Categories: HISTORY

Who founded Kyiv and when: facts, theories, and legends

This year, the Ukrainian capital celebrates its 1,541st anniversary. The official founding year of the city is considered to be 482 AD, but in reality, Kyiv’s true age is likely different. The question of when and by whom the city was founded has just as many theories and legends as the founding date itself.

Who founded Kyiv and when

The most well-known version of Kyiv’s founding was gifted to us by Nestor the Chronicler. However, not everyone knows that there are also other theories.

Kyi and his brothers

In the Primary Chronicle, Nestor writes about the brothers Kyi, Shchek, and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid, who built the city and named it after the eldest brother. Nestor’s beautiful story contains some contradictions, especially regarding Kyi’s origins and deeds, and crucially, it lacks a clear timeframe for his life. There are only unverified guesses—for example, that Kyi attacked Byzantium under the name Kuver sometime between the 6th and 7th centuries, or that he lived in the 5th century under the name Helbudiy.

By the way, it is interesting that the Armenian chronicle The History of Taron also mentions the founding brothers of Kyiv, but without their sister and with different names — Kuar, Meltey, and Khorean.

Khazars

There is also a theory supported by some historians about a Khazar influence in the founding of Kyiv. One argument in favor of this theory is the existence of a Khazar name for the city — Samvatas. This name appears in the Notes of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, compiled around 952 AD. There, Kyiv is mentioned “as the fortress Kiova, called Samvatas.”

Moreover, supporters of this theory emphasize that the small tribe of Polans, to which Kyi and his brothers supposedly belonged, would hardly have built a city on the border with nomads due to the risk of attack. In contrast, the Khazars, who were gaining influence in the region, could very well have done so. The two contemporary names for Kyiv are explained by the possibility that both Khazars and Slavs lived together in the city.

Huns, Goths, or Sarmatians

Among other, less popular theories are the founding of Kyiv by the Gothic king Knive, the Huns, or the Sarmatians. The first theory about the Goths has almost no evidential basis. The theory about the Huns is based solely on the similarity of the words “Unnu” or “Khunnu” with Unigard (a name for Kyiv in some medieval sources). As for the Sarmatian founders, who were later displaced by the Slavs, historians agree that the Sarmatians might have had some kind of fortification or temporary camp in the area of modern Kyiv, but not a city.

Where the founding year of Kyiv came from and how old the city really is

Based on archaeological data, ancient people lived in areas like Podil and Obolon long before the officially accepted founding date — as far back as 15 to 20 thousand years ago. However, that period — up to around the 3rd century AD — is referred to as the pre-Kyivan era. Moreover, historians believe that the settlements on the territory of modern-day Kyiv were so small at that time that they hardly formed anything resembling a city.

At the same time, according to Ukrainian geodesist and Kyiv expert Lidiya Ponomarenko, the emergence of Kyiv at the beginning of our era is evidenced by a large number of coin finds from that time. The researcher is convinced that such coin hoards, like those found, for example, in the area of modern-day Pechersk, could not have been located in some remote village.

If we consider the first mention of the city, which is usually regarded as its founding date, the situation is also not straightforward. The oldest mention of Kyiv dates back to 882 AD, when Oleg killed Askold and Dir and took control of the city. The first chronicle mention of a siege is from 969 AD, during an attempt by the Pechenegs to capture the capital. Written sources confirm that the city certainly existed from 930 AD. It was Kyiv that Prince Igor indicated as his base during campaigns against Byzantium.

According to the chronicle of Matviy Striikovskyi, the city was founded in 430 AD. However, this date is mentioned only by him in his works and without any references to other sources.

So, as you can see, it is impossible to say for certain the exact year Kyiv was founded. Where, then, did the founding date come from?

During the Soviet era, based on artifacts and historical evidence, they decided to estimate the approximate time of the city’s formation. Thus, in the 1980s, using simple calculations, it was decided to celebrate Kyiv’s 1,500th anniversary and, accordingly, to mark 482 AD as the year of its founding.

“We will celebrate it now, and if we are wrong, then let future generations correct us later,” said Volodymyr Shcherbytsky, then First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

Karina Sirenko