   #copyright

Kiev

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: European Geography

   Coordinates: 50°27′00″N, 30°31′24″E

   CAPTION: Kyiv
   Київ

   A monument to archangel Michael, the patron of Kiev, with Independence
   Square in the background.
   A monument to archangel Michael, the patron of Kiev, with Independence
   Square in the background.

   Official flag of Kyiv Official coat of arms of Kyiv
   Flag                  Coat of arms

   Location
   Template:Map caption
   Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted.
   Government
   Country
   Oblast
   Raion Ukraine
   Kiev City Municipality
   Federal city
   Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi
   Geographical characteristics
   Area
    - City
   839 km²
   Population
    - City (2005)
      - Density
   2,660,401
     3,299/ km²
   Coordinates 50°27′00″N, 30°31′24″E
   Elevation 179 m
   Other Information
   Postal Code 01xxx-04xxx
   Dialing Code +380 44
   License plate AA (before 2004: КА,КВ,КЕ,КН,КІ,KT)
   Sister cities Ankara, Athens, Belgrade, Brussels, Budapest, Chicago,
   Chişinău, Edinburgh, Florence, Helsinki, Kraków, Kyoto, Leipzig, Minsk,
   Munich, Odense, Paris, Pretoria, Riga, Rome, Santiago de Chile, Sofia,
   Stockholm, Tallinn, Tbilisi, Toronto, Toulouse, Warsaw, Wuhan, Vienna,
   Vilnius, Yerevan
   Website: www.kmr.gov.ua

   Kiev, also Kyiv ( Ukrainian: Київ , Kyyiv, IPA: [ˈkɪjiw]; Russian:
   Ки́ев , Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the capital and
   the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the
   country on the Dnieper river. Since 2001, Kiev has officially had
   2,660,401 inhabitants, though this figure has likely grown to more than
   3.5 million since then. Administratively, Kiev is a national-level
   subordinated municipality, independent from surrounding Kiev Oblast.
   Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural
   centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries,
   higher education institutions, world-famous historical landmarks. The
   city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of
   public transport, including a Kiev Metro system.

   The name of Kiev comes from the name of Kyi, one of four legendary
   founders of the city (brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and sister Lybid).
   During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe,
   passed through several stages of great prominence and relative
   obscurity. The city is believed to have been founded in the 5th century
   as a trading post in the land of Early East Slavs. It gradually
   acquired eminence as the centre of the East Slavic civilization,
   becoming in the tenth to twelfth centuries a political and cultural
   capital of Rus', a medieval 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 neighbors: first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by the
   Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, finally, Russia. The city prospered
   again during the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th
   century. After the turbulent period following the Russian Revolution of
   1917, from 1921 onwards Kiev was an important city of the Ukrainian
   Soviet Socialist Republic, and, since 1934, its capital. During World
   War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly
   recovered in the post-war years becoming the third most important city
   of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

   Kiev remains the capital of Ukraine, independent since 1991 following
   the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Environment

Geography

   Landsat 7 image of Kiev and the Dnieper River
   Enlarge
   Landsat 7 image of Kiev and the Dnieper River

   Kiev is located on both sides of the Dnieper River, which flows south
   through the city towards the Black Sea. Its geographic coordinates are
   50°27′00″N, 30°31′24″E. Geographically, Kiev belongs to the Polesia
   ecological zone (a part of the European mixed woods). However, the
   city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region.
   The older right-bank (western) part of Kiev is represented by numerous
   woody hills, ravines and small rivers (now lost mostly due to
   urbanization). It is a part of the larger Prydniprovska (near-Dnieper)
   upland adjoining the western bank of the Dnieper. The city expanded to
   the Dnieper's left-bank (to the east) only in the 20th century.
   Significant areas of the Dnieper valley were artificially
   sand-deposited, and are protected by dams.

   The Dnieper River forms a branching system of tributaries, isles, and
   harbors within the city limits. The city is adjoined by the mouth of
   the Desna River and the Kiev Reservoir in the north, and the Kaniv
   Reservoir in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna rivers are navigable
   at Kiev, although regulated by the reservoir shipping locks and limited
   by winter freeze-over.

Climate

   Kiev has a continental humid climate, although it has changed
   significantly during recent decades due to global climate changes. The
   warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of
   13.8 to 24.8°C (56.9 to 76.7°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 (103.0°F)
   on 31 July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was
   -32.2°C (-26.0°F) on 7 & 9 February 1929. 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 recent years.
   Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Avg high °C (°F) -3 (27) -1 (30) 4 (40) 14 (57) 21 (69) 24 (74) 25 (76)
   24 (75) 19 (66) 12 (54) 4 (40) 0 (32) 12 (53)
   Avg low °C (°F) -8 (17) -7 (20) -2 (28) 5 (41) 11 (51) 14 (57) 15 (59)
   14 (58) 10 (50) 5 (41) 0 (32) -5 (24) 4 (40)
   Avg rainfall in mm (inches) 48 (1.9) 46 (1.8) 39 (1.5) 48 (1.9) 53
   (2.1) 73 (2.9) 88 (3.5) 69 (2.7) 47 (1.8) 35 (1.4) 51 (2.0) 52 (2.0) 54
   (2.1)
   Source: World Weather Information Service

History

   Kiev is one of the oldest and most important cities of Eastern Europe
   with an immense role in the development of the medieval East Slavic
   civilization as well as in the modern Ukrainian nation.

   Many historical and architectural landmarks are preserved or
   reconstructed in the city, which is thought to have existed as early as
   the fifth century. With the exact time of city foundation being hard to
   determine, May 1982 was chosen to celebrate the city's 1,500th
   anniversary. During the eighth and ninth centuries, Kiev was an outpost
   of the Khazar empire. Starting from some point during the late ninth or
   early tenth century, Kiev was ruled by the Varangian nobility and
   became the nucleus of the Rus' polity, which became known as Kievan
   Rus' during the Golden age of Kiev. In 1240 Kiev was completely
   destroyed by the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan, an event that had a
   profound effect on the future of the city and the East Slavic
   civilization. At the time of the Mongol destruction, Kiev was reputed
   as one of the largest cities in the world, with a population exceeding
   one-hundred thousand.

   From 1362, the area, with a largely diminished city, became part of the
   Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569 a part of Polish-Lithuanian
   Commonwealth, as a capital of Kijów Voivodeship, transferred by then to
   the Polish Crown. In the 17th century, was transferred under rule of
   Muscovite Russia (later Russian Empire), where for some time it
   remained a provincial town of marginal importance.

   Kiev prospered again during the industrial revolution in the late
   nineteenth century when it became the third most important city of the
   Russian Empire, the major centre of commerce of the Empire's southwest.
   In the turbulent period following the 1917 Russian Revolution, Kiev
   became the capital of several short-lived Ukrainian states and was
   caught in the middle of several conflicts: the Great War, the Russian
   Civil War, and the Polish-Soviet War. From 1921 the city was part of
   the Soviet Union, and since 1934, the capital of Soviet Ukraine. In
   1932-33 the city was affected by the devastating man-made famine known
   as Holodomor. While there was no famine for those who had jobs and
   ration cards, thousands of peasants from the rural areas were banned
   from the state food stores and were often dying on the streets.

   In World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but
   quickly recovered in the post-war years, becoming the third most
   important city of the Soviet Union. It remains the capital of Ukraine,
   after the country's attainment of independence in the wake of the
   collapse of the Soviet Union.
   The ten Formal raions of Kiev.
   Enlarge
   The ten Formal raions of Kiev.

Government

   The Kiev City Council ( Ukrainian: Київрада; translit. Kyivrada) is the
   highest representative body of the city community. The members of city
   council are directly elected by Kiev's citizens, known as Kievans, and
   the council is chaired by the Mayor of Kiev.

Subdivisions of Kiev

   Administratively, the city is divided into " raions" ("districts"),
   which have their local governments with jurisdiction over a limited
   scope of affairs. Presently, there are 10 raions. For details on
   administration, see Legal status and local government of Kiev.

   Besides these, Kiev is informally divided into informal, historical
   neighborhoods, each housing from about 5,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.

   The natural first level of subdivision of the city is into the Right
   Bank and the Left Bank of the Dnieper. The Right Bank, located on the
   west side of the river, contains the older portions of the city.

Demographics

                                                  Historical populations
                                                 Census   Pop.       %±
                                                  1939    846,724      N/A
                                                  1940    930,000    +9.8%
                                                  1943    180,000   -80.6%
                                                  1959  1,104,334  +513.5%
                                                  1961  1,174,000    +6.3%
                                                  1979  2,144,000   +82.6%
                                                  1989  2,587,945   +20.7%
                                                  2001  2,611,327    +0.9%
                                                  2005  2,660,401    +1.8%

   As of the All-Ukrainian Census conducted in 2001, the population of
   Kiev is 2,611,000. Please consult the table to the right for Kiev's
   historical populations. According to the census, the number of men
   accounted for 1,219,000 thousand persons, or 46.7%, and that of women –
   1,393,000 thousand persons, or 53.3%.

   Since the 1989 census, the children population has decreased, and the
   population of persons at the older than able-to-work age has increased
   significantly.

   According to the census data, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic
   groups reside within the territory of Kiev. Ukrainians constitute the
   largest ethnic group in Kiev, and they account for 2,110,800 people, or
   82.2% of the population.

   The ethnic makeup of Kiev's residents, excluding the Ukrainian
   population is characterized by the following data: Russians - 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%).

   The language structure of Kiev is characterized by the following data:
   the part of those whose native language is Ukrainian totals 92.3% of
   the population, up from 88.4% in 1989. The percentage of those whose
   native language is Russian, totals 7.2% of the population.

   The number of people with higher and complete secondary education
   accounts for 1,069,700 people, up significantly by 21.7% since 1989.

Modern Kiev

   Bird's-eye view of the Kiev center at night.
   Enlarge
   Bird's-eye view of the Kiev centre at night.
   View of the October Palace from the Instytutska street.
   Enlarge
   View of the October Palace from the Instytutska street.

   Modern Kiev is a mix of the old and the new, seen in everything from
   the architecture to the stores and to the people themselves.
   Experiencing fast population growth between the 1970s and the mid-
   '90s, the city has continued its consistent growth after the turn of
   the millennium. As a result, Kiev's "downtown" is a dotted picture of
   new, modern buildings (known as novostroikas) amongst the pale yellows,
   blues and grays of the older apartments. Urban sprawl has been
   gradually reducing, while population densities of suburbs started
   increasing. The most expensive properties are located in the Pechersk,
   and Khreschatyk area. It is also popular to own a novostroika in
   Kharkivskyi Raion, Troyeshchyna, or Obolon along the Dnieper, as well
   as in some other better-established areas.

   With the Ukrainian independence on the turn of the millennium, other
   changes came. Western-style novostroikas, hip nightclubs, classy
   restaurants and prestigious hotels opened in the centre. Music from
   Europe and North America started rising on Ukrainian music charts. And
   most importantly, with the easing of the visa rules in 2005, Ukraine is
   positioning itself as a prime tourist attraction, with Kiev, among the
   other large cities, looking to profit from the new opportunities. The
   centre of Kiev has been cleaned up and buildings have been restored and
   redecorated, especially the Khreschatyk street and the Independence
   Square. Many historic areas of Kiev, such as Andriyivskyy Descent, have
   become popular street vendor locations, where one can find traditional
   Ukrainian art, religious items, books, game sets (most commonly chess)
   as well as jewelry for sale.

Culture

   An important part of Kiev's culture is the many theatres in the city,
   which include: Kiev Opera House, Ivan Franko National Drama Theatre,
   Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theatre of the Russian Drama, October
   Palace, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, and others. Other cultural
   items include the: Olexandr Dovzhenko Film Studios, and the Kiev
   Circus. The most important of the city's many museums are the Kiev
   State Historical Museum, the WWII museum, the Kiev State Museum of
   Ukrainian Art, and the Kiev State Museum of Russian Art.

   In 2005 Kiev hosted the 50th annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Sports

   Football (soccer) is probably the most popular spectator sport among
   the young in Kiev, followed by ice hockey. Kiev has many professional
   and amateur soccer clubs, including the Dynamo and Arsenal clubs, which
   both play in the top division. Other less prominent sport clubs in the
   city include: the Obolon soccer club and the Sokil hockey club.

   During the 1980 Summer Olympics held in the Soviet Union, Kiev held the
   preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament
   at its Olympic Stadium, reconstructed for the event. The stadium is the
   largest of Ukrainian stadiums, as well as among Kiev's 15
   stadiums/sport complexes. Initially constructed for audience of
   100,000, following the installation of individual seats it can now
   accommodate 83,053 spectators. Other notable sport stadiums/sport
   complexes in Kiev include the Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, the Palace of
   Sports, among many others.

   Kiev does not only host field games and indoor sports, but also aquatic
   sports, which take place on the Kiev Reservoir at Vyshhorod, and on
   Trukhaniv Island in the Dnieper river, opposite the city centre, where
   there are many fine beaches and recreational facilities. In addition to
   that, cross country bicycling is another favorite sport, also taking
   place on the Trukhaniv Island.

Cuisine

   Kiev is also a great place for the food lovers, and not only those who
   have been fond of Ukrainian cuisine. An increasing number of
   international travellers, as well as the interest with which the
   Ukrainian city dwellers approach, have spurred a steady growth of bars
   and diners ranging from Japanese sushi-bars to traditional Italian and
   Spanish restaurants.

   While there is about as much contrast between these in terms of quality
   of food served as there is between the social classes in Ukraine, the
   majority of eateries tend to be overpriced, however featuring polite
   and thorough services.

Architecture

   Probably, Kiev most famous historical architecture complexes are St.
   Sophia Cathedral and Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves),
   which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

   Noteworthy historical architectural landmarks also include the
   Mariyinsky Palace (designed and constructed from 1745 to 1752, then
   reconstructed in 1870), several Orthodox churches such as St. Michael's
   Cathedral, St. Andrew's, St. Vladimir's, the reconstructed Golden Gate,
   and others.

   The cylindrical Salut hotel, located across from Glory Square and an
   eternal flame at the World War Two memorial Tomb of the Unknown
   Soldier, the giant highly visible from the Dnieper hills Mother
   Motherland statue standing in the WWII museum are one of Kiev's well
   recognized modern landmarks.

   Among Kiev's best-known monuments are Mikeshin's statue of Bohdan
   Khmelnytsky astride his horse located near St. Sophia Cathedral, the
   venerated Vladimir the Great (St. Vladimir), the baptizer of Rus',
   overlooking the river above Podil, the monument to Kyi, Schek and
   Khoriv and Lybid, the legendary founders of the city located at the
   Dnieper embankment. Finally, two elevated on the tall columns modern
   monuments to the city protectors are located at the Independence Square
   in the city centre: the historic protector of Kiev Michael Archangel
   and a modern invention, the goddess-protector Beregynia.

Architectural monuments

   The St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, 1998 reconstruction.

   The Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, post-1991
   reconstruction.

   The St.Andrew's Church.

   The St. Sophia Cathedral.

   The St Volodymyr's Cathedral.

   The Church of Bogoroditsa Pirogoscha in the Podil raion, 1998
   reconstruction

   Monument to Princess Olga

   The Zoloti Vorota, 1982 reconstruction.

   The Verkhovna Rada building, the Ukrainian parliament.

   The National Opera of Ukraine.

   The National Bank of Ukraine.

   " The House With Chimaeras"

Transportation

Local transportation

   Dnipro station of the Kiev Metro
   Enlarge
   Dnipro station of the Kiev Metro

   Public transportation in Kiev includes metro (subway), buses, trolleys,
   and trams. The publicly owned and operated Kiev Metro system is the
   fastest, the most convenient and affordable network that covers most,
   but not all, of the city. The metro is regularly expanding towards the
   city limits to cover the growing demand, while the other kinds of
   public transport are not that well maintained. In particular, the
   public bus service fails to maintain its schedule. Public electric
   trolley bus and tram lines are more reliable, but are also technically
   obsolete and underfunded. The historic tram system, which once were a
   maintained and densely-developed method of transport, are now gradually
   being phased out in favour of buses and trolleys.

   One unusual mode of public transportation Kiev has is a funicular, that
   climbs on the steep right bank of the Dnieper River. It provides
   transport to 10,000-15,000 passengers daily.

   All public road transport in Kiev is operated by the united
   Kyivpastrans municipal company. It is heavily subsidized by the city as
   large groups of passengers (pensioners, etc.) are granted free service
   on its lines.
   Trolley buses in front of the St. Sophia Cathedral.
   Enlarge
   Trolley buses in front of the St. Sophia Cathedral.

   A simple distance-regardless tariffs system exists in Kiev public
   transport: the tickets for ground transportation are bought for each
   entrance into the vehicle. Discount passes are available for scholars
   and students. Pensioners use public transportation free. Monthly
   passes, which are sold at the price of 60 rides, are also available in
   all combinations of public transportation: metro, bus, trolley, tram.

   Recently, privately owned minibuses, marshrutkas, occupied Kiev's
   streets. They provide good coverage of smaller residential streets and
   have routes that are convenient for the residents. Minibuses take fewer
   passengers, run faster, stop on demand and are more available, although
   with an increased frequency of accidents. Ticket price and itinerary of
   private minibuses are regulated by city government, and the cost of one
   ride, while higher than on public buses, is still far lower than the
   Western European standard.

   The taxi market in Kiev is intensive but not adequately regulated. In
   particular, the taxi fare per kilometer is not regulated. There is a
   strong competition between private taxi companies. Many allow to
   schedule a pick-up by phone. Also, it is quite common for a local with
   a car (or even people from other parts of Ukraine) to provide taxi
   service unofficially. Traffic jams and lack of parking space are the
   growing problems for taxi service in Kiev. Current regulations allow
   for parking on pavements, which pedestrians may find inconvenient.
   Trams in Kiev's Kontraktova Square. The St. Andrew Church is visible in
   the background
   Enlarge
   Trams in Kiev's Kontraktova Square. The St. Andrew Church is visible in
   the background

Suburban transportation

   Suburban transportation is provided by buses and short-range trains (
   elektrichkas). There are a few bus stations inside the city providing
   suburban transportations. Private minibuses (marshrutkas) provide
   faster and more frequent suburban service, currently winning the
   competition against large buses.

   Elektrichkas are serviced by the publicly owned Ukrzaliznytsia company.
   The suburban train service is fast, most reliable and unbeatingly safe
   in terms of traffic accidents. But the elektrichka cars are poorly
   maintained and are overcrowded in rush hours.

   There are 5 elektrichka directions from Kiev:
     * Nizhyn (north-eastern)
     * Hrebinka (south-eastern)
     * Myronivka (southern)
     * Fastiv (south-western)
     * Korosten (western)

   The avenue to the Kiev's Railway Terminal
   Enlarge
   The avenue to the Kiev's Railway Terminal

   More than a dozen of elektrichka stops are located inside the city
   allowing residents of different neighborhoods to use suburban trains.

   Once existing suburban riverboats service is now extinct due to lack of
   profitability, limiting Kiev's water transport for cargo and tourism
   uses.

Railways

   Railways are Kiev’s main kind of outer transport connection. 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, the Kiev Passenger Railway Station is city's
   only long-distance passenger terminal (vokzal). There is construction
   underway for a new Darnytsia Railway Station on the left-bank part of
   Kiev, which may easer the tension of the central station. 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.

Air transport

   The expanded Terminal B within the Boryspil International Airport
   Enlarge
   The expanded Terminal B within the Boryspil International Airport

   Passenger airlink to Kiev can be made through two of its airports: the
   Boryspil Airport, which is served by the most major international
   airlines from all parts of the world, and a smaller Zhulyany Airport,
   serving mostly domestic flights, and few flights to nearby countries.
   There is also a cargo airport in Kiev's north-western suburb of
   Hostomel. The international passenger terminal at Boryspil is quite
   small, yet modern. There is a separate terminal for domestic flights
   within walking distance. Passengers traveling to other cities within
   Ukraine by air usually stop for a connection at Boryspil, as the other
   airports in Ukraine such as in Donetsk, Simferopol, Odessa, provide
   very limited international connections.

   Kiev is one of the centers of world aviation industry, being a home for
   Antonov aircraft manufacturing company. Currently, there are expansion
   plans for the city's international airport, with construction to begin
   within the coming years.

Tourism

   Lilacs in the Central Botanical Garden, with Vydubychi Monastery and
   the Left Bank of Kiev in the background. Photo copyright R. Lezhoev
   Enlarge
   Lilacs in the Central Botanical Garden, with Vydubychi Monastery and
   the Left Bank of Kiev in the background. Photo copyright R. Lezhoev

Attractions in Kiev

   It is said that one can walk from one end of Kiev to the other in the
   summertime without leaving the shade of its many trees. Most
   characteristic are the horse-chestnuts ( Ukrainian: каштани; kashtany).

   Kiev is known as a green city, with two botanical gardens and numerous
   large and small parks. Notable among these are the World War II Museum,
   which offers both indoor and outdoor displays of military history and
   equipment surrounded by verdant hills overlooking the Dnieper river;
   the Hidropark: an island on the river and accessible by metro or by
   car, which includes an amusement park, swimming beaches, and boat
   rentals; and the Victory Park (Park Pobedy), a popular destination for
   strollers, joggers, and cyclists.

   Boating, fishing, and water sports are popular pastimes in Kiev. Since
   the lakes and rivers freeze over in the winter, ice fishermen are
   frequently seen, as are children with their ice skates. However, the
   peak of summer is when masses of people can be seen on the shores,
   swimming or sunbathing, with daytime high temperatures sometimes
   reaching 30 to 34 °C.

   The centre of Kiev (Independence Square and Khreschatyk 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.

   Wide varieties of farming products are available in many of Kiev's
   farmer markets with the Besarabsky Market located in the very centre of
   the city being the most famous one. Each residential region has its own
   market, or rynok. 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-made smetana
   (sour cream), caviar, cut flowers, housewares, tools and hardware, and
   clothing. Each of the markets has its own unique mix of products. There
   is also a popular book market by the Petrivka metro station.

   At the city's southern outskirts, near the historic Pyrohiv village,
   there is an outdoor museum, officially called the Museum of Folk
   Architecture and Life of Ukraine It has an area of 1.5 square
   kilometres. On this terrain, multiple "mini-villages" that represent
   the traditional countryside architecture of various regions of Ukraine
   are built.

   Kiev also has numerous game attractions like bowling, carts, paintball,
   billiards and even shooting from real weapons.

Views of Kiev

   General view of the Andriyivskyy Descent.

   The Kontraktova Square of the Podil raion.

   Khreschatyk, the largest and best known street in Kiev.

   Orange Revolution protesters gather at Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

   The Refectory of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

   The Museum of History.

   The founders of Kiev, Kyi, Schek and Khoriv.

   The new Terminal to the Kiev Passenger Railway Station.

Economy

   Kiev, as the capital of Ukraine, has major administrative functions,
   with considerable status in the offices of the ministries responsible
   for the economy of Ukraine. Factories in Kiev are found in all parts of
   the city, with locations of major concentrations of industrial
   organizations located to the west of the city centre and on the left
   bank of the Dnieper River.

Industrial organizations

   The Kiev engineering plants, create their equipment based on metal from
   the iron and steel areas of Dnipropetrovshchyna and the Donbas
   coalfield. These plants in Kiev make equipment for chemical works, such
   as conveyor lines for vulcanized rubber, linoleum, fertilizer
   factories, and also metal-cutting machines. Other engineering products
   of Kiev area include aircraft (see: Antonov), hydraulic elevators,
   electrical instruments, armatures, river-and-sea crafts, motorcycles,
   and cinematography apparatuses.

   Another important sector is the chemical industry, which produces resin
   products, fertilizers, plastics, and chemical fibres, made at the
   Darnytsky Raion viscose plant on the left bank of Kiev. Lumber milling
   and the production of bricks and reinforced concrete items are another
   well developed industry. Consumer manufactured goods include cameras
   (see: Kiev-Arsenal (photo camera), thermos flasks, knitwear, footwear,
   a range of foodstuffs, and hand watches. Kiev is also a large
   publishing centre.

Power production

   Kiev is supplied by electricity primary from the Kiev Hydroelectric
   Station, completed in 1968, just upstream of the city at Vyshhorod, on
   the Kiev Reservoir, and from Trypillia thermal electric station.
   Nowadays, all but a few regions of Ukraine are interconnected by the
   Ukrainian electric power grid. Following the Chernobyl accident the
   Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant located 100 km north of Kiev has been
   closed. Kiev also receives its power supply in the form of natural gas,
   piped from Dashava in western Ukraine.

Education

   Kiev hosts many universities, the major ones being Kiev National Taras
   Shevchenko University, the National Technical University "Kiev
   Polytechnic Institute", and the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The total number
   of institutions of higher education in Kiev approaches 200, allowing
   young people to pursue almost any line of study.
   The National Taras Shevchenko University
   Enlarge
   The National Taras Shevchenko University

   While education remains largely in the hands of the state, private
   institutions are on the rise. Among private, higher education
   institutions that are gaining popularity and reputation are the Kyiv
   International University and the European University.

   There are about 500 general secondary schools, evening schools for
   adults, and specialist technical schools. Some research establishments
   located throughout the city are headed by the Ukrainian Academy of
   Sciences, which also maintains the largest of the city's many
   libraries. Kiev is also noted for its medical and cybernetic research.

Kiev or Kyiv?

   Kiev is the traditional English name for the city, but the
   Ukrainianized version Kyiv is gaining usage. The earliest known
   English-language reference is to Kiovia, in English traveller Joseph
   Marshall's book Travels (London, 1772).

   The name Kiev was used in print as early as 1823 in the English
   travelogue New Russia: Journey from Riga to the Crimea by way of Kiev,
   by Mary Holderness. By 1883, the Oxford English Dictionary included
   Kiev in a quotation. This name was established on the basis of Russian
   orthography and pronunciation [ˈkijef], during a time when Kiev was a
   city in a governorate of the Russian Empire. Ukrainian was considered a
   language of the village, and attempts to introduce it as a literary
   language were suppressed (see Ems Ukaz).

   The spelling Kyiv, romanized version of the Ukrainian name for the city
   [ˈkɪjiw], has been used in English-language publications of the
   Ukrainian diaspora and in some academic publications concerning Ukraine
   during much of the twentieth century. Newly-independent Ukraine
   declared Ukrainian its official language after 1991, and introduced a
   national Latin-alphabet standard for geographic names in 1995,
   establishing the use of the spelling Kyiv in official documents since
   October 1995. The spelling is used by the United Nations, NATO, some
   foreign diplomatic missions and a number of media organizations,
   notably in Canada. The alternate romanizations Kyyiv (BGN/PCGN
   transliteration) and Kyjiv (scholarly) are also in use alongside Kiev
   in English-language atlases.

   Kyiv and Kiev reflect the divergence of the Ukrainian and Russian
   languages from the single Old East Slavic form *Kijevъ (spelled Києвъ
   or Кієвъ). According to the legendary account in the Primary Chronicle,
   the city is named after Kyi (Кий), who is said to have founded the city
   with his brothers Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid'.

   On October 3, 2006, the United States Federal Government changed its
   official spelling of the city name to Kyiv.

   Some proponents of the spelling Kyiv take exception with the use of
   Kiev as reflecting imposed Russification in Ukraine, and consider it
   inappropriate since the country's independence in 1991.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiev"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
