Kharkiv << KAHR keef >> (pop. 1,451,132) is an industrial and educational center in northeast Ukraine. It lies near the iron and coal region of the Donets River Basin.
Factories in Kharkiv (formerly spelled Kharkov) make aircraft and spacecraft parts, machinery, tractors, and turbines. V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University and many other institutions of higher education are in the city. Historic buildings stand in the downtown area.
Kharkiv was founded in the 1650’s as a Russian military outpost. By 1920, Communist Russia had taken control of most of Ukraine. Kharkiv served as the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic until 1934. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Kharkiv became part of independent Ukraine.
In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. As a key city in northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv became a major target of Russian air and ground attacks. Ukrainians fought to defend Kharkiv from the Russian forces attempting to capture the city. Attacks on Kharkiv continued into 2023.
