Kiev Gallery

:: Main page :: What we do :: About kiev :: Links ::

About Kiev

General information

Kiev is the capital of Ukraine with the population of about 3 million citizens. It is situated on the Dnieper River and has a number of architectural monuments known worldwide. Kiev, with its beautiful landscapes, parks and gardens is cosiderd to be one of the greenest cities in the world.
Kiev holds its place among the largest European cities, but it is not so familiar to the foreign guests as London, Paris, Moscow and other world tourist centres. It has interesting history, developed industry, high-level education and advanced science.

History of Kiev

   According to the ancient legend, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was founded by three brothers, Kyi, Schek and Khotyv, and their sister Lybed at the end of the 5th-beginning of the 6th centuries. The city was named after the eldest brother Kyi. Kiev means the city of Kyi.
   Archeological researches show that the first settlements on the territory of Kiev 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The early settlers of Kiev built their fortified dwelling on the steep right bank of the Dnieper River to protect themselves from Nomadic tribes. By the end of the 9th century, when the Grand Dukes of Kiev united scattered Slavic tribes, Kiev became the political centre of the Eastern Slavs. The city maintained wide foreign and commercial trade links due to its favourable position in the middle of trade routes between the Vikings and the Greeks (strict way from Northern Europe and the Baltics to the Mediterranean).
   The 11th and 12th centuries were the period of the greatest flourishing for the ancient Kiev Rus. By the 11th century Kiev was one of the largest centres of civilization in the Eastern christian world. At that time, there were about 400 churches , 8 markets and more than 50,000 inhabitants in Kiev. For comparison, at the same time the population of London, Hamburg and Gdansk was aboutn 20,000 people.
   For long centuries Kiev was badly damaged and looted, but Kiev has survived and still amazes the contemporaries with its sublimity and beauty.

Blog about history of Kiev