Kiev is the capital city of the Ukraine, and is also the country’s largest. Located on both banks of the Dnieper River, Kiev has a population of approximately 2.6 million residents. Kiev is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, believed to be over 1550 years old. In 1920 Kiev came under Soviet control and was the site of many of Stalin’s purges in the 1930’s; the city became independent of Soviet rule in 1991 when the Ukraine declared itself independent of the Soviet Union. Because of the Cold War, Kiev is home to many high-tech institutions centered in the realm of aerospace and microelectronics.