Kyiv (alsoKiev)[a] is the capital and most populouscity ofUkraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along theDnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2,952,301,[2] making Kyiv theseventh-most populous city in Europe.[11] Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center inEastern Europe. It is home to manyhigh-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive system ofpublic transport and infrastructure, including theKyiv Metro.
The city's name is said to derive from the name ofKyi, one of its four legendary founders. Duringits history, Kyiv, 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. ASlavic settlement on the great trade route betweenScandinavia andConstantinople, Kyiv was a tributary of theKhazars,[12] until its capture by theVarangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital ofKievan Rus', the firstEast Slavic state. Completelydestroyed during theMongol invasions in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. Coming underLithuania, thenPoland and thenRussia, the city would grow from a frontier market into an important centre of Orthodox learning in the sixteenth century, and later of industry, commerce, and administration by the nineteenth.[1]
The traditional etymology, stemming from thePrimary Chronicle, is that the name is a derivation ofKyi (Ukrainian:Кий, Russian:Кий,[c]rom.:Ky orKiy), the legendary eponymous founder of the city. According toOleg Trubachyov's etymological dictionary from theOld East Slavic name*Kyjevŭ gordŭ (literally, "Kyi's castle", "Kyi'sgord"), fromProto-Slavic*kyjevъ,[19] This etymology has been questioned, for instance byMykhailo Hrushevsky who called it an "etymological myth", and meant that the names of the legendary founders are in turn based on place names. According to the Canadian Ukrainian linguistJaroslav Rudnyckyj, the name can be connected to the Proto-Slavic root*kyjь, but should be interpreted as meaning 'stick, pole' as in its modern Ukrainian equivalentКий. The name should in that case be interpreted as 'palisaded settlement'.[20]
Kyiv is the romanized official Ukrainian name for the city,[21][22] and it is used for legislative and official acts.[23]Kiev is the traditional English name for the city,[21][24][25] but because of its historical derivation from the Russian name,Kiev lost favor with many Western media outlets after the outbreak of theRusso-Ukrainian War in 2014 in conjunction with theKyivNotKiev campaign launched by Ukraine to change the way that international media were spelling the city's name.[26]
The first known humans in the region of Kyiv lived there in the latepaleolithic period (Stone Age).[27] The population around Kyiv during theBronze Age formed part of the so-calledTrypillian culture, as evidenced by artifacts from that culture found in the area.[28] During the earlyIron Age certain tribes settled around Kyiv that practiced land cultivation, husbandry and trading with theScythians and ancient states of the northern Black Sea coast.[27] Findings of Roman coins of the 2nd to the 4th centuries suggest trade relations with the eastern provinces of theRoman Empire.[27] Notable archaeologists of the area around Kyiv includeVikentiy Khvoyka.
Founding
Scholars continue to debate when the city was founded: The traditional founding date is 482 CE, so the city celebratedits 1,500th anniversary in 1982. Archaeological data indicates a founding in the sixth or seventh centuries,[29][30] with some researchers dating the founding as late as the late 9th century.[31]
There are several legendary accounts of the origin of the city. One tells of members of a Slavic tribe (Eastern Polans), brothers Kyi (the eldest, after whom the city was named), Shchek, Khoryv, and their sister Lybid, who founded the city (See thePrimary Chronicle).[27] Another legend states thatSaint Andrew passed through the area in the 1st century. Where the city is now he erected a cross, where a church later was built. Since theMiddle Ages an image ofSaint Michael has represented the city as well as theduchy.
There is little historical evidence pertaining to the period when the city was founded. ScatteredSlavic settlements existed in the area from the 6th century, but it is unclear whether any of them later developed into the city. On thePtolemy world map there are several settlements indicated along the mid-stream ofBorysthenes, among which is Azagarium, which some historians believe to be the predecessor to Kyiv.[32]
However, according to the 1773Dictionary of Ancient Geography ofAlexander Macbean, that settlement corresponds to the modern city ofChernobyl. Just south of Azagarium, there is another settlement, Amadoca, believed to be the capital of the Amadoci people[33] living in an area between the marshes of Amadoca in the west and the Amadoca mountains in the east.
Another name for Kyiv mentioned in history, the origin of which is not completely clear, is Sambat, which apparently has something to do with theKhazar Empire. ThePrimary Chronicle says the residents of Kyiv toldAskold "there were three brothers Kyi, Shchek, and Khoriv. They founded this town and died, and now we are staying and paying taxes to their relatives the Khazars". InDe Administrando Imperio,Constantine Porphyrogenitus mentions a caravan of small cargo boats which assembled annually, and writes, "They come down the river Dnieper and assemble at the strong-point of Kyiv (Kioava), also called Sambatas".[34]
The Primary Chronicle states that at some point during the late 9th or early 10th century Askold and Dir, who may have been of Viking or Varangian descent, ruled in Kyiv. They were murdered byOleg of Novgorod in 882, but some historians, such asOmeljan Pritsak andConstantine Zuckerman, dispute that, arguing that Khazar rule continued as late as the 920s, leaving historical documents such as theKievan Letter andSchechter Letter.
According to the aforementioned scholars the building of the fortress of Kyiv was finished in 840 under the leadership of Keő (Keve), Csák, and Geréb, three brothers, possibly members of theTarján tribe. The three names appear in the Kyiv Chronicle as Kyi, Shchek, and Khoryv and 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 inserted into the Kyiv Chronicle in the 12th century, and they were identified as old-Russian mythological heroes.[36]
These events had a profound effect on the future of the city and on theEast Slavic civilization. Before Bogolyubsky's pillaging, Kyiv had had a reputation as one of the largest cities in the world, with a population exceeding 100,000 at the beginning of the 12th century.[43]
Occupied by Russian troops since the 1654Treaty of Pereyaslav, Kyiv became a part of theTsardom of Russia from 1667 on theTruce of Andrusovo and enjoyed a degree of autonomy. None of the Polish-Russian treaties concerning Kyiv have ever been ratified.[51] In theRussian Empire, Kyiv was a primaryChristian centre, attractingpilgrims, 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.
In 1834, the Russian government established Saint Vladimir University, now called theTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv after the Ukrainian poetTaras Shevchenko (1814–1861). (Shevchenko worked as a field researcher and editor for the geography department). The medical faculty of Saint Vladimir University, separated into an independent institution in 1919–1921 during the Soviet period, became theBogomolets National Medical University in 1995.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, theImperial Russian Army and ecclesiastical authorities dominated city life;[citation needed] theRussian Orthodox Church had involvement in a significant part of Kyiv's infrastructure and commercial activity. In the late 1840s the historian,Mykola Kostomarov (Russian:Nikolai Kostomarov), founded a secret political society, the Brotherhood ofSaint Cyril and Methodius, whose members put forward the idea of a federation of freeSlavic 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, Kyiv experienced growingRussification in the 19th century, by means of Russian migration, administrative actions, and social modernization. At the beginning of the 20th century theRussian-speaking part of the population dominated the city centre, while thelower classes living on the outskirts retained Ukrainianfolk culture to a significant extent.[citation needed] However, enthusiasts among ethnic Ukrainian aristocrats, soldiers, and merchants made attempts to preserve the native culture in Kyiv, by clandestine book-printing, amateur theatre, folk studies, etc.
Kyiv in the late 19th century
During theRussian industrial revolution in the late 19th century, Kyiv became an important trade and transportation centre of the Russian Empire, specialising in sugar and grain export by railway and on theDnieper river. By 1900, the city had also become a significant industrial centre, with a population of 250,000. Landmarks of that period include the railway infrastructure, the foundation of numerous educational and cultural facilities, and notable architectural monuments (mostly merchant-oriented). In 1892, thefirst electric tram line of the Russian Empire started running in Kyiv (the third in the world). Kyiv prospered during the late 19th centuryIndustrial Revolution in the Russian Empire, when it became the third most important city of the Empire and the major centre of commerce in its southwest.
Soviet era
In theturbulent period following the1917 Russian Revolution, Kyiv became the capital of severalsuccessive 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, theRussian Civil War of 1917 to 1922, and thePolish–Soviet War of 1919–1921. During the last three months of 1919, Kyiv was intermittently controlled by theWhite Army. Kyiv changed hands sixteen times from the end of 1918 to August 1920.[52]
From 1921 to 1991, the city formed part of theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding republic of theSoviet Union in 1922. The major events that took place in Soviet Ukraine during theinterwar period all affected Kyiv: the 1920sUkrainization as well as the migration of the rural Ukrainophone population made theRussophone city Ukrainian-speaking and bolstered the development ofUkrainian cultural life in the city; theSoviet 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; the1932–1933 Great Famine devastated the part of the migrant population not registered for ration cards; andJoseph Stalin'sGreat Purge of 1937–1938 almost eliminated the city'sintelligentsia[53][54][55]
In 1934, Kyiv 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.
Until 1936, Kyiv was a city on the west bank of theDnieperRuins of Kyiv duringWorld War II
InWorld War II, the city again suffered significant damage, andNazi Germany occupied it from 19 September 1941 to6 November 1943.Axis forces killed or captured more than 600,000 Soviet soldiers in the great encirclingBattle of Kyiv in 1941. Most of those captured never returned alive.[56] Shortly after theWehrmacht occupied the city, a team ofNKVD officers who had remained hidden dynamited most of the buildings on theKhreshchatyk, 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 localJews they could find, nearly 34,000,[57] and massacred them atBabi Yar in Kyiv on 29 and 30 September 1941.[58] In the months that followed, thousands more were taken to Babi Yar where they were shot. It is estimated that the Germans murderedmore than 100,000 people of various ethnic groups, mostly civilians, at Babi Yar during World War II.[59]
The Ukrainian national flag was raised outside Kyiv's City Hall for the first time on 24 July 1990.
Kyiv recovered economically in the post-war years, becoming once again the third-most important city of the Soviet Union. Thecatastrophic accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 occurred only 100 km (62 mi) north of the city. However, the prevailing south wind blew most of the radioactive debris away from Kyiv.
Geographically, Kyiv is on the border of thePolesia woodland ecological zone, a part of the European mixed woods area, and the East Europeanforest steppebiome. However, the city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. Kyiv is completely surrounded byKyiv Oblast.
Originally on the west bank, today Kyiv is on both sides of theDnieper, which flows southwards through the city towards theBlack Sea. The older and higher western part of the city sits on numerous wooded hills (Kyiv Hills), with ravines and small rivers. Kyiv's geographical relief contributed to itstoponyms, such asPodil ("lower"),Pechersk ("caves"), anduzviz (a steep street, "descent"). Kyiv is a part of the largerDnieper 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 thePolesian Lowland. Kyiv expanded into theDnieper Lowland on the left bank (to the east) as late as the 20th century. The whole portion of Kyiv on the left bank of the Dnieper is generally referred to as theLeft Bank (Лівий берег,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 oftributaries, isles, and harbors within the city limits. The city is close to the mouth of theDesna River and theKyiv Reservoir in the north, and theKaniv Reservoir in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna rivers arenavigable at Kyiv, 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 Kyiv, 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.[60][61]
Kyiv has a warm-summerhumid continentalclimate (KöppenDfb).[63] 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.[64][65]
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −32.9 °C (−27.2 °F) on 11 January 1951.[64][65] 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.[29]
Climate data for Kyiv (1991–2020, extremes 1881–present)
Most key buildings of the national government are alongHrushevskoho Street (vulytsia Mykhaila Hrushevskoho) and Institute Street (vulytsia Instytutska). Hrushevskoho Street is named after the Ukrainian academician, politician, historian, and statesmanMykhailo Hrushevsky, who wrote an academic book titled: "Bar Starostvo: Historical Notes: XV–XVIII" about the history ofBar, Ukraine.[72] That portion of the city is also unofficially known as the government quarter (урядовий квартал).
The city state administration and council is in the Kyiv City council building on Khreshchatyk Street. The oblast state administration and council is in the oblast council building onploshcha Lesi Ukrainky ("Lesya Ukrainka Square").
TheDnieper River naturally divides Kyiv into the Right Bank and the Left Bank areas. Historically on the western right bank of the river, the city expanded into the left bank only in the 20th century. Most of Kyiv's attractions as well as the majority of business and governmental institutions are 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.
Kyiv is further informally divided into historical or territorial neighbourhoods, each housing from about 5,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
Apanoramic view of Right-Bank Kyiv, where the city centre is located (May 2011)
The first known formal subdivision of Kyiv dates to 1810 when the city was subdivided into 4 parts:Pechersk, Starokyiv, and the first and the second parts ofPodil. In 1833–1834 according toTsarNicholas I's decree, Kyiv was subdivided into 6 policeraions (districts); later being increased to 10. In 1917, there were 8 Raion Councils (Duma), which were reorganised bybolsheviks 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 Kyiv's districts change accordingly.
The last district reform took place in 2001 when the number of districts was decreased from 14 to 10.
UnderOleksandr Omelchenko (mayor from 1999 to 2006), there were further plans for the merger of some districts and revision of their boundaries, and the total number of districts had been planned to be decreased from 10 to 7. With the election of the new mayor-elect (Leonid Chernovetskyi) in 2006, these plans were shelved.
at 1 January of years 10xx-1959,[81][82] 1959-2022[83]
According to theAll-Ukrainian Census, the population of Kyiv in 2001 was 2,611,327.[84] 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 ofpopulation ageing which, while prevalent throughout the country, is partly offset in Kyiv 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 ofbakery products sold in the city (thus including temporary visitors and commuters) gave a number of at least 3.5 million people.[85]
Ethnic composition
Kyiv's ethnic composition has shifted greatly over the last centuries. According to thecensus of March 2, 1874 [uk], conducted by the local branch of theRussian Geographical Society, there were 127,205 people living in Kyiv. Of these, 80% spoke "Russian," 11% spoke "Jewish," 6% spokePolish and 2% spokeGerman. Of the "Russian" speakers, 39% were recorded as speaking Little Russian (Ukrainian), which meant that Ukrainian speakers accounted for 30% of the city as a whole. Of the remaining "Russian" speakers, however, there were only 10% who spoke Greater Russian (Russian) and 2% who spokeBelarusian. The remaining 49% spoke in "generally Russian speech."[86] According to the official census of 1897, the number of Great Russian speakers rose to 54%; speakers of Little Russian accounted for 22%. Jewish speakers accounted for 12%, Polish 6.7%.[87]
By the September 1917 city-census of Kyiv, conducted by the authorities of theUkrainian People's Republic, the Ukrainian share of the population had been reduced to only 16%, while Russians now made up a majority at 50%. TheMarch 1919 Kyiv city census, conducted by the Bolshevik authorities, showed an increase in the percentage of the population identifying as Ukrainian to 25%. From then on, the city's Ukrainian population once again began to expand in terms of their share of the population, slowly returning to its former level.[88] By the1926 Soviet census, Ukrainians, at 41.6%, had once again begun to outnumber Russians, who made up 25.5%. By the1959 Soviet census, Kyiv was once more a Ukrainian majority city, with 60% of the population identifying as such, the same percentage as in 1874.[89]
According to the 2001 census data, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups reside within the territory of Kyiv.Ukrainians constitute the largestethnic group in Kyiv, accounting 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%),Azerbaijanis 2,600 (0.1%), Tatars 2,500 (0.1%),Georgians 2,400 (0.1%),Moldovans 1,900 (0.1%).[90]
Both Ukrainian and Russian are commonly spoken in the city; approximately 75% of Kyiv's population responded "Ukrainian" to the 2001 census question on their native language, roughly 25% responded "Russian".[92] According to a 2006 survey, Ukrainian is used at home by 23% of Kyivans, 52% use Russian, and 24% switch between both.[93] 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".[94]
According to the census of 1897, of Kyiv'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.[95]
A 2015 study by the International Republican Institute found that the languages spoken at home in Kyiv were Ukrainian (27%), Russian (32%), and an equal combination of Ukrainian and Russian (40%).[91]
The Jews of Kyiv are first mentioned in a 10th-century letter. The Jewish population remained relatively small until the nineteenth century.[96] A series ofpogroms 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.[97] In 1939 there were approximately 224,000 Jews in Kyiv,[96] some of whom fled the city ahead of theGerman invasion of the Soviet Union that began in June 1941. On 29 and 30 September 1941, nearly 34,000 Kyivan Jews were massacred at Babi Yar by the Wehrmacht,SS,Ukrainian Auxiliary Police, and local collaborators.[98][99]
Jews began returning to Kyiv at the end of the war, but experienced another pogrom in September 1945.[100] In the 21st century, Kyiv's Jewish community numbers about 20,000. There are two major synagogues in the city: theGreat Choral Synagogue and theBrodsky Choral Synagogue.[101]
Apanoramic view ofPodil, one of Kyiv's central neighborhoods
Modern Kyiv is a mix of the old (Kyiv preserved about 70 percent of more than 1,000 buildings built during 1907–1914)[102] and the new, seen in everything from the architecture to the stores and to the people themselves. When the capital of theUkrainian SSR was moved fromKharkiv to Kyiv many new buildings were commissioned to give the city "the gloss and polish of a capital".[102] In the discussions that centered on how to create a showcase city center, the current city center of Khreshchatyk andMaidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) were not the obvious choices.[102] Some of the early, ultimately not materialised, ideas included a part of Pechersk,Lypky,European Square, andMykhailivska Square.[102]
The plans of building massive monuments (ofVladimir Lenin and Stalin) were also abandoned, due to lack of money (in the 1930s–1950s) and because of Kyiv's hilly landscape.[102] 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, Kyiv'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 in the Pechersk and Khreshchatyk areas. It is also prestigious to own a property in newly constructed buildings in theKharkivskyi neighborhood orObolon along the Dnieper.
Ukrainian independence at the turn of the millennium has heralded other changes. Western-style residential complexes, modernnightclubs, classy restaurants and prestigious hotels opened in the centre. And most importantly, with the easing of the visa rules in 2005,[103] Ukraine is positioning itself as a prime tourist attraction, with Kyiv, among the other large cities, looking to profit from new opportunities. The centre of Kyiv has been cleaned up and buildings have been restored and redecorated, especially Khreshchatyk and Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Many historic areas of Kyiv, such asAndriivskyi Descent, have become popular street vendor locations, where one can find traditionalUkrainian art, religious items, books, game sets (most commonlychess) as well as jewellery for sale.[104]
Among Kyiv's best-known monuments areMikhail Mikeshin's statue ofBohdan Khmelnytsky astride his horse nearSt. Sophia Cathedral, the veneratedVladimir the Great (St. Vladimir), thebaptizer of Rus', overlooking the river above Podil fromSaint Volodymyr Hill, the monument to Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv and Lybid, the legendary founders of the city at the Dnieper embankment. On Independence Square in the city centre, two monuments elevate two of the city protectors; the historic protector of Kyiv Michael Archangel atop a reconstruction of one of the old city's gates and a modern invention, the goddess-protectorBerehynia atop a tall column.
Architecture and historically significant sites and monuments in Kyiv
Kyiv was the historic cultural centre of theEast Slavic civilization and a major cradle for theChristianization of Kievan Rus. Kyiv retained through centuries its cultural importance and even at times of relative decay, it remained the centre of primary importance of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its sacred sites of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (the Monastery of the Caves) and the Saint Sophia Cathedral are attracting pilgrims for centuries and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remaining the primary religious centres as well as major tourist attractions. The above-mentioned sites are also part of theSeven Wonders of Ukraine collection.
In September 2023, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee placed the Saint Sophia Cathedral and Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on theList of World Heritage in Danger. According to the committee, although the Ukrainian government has taken action to protect the sites, "optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee the protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property and that it is threatened by potential danger due to the war”. The list is protected by the1972 UNESCO Convention, ratified by both Russia and Ukraine. Inclusion on the list is intended to mobilize urgent international support.[106][107][108]
Numerous songs and paintings were dedicated to the city. Some songs became part of Russian, Ukrainian and Jewish folklore. The most popular songs are "How not to love you, Kyiv of mine?" and "Kyiv Waltz". Renowned Ukrainian composerOleksandr Bilash wrote an operetta called "Legend of Kyiv".
It is said that one can walk from one end of Kyiv to the other in the summertime without leaving the shade of its many trees. Most characteristic are thehorse-chestnuts (каштани,kashtany).
Kyiv is known as a green city withtwo botanical gardens and numerous large and small parks. The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War is here, which offers both indoor and outdoor displays of military history and equipment surrounded by verdant hills overlooking the Dnieper river.
Among the numerous islands, Venetsiiskyi (orHydropark) is the most developed. It is accessible by metro or by car, and includes an amusement park, swimming beaches, boat rentals, and night clubs. Other major islands includeTrukhaniv, Muromets, and Dolobetskyi. The Victory Park (Park Peremohy) near Darnytsia subway station is a popular destination for strollers, joggers, and cyclists. Boating, fishing, and water sports are popular pastimes in Kyiv. 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 30 to 34 °C (86 to 93 °F).[citation needed]
Lilacs in the National Botanical Garden, with theVydubychi Monastery, Darnytskyi Rail Bridge and left-bank Kyiv visible in the background
The centre of Kyiv (Maidan Nezalezhnosti andKhreshchatyk 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.Andriivskyi Descent is one of the best known historic streets and a major tourist attraction in Kyiv. The hill is the site of the Castle of Richard the Lionheart; the baroque-styleSt Andrew's Church; thehome of the Kyiv-born writerMikhail Bulgakov; the monument toYaroslav the Wise, the Grand Prince of Kyiv andNovgorod; and numerous other monuments.[110][111]
A wide variety of farm produce is available in many of Kyiv's farmer markets with theBessarabskyi Market in the very centre of the city being most famous. Each residential region has its own market, orrynok. 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-madesmetana (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 historicPyrohiv village, there is anoutdoor museum officially called theMuseum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine. It has an area of 1.5 square kilometres (1 sq mi). This territory houses several "mini-villages" that represent by region the traditional rural architecture of Ukraine.
Kyiv also has numerous recreational attractions like bowling alleys, go-cart tracks, paintball venues, billiard halls and even shooting ranges. The 100-year-oldKyiv Zoo is on 40 hectares and according to CBC "the zoo has 2,600 animals from 328 species".[112]
Kyiv is home to some 40 different museums.[113] In 2009 they recorded a total of 4.3 million visits.[113]
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War is a memorial complex commemorating the Eastern Front of World War II in the hills on theright-bank of the Dnieper inPechersk.Kyiv Fortress is the 19th-centuryfortification buildings situated inUkrainian capital Kyiv, that once belonged towestern Russian fortresses. These structures (once a united complex) were built in the Pechersk and neighbourhoods by the Russian army. Some of the buildings are restored and turned into a museum, while others are in use in various military and commercial installations.
The National Art Museum of Ukraine is a museum dedicated to Ukrainian art. TheGolden Gate is a historic gateway in the ancient city's walls. The nameZoloti Vorota (Golden Gate) is also used for a nearby theatre anda station of theKyiv Metro. The smallUkrainian 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 ofnuclear power as a whole.
The annual 5.5-kilometre (3.4-mile) "Run under the Chestnuts" is a popular public sporting event in Kyiv, with hundreds taking part every year.
Kyiv has many professional and amateur football clubs, includingDynamo Kyiv,Arsenal Kyiv andFC Obolon Kyiv but only Dynamo Kyiv play in theUkrainian 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 13USSR Championships, 9USSR Cups, and 3USSR Super Cups, thus making Dynamo the most successful club in the history of the Soviet Top League.[114]
Other prominent non-football sport clubs in the city include: theSokil Kyiv ice hockey club andBC 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 theKyiv Palace of Sports.
During the1980 Summer Olympics held in the Soviet Union, Kyiv held the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament at itsOlympic Stadium, which was reconstructed specially for the event. From 1 December 2008, the stadium underwent a full-scale reconstruction in order to satisfy standards put in place byUEFA for hosting theEuro 2012 football tournament; the opening ceremony took place in the presence of presidentViktor Yanukovych on 8 October 2011,[115] with the first major event being aShakira concert which was specially planned to coincide with the stadium's re-opening during Euro 2012. Other notable sport stadiums/sport complexes in Kyiv include theValeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium, thePalace of Sports, among many others.
Most Ukrainian national teams play their home international matches in Kyiv. TheUkraine national football team, for example, will play matches at the re-constructed Olympic Stadium from 2011.
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.[116] Before the2008–2009 Ukrainian financial crisis, the average annual growth in the number of foreign visits in Kyiv was 23% over a three-year period.[117] In 2009, a total of 1.6 million tourists stayed in Kyiv hotels, of whom almost 259,000 (c. 16%) were foreigners.[117]
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 Kyiv 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, and business tourists from September to May.[118]
City anthem
In 2014, the Kyiv city's council established the city's anthem.[119] It became a 1962 song, "Yak tebe ne liubyty, Kyieve mii!"[119] (Як тебе не любити, Києве мій!, roughly "How can I not love you, Kyiv of mine!").
As with mostcapital cities, Kyiv 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 238,000business entities registered in Kyiv.[121]
Official figures show that between 2004 and 2008 Kyiv's economy outstripped the rest of the country's, growing by an annual average of 11.5%.[122][123] Following theGreat Recession, Kyiv's economy suffered a severe setback in 2009 withgross regional product contracting by 13.5% in real terms.[122] Although a record high, the decline in activity was 1.6percentage points smaller than that for the country as a whole.[123] The economy in Kyiv, as in the rest of Ukraine, recovered somewhat in 2010 and 2011. Kyiv is a middle-income city, with prices comparable to many mid-size American cities (i.e., considerably lower than Western Europe).
Because the city has a large and diverse economic base and is not dependent on any single industry or company, its unemployment rate has historically been relatively low – only 3.75% over 2005–2008.[124] Indeed, even as the rate of joblessness jumped to 7.1% in 2009, it remained far below the national average of 9.6%.[124][125]
As of January 2022, the average monthly salary in Kyiv reached 21,347UAH (€540) gross and 17,184 UAH (€430) net.[126][127][128]
Kyiv is the undisputed center of business and commerce of Ukraine and home to the country's largest companies, such asNaftogaz Ukrainy,Energorynok andKyivstar. In 2010, the city accounted for 18% of nationalretail sales and 24% of all construction activity.[129][130][131][132] Real estate is one of the major forces in Kyiv's economy. Average prices ofapartments are the highest in the country and among the highest in eastern Europe.[133] Kyiv also ranks high in terms ofcommercial real estate and has Ukraine's tallestoffice buildings (such asGulliver andParus) and some of Ukraine's biggest shopping malls (such asDream Town andOcean Plaza).
In May 2011, Kyiv authorities presented a 15-year development strategy which calls for attracting as much as EUR82 billion offoreign investment by 2025 to modernize the city's transport and utilities infrastructure and make it more attractive for tourists.[134]
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.[140]
There are about 530 general secondary schools and about 680 nursery schools andkindergartens in Kyiv.[145] Additionally, there are evening schools for adults, specialist technical schools, and theEvangel Theological Seminary.
The publicly owned and operated Kyiv 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 66.1 kilometres (41.1 miles) and 51 stations (some of which are renowned architectural landmarks). The Metro carries around 1.422 million passengers daily[148] accounting for 38% of the Kyiv's public transport load. In 2011, the total number of trips exceeded 519 million.[citation needed]
The historic tram system was the first electric tramway in the former Russian Empire and the third one in Europe after theBerlin Straßembahn and theBudapest tramway. The tram system consists of 139.9 km (86.9 mi) of track,[149] including 14 km (8.7 mi) twoRapid 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 Kyiv Funicular was constructed during 1902–1905. It connects the historicUppertown, and the lower commercial neighborhood ofPodil through the steep Saint Volodymyr Hill overseeing the Dnieper River. The line consists of two stations.
All public road transport (except for some minibuses) is operated by the unitedKyivpastrans municipal company. It is heavily subsidized by the city.
The Kyiv public transport system, except for taxi, uses a simpleflat 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 Kyiv Metro, with plans for other transport modes. The cost of one ride is far lower than in Western Europe.
The taxi market in Kyiv is expansive but not regulated. In particular, the taxi fare per kilometer is not regulated. There is a fierce competition between private taxi companies.[citation needed]
Kyiv represents the focal point of Ukraine's "national roads" system, thus linked by road to all cities of the country.European routes, and intersect in Kyiv.
There are eight Dnieper bridges and dozens ofgrade-separated intersections in the city. Several new intersections are under construction. There are plans to build a full-size, fully grade-separatedring road around Kyiv.[150][151][152]
In 2009, Kyiv's roads were in poor technical condition and maintained inadequately.[153]
Traffic jams and lack of parking space are growing problems for all road transport services in Kyiv.
Railways are Kyiv'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, theKyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station is the city's only long-distance passenger terminal (vokzal).
Construction is underway for turning the largeDarnytsia railway station on the left-bank part of Kyiv into a long-distance passenger hub, which may ease traffic at the central station.[154]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 Kyiv city administration established the new Urban Train for Kyiv. 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 Kyiv's inner suburbs. Interchanges between the Kyiv Metro and Fast Tram exist at many of the urban train's station stops.[155]
Suburban 'Kyiv City Express' trains (colloquially known aselektrychka) are serviced by the publicly ownedUkrainian 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 theelektrychka cars are poorly maintained and overcrowded inrush hours.
There are nineelektrychka directions from Kyiv:[156]
Kyivteploenergo [uk] operates a centralized heating system, which provides heating and hot water to customers through a network of pipes that distribute hot water from centralized heating plants to buildings throughout the city. It operates a 2700 km network, two of the largestcombined heat and power plants in Ukraine CHP-5 and CHP-6, as well as the onlywaste incineration plantEnergia (plant) [uk] operating in Ukraine.
In line with the EUThird Energy Package, since 2019 state energy policy abandoned theRotterdam plus system and has required transmission system operator (TSO) and regional utilities unbundling in order to separate electricity distribution and retail electricity supply.[158]
Water and sanitation
The national government has delegated responsibility for water and sanitation services to local authorities.[159]Kyivvodokanal [uk] is aprivate joint-stock company that provides such services to Kyiv. The length of water supply networks is 4231 km, of which 1798 km are dilapidated. The length of sewage networks is 2662 km, of which 830 km are dilapidated.
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