Subdivisions of Kiev

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The subdivisions of Kiev (Ukrainian: Kиїв, Kyiv), the capital of Ukraine, include the formal administrative subdivision into raions and the more detailed informal subdivision into historical neighborhoods.

Raions of Kiev

Administratively, the city is divided into raions (districts), which have their own units of central and local government with jurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs.

Further information: Legal status and local government of Kiev.

This subdivision was established under Soviet rule in the 1930s, following the general subdivision of the USSR. Since then, the raion system was only slightly modified and reshuffled.

According to the latest revision, Kiev raions include:

• Darnytsia Raion Дарницький район
• Desna Raion Деснянський район (after the Desna river)
• Dnipro Raion Дніпровський район (after the Dnieper river)
• Holosiiv Raion Голосіївський район
• Obolon Raion Оболонський район
• Pechersk Raion Печерський район
• Podil Raion Подільський район
• Shevchenko Raion Шевченківський район (after Taras Schevchenko)
• Solom'yanka Raion Солом’янський район
• Svyatoshyn Raion Святошинський район

Most of the raions are named after respective historical neighborhoods of the city.

There are plans for the merger of some raions and revision of their boundaries.

Historical neighborhoods

The formal subdivision is inconvenient for practical use because the raions are too large and illogical in both geographic and toponymic means. So Kievans widely recognize a system of the smaller non-formal historical neighborhoods. Such neighborhoods count in dozens, however, constituting a kind of hierarchy, since most of them have lost their distinctive topographic limits. The natural first level of subdivision of the city is into the Right Bank and the Left Bank of the Dnieper (a few big islands belong to the left-bank raions).

The names of the oldest neighborhoods go back to the Middle Ages, and sometimes pose a great linguistic interest. The newest whole-built developments bear numeric designations or residential marketing names.

Most notable informal historical neighborhoods of Kiev include:

Left Bank (east)

• Bereznyaky Березняки
• Bykivnya Биківня
• Darnytsia Дарниця
• Kharkivskyi masyv Харківський
• Lisovyi masyv Лісовий масив
• Livoberezhnyi masyv Лівобережний масив
• Osokorky Осокорки
• Poznyaky Позняки
• Rusanivka Русанівка
• Trojeshchyna Троєщина
• Voskresenka Воскресенка

Lypky and Zvirynets' (Pechersk Raion) are the most expensive areas to live. Koncha-Zaspa is arguably the most interesting neighborhood name dating back to the times of Kievan Rus. It reflects the story of the Rus warriors who felt asleep (zaspaly) during their watch in an outpost and were killed (koncheni) by Golden Horde invaders. Koncha-Zaspa is now a prestigious area too.

Practical orientation patterns

Another useful pattern of city division is the Kiev Metro system. However, metro lines do not cover significant parts of Kiev, making such orientation very approximate (but easy for newcomers). Sometimes, the system of elektrychka train stops is used for the same purpose.

The full informal set of address in Kiev (used, for example, in real estate advertising) would include:

• Formal raion
• Historical neighborhood
• Nearest metro station or train stop
• Formal address

See also

• Geography and climate of Kiev
• History of Kiev
• Subdivisions of Ukraine

 

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