Kiev (Kyiv) City - Capital City Of Ukraine.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city coat of arms

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city flag

Kiev (Kyiv) city is the capital of Ukraine and capital of Kiev oblast (province) . Kiev is advantageously situated in the heart of Europe. The city is located along the Dnepr River just below its confluence with the Desna River and 591 miles (952 km) from its mouth in the Black Sea.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city map location

The average temperature in January are -6.1 degrees, and +19.2 degrees in July. Kiev has a wealth of greenery.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city beautiful view

Situated within Kiev city limits are:

- territorial regions of the nature preserve fund, in part, the Botanical Gardens named after Academician O.V.Fomin, the Central Botanical Gardens of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Syretsky Dendrological Park, a Zoo and 9 parks, monuments of landscape architecture;

- natural and man made forest parks and parks, in part, Pushcha-Vodytsya, Koncha-Zaspa, Svyatoshynsky Park, the Holosiyivsky National Preserve, Central Park (uniting 5 parks situated along the Dnepr river) and others.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city architecture

The area of the green zone is 43,600 hectares making up 168 sq.m per one resident. As the capital of Ukraine, Kiev has major administrative functions, and its ministries employ a considerable number of workers. Kiev is also an important industrial centre, producing a wide range of goods.

Kiev is served by a good transportation network. Trunk railways and all-weather roads link Kiev to Moscow, Kharkiv and the Donets Basin, southern and western Ukraine, and Poland. Within Kiev city itself there is efficient subway, rail, and bus service.

The Dnepr River is navigable about nine months of the year, and Kiev's Boryspil airport operates flights to other Ukrainian cities and to cities in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city bridge

Kiev city population - 2,680,000 (2007).
Kiev city land area - 840 sq. km.
Kiev city phone code - +380-44.
Kiev city postal codes - 01xxx-06xxx.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city history

Kiev was founded in the 8th century. By the late 9th century Kiev princes had established their suzerainty over several other East Slavic principalities and had founded the important state called Kiev an Rus. Throughout the history of Kiev an Rus, the city was engaged in ceaseless warfare against the Khazars, Pechenegs, and other nomadic peoples of the steppes.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city cathedral

In the late 12th century Kiev power declined in the face of constant nomad attacks and warfare with other Slavic princes. In 1240 Kiev city was completely destroyed by the Tatars of the Golden Horde under Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan. Thereafter Kiev passed to the control of Lithuania, of Poland, and then of the Cossacks.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city World War II memorial

In 1793 Kiev city was incorporated into Russia, and in 1917 the Ukrainian S.S.R. was formed, with Kiev becoming its capital in 1934. Large sections of the Kiev's central area were destroyed during World War II, but after the war Kiev city was repopulated and fully restored, regaining its position as a major industrial and cultural centre of Ukraine. Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine when the latter became independent in 1991.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city at night time

Kiev city originally occupied the high and steep right (west) bank of the Dnepr River, but since World War II rapid growth has extended Kiev onto the wide, low, flat floodplain on the left bank.

Kiev (Kyiv) city Ukraine economy

Kiev city industry is the concentration of over 350 large industrial enterprises mainly in machine-building, food processing and consumer goods industry. Kiev has also a powerful building (construction) industry. Engineering industries - including the manufacturing of complex machinery, precision tools, and instruments - are of primary importance. The chemical, consumer-goods, food-processing, lumber-milling, and publishing industries are also significant.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city streets at night view

Kiev oblast (province) industry: food processing, metal-working and machine-building, chemical and petrochemical enterprises. Major national producers of tires, paper and cardboard, cranes and other building machinery.

Kiev oblast (province) agriculture: grains, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, potatoes, vegetables; cattle and poultry farming.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city central square

Kiev (Kyiv) city Ukraine education

The most important centre for research and education in Ukraine, Kiev is the home of a number of universities, colleges, and research institutions, notably the Kiev State University of T.G.Shevchenko (1834) and the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Kiev (Kyiv) city Ukraine main attractions

The focus of the contemporary Kiev remains its ancient Upper Town, crowning the high bluff above the Dnepr River. Its central area, although for the most part of postwar construction, contains most of Kiev's surviving historical and architectural monuments.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city central part

The 11th-century Cathedral of St. Sophia, one of the most beautiful examples of Russo-Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture, and the striking 18th-century Baroque Church of St. Andrew are both now state museums. Other surviving relics include the ruins of the 11th-century Golden Gate, the 18th-century Zaborovskyy Gate, and the 19th-century five-domed Desyatynna Church, built on the site of a church founded by St. Vladimir in the 10th century.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city cathedral

The axis of the centre of Kiev is the tree-lined Kreshchatyk, the main shopping street. Many of the Kiev's museums and theatres are located within and adjacent to the former Old Town. Russian and Ukrainian drama can be seen at the Shevchenko Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the 12,000-seat Palace of Sport, and open-air theatres. Musical concerts are given regularly at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city cathedral close view

To the north of the Old Town is the former Jewish and trading quarter, Podil, containing the river port, and to the Old Town's south and along the top of the riverbank is the Percherskiy district. This area contains many administrative buildings. At the southern end of the district is the 11th-century Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) , where the monk Nestor wrote the earliest surviving Russian chronicle.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city cathedral inside

Beneath the monastery, a system of catacombs stores the mummified bodies of monks and saints, including that of Nestor. Surrounding these central districts and extending to the west bank of the Dnepr River are suburbs of factories and residential neighborhoods.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city cathedral view

In the downtown of Kiev there is a picturesque mountain skiing hill with 2 elevators. The hill works from November till April. You can always spend your spare time here. The upper part of the hill is very steep, but the lower part is sloping - the skier of any class will find what to do there. Even if you never tried mountain skiing, but you want to have the additional fun while being in Kiev, the professional English-speaking coaches will teach you for a couple of lessons. Besides it will cost you much cheaper than on any ski resort of the world.

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city beautiful view

You are not supposed to have your own skiing equipment, you can have all the set for hire (the skis of Salomon, Head, etc.) Also you can try yourself in snowboard (also with a professional coach).

Kiev (Kyiv) Ukraine city architecture

Having a little break you can spend time in a small restaurants were you could find the dishes of traditional Ukrainian cuisine and hot coffee. Or you can sit on the open place watching the "shashlik" being fried for you.