The History of Kyiv

Early slavic settlements in the area where the city of Kyiv now stands have been found to date back to the first century, B.C. However, the official birth date for the city is generally accepted to be 482 A.D. The legend of the cities founding involves three brothers and their sister. The brothers, Kiy, Shcheck, Khorev, and their sister Lybid arrived in the area and founded a new city, naming after the eldest sibling.

Kyiv became a major trading center because of it's advantageoud location between the Russian gorods in the north and the Byzantine ports to the south. The Dnipro River, navigable far north of the city, made a natural artery of transportation for Slavic Europe. The city became culturally important to Kyivan Rus under Yaroslav, The Wise, prince of the city beginning in 1019. He promoted economic and cultural development of the city, building new infrastructure as well as providing funding for many of Kyiv's monuments and gold domed churches. St. Sofia's Cathedral was the most important building built under the direction of Yaroslav. [Seen Above]

Kyiv was almost destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols in 1240, and was not rebuilt to it's former status until it came under the control of the Lithuanian State in 1362. Kyiv, and many other Ukrainian principalities changed hands often during this period, falling under Polish and finally Russian control.

During the Bolshevik revolution, Ukraine officially declared it's independence from Russian rule and set up a government. It didn't last long. Ukraine formally beacame a Soviet Socialist Republic in 1920. Under Soviet control the face of the city was changed, but not beyond recognition. While the Soviets imposed their symbols in the form of massive monuments dotting the landscape, the central city was left mostly intact. The most prominent evidence of Soviet influence are the high-rise apartment buildings that are now commonplace in Kyiv, as well as the ring road that was built around the perimeter of the city.

Ukraine was deeply affected by World War Two. The Nazi invasion of the U.S.S.R. fell mostly on Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainians were killed at the Babyn Yar death camp, along with Russians and Jews. Part of Kreshchatyk, the central street of Kyiv was destroyed by the bombing.

Kyiv continued to suffer under Stalin. Ukraine was exploited by the Soviet Union for it's resources and subjected to Totalitarian Rule. Kyive remained a center for the dissedent movement that protested Russification.

With the collapse of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, Ukraine became an indpendent state with Kyiv as it's capital. Since then a massive campaign to make Kyiv Ukrainian again has been undertaken. Many Soviet monuments have been removed and new ones built.