Today, May 31, Kyiv Day coincides with the celebration of Trinity Sunday — a day of faith, spiritual strength, and unity. Kyiv is marking its 1,544th anniversary. It is a city of great history, unbreakable character, and free people that has endured countless trials and continues to live, fight, and inspire despite every challenge.
We thank the Defense Forces of Ukraine, who for 1,558 days and nights since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion have been defending Ukraine and its capital. May our beloved Kyiv continue to prosper and flourish!
Happy Kyiv Day! Happy Trinity Sunday! Glory to Ukraine!
These words have repeatedly sounded as a sincere expression of love for the capital. They convey the essence of modern Kyiv — a city that has endured and continues to resist.
“Honor and glory to everyone who defends Kyiv and Ukraine. Kyiv salutes its Army, because we exist, we stand, we are together,” wrote Lina Kostenko.
Another statement by the poet highlights the symbolic significance of the capital in Ukraine’s history:
“Kyiv is a city with endless resources for renewal,” — Lina Kostenko.
These words capture the spirit of Ukraine’s capital today with remarkable accuracy. Kyiv is not only the administrative center of the state but also the heart of Ukrainian history, culture, and the struggle for freedom.
The official founding date of Kyiv is considered to be 482 AD. According to legend, the city was founded by the brothers Kyi, Shchek, and Khoryv, along with their sister Lybid. The city’s name is derived from the name of the eldest brother, Kyi.
Throughout its more than fifteen centuries of history, Kyiv has repeatedly become the center of pivotal events for all of Eastern Europe. In the 11th century, it was one of the continent’s largest cities, significantly larger than both London and Paris of that era.
Kyiv is rightly known as a city of records and symbols. It is home to one of the deepest metro stations in the world, Arsenalna, while Zoloti Vorota station is recognized as one of the most beautiful metro stations globally.
One of Kyiv’s oldest streets is Volodymyrska Street, whose history spans more than a thousand years. Among its most famous modern avenues is Khreshchatyk, one of the shortest main streets among European capitals.
A special place among Kyiv’s sacred landmarks belongs to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which for centuries has remained a spiritual center of Ukraine and one of the country’s most important historical and cultural complexes.
Towering above the Dnipro River stands the Motherland Monument, rising 102 meters high. It is one of the tallest monuments in the world and has become a symbol of the resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Today, Kyiv is once again facing difficult trials. Russian attacks seek to break its spirit, yet the city continues to live, work, and fight. Its streets, bridges, parks, and churches remain symbols of the endurance of all Ukraine.
Kyiv is a city of chestnut trees and golden domes, a city of memory and the future. A city that cannot be conquered. And as long as the blue-and-yellow flag flies above the Dnipro hills, Kyiv will live on, inspire, and remain the heart of a free Ukraine.
I love you! And I am deeply in love with you! Boundlessly!
Happy Birthday, resilient and unconquered city!
Kyiv — 1,544 years!
These heartfelt words belong to Inna Zahorodniuk and resonate especially strongly today in the hearts of everyone who loves Ukraine’s capital.
Happy Kyiv Day! Happy Trinity Sunday! Glory to Ukraine!
Author: Ivan Arefiev
Author’s collage
Photo: Open sources
