The Capital of Ukraine

The Capital of Ukraine

 Kyiv was founded 15 centuries ago and it was the capital of ancient Rus. Now it is the capital of Ukraine.

There is a legend about its foundation. Once there were three brothers — Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv and they had a young sister Lybid. They founded the city on one of the hills above the Dnieper and called it Kyiv after the eldest brother.

Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe. It played a great role in the development of written language, literature, painting, architecture, applied arts. The Golden Gate was the main entrance to the city. From here tourists usually begin their tour of Kyiv. In 1037 Yaroslav the Wise founded a new cathedral. It was named after Saint Sophia - "wisdom" in Greek. And really the cathedral became the centre of cultural and social life.

Kyiv of our time is a very beautiful city. Parks and gardens cover one half of Kyiv's territory. In summer when the trees are in full leaf, the city looks like a huge park.

Kyiv's monuments of the past look well with modern buildings — attractive hotels, cinemas, theatres, metro stations.

Its population is more than 3 million inhabitants. Kyiv is a big scientific centre. There are many institutes, hundreds of secondary schools, the Academy of Sciences. More than 50 000 students study at the Shevchenko State University.

There are many museums and theatres to visit. The bridges over the Dnieper are marvelous. One of them, the Paton Bridge is well-known.

Khreshchatik is not only the central street of the capital, but it's heart of the city. The traffic is very heavy in Khreshchatik. People think that the central part of Kyiv looks rather European.

The city is not only scientific and cultural centre but a centre of political life of Ukraine, too. All important political events take place here. The President of Ukraine lives and works here.

Read the following sentences and decide if they are true (T) or false (F). 

There are many different legends about Kyiv's foundation. 

Tourists usually begin their tour from the centre of the city. 

Yaroslav the Wise founded a Saint Sophia Cathedral. 

Paton Bridge is the only one bridge over the Dnieper river.

Kyiv is a cultural, scientific, industrial and political centre of Ukraine.

Khreshchatik looks rather European.