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Kyiv or Kiev is the beautiful
capital of Ukraine and one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe. It is the largest city of the country and located in the north central
part of it. Kyiv (Kiev) stands on steep hills overlooking the Dnipro River,
which devides the city into two parts: Left Bank
and Right Bank.
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Geographically, Kyiv
(Kiev) belongs to the Polissya
natural zone (a part of the European mixed woods). However, the city's unique
landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. The elder right-bank
(western) part of Kyiv (Kiev) is represented by numerous woody hills, ravines and small
rivers (now mostly extinct). It is a part of the larger Prydniprovska
(near-Dnieper) upland adjoining the western bank of the Dnieper. The
left-bank (eastern) part of the city was built in the Dnieper valley.
Significant areas of it were artificially sand-deposited and enforced by dams.
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Kiev
hills,
Ukraine
(Click
on the image to enlarge)
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The city is adjoined by the mouth of the Desna River and the Kyivs'ke
reservoir in the north, and the Kanivs'ke
reservoir in the south.
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Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and their sister Lybid'
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on the image to enlarge)
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Kyiv's climate is moderately continental. The average winter temperature is about.
17-35 °F (-8 to +1 °C), in summer - 65-80 degrees °F (+18 to +27 °C).
Although it has changed significantly during recent decades due to global climate changes.
An ancient legend says, that Kyiv was founded
by three brothers Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and their sister Lybid, (you can
read more about this monument on our "Kiev
Monuments Page") and it
was named after the eldest brother Kyi. Founded probably in the 5th century,
a trading post in the land of Early East Savs, the
city gradually has flourished into a
valuable center of of East Slavic Civilization. In the 10th-12th centuries Kyiv
(Kiev)
became a political and cultural center of Kievan
Rus'.
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Kiev
or Kyiv?
English traveller Joseph Marshall called city Kiovia in his book
Travels published in London in 1772. The city has been called Kiev in English since at
least the 19th century.
The earliest quotation in the Oxford English Dictionary containing
"Kiev" is dated 1883, while the name was
used in print as early as 1823 in the
English traveller Mary Holderness' travelogue New Russia. Journey from Riga
to the Crimea by way of Kiev.
In 1995, the Ukrainian government made a
declaration concerning English-language usage of the name of the city, favoring
the use of Kyiv over Kiev. This act has legal jurisdiction only
over Ukrainian government spelling of the city's name. It says in part:
- To acknowledge that the Roman spelling of Kiev does not recreate the
phonetic and scriptural features of the Ukrainian language geographical
name.
- To confirm that the spelling of Kyiv as standardized Roman-letter
correspondence to the Ukrainian language geographical name of Київ.
- On the basis of point 7 of the Provision on the Ukrainian Commission for
Legal Terminology, determine as mandatory the standardized Roman-letter spelling
of Kyiv for use in legislative and official acts.
Many people have followed suit and use the spelling Kyiv in all Latin alphabet
publications. The new spelling Kyiv is increasingly being used by the United Nations and most
English-speaking diplomatic missions, and by some
English-language publications.
Some find the spelling Kiev inappropriate, because it reflects Russian instead of Ukrainian
pronunciation. Some even consider it offensive, a remnant of Russification under Imperial Russia and the
Soviet Union. However, the
Kiev spelling was used in English before reforms of Ukrainian orthography
and vocabulary, and also reflects the Old East Slavic (the language of the
ancestors of modern Ukrainians and Russians) spelling. The
name is pronounced by Ukrainians and many Russians as one would in English say
"Keev." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiev) |
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Monument to Mothers (World
War II), Kiev
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on the image to enlarge)
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After the turbulent period following the Russian Revolution (1917), from 1921 Kiev
(Kyiv)
was an important city of the Soviet Ukraine, and, since 1934, its capital. During World War II, the city was
destroyed, almost completely, but quickly recovered in the post-war years
becoming the third most important city of the USSR. It now remains the capital of Ukraine, independent
since 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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The city is the
cradle of Eastern Orthodox Church where pilgrims from all over Ukraine and
abroad come to offer up prayers in ancient Golden-domed cathedrals, churches
and majestic monasteries. These unique monuments of high-spiritual aspirations,
talent and consummate skills of people born at this land are rightfully claimed
as masterpieces of ancient Rus and Ukrainian architecture. Read more about
Kiev
Churches and Cathedrals.
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Kiev,
Ukraine
(Click
on the image to enlarge)
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Kyiv (Kiev)
is an important Industrial, Scientific, Educational and Cultural Center of
Eastern Europe. It is
home to many High-Tech industries, higher education Institutions, world-famous Museums and Art Institutions. The city has an extensive infrastructure
and highly developed system of public transportation, including the Kiev Metro system.
(read more about Ukraine subway system HERE)
Today, Kiev is a modern city with over 2.5 million inhabitants. Like many other
large cities of the former Soviet Union, it is a melting pot of the old styles
and habits, standing in stark contrast to the
birth of democracy and its effects on society. The new
Kiev can be seen in everything from the buildings to the shops
and stores to the people themselves. Even Kiev's "downtown" is a dotted picture of new
and emerging, modern buildings against
the pale yellows, blues and grays of the older Soviet style architecture.
With Ukrainian independence at the turn of the millenium, new changes became
evident..
The Western-style novostroikas (new and modern buildings), hip nightclubs, classy restaurants and
prestigious hotels began to open in Kievs new vibrant center. Music from Europe and theUnited States began
to rise on the Ukrainian music charts.
Now, most importantly, with 2005's new open visa regime, Ukraine is positioning herself as a prime tourist
attraction.
The center of Kiev being
refurbished, includes buildings restored and
redecorated, especially on Khreschatyk Kyiv's main bolouvard as well as on Independence Square. Many historical areas in Kiev, such as Andryivskyi Uzviz, have become popular street
vendor locations, where one can purchase traditional Ukrainian art, religious items,
books, game sets (including marvelous chess sets) as well as jewellery. Or you can also
shop online for Soviet
Souvenirs here!
You
can read about Kiev Sights in our Kiev
Sightseeing section
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