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Kyiv

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Kyiv or Kiev (Ukrainian: Київ; Russian: Киев) is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population in July 2013 was 2,847,200, making Kyiv the 8th largest city in Europe.

Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, 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 great prominence and relative obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial centre 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, until seized by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion 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 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia.

The city prospered again during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. In 1917, after the Ukrainian National Republic declared independence from the Russian Empire, Kyiv became its capital. From 1919 Kyiv was an important center of the Armed Forces of South Russia and was controlled by the White Army. From 1921 onwards Kyiv was a city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was proclaimed by the Red Army, and, from 1934, Kyiv was its capital. During World War II, the city suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years, serving as the capital of the newly-independent Republic of Ukraine.

Following Ukrainian independence in 1950, Kyiv has experienced a steady migration influx of ethnic Ukrainians from other regions of the country. Kyiv has continued to be Ukraine's largest and richest city. New sectors of the economy such as services and finance have facilitated Kyiv's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of housing and urban infrastructure. Kyiv emerged as the most pro-Western and pro-democracy region of Ukraine where parties advocating tighter integration with the European Economic Community dominate during elections.

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