станція 1 – Київ
Station 1 – Kyiv

The mightly city of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine and home for almost 3 milion people, which makes it the seventh-most populous city in Europe. An interesting city, that it its own oblast (region) and raion (county) and yet it is the administrative center for Kyiv Oblast and for oblast's Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion. The city's administration is also an interesting topic – it it divided into two parts, the self-governing and elected Kyiv City Council (Київська міська рада, Kyivska miska rada) and the Kyiv City State Administration (Київська міська державна адміністрація, Kyivska miska derzhavna administratsiia), national-level branch of the Government of Ukraine that administers Kyiv, appointed by the president of Ukraine, which is very similar to the same office in other Oblasti.

Both branches are traditionally chaired by the directly-elected Mayor of Kyiv, however between 2010 and 2014 the Head of the Kyiv City State Administration was (technically speaking it always has been, but in practice only during that time the President appointed someone else but the mayor) a separate person, which was mostly an attempt of then the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, to take over the city. The city council has also the City Council Secretary, which is a regular speaker.

The city is divided into 10 district (raiony), which have their own units of central and local government with jurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs. The river however naturally divides the city into two parts as well – the left bank and the right bank. Most of Kyiv's attractions as well as the majority of business and governmental institutions are located on the right bank. The eastern “Left Bank” is predominantly residential. Kyiv is further informally divided into historical or territorial neighbourhoods, each housing from about 5000 to 100000 inhabitants.

I also recommend the twin album in a different category: Транспорт Києва – Transport in Kyiv.

Arrival: FR 7239, GDN 06:00 – KBP 08:50

Departure: 076 К, Kyiv-Pasazhyrsky 21:28 – Kryvy Rih-Holovny 06:23