Kharkiv is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.
Located in the northeast of the country. The latest population is
1,433,886 (2021 est.). Kharkiv was founded in 1654 as Kharkiv
fortress, and after these humble beginnings, it grew to be a major
centre of industry, trade and Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire.
Kharkiv was the first capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist
Republic, from December 1919 to January 1934, after which the capital
relocated to Kyiv. Kharkiv is a major cultural, scientific,
educational, transport and industrial centre of Ukraine, with numerous
museums, theatres and libraries, including the Annunciation and
Dormition Cathedrals, the Derzhprom building in Freedom Square, and
the National University of Kharkiv. Kharkiv was a host city for UEFA
Euro 2012. Industry plays a significant role in Kharkiv's economy,
specialized primarily in machinery and electronics. There are hundreds
of industrial facilities throughout the city, including the Morozov
Design Bureau and the Malyshev Tank Factory (leaders in world tank
production from the 1930s to the 1980s); Khartron (aerospace, nuclear
power plants and automation electronics); Turboatom (turbines for
hydro-, thermal- and nuclear-power plants); and Antonov (the
multipurpose aircraft manufacturing plant). Kharkiv was a major target
of the Northeastern Ukraine offensive in Russia's invasion of Ukraine
that began in February 2022. During the Battle of Kharkiv, the city
was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine.
