Kiev

Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and the historical capital of ancient Russia first mentioned in a 9th century manuscript. It is situated on the river Dnepr, 850 km from Moscow and has a population of 2,7 millions.

Among the places to see are the 11th century St. Sophia Cathedral and the Mikhailovsky Cathedral, Kievo-Pechorskaya Lavra, the Orthodox monks' caves, the Mariinsky Palace, the 18th century Andreivsky Church built by the architect Rastrelli and the monument to Grand Duke Vladimir, who baptized Russia.

Among the major industrial enterprises one of the best known is the Arsenal plant. The machine building, the chemical, the chemical pharmaceutical, the petrochemical and the printing, as well as other light industries are well developed in Kiev.

The city also has an underground metro system. The university, various institutes and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine are located in Kiev.