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Kiev

Kyiv (Ukrainian: Київ) or Kiev (Russian: Киев) is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. It is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, and its importance has waxed and waned over the course of history. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.

Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center in Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions, and historical landmarks. The city has an extensive system of public transport and infrastructure, including the Kyiv Metro.

The city prospered again during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. In 1918, after the Ukrainian People's Republic declared independence from the Soviet Union, Kyiv became its capital. From 1921 onwards Kyiv was a city of Soviet Ukraine, which was proclaimed by the Red Army, and, from 1934, Kyiv was its capital. 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 and experienced a steady influx of ethnic Ukrainian migrants from other regions of the country. During the country's transformation to a market economy and electoral democracy, Kyiv has continued to be Ukraine's largest and wealthiest city. Its armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology, but new sectors of the economy such as services and finance facilitated Kyiv's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of housing and urban infrastructure. Kyiv emerged as the most pro-Western region of Ukraine; parties advocating tighter integration with the European Union dominate during elections.

Note[]

Most of Harry Turtledove's works are set during periods when Ukraine was under Russian and/or Soviet dominance, and use the spelling Kiev.

Kyiv in "Drang von Osten"[]

Kiev was an important strategic point for the German-led coalition that was fighting the Chinese invasion of Russia in the 2040s. When the Germans passed through in 2041, they were met with cheers from the population. After the German line was broken in 2043, the city was noticeably subdued as coalition troops retreated.[1]

Kyiv in The Hot War[]

On 4 March 1951, the United States destroyed Kiev with an atomic bomb in response to the Soviet Union's successful attacks on several U.S. cities on 2 March.[2]

The Soviet government began using zeks to rebuild Kiev shortly after the bombing. They were at work in October, 1952.[3]

Kyiv in Joe Steele[]

In mid-1941, Germany and its allies successfully captured Kiev and then Smolensk, leading analysts in the United States to believe, incorrectly, that Leon Trotsky's Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse.[4]

Kyiv in "Slue-Foot Sue and the Witch in the Woods"[]

Slue-foot Sue took the enchanted Prince Dmitri Romanov to Kiev after rescuing him from Baba Yaga.

Kyiv in Southern Victory[]

Kiev became the capital city of the Ukraine after the Great War. In 1943, German forces successfully defended Kiev against a Russian assault.[5]

Kyiv in Worldwar[]

German forces had overrun Kiev in the months prior to the Race Invasion of Tosev 3 in 1942. The Race quickly forced the Germans back out of Kiev, taking it themselves. The 56th Emperor Jossano was destroyed near Kiev. German operative Otto Skorzeny led a joint German-Soviet expedition to retrieve plutonium from the crash site.[6]

Kiev remained in the Race's hands until the Peace of Cairo in 1944.[7]

Ludmila Gorbunova was from Kiev.[8]

References[]

  1. See, e.g., We Install and Other Stories, loc 417-813, ebook.
  2. Bombs Away, pg. 162, ebook.
  3. Armistice, pg. 353, ebook.
  4. Joe Steele, pg. 243, HC.
  5. The Grapple, pg. 566, pb.
  6. In the Balance, pgs. 203-205, pb.
  7. Striking the Balance, pg. 489, generally, pb.
  8. In the Balance, pg. 16, pb.
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