Kiev is the capital of Ukraine. It is a city with a very ancient origin. Even if it has been attacked, plundered and destroyed several times, Kiev is still there.
The exact century of the city’s foundation has not been determined, but, according to legend, the Eastern Slavs founded Kiev in the 5th century. Three brothers founded the city, which is named after Kij, the older brother.
In 882 Kiev was conquered by Vikings and became the capital of Kievan Rus’, a kingdom that united peoples from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In 1240, Kiev was destroyed by the army of Batu Khan, ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu Khan was a grandson of the famous Genghis Khan.
In the following centuries the city came under the control of Lithuania, Poland and the Cossacks. In 1793 Kiev was incorporated into the Russia of the Tsars. After the October Revolution, the city proclaimed itself independent in 1918, but a few months later it was reoccupied by Russia.
During the Second World War, after an 80-day battle, Kiev was bombed and occupied by the Nazis, but in 1943 the Soviets managed to retake it. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kiev finally became the capital of independent Ukraine. At the end of February 2022, Kiev was bombed by Russia. The Ukraine-Russia war is still ongoing.