"KIEV" a Kiev Travel Page by bugulma

I was in Kyiv three times: in August and October 2005 and in May 2007. The main impression is it is the greenest city I have ever seen. Parks, trees are everywhere. The city atmosphere is great and I think to spend one of my holidays here in very near future.
Some history of Kyiv. The first settlements were here 2000 years ago. Legend says that in the end of V century 3 brothers Kyi, Scheck, Khoriv and their sister Lyibed' liked this place near of Dnepr River and built the city, which had a name of the elder brother – Kyiv. In the end of IX century the city became the cultural and economical center and as a result Kyiv became a capital of Kievkaya Rus', the country that joined all Eastern Slavic people. The historical figure of those times was Vladimir the Great, the duke of Kievskaya Rus'. In 988 he christened people in the country that to increase his power. Jaroslav Mudryi in XI century continued developing of the city and Kyiv of those times had many architectural constructions. In the middle of XII century the country under the power of Kyiv collapsed and in 1240 Tatar-Mongolian troops attack divided Russian territories and yoked them for 200 years. Kyiv was burned down and destroyed.

In XIV century Poland and Lithuania took Kyiv and surrounding territories under control. Although there were many peasant wars for the independence. In 1648 Ukrainian territories got independence and joined to Russian Empire in 1654. It was beginning history of more than 300 years of Ukraine as a part of Russia and then Soviet Union. In august 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament proclaimed Independence.