The population of Kiev - historical and modern facts

Киев по праву считается старейшим городом и одним of the most beautiful among European capitals. Excavations of archaeologists show that on its territory settlements existed about twenty thousand years ago.

Historian Ilovaisky D.I.at the end of the nineteenth century, for the first time, the population of Kiev was made public in the era of Ancient Russia. According to the discovered historical chronicles, in the XII century in Kiev, lived 100,000 people. This figure is approved by other researchers. Modern historians believe that the population of Kiev at that time reached 120,000 people. This discrepancy in numbers shows the lack of development of research methods. After all, specific facts can be found in the annals, where it is said about plagues, fires, the number of troops that went to fight with the enemy. The testimonies of foreign travelers, who indicate the vast size of the city and the number of its inhabitants, should not be left aside.

According to historical facts, in Novgorod in the XIII30 thousand people lived in the century, in London in the XI century - 20 thousand people (in the XIV century - about 35 thousand), Gdansk and Hamburg numbered 20 thousand people in the XII century. If we compare the population of Kiev with the number of Slavic and Western European cities of the time, we can conclude that Kiev was significantly superior to them. It was the largest trade and craft center.

Much later from archaeological sourcesscientists have learned more accurate statistics. In the XVII century, the ancient Russian cities differed little from the major cities of the ancient world. At that time, 100-150 people per hectare of the earth’s territory. The average population density of ancient Kiev was 125 people. on 1 ha. Consequently, 47.5 thousand people lived on 380 hectares. By population, Kiev at this time was considered a rival to Constantinople. And the data of the end of the eighteenth century indicate that the population of Kiev at that time was about 30 thousand people.

In the post-Soviet period, the capital of Ukraine was the only region of the country where the number of inhabitants remained stable for a decade.

Modern Kiev, whose populationis 2.9 million people according to 2010, is constantly growing. Every year, the number of Kiev residents increases due to the arrival of migrants from rural and small urban regions of Ukraine. In the first two quarters of 2010 alone, the population of Kiev through migration increased by 880 people. These are official facts of the Main Kiev Department of Statistics. Also, the increase in the number of residents was also reflected in the number of newborns. The official figure is 810 kids. The natural increase of Kiev has long been negative.

The bulk of the population of the city - the Ukrainians.The rest of the national composition of Kiev form the Belarusians, Jews, Russian, Crimean Tatars, Poles and Moldovans. According to the Constitution, the state language is Ukrainian. But many residents of the capital are fluent in Russian and communicate in it.

The main part of Kiev profess Orthodoxy. This is due to the historical past of Kiev. Religion of some inhabitants (Poles, immigrants from Western Ukraine and Belarus) is Catholicism.