Kyiv

Kyiv or Kiev (Ukrainian: Київ) is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. Its population in July 2015 was 2,887,974 (though higher estimated numbers have been cited in the press), making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.

Facts About Modern Kyiv

There is a deepest metro station in the world. It's name is "Arsenalna Station" and it is 105.5 m (346 ft) under the ground.

Kyiv is the home for the largest plane in history. An-225 Mriya (mriya means "dream") has weight of 285,000 kilograms, length of 84 meters and wingspan of 88,4 meters. It has six engines. Only one An-225 has ever been built. On 11 June 2010, the An-225 carried the world's longest piece of air cargo, two 42.1 m (138 ft) test wind turbine.

There is a statue called Motherland Monument. It is bigger then Statue of Liberty. 102 meters tall, weight is 560 tonnes. The sword in the statue's right hand is 16 meters long weighting 9 tonnes.

Historical Places

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

One of the most popular place in Kyiv is Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kyiv. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1051, the Lavra has been a preeminent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Together with the Saint Sophia Cathedral, it is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery complex is considered a separate national historic-cultural preserve (sanctuary), the national status to which was granted on 13 March 1996. It was named one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine on 21 August 2007, based on voting by experts and the internet community.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv is an outstanding architectural monument of Kyivan Rus. In Ukrainian the cathedral is known as Sobor Sviatoyi Sofiyi (Собор Святої Софії) or Sofiyskyi sobor (Софійський собор). It was constructed in 1037 and is named for Hagia Sophia. The structure has 5 naves, 5 apses, and (quite surprisingly for Byzantine architecture) 13 cupolas. It is surrounded by two-tier galleries from three sides. Measuring 37 to 55 m (121 to 180 ft), the exterior used to be faced with plinths. On the inside, it retains mosaics and frescos from the 11th century, including a dilapidated representation of Yaroslav's family, and the Orans.

Golden Gate

Although the original "golden gate" was dismantled in the Middle Ages, the gates that are here today pay honor to the main gate in the 11th century that helped fortify Kiev. Modeled after the Golden Gate of Constantinople, the structure that stands today was built in 1982 amid controversy. There were no photos to compare it to, just oral tradition as to what the gates would have looked like, so there are many who feel as if this isn't an accurate representation. The golden gates were built in 1017-1024 at about the same time the Saint Sophia Cathedral was erected.

Ancient Kyiv

About two thousand years ago, the first settlers appeared on the territory of present-day Kyiv. Legend says that in the 6th century, three brothers Kyi, Schek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid decided to locate a settlement on the steep slopes of the great Dnieper, calling it after their elder brother Kyiv. The steep slopes and slopes of the Dnieper became a good defense for the inhabitants of that time from the barbarians of the nomadic tribes. The Kyiv princes built their magnificent houses, as well as churches and temples on hills and slopes, and ordinary people (artisans, merchants) lived on the banks of the Dnieper. Today this place is called Podil. Kiev becomes famous in the political and cultural arena after the unification of scattered principalities at the end of the 9th century and in the East Slavic state it is called the capital of Kievan Rus. Due to its favorable location on the territory of trade routes, for quite a long time it firmly maintained economic and political ties with Western and Central Europe.

Fortresses have played a big role in the history of Kiev. They were constantly changing and improving. Most of the structures were wooden. As a rule, fortresses were built on elevations, on the edges of a river or on cliffs so that opponents could not reach the structure. It was also popular to make ditches or large ditches. The main type of city fortifications were city walls. They were installed on ramparts and consisted of gorodnits - wooden log cabins filled with earth. In some fortresses, log cabins were left empty, being adapted for housing and household needs. At the top of the walls there was a wide platform, the outer side of which was covered by a "visor" or "fence". They were equipped with slots for shooting at the enemy - "wells". The walls were fortified with "vezha" - towers, sometimes on a stone foundation. There were also gates within the walls, the number of which depended on the size of the fortress or city.

The most rapid development of Kievan Rus took place during the time when Volodymyr The Great ruled (980 - 1015). At the same time, the baptism of Rus in 988 took place, which bore good results, the writing of the state and its culture developed. The Tithe Church is the first church built under Vladimir the Great. Under Yaroslav the Wise in the XI century. St. Sophia Cathedral was built and the first library in Rus was opened. Kiev was at that time already one of the famous trading cities in Europe and had up to 400 churches. The number of its inhabitants was twice as large as the population of, for example, Hamburg or London.

The story tells about the reign of Vladimir Monomakh and the continuation of the flourishing of Kievan Rus, but after his death in the middle of the XII century. there is a disintegration of the state into small principalities, this was used in 1240 by the hordes of the Mongols - the Tatars, who for almost a hundred years were the masters of the Ukrainian lands. However, even during the period of decline, Kiev retained its ancient cultural traditions, and the XIV century was the revival of the Ukrainian people. In the 15th century, thanks to the Magdeburg Agreement, Kiev was granted the right to international trade among merchants, philistines, and artisans. Since 1569, the times known as the rule of the Commonwealth (the united states of Poland and Lithuania), imposed their power and domination in Ukraine by arbitrariness and cruelty. Only by 1648 there was an uprising of the Ukrainian Cossacks, led by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky. As a result, Kiev and most of Ukraine were liberated.