Ukrainian Kyyiv
City (pop., 2001: 2,611,000), capital of Ukraine .
Located along the Dnieper River , it was founded in the 8th century, and by the late 9th century its princes had expanded their territory to establish the state of Kievan Rus . In 1240 it was destroyed by the Tatars of the Golden Horde ; after being rebuilt, it came successively under Lithuanian, Polish, and Cossack rule. It was incorporated into Russia in 1793, and in 1934 it became the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. It became Ukraine's national capital after the country achieved its independence in 1991. An important industrial city, it is also an educational and cultural centre; it is the seat of a state university and the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.