Kiev

Kiev, or Kyiv (: Київ; : Киев) is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the. The population in July 2013 was, making Kiev the.

Kiev is an important industrial,, educational, and center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the.

The city's name is said to derive from the name of, one of its four legendary founders (see Name, below). During, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A settlement on the great trade route between  and, Kiev was a tributary of the , until seized by the   in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the, the first state. Completely destroyed during the in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours; first the, followed by and.

The city prospered again during the 's in the late 19th century. In 1917, after the declared independence from the Russian Empire, Kiev became its capital. From 1919 Kiev was an important center of the and was controlled by the. From 1921 onwards Kiev was a city of the, which was proclaimed by the , and, from 1934, Kiev was its capital. During, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years, remaining the third largest city of the.

Following the and  in 1991, Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine and experienced a steady migration influx of ethnic Ukrainians from other regions of the country. During the country's transformation to a and electoral, Kiev has continued to be Ukraine's largest and richest city. Kiev's armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology. But new sectors of the economy such as services and facilitated Kiev's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of  and urban infrastructure. Kiev emerged as the most pro-Western and pro-democracy region of Ukraine where advocating tighter  dominate during.