Why should we call it Kyiv not Kiev?

AS the battle to defend the Ukrainian capital Kyiv continues, it is now more important than ever to use the correct spelling when referring to the city.

Here's why Ukrainians insist their capital should be spelled Kyiv and not Kiev.

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Why should we call it Kyiv not Kiev?

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, the movement to correctly spell the name of the Ukrainian capital and biggest city has gained momentum.

The correct way to spell the name is Kyiv, not Kiev.

The reason for this is Kyiv is derived from the Ukrainian language name, while Kiev comes from the Russian pronunciation.

The spelling Kyiv was legally mandated by the Ukrainian government in 1995, but was only widely adopted by international media since the escalation in the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

A campaign called “KyivNotKiev” was launched by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the Russian annexation of Crimea – the idea was to distinguish the capital from its Soviet past.

The campaign also seeks to prevent the use of other Russian spellings of Ukrainian cities, such as Odessa instead of the Ukrainian Odesa, Kharkov instead of Kharkiv, Lvov instead of Lviv, Nikolaev instead of Mykolaiv, and Rovno instead of Rivne.

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When did Kyiv become Ukraine's capital?

Kyiv is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine, situated in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River.

The city is thought to have existed as early as the sixth century, initially as a Slavic settlement.

Its name is believed to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Kyiv started serving as the capital of Ukraine.

The city was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but quickly recovered in the post-war years, becoming the third most important city of the Soviet Union.

It now remains the capital of Ukraine, independent since 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.