Kyiv (also known as Kiev) is the capital of Ukraine and one of the biggest cities in Europe. Population 3.000.000. Total Area: 827 square km. Year of foundation: 482 A.D. The city is situated on the Dnipro River.
According to the ancient legend, Kiev was founded by the three brothers Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and their sister Lybid, and it was named after the eldest brother Kyi. Kyiv was the capital of Ancient Kievan Rus which reached its greatest period of ascendancy during the 11th and 12th centuries . Kievan Rus was destroyed in 1240 by Mongol invaders and the lands of Kievan Rus were divided into principalities located to the west and north: Galicia, Volynia, Muscovy and later, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia.
In Kiev, more than 2,000 objects belong to historical, cultural, and architectural monuments.
The art and architecture of Kyiv are world treasures. The Cathedral of St. Sophia, where the princes of Kiev were crowned in the years of Kiev's grandeur, has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century. Overlooking the old section of Kiev, Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew, much beloved by Ukrainians. Percherska Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves, a short trolley ride from the center of town, has two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, in addition to its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum collections. Close to the center of Kiev stands the Golden Gate, a structure which dates back to 1037. These recently reconstructed remains of the former fortified wall of the city defined the limits of the city in centuries past. Several blocks away, stands the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Vladimir.
