Kyiv is the largest city and the capital of Ukraine. In the late 19th century, the Russian industrial revolution boosted the City’s fortunes. After the Ukrainian People’s Republic declared independence from Soviet Russia in 1918, Kyiv became its capital.
In the 19th century, Ukraine’s growing economic importance, especially its grain exports, supported Kyiv’s commercial activities. With the establishment of the Arsenal in the 18th century, factory industry emerged; lumber milling and building of rivercraft were added to the Arsenal. Several agriculture-related industries were developed, including leather making, tobacco processing, distilling, brewing, and textile production. A railway link was constructed between Kyiv and Moscow in the late 1860s, further enhancing its status as a hub of industry, commerce, and government.
With a population of 250,000, the city had also become a major industrial centre by 1900. Railroad infrastructure was developed during that time, and numerous educational and cultural institutions and notable architectural monuments (primarily merchant-oriented) were built. In 1892, Kyiv began to operate the first electric tram line within the Russian Empire (the third across the globe).
Below are some fascinating historical photos that show what Kyiv looked like in the 1910s.
… and then Soviet monumentalism arrived. Tragic.
Finally, “byzness” to cap it all off.