50 Fun Facts About Kyiv

Kyiv straddles both banks of which river?

The river flows south through the city towards the Black Sea.

By population, Kyiv ranks roughly where among Europe's cities?

The January 2022 count was 2,952,301 people.

The city's name is traditionally traced to which legendary founder?

Legend says he founded the city with his two brothers and their sister.

What was the name of the sister of Kyiv's three legendary founding brothers?

A monument to all four siblings stands on the Dnieper embankment.

Which people captured Kyiv in the mid-9th century, ending Khazar tribute?

Under these Viking rulers the city became the capital of Kievan Rus'.

Whose forces completed the destruction of Kyiv in 1240?

The city lost most of its influence for centuries afterwards.

Which city was the capital of Soviet Ukraine before Kyiv took over in 1934?

Many new buildings were commissioned to give Kyiv "the gloss and polish of a capital".

What is Kyiv's traditional founding year?

That date let the city mark its 1,500th anniversary in 1982.

What was the name of Ukraine's campaign to change how media spelt the city's name?

Kiev derives from the Russian name and lost favour with Western outlets after 2014.

Which ruler erected St. Sophia Cathedral?

A monument to him stands on Andriivskyi Descent.

How many times did Kyiv change hands between 1146 and 1246?

It was ruled by 24 princes, and in 35 cases the tenure lasted under a year.

Which prince sacked Kyiv in March 1169 and carried off the Theotokos of Vladimir icon?

He ruled Vladimir-Suzdal and left the old town in ruins.

Which 1362 battle brought Kyiv into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania?

Grand Duke Algirdas incorporated the city and surrounding lands after the victory.

Which 1569 union transferred Kyiv to the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland?

Kyiv then became the capital of Kyiv Voivodeship.

Which Cossack leader's army entered Kyiv in 1649?

His equestrian statue by Mikhail Mikeshin stands near St. Sophia Cathedral.

Saint Vladimir University, founded in 1834, is now named after which poet?

Shevchenko worked as a field researcher and editor for its geography department.

In what year did the Russian Empire's first electric tram line open in Kyiv?

It was only the third electric tramway in the world.

In which year did the German occupation of Kyiv end?

The city had been occupied since 19 September 1941.

Which main street did hidden NKVD officers dynamite shortly after the 1941 occupation?

The buildings burned for days and left 25,000 people homeless.

Roughly how far north of Kyiv is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant?

A prevailing south wind blew most of the 1986 fallout away from the city.

On what date in 1991 did Ukraine's parliament declare independence in Kyiv?

The declaration came during the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Who became mayor of Kyiv in June 2014?

The former boxer won re-election in 2020 with 50.52% in the first round.

What is the highest temperature ever recorded in Kyiv?

It was set on 30 July 1936; the record low is −32.9 °C from January 1951.

Which of these is one of Kyiv's two major synagogues?

The other is the Great Choral Synagogue; the community numbers about 20,000.

Which monastery joins St. Sophia Cathedral on the city's UNESCO World Heritage listing?

Both are also part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

In which year did UNESCO place Kyiv's heritage sites on its World Heritage in Danger list?

The committee cited the threat posed by the war.

Which palace, built from 1745 to 1752, is a Kyiv landmark?

It was reconstructed in 1870.

The giant Mother Ukraine statue is made of which metal?

It stands at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

Which whimsical Kyiv building is famous for its animal sculptures?

The cylindrical Salut hotel and the Golden Gate are other noted sights.

In which two years did Kyiv host the Eurovision Song Contest?

They were the 50th and 62nd editions of the contest.

Which tree is a symbol of Kyiv and featured on its 1969-1995 coat of arms?

Locals say you can cross the city in summer without leaving the shade.

What is the formal name of the island known as Hydropark?

It has an amusement park, beaches, boat rentals and night clubs.

Andriivskyi Descent includes the home of which Kyiv-born writer?

The street is also home to the baroque St Andrew's Church.

Which famous farmers' market sits in the very centre of Kyiv?

Each residential region has its own rynok as well.

How many USSR championships did Dynamo Kyiv win before 1991?

That made it the most successful club in Soviet Top League history.

Which star's concert marked the 2011 reopening of Kyiv's Olympic Stadium?

The stadium had been rebuilt to UEFA standards for Euro 2012.

Which club is the city's top ice hockey team?

Founded in 1963, it shares the Kyiv Palace of Sports with the Budivelnyk basketball team.

Which institution traces its origin to a theological school founded in 1632?

It is the city's oldest, though Shevchenko University is the oldest in continuous operation.

What UNESCO-listed collection does the Vernadsky National Library hold?

The 1912-1947 recordings on Edison wax cylinders joined the Memory of the World Register in 2005.

How many lines does the Kyiv Metro have?

The network runs 66.1 km with 51 stations and carries about 1.4 million passengers a day.

The Kyiv Funicular links the Uppertown with which lower neighbourhood?

Built in 1902-1905, it climbs Saint Volodymyr Hill and has just two stations.

What is Kyiv's main international airport, about 30 km from the city?

Zhuliany is the smaller, municipally owned airport on the southern outskirts.

Which Israeli prime minister was born in Kyiv?

She was Israel's fourth prime minister.

Which WhatsApp co-founder was born in Kyiv?

Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky and pianist Vladimir Horowitz were also born in the city.

Which actress from the Resident Evil films was born in Kyiv?

Suprematist painter Kazimir Malevich was another Kyiv native.

A peninsula named after Kyiv lies on which continent?

Kyiv Peninsula is in Graham Land.

By what alternative name, linked to the Khazars, was early Kyiv known?

Arabic geographers of the 10th century called it Zanbat, chief city of the Rus.

Who appoints the head of the Kyiv City State Administration?

Kyiv is the only Ukrainian city with double jurisdiction; the mayor is elected separately.

What does the name of the Podil district mean?

Pechersk means "caves" and an uzviz is a steep street or "descent".

According to Thietmar of Merseburg in 1017, how many churches did Kyiv have?

He also counted eight markets in the city.