Kyiv (alternatively spelled as Kiev, yet Kyiv is the romanized version of the name of the city used in modern Ukrainian, used in international official documents) is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River with a population of more than 3 million of people.

Kyiv is one of the oldest cities of Eastern Europe, being mentioned in the antique chronicles  as “the Mother of all Russian cities”, and has played a pivotal role in the development of the medieval East Slavic civilization as well as in the modern Ukrainian nation. The legend speaks of a founder-family consisting of a Slavic tribe leader Kyi, the eldest, his brothers Schek and Khoriv, and also their sister Lybid, who founded the city. Kyiv is translated as "belonging to Kyi".

The city may indeed have been founded in the 5th century as a trading post and gradually acquired eminence as the centre of the East Slavic civilization, becoming a political and cultural capital of Kyiv Rus', the great state of unparalleled for the Medieval Europe prosperity. By the 11th century Kiev was one of the largest centers of civilization in the Eastern christian world. St. Sophia Cathedral, the reconstructed St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, Kiev Pechersk Lavra and the Golden Gates still remind us of that period.

From 14th to 19th century, the cultural and political life of Kiev was highly influenced by Lithuania, Poland and Russia. In the Russian Empire Kiev was a primary Christian centre, attracting pilgrims, and the cradle of many of the empire's most important religious figures. The 19th and 20th century were a period for intellectual and cultural thrift: universities, theatres and museums are being formed, among them - St Vladimir University was established; it is now known as the National Taras Shevchenko University, one of symbols of Kyiv, National Mykola Lysenko Opera and a plenty of others. After World War II, the city was quickly recovered in the post-war years remaining the third largest city of the Soviet Union. Following the Ukrainian independence of 1991, Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine.

The city's unique landscape distinguishes it from the surrounding region. Kiev is located on both sides of the Dnieper River, which flows south through the city towards the Black Sea. The older right-bank (western) part of the city is represented by numerous woody hills, ravines and small rivers. Kiev expanded to the Dnieper's lowland left bank (to the east) only in the twentieth century.

There are  almost five hundreds of bodies of open water within boundaries of Kiev, which include Dnieper itself, its reservoirs, and several small rivers, dozens of lakes and artificially created ponds. Many are used for pleasure and recreation.

Kiev has a continental humid climate. The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of 13.8 to 24.8 °C (57 to 77 °F). The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of −4.6 to −1.1 °C (24 to 30 °F).

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 Kiev was the only CIS city to have been inscribed into the TOP30 European Green City Index. It is said that one can walk from one end of Kiev to the other in the summertime without leaving the shade of its many trees. Most characteristic are the horse-chestnuts. Kiev is known as a green city with two botanical gardens and numerous large and small parks. The green nature of the city is probably most notable by the green hills of the right bank along the Dnieper river that have been relatively untouched by development.

Among the numerous islands, Hidropark is the most developed. It is accessible by metro or by car, and includes an amusement park, swimming beaches, boat rentals, and night clubs. The Victory Park (Park Peremohy) located near Darnytsia subway station is a popular destination for strollers, joggers, and cyclists. Boating, fishing, and water sports are popular pastimes in Kiev.

Kiev is the host of field games, indoor sports, and aquatic sports, which take place on the Kiev Reservoir at Vyshhorod, and on Trukhaniv Island in the Dnieper river, opposite the city centre, where there are many fine beaches and recreational facilities. In addition to that, cross country bicycling is another favourite sport, also taking place on the Trukhaniv Island.

The Olympic Stadium complex is the largest Ukrainian stadium among Kiev's 15 stadiums/sport complexes, constructed for audience of 100,000 (during the 1980 Summer Olympics held in the Soviet Union, Kiev held the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament here). Other notable sport stadiums/sport complexes in Kiev include the Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, the Palace of Sports, among many others. Together with a few other cities of Poland and Ukraine, Kiev will house the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship.

Modern Kiev is a mix of the old and the new, seen in everything from the architecture to the stores and to the people themselves. Kiev's "downtown" is a dotted contrast of new, hi-tech modern buildings amongst the pale yellows, blues and grays of older apartments.

Ukrainian independence at the turn of the millennium has heralded other changes. Western-style residential complexes, modern nightclubs, classy restaurants and prestigious hotels opened in the centre. Music from Europe and North America started appearing on Ukrainian music charts. In 2005 Kiev hosted the 50th annual Eurovision Song Contest as a result of Ruslana's Wild Dances victory in 2004. And most importantly, with the easing of the visa rules in 2005, Ukraine is positioning itself as a prime tourist attraction, with Kiev, among the other large cities, looking to profit from new opportunities. The centre of Kiev has been cleaned up and buildings have been restored and redecorated, especially the Khreshchatyk street and the Independence Square. Many historic areas of Kiev, such as Andriyivskyy Descent, have become popular street vendor locations, where one can find traditional Ukrainian art, religious items, books, game sets (most commonly chess) as well as jewelry for sale.

Noteworthy historical architectural landmarks also include the Mariyinsky Palace (designed and constructed from 1745 to 1752, then reconstructed in 1870), several Orthodox churches such as are St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, St. Andrew's Church, St. Sophia Cathedral, St. Volodymyr's Cathedral, Mariinsky Palace, Monument to Princess Olha on the Mykhaylivska square, Golden Gate (Zoloti Vorota), Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) building, National Opera of Ukraine, the Khrehchatik street architectural ensemble, the National Bank of Ukraine, "House With Chimaeras"at the President’s Residence as well as many others.

Kiev was the historic cultural centre of the East Slavic civilization and a major cradle for the Christianization for Rus', Kiev retained through centuries its cultural importance and even at times of relative decay, it remained the centre of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity of the primary importance. Its sacred sites, which include the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (the Monastery of the Caves) and the Saint Sophia Cathedral are probably the most famous, attracted pilgrims for centuries and now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site remain the primary religious centres as well as the major tourist attraction. The above mentioned sites are also part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine collection.

An important part of Kiev's culture is the many theatres in the city, which include: Kiev Opera House, Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre, Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theater of Russian Drama, the Kiev Puppet Theater, October Palace, National Philharmonic of Ukraine and many others.

Other significant cultural centres include the Dovzhenko Film Studios, and the Kiev Circus. The most important of the city's many museums are the Kiev State Historical Museum, Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the National Art Museum, the Museum of Western and Oriental Art, the Pinchuk Art Centre and the National Museum of Russian art.

Among Kiev's best-known monuments are statue of Bohdan Khmelnytsky astride his horse located near St. Sophia Cathedral, the Vladimir the Great (St. Vladimir), the baptizer of Rus', overlooking the river above Podil, the monument to Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and Lybid, the legendary founders of the city located at the Dnieper embankment. On Independence Square in the city centre, two monuments elevate two of the city protectors; the historic protector of Kiev Michael Archangel atop a reconstruction of one of the old city's gates and a modern invention, the goddess-protector Berehynia atop a tall column.

One of Kiev's widely recognized modern landmarks is the highly visible giant Mother Motherland statue made of titanium standing at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War that is a memorial complex located in the hills on the right-bank of the Dnieper River in Pechersk containing the giant bowl "The Glory Flame", a site with World War II military equipment, and the "Alley of the Hero Cities". Kiev fortress being the 19th century fortification buildings situated in Ukrainian capital Kiev (Kyiv), that once belonged to western Russian fortresses. Now some of the buildings are restored and turned into modern art museum called the Kyiv Fortress, while others are in use of various military and commercial installations.

National Art Museum of Ukraine is a museum dedicated to Ukrainian art in Kiev, Ukraine. Originally called the Kiev City Museum of Antiques and Art, the founders set out to put together a collection of pieces representative of Ukrainian fine art.

At the city's southern outskirts, near the historic Pyrohiv village, there is an outdoor museum, officially called the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine It has an area of 1.5 square kilometres (1 sq mi). This territory houses several "mini-villages" that represent by region the traditional rural architecture of Ukraine.

Kiev also has numerous recreational attractions like bowling alleys, go-cart tracks, paintball venues, billiard halls and even shooting ranges. 100-year-old Kiev Zoo is located on 40 hectares and carries over 2,000 specimens.