Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and is major historical, cultural, educational and scientific center. Its official (1) dates back to the 5th century and throughout centuries Kyiv played an important (2) in establishing European civilization in Eastern Europe. By late 9th century Kyiv became the capital of the first Ukrainian state known today as Kyivan Rus. In the Middle Ages Kyivan Rus was (4) by the Mongols, and later Kyiv became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1654 Kyiv was (5) from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by Cossack leader – Hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky. In 1775 it was (6) by the Russian Empire. The city remained under Moscowian rule, with brief periods of independence in between 1918 and 1920. After the (7) of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kyiv became the capital of independent Ukraine. Today Kyiv understands its (8) importance and role of the cradle of Eastern European civilization eagerly uncovering all the beauty of modern European capital with (9) heart. Despite its large size, almost everything worth seeing is contained within the (10) Pechersk and Podil neighbourhoods. Both are easily (11) on foot. WAN
