Map of Kiev

Kyiv, also spelt Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both banks of the Dnieper River. As of January 2022, the population of Kyiv was 2,952,301, making it the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center. It is home to high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive public transport system, which includes the Kyiv Metro.

The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders. One of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, during its history, it has passed through several stages of prominence and obscurity. It probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, it was a tributary of the Khazars, until its capture by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. During the Siege of Kiev (1240), Kyiv was left in ruins; it lost most of its influence for the centuries to come.

Kyiv grew into a centre of Eastern Orthodox learning during the 16th century. It prospered during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century, becoming a centre of industry, commerce, and administration. In 1918, the Ukrainian People's Republic declared independence from the Russian Republic after the October Revolution, and Kyiv became the new republic's capital. Following the Ukrainian-Soviet and Polish-Soviet wars, Kyiv became part of the Ukrainian SSR, of which it became the capital in 1934. The city suffered significant destruction during World War II, but recovered after the war as the Soviet Union's third-largest city.