Kiev, Ukraine

Ukraine's capital, Kiev, is called the "Mother of Cities" as it is considered one of Europe's oldest cities. Its history is traced back to 882 when the Kievan Rus Dynasty sprang from the infiltrations of Vikings. From the ninth century onwards, it was the trade center on the Dnieper River route from Scandinavia to the Black Sea and on to Constantinople.The old section of Kiev retains many of its most historic buildings and monuments including the lovely domed St. Sophia Cathedral. Completed in 1037, it contains fascinating frescoes and mosaics and the marble tomb of Yaroslav the Wise.