User:Sashazlv/Kyiv
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Kiev ([Київ, Kyiv] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); [Киев, Kiev] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), also Kyiv, is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper river. As of 2003, Kiev officially had 2,642,486 inhabitants, although the large number of unregistered migrants would probably raise this figure to about 3 million. Administratively, Kiev is a national-level subordinated municipality, independent from surrounding Kiev Oblast. However, the governing bodies of that oblast are situated in the city. Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural center of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions, world-famous museums and art institutions. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including a Kiev Metro system.
Historically, Kiev is one of the most ancient and important cities of the region, the center of Rus' civilization, survivor of numerous wars, purges and genocides. Many historical and architectural landmarks are preserved or reconstructed in the city, which is thought to have existed as early as the 5th century A.D. With the exact time of city foundation being hard to determine, May 1982 was chosen to celebrate the city's 1,500th anniversary. During the eighth and ninth centuries Kiev was an outpost of the Khazar empire. At some point during the late 9th or early 10th century Kiev fell under the rule of Varangians and became the nucleus of the Rus' polity, which became known as Kievan Rus'. From 1362 it was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569 a part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569, as a capital of Kijów Voivodship). In 17th century it fell under the Muscovy (later Russian Empire). An important Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century, Kiev became the capital of several short-lived Ukrainian states following the turbulent period of the Russian Revolution and Polish-Soviet War. From 1921 the city was part of the Soviet Union, since 1934 as a capital of Soviet Ukraine. It now remains the capital of Ukraine, independent since 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.