Ukraine: When did Kiev become Kyiv and how to pronounce it?
The capital and most populous city of Ukraine, Kyiv, has a rich history, having seen the rise and fall of the Soviet Union before becoming an independent state.
As tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate and Kyiv continues to make headlines, you might find yourself wondering when the city’s name changed from Kiev to Kyiv.
Here’s everything you need to know about Kyiv’s origins and pronunciation.
When did Kiev become Kyiv?
Kyiv gets its name from one of its legendary founders, Kyi.
According to a legend in an Old East Slavic chronicle, three brothers by the names of Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv founded the medieval city of Kyiv.
Before Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, it was a part of the Soviet Union, commonly known as the USSR.
For centuries, English-speaking countries referred to Kyiv as Kiev, which is a spelling that’s intrinsically linked with the old USSR days.
Thus, countries across the globe have started to avoid using the name ‘Kiev’, especially the start of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2014.
Ukraine launched a #KyivNotKiev online campaign in 2018 to raise awareness. The campaign hoped to persuade English-language media and organizations to exclusively use Kyiv when referring to their city.
It was a successful campaign, with multiple news outlets and organisations adopting Kyiv.
How do you pronounce Kyiv?
Kyiv is pronounced as KEE-ev, whereas the capital city’s previous name Kiev was pronounced as Key-EV.
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