Kyiv Oblast

Kyiv Oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on February 27, 1932 among the first five original oblasts in Ukraine. It was established on territory that had been known as Ruthenian land.[6]

Earlier historical administrative units that became the territory of the oblast include the Kiev Voivodeship under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kiev Viceroyalty and Kiev Governorate under the Russian Empire. The northern part of the oblast belongs to the historical region of Polesia (Polissia).

In Kyiv region, there was a specific folk icon-painting style much influenced by the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra painting school. Saints were depicted on the deep purple or black background, their clothes dark, their haloes dark blue, dark green or even black, outlined by thin white dotted contours. The Kyiv region's icons collection is the part of the exhibition of the Museum of Ukrainian home icons in the Historical and cultural complex "The Radomysl Castle".[7]

The current borders of the oblast were set following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Administrative oversight of the new city of Slavutych, which was constructed as part of the Chernihiv Oblast, was then transferred to the Kyiv Oblast (see Chernobyl zone below).

On 24 February 2022, Russian Armed Forces invaded Kyiv Oblast as part of its 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8] Ukraine launched a counter-offensive to retake the region in March 2022. The oblast was declared free of invaders on 2 April 2022 by the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar.[8][9] According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense its troops had retaken more than 30 towns and villages around Kyiv.[8] However, on April 9, 2022 the Russians attacked the Oblast again, even destroying a railway station in Bucha.[10]

Kyiv Oblast has a total area of 28,100 km² (10,849 sq mi) (approximately 35 times the area of Kyiv city) and is located in north-central Ukraine. On the west it borders the Zhytomyr Oblast, on the southwest – Vinnytsia Oblast, on the south – Cherkasy Oblast, on the southeast – Poltava Oblast, on the east and northeast – Chernihiv Oblast, and on the north – Homyel Voblasts of Belarus.

The oblast is equally split between both banks of the Dnieper River (Dnipro) north and south of Kyiv. Other significant rivers in the oblast are the Dnieper's tributaries: Pripyat (Prypiat) (R), Desna (L), Teteriv (R), Irpin' (R), Ros' (R) and Trubizh (L).

The length of the Dnipro River within the boundaries of the oblast totals 246 km (153 mi). The oblast has a total number of 177 rivers intersecting the region; 13 reservoirs (the most notable ones being Kyiv Reservoir and the Kaniv Reservoir), over 2000 ponds, and approximately 750 small lakes.

Climate

The climate of Kyiv Oblast is characteristic of the Polesia area and other neighboring forested areas. The oblast has a moderately continental climate with relatively mild winters and warm summers. The temperatures range from −6.1 °C (21.0 °F) in January to 19.2 °C (66.6 °F) degrees in July.

View of the historical landscape park "Alexandria" in the city of Bila Tserkva.

The following historic-cultural sites were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• Pereiaslav museum of folk architecture
• Liutych platzdarm
• Ivan Kozlovsky villa
• Dobranychivka settlement
• Saint Pokrov Church (Parkhomivka)
• Museum-villa of Ekaterina Bilokur
• Landscape garden Oleksandria

The oblast is divided into 7 raions.

Flag	Coat of arms	Name	Ukrainian Name	Administrative center	Area (km2)	Population estimate 2021[11]
		Bila Tserkva Raion	Білоцерківський район	Bila Tserkva	6,514.8	436,115
		Boryspil Raion	Бориспільський район	Boryspil	3,873.2	203,273
		Brovary Raion	Броварський район	Brovary	2,881.9	242,180
–	–	Bucha Raion	Бучаньский район	Bucha	2,558.3	362,382
		Fastiv Raion	Фастівський район	Fastiv	1,761.2	183,794
		Obukhiv Raion	Обухівський район	Obukhiv	3,639.1	228,829
		Vyshhorod Raion	Вишгородський район	Vyshhorod	-	131,957
		Total Oblast	Київська область	Kyiv	28,131	1,788,530

Before the July 2020 reform, the oblast was subdivided into 25 raions (administrative districts). It consists of 26 cities, 30 towns, and more than 1,000 villages.

The following data incorporates the number of each type of administrative divisions of Kyiv Oblast:[5]

• Administrative Center – 1 (Kyiv)
• Raions – 25;
• Settlements – 1183, including:
  • Villages – 1127;
  • Cities/Towns – 56, including:
    • Urban-type settlement – 30;
    • Cities – 25, including:
      • Cities of oblast' subordinance – 13;
      • Cities of raion subordinance – 14;
• Selsoviets – 605.

As with other oblasts of Ukraine, the head of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration (governor) is appointed by the President of Ukraine and subordinated to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Local self-government body is the popularly elected Kyiv Oblast Rada, chaired by a Speaker (elected from among the councilors).

Kyiv Oblast's largest nationality group are Ukrainians (1,684,800 people, or 92.5%), followed by Russians, Jews, Belarusians, Poles, and others. The current estimated population (excluding Kyiv) is around 1.72 million (as of 2013). The population density is 63.01/km².

The urban population, according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census data, accounted for 1,053,500 people, or 57.6%, and the rural population – for 774,400 people, or 42.4%.[14]

According to the data, the number of men accounted for 845,900 people, or 46.3%, that of women – 982,000 people, or 53.7%.

Kyiv Oblast has 795 state-run schools of general education, 219 (27.5%) of which are situated in urban areas and 576 (72.5%) of which – in rural areas.[18] These schools are attended by 232,260 students, 141,416 (60.6%) which attend urban schools, and 98,944 (39.4%) which attend rural area schools.[18] In addition, there are 12 evening schools with an enrollment of over 6,000 students, 15 private institutions teaching about 7,000 students, 23 vocational schools teaching over 14,300 students, 22 higher schools with an enrollment of over 34,900 students), and 52 home-school institutions containing over 48,700 children.[18] There are also 756 institutions of pre-school education attended by a total of 44,400 children, 52 home-school institutions, 22 vocational institutions, having an enrollment of 17,300 students.[18]

Aerial view of Boryspil, home of the Boryspil Airport from an airplane.

Also, educational institutions for orphans, physically and mentally disabled children represent an important component of Kyiv Oblast's educational system.

In addition to general education schools, the oblast has educational institutions specifically for gifted children, including:

• Fastiv Regional Natural and Mathematic School
• Kyiv Regional Lyceum of Physical Education and Sports
• Stritiv Higher Pedagogical School of Kobza Music
• Brovary Higher School of Physical Education (training ground for several world- and Olympic champions).

Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers". The name of each oblast is a relative adjective, formed by adding a feminine suffix to the name of respective center city: Kyiv (in transliterated Ukrainian) is the center of the Kyivs’ka oblast' (Kyiv Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Kyiv Oblast, Kyivshchyna.

• List of villages in Kyiv Oblast
• Subdivisions of Ukraine
• Radomysl Castle

• kyiv-obl.gov.ua – Official website of Kyiv Oblast Administration
• patent.net.ua – Symbols of Kyiv Oblast
• Wormwood Forest – a commercial site, however, containing free-access Chernobyl-related maps and photogallery (in English and Ukrainian)
• Kyiv Oblast from website Ukraine-CityGuide (in Ukrainian, Russian, and English)
• Kyiv real estate – a noncommercial site with detailed information on all residential complexes of Kyiv Oblast (in Russian and Ukrainian)
• Kyiv Oblast from website Ukraine-CityGuide (in Ukrainian, Russian, and English)
• The Official Site of the Radomysl Castle Archived August 14, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (in Ukrainian, Russian, and English)

50°15′N 30°30′E