Along which river is the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv situated?

Kyiv or Kiev is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021 its population was 2,962,180 making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders.

The city probably existed as a commercial center as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kyiv was a tributary of the Khazars, until its capture by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasions in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come.

The city prospered again during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. From 1921 onwards Kyiv was a city of Soviet Ukraine. The city was almost completely ruined during World War II but quickly recovered in the postwar years, remaining the Soviet Union's third-largest city. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence in 1991, Kyiv remained Ukraine's capital.