBN 1-4000-4005-1), 720 pages.
  33. Daniel Goldhagen, Hitler's Willing Executioners (p. 290) – "2.8 million young, healthy Soviet POWs" killed by the Germans, "mainly by starvation... in less than eight months" of 1941–42, before "the decimation of Soviet POWs... was stopped" and the Germans "began to use them as laborers".
  34. "Babi Yar". Jewish Virtual Library. 2012.
  35. Andy Dougan, Dynamo: Triumph and Tragedy in Nazi-Occupied Kiev (Globe Pequot, 2004: ISBN 1-59228-467-1), p. 83.
  36. "Kiev and Babi Yar". Holocaust Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  37. Design by Maxim Tkachuk; web-architecture by Volkova Dasha; templated by Alexey Kovtanets; programming by Irina Batvina; Maxim Bielushkin; Sergey Bogatyrchuk; Vitaliy Galkin; Victor Lushkin; Dmitry Medun; Igor Sitnikov; Vladimir Tarasov; Alexander Filippov; Sergei Koshelev. "Где в Киеве лучше не купаться " Новости в Киеве – Корреспондент". Korrespondent.net. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  38. "Urban agglomerations with 750,000 inhabitants or more in 2011 and types of natural risks". United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. April 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  39. Kottek, M.; J. Grieser; C. Beck; B. Rudolf; F. Rubel (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated" (PDF). Meteorol. Z. 15 (3): 259–263. Bibcode:2006MetZe..15..259K. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130.
  40. 40.0 40.1 "Archived copy" Кліматичні дані по м.Києву (in Ukrainian). Central Observatory for Geophysics. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  41. 41.0 41.1 Кліматичні рекорди (in Ukrainian). Central Observatory for Geophysics. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  42. Kiev Peninsula. SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.

External links[edit]