Kyiv
Kyiv
Київ Kiev | ||
|---|---|---|
 Top-down, left-right (from upper left): Mariinskyi Palace, Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Red University Building, House with Chimaeras, Saint Sophia Cathedral, Independence Square | ||
  Kyiv Kyiv (Europe) | ||
| Coordinates: 50°27′00″N 30°31′24″E / 50.45000°N 30.52333°E City council Kyiv City Council | | |
| Raions | List of 10
| |
| Government | ||
| • UP12 | ||
| Vehicle registration plate | AA, KA (before 2004: КА, КВ, КЕ, КН, КІ, KT) | |
| Website | kyivcity.gov.ua | |
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev,[a] is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180,[10] making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.[11]
Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center in 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 Kyiv Metro.
The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders. During its 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. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kyiv was a tributary of the Khazars,[12] until its capture by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic 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 ultimately Russia.[1]
The city prospered again during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. In 1918, when the Ukrainian People's Republic declared independence from Russian Republic, Kyiv became its capital. From the end of the Polish-Soviet War in 1921, Kyiv was a city of Soviet Ukraine, and made its capital in 1934. The city suffered significant destruction during World War II but quickly recovered in the postwar years, remaining the Soviet Union's third-largest city.
Following
Name
- English: Kyiv (/ˈkiːjɪv/ KEE-yiv,[14] /kiːv/ KEEV[15]) or Kiev (/ˈkiːɛv/ KEE-ev)[16][17]
- Ukrainian: Ки́їв, romanized: Kyiv, pronounced [ˈkɪjiu̯] (
listen)[citation needed] - Russian: Киев, romanized: Kiev, pronounced [ˈkʲi(j)ɪf] (listen)[17][dubious ]
Before standardization of the alphabet in the early 20th century, the name was also spelled Кыѣвъ, Киѣвъ, or Кіѣвъ with the now-obsolete letter yat. The Old Ukrainian spelling from the 14th and 15th centuries was nominally *Києвъ, but various attested spellings include кїєва (gen.), Кїєвь, and Киев (acc.), кїєво or кїєвом (ins.), києвє, Кіеве, Кїєвѣ, Києвѣ, or Киѣве (loc.).[18]
The name descends from
.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 the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014.[26]
The city was known by various names in history. In the Norse sagas it was Kænugarðr or Kœnugarðr,
The historian Julius Brutzkus in his work The Khazar Origin of Ancient Kiev hypothesizes that both Sambat and Kyiv are of Khazar origin meaning "hill fortress" and "lower settlement" respectively. Brutzkus claims that Sambat is not Kyiv, but rather Vyshhorod (High City), which is located nearby.
In the Byzantine Greek of Constantine Porphyrogenitus's 10th-century
As a prominent city with a long history, its English name was subject to gradual evolution. Early English sources spelled this word as Kiou, Kiow, Kiew, Kiovia. On one of the oldest English maps of the region, Russiae, Moscoviae et Tartariae, published by Ortelius (London, 1570), the name of the city is spelled Kiou. On the 1650 map by Guillaume de Beauplan, the name of the city is Kiiow, and the region was named Kÿowia. In the book Travels, by Joseph Marshall (London, 1772), the city is called Kiovia.[33]
In English, Kiev appeared in print as early as 1804 in John Cary's "New map of Europe, from the latest authorities", and in Mary Holderness's 1823 travelogue New Russia: Journey from Riga to the Crimea by way of Kiev.[34] The Oxford English Dictionary included Kiev in a quotation published by 1883, and Kyiv in 2018.[35]
The Ukrainian version of the name, Kyiw, appears in the Volume 4 of the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland, published in 1883.[36]
After Ukraine's 1991 independence, the Ukrainian government introduced the national rules for transliteration of geographic names into the Latin alphabet for legislative and official acts in October 1995,[23] according to which the Ukrainian name Київ is romanized Kyiv. These rules are applied for place names and addresses, as well as personal names in passports, street signs, and so on.
In 2018, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry launched #CorrectUA, an online campaign to promote the use of official Ukrainian spellings by countries and organizations, in place of "outdated, Soviet-era" place-names.[37][38] Specifically, for the capital, the campaign KyivNotKiev was developed as part of the broader campaign.
The place name Kyiv is standardized in the authoritative database of Ukraine's toponyms maintained by Ukraine's mapping agency Derzhheokadastr. It has also been adopted by the United Nations GEGN Geographical Names Database,[39] the United States Board on Geographic Names,[40][41][42][43] the International Air Transport Association,[44] the European Union,[45] English-speaking foreign diplomatic missions[46] and governments,[47] several international organizations,[48] and the Encyclopædia Britannica. Some English-language news sources have adopted Kyiv in their style guides, including the AP,[49][50] CP,[51] Reuters,[52][53] and AFP[54] news services, media organizations in Ukraine,[55] and some media organizations in Canada,[51][56][57] the United Kingdom,[58][59][60] and the United States,[61][62][63] despite more resistance to the spelling change compared to others, like Beijing and Mumbai.[64]
Alternative romanizations used in English-language sources include Kyïv (according to the ALA–LC romanization used in bibliographic cataloguing), Kyjiv (scholarly transliteration used in linguistics), and Kyyiv (the 1965 BGN/PCGN transliteration standard).
The US media organization NPR adopted an on-air pronunciation of Kyiv closer to the Ukrainian, responding to the history and identity of the local population, in January 2022.[65][66]
History
The first known humans in the region of Kyiv lived there in the late paleolithic period (Stone Age).[67] The population around Kyiv during the Bronze Age formed part of the so-called Trypillian culture, as evidenced by artifacts from that culture found in the area.[68] During the early Iron Age certain tribes settled around Kyiv that practiced land cultivation, husbandry and trading with the Scythians and ancient states of the northern Black Sea coast.[67] Findings of Roman coins of the 2nd to the 4th centuries suggest trade relations with the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.[67] The people of the Zarubintsy culture are considered the direct ancestors of the ancient Slavs who later established Kyiv.[67] Notable archaeologists of the area around Kyiv include Vikentiy Khvoyka.
Founding
Scholars continue to debate when the city was founded: the traditional founding date is 482 CE, so the city celebrated its 1,500th anniversary in 1982. Archaeological data indicates a founding in the sixth or seventh centuries,[69][70] with some researchers dating the founding as late as the late 9th century,[71]
There are several legendary accounts of the origin of the city. One tells of members of a Slavic tribe (
There is little historical evidence pertaining to the period when the city was founded. Scattered
However, according to the 1773 Dictionary of Ancient Geography of Alexander Macbean, that settlement corresponds to the modern city of Chernobyl. Just south of Azagarium, there is another settlement, Amadoca, which is supposed as the capital of Amadoci people[73] living in area between marshes of Amadoca in the west and 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 the
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 them are ibn Rustah,
The Primary Chronicles state 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 by
Other historians suggest that Magyar tribes ruled the city between 840 and 878, before migrating with some
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 the Tarján 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.[76]
The city of Kyiv stood on the
In March 1169, Grand Prince
These events had a profound effect on the future of the city and on the
In the early 1320s, a Lithuanian army led by Grand Duke
With the 1569 (
Russian Suzerainty
Occupied by Russian troops since the 1654
against Polish domination. Painting by Mykola Ivasiuk.In 1834, the Russian government established Saint Vladimir University, now called the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv after the Ukrainian poet Taras 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 the Bogomolets National Medical University in 1995.
During the 18th and 19th centuries,
Following the gradual loss of Ukraine's autonomy, Kyiv 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
During the Russian 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 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, and notable architectural monuments (mostly merchant-oriented). In 1892, the first electric tram line of the Russian Empire started running in Kyiv (the third in the world). Kyiv 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.
Soviet Era
In the
From 1921 to 1991, the city formed part of the
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.
In
Allegedly in response to the actions of the NKVD, the Germans rounded up all the local
Kyiv 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 south wind blew most of the radioactive debris away from Kyiv.
Independence
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 Kyiv became the primary location of Euromaidan. During the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces attempted to seize Kyiv but were repelled by Ukrainian forces before withdrawing from the region in early April. Since then, Kyiv has been subject to frequent Russian missile attacks.
Environment
Geography
Geographically, Kyiv 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. Kyiv is completely surrounded by Kyiv Oblast.
Originally on the west bank, today Kyiv is located on both sides of the
The northern outskirts of the city border the Polesian Lowland. Kyiv expanded into the Dnieper 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 the Left 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 of
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.[98][99]
According to the
Climate
Kyiv has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).[101] 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.[102][103]
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −32.9 °C (−27.2 °F) on 11 January 1951.[102][103] 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.[69]
| Climate data for Kyiv (1991–2020, extremes 1881–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
22.4 (72.3) |
30.2 (86.4) |
33.6 (92.5) |
35.0 (95.0) |
39.4 (102.9) |
39.3 (102.7) |
33.8 (92.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
39.4 (102.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) |
0.7 (33.3) |
6.5 (43.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.6 (76.3) |
26.5 (79.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
5.3 (41.5) |
0.5 (32.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.2 (26.2) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
2.5 (36.5) |
10.0 (50.0) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.5 (67.1) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.5 (68.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
9.0 (48.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.5 (22.1) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.7 (62.1) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.6 (51.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −32.9 (−27.2) |
−32.2 (−26.0) |
−24.9 (−12.8) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
5.8 (42.4) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−21.9 (−7.4) |
−30.0 (−22.0) |
−32.9 (−27.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38 (1.5) |
40 (1.6) |
40 (1.6) |
42 (1.7) |
65 (2.6) |
73 (2.9) |
68 (2.7) |
56 (2.2) |
57 (2.2) |
46 (1.8) |
46 (1.8) |
47 (1.9) |
618 (24.3) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 9 (3.5) |
11 (4.3) |
7 (2.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.8) |
5 (2.0) |
11 (4.3) |
| Average rainy days | 8 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 138 |
| Average snowy days | 17 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 73 |
| Average relative humidity (%)
|
82.7 | 80.1 | 74.0 | 64.3 | 62.0 | 67.5 | 68.3 | 66.9 | 73.5 | 77.4 | 84.6 | 85.6 | 73.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 42 | 64 | 112 | 162 | 257 | 273 | 287 | 252 | 189 | 123 | 51 | 31 | 1,843 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net,[104] Central Observatory for Geophysics (extremes),[102][103] World Meteorological Organization (humidity 1981–2010)[105] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Danish Meteorological Institute (sun, 1931–1960)[106] and Weather Atlas[107] | |||||||||||||
Legal status, local government and politics
Legal status and local government
The municipality of the city of Kyiv has a
The mayor of Kyiv is
Most key buildings of the national government are located along
The city state administration and council is located in the Kyiv City council building on Khreshchatyk Street. The oblast state administration and council is located in the oblast council building on ploshcha Lesi Ukrayinky ("Lesya Ukrayinka Square"). The Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion state administration is located near Kiltseva doroha ("Ring Road") on prospekt Peremohy ("Victory Parkway"), while the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion local council is located on vulytsia Yantarna ("Yantarnaya Street").
The seat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The presidential administration building
The seat of Kyiv City State and City Council on Khreshchatyk Street
Politics
![[icon]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it . (August 2013) |
The growing political and economic role of the city, combined with its international relations, as well as extensive
Subdivisions
Traditional subdivision
The
Kyiv is further informally divided into historical or territorial neighbourhoods, each housing from about 5,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
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