The capital of Ukraine is the third-largest city in the CIS. It is also the cradle of Russian civilization, the origin of the Kyiv Rus State founded in the eighth and ninth centuries and the city from which the Orthodox faith spread throughout Eastern Europe.
Lviv
A city of striking Baroque and Renaissance architecture, Lviv is the focal point of Ukrainian national culture. It was the center of Ukrainian nationalist ambition at the beginning of the Soviet era. The City Castle was the first building to fly Ukraine's blue-and-yellow national flag. Lviv is also the headquarters of Ukraine's Greek Orthodox church.
