Subdivisions of Kyiv , the capital city of Ukraine, include formal administrative subdivisions known as urban districts (raions) and also more specific, informal subdivisions referred to as historical neighborhoods. The city is divided in half by the river Dnipro, and therefore creates two important portions of the capital city. The so-called "Left-bank of Kyiv", as in reference to the river Dnipro, and which is the newer half of the city, plus the "Right-bank of Kyiv", which includes the original or historic City of Kyiv.
The first known formal subdivisions of Kyiv date back to the year 1810, when the city was subdivided into four sections: Pechersk, Starokyiv (Old Kyiv), and the first and second sections of Podil. In 1833–1834 according to Tsar Nicholas I's decree, Kyiv was subdivided into six police districts; later being increased to ten. As of 1917, there were eight district councils (called a Duma or Dumas), and which were later reorganized by Pavlo Skoropadskyi into 17 raions. In 1924, the Bolsheviks reorganized them into six larger, party-administrated districts, with various sub-districts under the administration of Hryhoriy Hrynko. Districts of the city that start with the letter "D" are located on the left bank of the river Dnipro, and until 1927 were part of the Chernigov Governorate with Darnytsia being the first to be incorporated into the city limits in that same year.
During the Soviet era, as the city was expanding, the number of districts had also gradually increased. Districts were commonly named for Soviet party leaders, and as political situations changed and some of the leaders were overturned by the other, district names therefore also changed.
The last district reform took place in 2001, when the number of districts was decreased from 14 to 10.
Under Oleksandr Omelchenko (mayor from 1999 to 2006), there were further plans for the merger of some districts and revision of their boundaries, and the total number of districts had been planned to be decreased from 10 to 7. With the election of the new mayor-elect (Leonid Chernovetskyi) in 2006, these plans were conducted.
Administratively, the city is divided into districts (raions), which have their own units of central and locally elected councils with jurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs. [1] Between 2010 and 2022 [nb 1] the Kyiv district councils were abolished. [2]
The last Kyiv district reorganization took place in 2001, and currently Kyiv districts are:
Most of the districts are named after respective historical neighborhoods of the city.
The natural first level of subdivision of the city is into the Right Bank and the Left Bank of the Dnieper River (a few large islands belong to the left-bank raions).
The Right Bank (Ukrainian : Правий Берег, Pravyi Bereh), located on the western side of the river, contains the older portions of the city, as well as the majority of Kyiv's business and governmental institutions.
The eastern Left Bank (Ukrainian : Лівий Берег, Livyi Bereh), incorporated into the city only in the twentieth century, is predominantly residential. There are large industrial and green areas in both the Right Bank and the Left Bank.
The terms "Right Bank" and, especially, "Left Bank" are recognized in the names of Kyiv's infrastructure, e.g. Livoberezhna metro station.
Residents widely recognize a system of the non-formal historical neighborhoods. Such neighborhoods count in dozens, however, constituting a kind of hierarchy, since most of them have lost their distinctive topographic limits.
The names of the oldest neighborhoods go back to the Middle Ages, and sometimes pose a great linguistic interest. The newest whole-built developments bear numeric designations or residential marketing names.
Most notable informal historical neighborhoods of Kyiv include:
Right Bank (west):
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Left Bank (east):
Lypky and Zvirynets of the Pecherskyi Raion are the most expensive areas to live.[ citation needed ] Koncha-Zaspa is arguably the most interesting neighborhood name dating back to the times of Kyivan Rus. A local legend explaining the name of a locality states the Rus warriors who felt asleep (zaspaly) during their watch at the outpost were killed (koncheni) by Golden Horde invaders. Koncha-Zaspa is now a prestigious area too.
Another useful pattern of city division is the Kyiv Metro system. However, metro lines do not cover significant parts of Kyiv, making such orientation very approximate (but easy for newcomers). Sometimes, the system of elektrychka train stops are used for the same purpose.
Names of well-known shopping malls, restaurants, night clubs are used for orientation purposes as well.
The full informal set of addresses in Kyiv (used, for example, in real estate advertising) would include:
Heorhiy Mykolayovych Kirpa was a Ukrainian railway manager, statesman and politician, best known as the head of the Ukrzaliznytsia national railway company and Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications under President Leonid Kuchma.
Pecherskyi District is an urban district of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It lies within the eponymous historical neighborhood, while also including some other historical areas. The Pechersk neighborhood is located on the hills adjoining the right bank of the Dnieper. These two geographical entities are often confused with each other. The Pecherskyi District can be considered to be the very heart of Ukraine.
Darnytskyi District is an urban district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Kharkivskyi neighborhood, often referred to as Kharkivskyi masyv is located in the Darnytsia region of Kyiv, Ukraine. The area was first developed between the mid-1980s and early 1990s as an expansion of the Darnytsia neighborhood of the city. The name is rather symbolic than historic: it simply indicates that the area lies en route to the city of Kharkiv.
Obolonskyi District is an urban district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Obolonskyi District encompasses territories far beyond of its historical neighborhood sharing the same name. It was formed on 3 March 1975 and initially called as Minskyi District. In 2001 it was renamed after its historical neighborhood. Its current population is 290,000 inhabitants.
Kharkivskyi Raion may refer to one of the following:
Kyiv, historically situated on the right bank of the Dnieper River, now covers both banks of the river whose width, as it flows through the city, reaches several hundred meters. Additionally, several tributaries join the Dnieper inside or just north or south of the historic city. Currently there are eight bridges spanning across the river and a few dozen bridges across the canals and Dnieper tributaries.
Holosiivskyi District is an urban district of the city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
The Dniprovskyi District is an urban district of the city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is named after the Dnipro River and is located on its left-bank.
The Shevchenkivskyi District is an urban district of the city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It was originally established on 4 April 1937, although in 2001 its area was increased following an annexation of the former Radianskyi and Starokyivskyi districts.
Sviatoshynskyi District is an urban district in the city of Kyiv located at the western part of city. The district was created in 2001 after renaming the former Leningrad District. It borders four other districts in Kyiv such as Podilskyi District, Obolonskyi District, Solomianskyi District, Shevchenkivskyi District as well as Bucha Raion that administratively is part of Kyiv Oblast. It takes its name from the historical neighbourhood of Sviatoshyn, named for the 12th century Prince Mykola Sviatosha..
Shevchenkivskyi District is a right-bank urban district of the city of Dnipro, located in southern Ukraine. It is formerly known as Babushkinskyi District.
Livoberezhnyi Masyv, commonly known as Livoberezhka is a residential neighbourhood of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The neighbourhood is administratively a part of the Dnipro Raion, and is located on the city's left bank.
The Mykilska Slobidka was a former sloboda (settlement) located on the left-bank of Dnieper and outskirts of Bykivnia Forest. It was connected with Kyiv by Nicholas Chain Bridge. Today, the settlement is now part of Livoberezhnyi Masyv of the Dnipro Raion (district) of Kyiv.
Tsentralnyi District is an urban district of the city of Dnipro, in southern Ukraine. It is located in the city's center and on the right-bank of the Dnieper River.
Chechelivskyi District is an urban district of the city of Dnipro, in southern Ukraine. It is located in the city's center on the southwestern outskirts and the right-bank of the Dnieper River.
Sviatoshyn may refer to:
Kiltseva Road is a street in the Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi and Holosiivskyi District of Kyiv, Ukraine, running along the city's administrative border from Odesa Square in the south where it intersects with the M05 highway to an intersection with the M06 highway and Prospect Peremohy in the north. The road servers as the western bypass of Kyiv, forming the central part of a beltway called the Great Beltway, which as of 2022 covers the part of the city on the right bank of the Dnipro river.
The Shevchenkivskyi District is one of seven administrative urban districts (raions) of the city of Zaporizhzhia, located in southern Ukraine. Its population was 157,000 in the 2001 Ukrainian Census.
Zolochivska rural hromada is a hromada (community) of Ukraine, located in Boryspil Raion, Kyiv Oblast. Its administrative center is the village of Hnidyn. The hromada (community) is directly adjacent to the city of Kyiv by bordering on its southeastern outskirts of Darnytskyi District.