Darnytsia

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Darnyts’kyi Raion Дарницький район
Area	km²
Population
— Total	250,000
— Density	/km²
Mayor
Landmarks
Metro stations	Livoberezhna, Darnytsia, Chernihivska, Lisova
Website: drda.sit-ua.com

Darnytsia (Ukrainian: Дарницький район, Darnyts'kyi raion), is a raion (administrative district) of the Ukrainian capital Kiev (Kyiv). Its current population is 250,000 inhabitants.

Although an exact date of establishment of the area is not known, there is evidence that during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, a Neolithical settlement existed near lake Svyatysche (Ukrainian: Святище). During the 9th century, Darnytsia was an important center of the Kievan Rus, where ambassadors and delegations from other powers were housed while waiting to meet the kniaz and offer gifts. This gave the area its name Darnytsia, (derived from Slavic/Ukrainian dar, meaning gift).

View of the left-bank Kiev and the Dnieper River. Background high-rise buildings in the right are in the Darnytsia neighborhood.

Until the late 19th century, the name Darnytsia was commonly applied to the plain on the left bank of Dnieper river (Ukrainian: Dnipro) across from the Kiev city center. Up to the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the area was legally part of the Chernigov Governorate (Chernihiv), despite being adjacent to Kiev, also a center of its Guberniya, with the Dnieper river being the official division line.

While throughout the 19th century the area was progressively becoming more densely populated, the dwellers were technically residing outside of Kiev in village-like (but non-village by status) settlements called Slobidkas (Sloboda, Slobodka in Russian). Certain parts on Darnytsia still bear the names of the Slobidka they displaced (notably Mykilska Slobidka St. Nicholas Settlement).

The area urbanized started industrializing between World War I and World War II, after becoming a part of Kiev. Following World War II, the area underwent a major reconstruction and modernization and became heavily industrialized, with installation of chemical, textile, pharmaceutical and food processing industries. Major infrastructure projects, including heat-and-power co-generation units, railroad stations, highways and Metro lines were accomplished. Several research institutes found their new home here, including three major chemical institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Today, the term Darnytsia is sometimes broadly (but incorrectly) applied to the entire Left Bank area of Kiev, except the distant areas of Vigurovshina-Troieschyna to the North and Pozniaky to the South. Formally, the district underwent many border changes, and today encompasses approximately one third of the Left Bank. A planned district change could make Darnytsia district either expand to encompass half of the Left Bank area, or cease to exist being redistributed between Desna and Dnipro Raions.

The Darnytsia neighbourhood borders are generally understood to be:

• Mykil'ska Slobidka, Rusanivka Island and Berezniaky to the West
• Voskresenka, Troieschyna and Lisovyi Massyv to the North
• Bykivnia neighborhood and the town of Bortnychi to the East
• Pozniaky, Osokorky and Kharkivskyi Massyvs to the South

[edit] See also

• Subdivisions of Kiev

[edit] External links

	Subdivisions of Kiev, Ukraine
	Raions: Darnytskyi • Desnianskyi • Dniprovskyi • Holosiivskyi • Obolonskyi • Pecherskyi • Podilskyi • Shevchenkivskyi • Solomianskyi • Sviatoshynskyi
	Right Bank Neighbourhoods: Akademmistechko • Baikove • Borschahivka • Chokolivka • Demiivka • Feofania • Holosiiv • Koncha-Zaspa • Korchuvate • Kurenivka • Lukianivka • Lypky • Lysa Hora • Minskyi Masyv • Nyvky • Obolon • Pankivschyna • Pechersk • Petrivka • Pyrohiv • Podil • Priorka • Puscha-Vodytsia • Shuliavka • Solomianka • Sovky • Sviatoshyn • Syrets • Tatarka • Telychka • Teremky • Vidradnyi • Vita • Vydubychi • Vynohradar • Yevbaz • Zabaikove • Zamkova Hora • Zhulyany • Zvirynets
	Left Bank Neighbourhoods: Berezniaky • Bortnychi • Bykivnia • Chervonyi Hutir • Darnytsia • Kharkivskyi Masyv • Lisova • Livoberezhna • Osokorky • Pozniaky • Rusanivka • Troieschyna • Voskresenka
	Islands: Hidropark • Trukhaniv • Rybalskyi • Vodnykiv