Kyiv

St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv

Ukraine

Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, Kyyiv, or Russian Kiyev, chief city and capital of Ukraine. A port on the Dnieper (Dnipro) River and a large railroad junction, it is a city with an ancient and proud history. As the centre of Kyivan (Kievan) Rus, the first eastern Slavic state, 1,000 years ago, it acquired the title “Mother of Rus Cities.” It was severely damaged during World War II, but by the mid-1950s it had been restored, and in the second half of the 20th century it enjoyed a well-developed economic and cultural life. The independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union in 1991 renewed Kyiv’s status as a major European capital. Pop. (2001) 2,611,327; (2021 est.) 2,962,180.