When is Kyiv Day in 2026: the date, history and traditions of the celebration

Kyiv is one of the most beautiful and ancient cities in the world. Its streets are home to 2,000 natural, historical and cultural landmarks. The city is considered the heart of Slavic culture; Kyiv was the capital of Kievan Rus’. Kyiv is mentioned in the chronicles — ‘The Tale of Bygone Years’ and ‘The Song of Igor’s Campaign’. 

Every year on the last Sunday in May, the capital celebrates Kyiv Day. In 2026, the holiday falls on 31 May. The year 482 is officially considered the year of Kyiv’s founding. So, in 2025, Kyiv will be 1,543 years old.

Whilst preserving its unique atmosphere of antiquity, Kyiv is at the same time a modern metropolis and the political and spiritual heart of the Ukrainian nation. And even a record-breaking city!

ThePublic tells the story of Kyiv Day and shares interesting facts about the Ukrainian capital.

The history of Kyiv’s founding

The history of the founding of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is shrouded in legend. According to the official version, the city was founded in 482, though archaeological finds suggest that the first settlements on the territory of modern-day Kyiv Oblast date back 15–20 thousand years. They were located near Castle Hill, in the area of modern-day Podil and Obolon. However, these settlements were so small that they could not be called a real city.

Folklore and chronicles come to the aid of archaeology. They agree that Kyiv was founded by three brothers, Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid. This is recounted in the ‘Tale of Bygone Years’, which is the oldest surviving written source of information.

The settlement was named after the eldest brother, whilst the names of the two younger brothers are immortalised in the names of mountains, streets and city districts. The river was named after their sister. Unfortunately, however, the text does not specify the exact dates of Kyi’s life, and therefore the founding of Kyiv. 

The history of Kyiv Day celebrations

The first official celebration of Kyiv Day took place in 1982, marking the city’s 1,500th anniversary. Since then, it has been celebrated annually.

Before the major war with the Russian occupiers, this day traditionally featured numerous exhibitions, festivals, concerts and sporting events. Now, with the full-scale invasion still ongoing, large-scale celebrations have been cancelled.

How many people live in Kyiv

The capital of Ukraine is the country’s largest city by population. In December 2023, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, stated that the capital is home to the same number of people as before the invasion began — 3.6 million. The city also ranks first among Ukrainian cities in terms of area — it covers nearly 850 km².

Kyiv’s oldest monuments

The oldest monument in Kyiv is the Monument to Magdeburg Law near Naberezhne Highway in Podil — it was built between 1802 and 1808.

The oldest sculptural monument in Kyiv is the monument to Volodymyr the Great on Volodymyrska Hill, erected in 1853.  

Which famous people were born in Kyiv

Many prominent figures were born in Kyiv, including: 

Golda Meir — one of the founders of the State of Israel, Israel’s fourth Prime Minister (1969–1974); 

Kazimir Malevich — an avant-garde artist of Polish origin, a leading figure of the avant-garde, the founder of Suprematism, and one of the founders of Cubo-Futurism; 

Oleksandr Vertynskyi — film actor, composer, poet and singer, a pop idol in the first half of the 20th century; 

Serge Lifar — ballet dancer, choreographer, dance theorist, collector and bibliophile, one of the most outstanding dancers of the 20th century; 

Igor Sikorsky — an aircraft designer who worked in the Russian Empire and the USA. Creator of the world’s first aircraft: the four-engine ‘Rusky Vityaz’ (1913), the heavy four-engine bomber and passenger aircraft ‘Ilya Muromets’ (1914), a transatlantic seaplane (1934), and a single-rotor production helicopter (1942), the Sikorsky S-29-A. Designer of the first amphibious aircraft in the USA;

Valery Lobanovsky — footballer and coach, long-time manager of Dynamo (Kyiv), under whose leadership the team won the Cup Winners’ Cup twice (1975, 1986), as well as the European Super Cup (1975). With the USSR national team, he became European runner-up (1988).

Interesting facts about Kyiv

Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe. In fact, it is more than 800 years older than Moscow.

Kievan Rus’, one of the most powerful states of the Middle Ages, originated in Kyiv. From here, it spread its culture and influence across much of Eastern Europe.

Kyiv is home to many historical landmarks, such as St. Sophia’s Cathedral, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Golden Gate, which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was founded by the monk Anthony in 1051, during the reign of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The Lavra is one of the first monasteries of Kyivan Rus’. It is the largest monastic complex in Ukraine and one of the largest monasteries in the world. The Lavra houses a wealth of valuable archaeological artefacts: manuscripts of ancient books, embroidery, textiles, ancient engravings, as well as works by contemporary artists.

Kyiv’s Golden Gate was also built during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. It is the oldest Kyiv-Rus structure to have survived to the present day. The Golden Gate is a tower that for years defended Kyiv from enemy attacks. Today, this architectural landmark is one of the symbols of the capital.

The ‘Motherland’ monument is one of the five tallest in the world. It stands at 102 metres tall, making it 9 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Volodymyrska Street is considered the oldest street in Kyiv, dating back over a thousand years.

Khreshchatyk is the shortest central street in a European capital. It is just 1.3 km long. At the same time, Khreshchatyk is the widest (75 m) of the main streets in European cities.

The name of the city’s main street derives from the name of the area — Khreshchata Valley, or Khreshchaty Ravine. On a city map dating from 1837, the street was called Khreshchatytska. Over time, its name evolved into Khreshchatyk. 

The narrowest is Heorhiivskyi Lane — about five metres between the buildings.

The longest street in Kyiv is Brovarskyi Avenue — it stretches for 14 km. And the shortest is Inzhenernyi Lane, near Arsenalna Square, just 50 m long. There are only three houses on it.

The longest public transport route is tram No. 2 (from ‘Kontraktova Square’ to Pushcha-Vodytsia), which is about 20 km long.

The ‘Arsenalna’ station on the Kyiv Metro is considered the deepest in the world. It is approximately 105 m deep, equivalent to about 35 storeys.

The pedestrian bridge across the Dnipro in Kyiv is the longest pedestrian bridge in Europe. Its total length is 429 m. It connects the embankment near the Magdeburg Law monument with Trukhaniv Island.

Holosiivskyi National Nature Park, which is entirely located within the city limits, covers an area of 4,500 hectares — a feat no other world capital can boast. Holosiivskyi Park was founded in 1631 by Petro Mohyla. It is the first man-made Ukrainian park.

The Kyiv TV Tower is the tallest lattice structure in the world. It stands at 385 metres, which is 61 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

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