Kyiv was the center of the Kyivan Rus Empire, the oldest Slavic state, and is the current capital of Ukraine. The city has a population of 2.9 million people, making it Ukraine’s most populous city. It is located north of the Dnieper river which bisects the country.
Although Ukraine only achieved status as an independent nation in 1991, Kyiv is an ancient city which has been recorded as a commercial center in Eastern Europe as early as the 5th century. The city lost much of its influence after its invasion and subsequent conquest by the Mongols in 1240, and later provincial capital position under Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Germany. However, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Kyiv has become a leading educational, economic, and cultural center in Eastern Europe as well as Ukraine’s most pro-Western city. Kyiv played a large part in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, a color revolution which took place in 2004-2005, as well as the Euromaidan demonstrations in the city’s main square in 2013-2014.
