The claim that Kyiv is over 1,500 years old is a myth formed in Soviet times for political reasons, said Natalia Pinchuk, a research associate at the Museum of Kyiv History, with RBC-Ukraine
According to her, the widely circulated idea of the founding of the capital of Ukraine in the 5th century appeared thanks to a "state order" implemented by academician Petro Tolochko in the 1980s. The reason was the discovery by archaeologists of the remains of a settlement on Starokyivska Gora. Ceramics and handicrafts were indeed found there, however, as Pinchuk emphasizes, calling this settlement a city is incorrect.
"A beautiful date was needed. A million rubles were allocated for it, and the age of Kyiv was determined as 1,500 years. This anniversary was celebrated at the UNESCO level, but the decision was political, not scientific," the researcher explained.
As part of the celebrations, the Soviet authorities carried out a series of large-scale reconstructions in the capital: they restored the Golden Gates, restored the Mariinsky Palace, and opened the Museum of the History of Kyiv. It was then that the now popular myth took hold.
The scientist also emphasized: despite the legendary nature of the story about the founders of Kyiv — the brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv, and sister Lybid — such stories do not arise out of thin air, but they should not be taken literally.
Separately, Pinchuk mentioned another famous legend - about the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, who allegedly spent the night on the Kyiv hills and predicted that a great city would arise on this site. Today, St. Andrew's Church is located here, which has become one of the symbols of Kyiv.
Kyiv was indeed the center of Kyivan Rus', or the "mother of Rus' cities," as confirmed by The Tale of Bygone Years . But the city was formed only in the last quarter of the 9th century—that is, much later than Paris or London.
"Kyiv is not older than European capitals. Paris existed before our era, and London arose in the first century AD," Pinchuk concluded.
