Kyivan

Kyivan is an English adjective and, to a lesser extent, a demonym for Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is used to describe things related to the city, including its geography, institutions, culture, and population. Examples include Kyivan museums, Kyivan governance, and Kyivan transport networks. The form also appears in phrases such as Kyivan identity and Kyivan culture.

The term derives from Kyiv, and in historical contexts the older form Kievan is still used, notably in references to Kyivan Rus, the medieval East Slavic state that preceded modern Ukraine. Since Kyiv is the Ukrainian name for the city, many English-language sources now prefer Kyivan to distinguish contemporary Kyiv from its medieval predecessor. The city’s name has also been anglicized as Kiev in older texts, but Kyiv is now standard in most modern usage.

As a demonym, Kyivan is used by some writers to denote a resident of Kyiv. More often, English-language texts describe a person as a Kyiv resident or use other demonyms such as Kyivite. In general, Kyivan is firmly established as an adjective describing things related to the city, while the noun form used for people varies by source.