Kyiv Oblast (, ), also called Kyivshchyna (, ), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, which is administered as a city with special status. However, Kyiv also serves as the administrative center of the oblast. The Kyiv metropolitan area extends out from Kyiv city into parts of the oblast, which is significantly dependent on the urban economy and transportation of Kyiv.
The population of Kyiv Oblast is Its largest city is Bila Tserkva, with a population over 200,000.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is in the northern part of Kyiv Oblast. It is administered separately from the oblast and public access is prohibited.
History Kyiv Oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on 27 February 1932 among the first five original oblasts in Ukraine. It was established on territory that had been known as Ruthenian land.Tolochko, O.P. Ruthenian land (РУСЬКА ЗЕМЛЯ) . Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine.
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".Богомолець. О. "Замок-музей Радомисль на Шляху Королів Via Regia". — Київ, 2013
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, the Russian Armed Forces invaded Kyiv Oblast as part of its Russian invasion of Ukraine. 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 Maliar.Ukraine ‘retakes whole Kyiv region’ as Russia looks east , aljazeera.com (3 April 2022) According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense its troops had retaken more than 30 towns and villages around Kyiv. However, on 9 April 2022 the Russians attacked the Oblast again, even destroying a railway station in Bucha.
Geography Kyiv Oblast has a total area of (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 . 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 in January to degrees in July.
Vegetation
Kyiv Oblast has small mountains and slopes on the right bank of the Dnieper River. This entire area is surrounded by a continuous belt by greenery and forests. The oblast's "green area" covers , characterized by 250 different sorts of trees and bushes.
Demographics
According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, ethnic Ukrainians accounted for 92.5% of the population of Kyiv Oblast, and ethnic Russians for 6.0%. Етнічний склад населення України, 2001 рікБанк даних, перепис 2001 року
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%.Ukrcensus.gov.ua – Kyiv region URL accessed on November 26, 2006
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%.
Language
Due to the Russification of Ukraine during the Soviet era, the share of Ukrainian speakers in the population of Kyiv Oblast gradually decreased, while the share of Russian speakers increased. Native language of the population of Kyiv Oblast according to the results of population censuses:Итоги Всесоюзной переписи населения 1959 года: Украинская ССР, стр. 168—193Численность и состав населения СССР: по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения 1979 года. Центральное статистическое управление СССР, 1984Чорний С. Національний склад населення України в ХХ сторіччі (2001)Итоги Всесоюзной переписи населения 1970 года. Том IV — М., Статистика, 1973 1959197019892001 Ukrainian92.5%91.9%88.4%92.3% Russian6.5%7.5%10.9%7.2% Other1.0%0.6%0.7%0.5%
Native language of the population of the raions, cities and city councils of Kyiv Oblast according to the 2001 Ukrainian census: UkrainianRussian Kyiv Oblast 92.3%7.2% City of Bila Tserkva 86.6%12.3% City of Berezan 92.1%7.5% Boryspil (city council) 88.4%11.1% City of Brovary 86.4%12.9% City of Vasylkiv 87.3%12.2% Irpin (city council) 87.8%11.6% City of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi 95.9%3.6% City of Fastiv 90.8%8.6% City of Rzhyshchiv 95.1%4.3% City of Slavutych 55.4%42.6% Baryshivka Raion 96.5%3.0% Bila Tserkva Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 95.7%4.0% Bohuslav Raion 97.6%2.2% Boryspil Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 95.7%3.8% Borodianka Raion 94.7%4.8% Brovary Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 96.9%2.8% Vasylkiv Raion 95.4%4.2% Volodarka Raion 97.8%1.9% Vyshhorod Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 90.3%9.3% Zghurivka Raion 97.0%2.3% Ivankiv Raion 96.5%3.1% Kaharlyk Raion 97.0%2.7% Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion 91.4%8.1% Makariv Raion 95.7%3.8% Myronivka Raion 96.7%3.0% Obukhiv Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 87.3%12.2% Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Raion 97.1%2.6% Poliske Raion 97.2%2.2% Rokytne Raion 98.0%1.8% Skvyra Raion 97.4%1.9% Stavyshche Raion 98.3%1.4% Tarashcha Raion 97.9%1.7% Tetiiv Raion 98.2%1.5% Fastiv Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 96.2%3.3% Yahotyn Raion 96.1%3.5%
Ukrainian is the only official language on the whole territory of Kyiv Oblast.
According to a poll conducted by Rating from 16 November to 10 December 2018 as part of the project «Portraits of Regions», 68% of the residents of Kyiv Oblast believed that the Ukrainian language should be the only state language on the entire territory of Ukraine. 9% believed that Ukrainian should be the only state language, while Russian should be the second official language in some regions of the country. 19% believed that Russian should become the second state language of the country. 4% found it difficult to answer.
On 21 March 2023, Kyiv Oblast Council approved the «Programme for the Development and Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language in All Spheres of Public Life in the Kyiv Oblast for 2023—2025», the main objectives of which are to strengthen the positions of the Ukrainian language in various spheres of public life in the oblast and to Ukrainianize the refugees from other regions of Ukraine.
According to the research of the Content Analysis Centre, conducted from 15 August to 15 September 2024, the topic of which was the ratio of Ukrainian and Russian languages in the Ukrainian segment of social media, 87.2% of posts from Kyiv Oblast were written in Ukrainian (83.6% in 2023, 75.9% in 2022, 29.3% in 2020), while 12.8% were written in Russian (16.4% in 2023, 24.1% in 2022, 70.7% in 2020).
After Ukraine declared independence in 1991, Kyiv Oblast, as well as Ukraine as a whole, experienced a gradual Ukrainization of the education system, which had been RussifiedBarbara A. Anderson and Brian D. Silver, "Equality, Efficiency, and Politics in Soviet Bilingual Education Policy, 1934-1980," American Political Science Review 78 (December 1984): 1019-1039. during the Soviet era. Dynamics of the ratio of the languages of instruction in general secondary education institutions in Kyiv Oblast:«Статистичний щорічник України за 1998 рік» — К., 1999. — — Language of instruction, % of pupils 1991—1992 1992—1993 1993—1994 1994—1995 1995—1996 2000—2001 2005—2006 2007—2008 2010—2011 2012—2013 2015—2016 2018—2019 2021—2022 2022—2023 Ukrainian 84.6% 86.7% 89.7% 91.1% 92.0% 97.0% 99.0% 99.0% 99.0% 99.0% 99.4% 99.7% 99.95% 100.0% Russian 15.4% 13.3% 10.3% 8.9% 8.0% 3.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.6% 0.3% 0.05% —
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, in the 2023—2024 school year, all 237,624 pupils in general secondary education institutions in Kyiv Oblast were studying in classes where Ukrainian was the language of instruction. —
Age structure 0–14 years: 14.9% (male 132,559/female 123,816) 15–64 years: 69.8% (male 576,559/female 621,753) 65 years and over: 15.3% (male 84,026/female 177,360) (2013 official)
Median age total: 39.7 years male: 36.3 years female: 43.0 years (2013 official)
Age structure of Kyiv City 0–14 years: 14.1% (male 203,453/female 192,111) 15–64 years: 73.3% (male 962,391/female 1,093,183) 65 years and over: 12.6% (male 129,293/female 223,285) (2013 official)
Median age of Kyiv City total: 37.6 years male: 35.4 years female: 39.9 years (2013 official)
Points of interest 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 Kateryna Bilokur Landscape garden Oleksandria
Administrative divisions
The oblast is divided into 7 raions, which are further divided into 69 hromadas.
FlagCoat of
arms Name Ukrainian Name Administrative center Area (km2) Populationestimate 2021"Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine) " (PDF) (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 11 July 2021. Bila Tserkva Raion Білоцерківський район Bila Tserkva 6,514.8 436,115Boryspil Raion Бориспільський районBoryspil 3,873.2203,273 Brovary RaionБроварський районBrovary 2,881.9 242,180 – – Bucha RaionБучанський районBucha 2,558.3 362,382 Fastiv RaionФастівський районFastiv 1,761.2 183,794 Obukhiv Raion Обухівський районObukhiv 3,639.1 228,829 Vyshhorod RaionВишгородський районVyshhorod 4,333.0Vyshhorod Raion . vysh.gov.ua 131,957 Total Oblast Київська область Kyiv 28,131 1,788,530 The area of Vyshhorod Raion does not account for the Chernobyl exclusion zone (2,600 km2).
Before the July 2020 reform, the oblast was subdivided into 25 raions (administrative districts). It consisted 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:Statistical Yearbook of Kyiv Region for 2007, Main Department of Statistics in Kyiv Region, 2008
Administrative Center – 1 (Kyiv); Raions – 25; Settlements – 1183, including: Villages – 1127; Cities/Towns – 56, including: Urban-type settlements – 30; Cities – 25, including: Cities of oblast subordinance – 13; Cities of raion subordinance – 14; Rural councils – 605.