The city has 13 national universities

History

Archeological evidence discovered in the area of present-day Kharkiv indicates that a local population has existed in that area since the second millennium BC. Cultural artifacts date back to the Bronze Age, as well as those of later Scythian and Sarmatian settlers. There is also evidence that the Chernyakhov culture flourished in the area from the second to the sixth century.

Academics

Kharkiv is one of the most prolific centers of higher education and research of Eastern Europe. The city has 13 national universities and numerous professional, technical and private higher education institutions, offering its students a wide range of disciplines. Kharkiv National University (12,000 students), National Technical University “KhPI” (20,000 students),

Faculty and Staff

Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics (12,000 students), Kharkiv National Aerospace University “KhAI” are the leading universities in Ukraine. A total number of 150,000 students attend the universities and other institutions of higher education in Kharkiv. About 9,000 foreign students from 96 countries study in the city. More than 17,000 faculty

Student Life

Kharkiv is one of the most prolific centers of higher education and research of Eastern Europe.

The city has 13 national universities and numerous professional, technical and private higher education institutions, offering its students a wide range of disciplines.

Kharkiv National University (12,000 students), National Technical University “KhPI” (20,000 students), Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics (12,000 students), Kharkiv National Aerospace University “KhAI” are the leading universities in Ukraine. A total number of 150,000 students attend the universities and other institutions of higher education in Kharkiv. About 9,000 foreign students from 96 countries study in the city. More than 17,000 faculties and research staff are employed in the institutions of higher education in Kharkiv.

The city has a high concentration of research institutions, which are independent or loosely connected with the universities. Among them are three national science centres: Kharkіv Institute of Physics and Technology,[61] Institute of Metrology,[62] Institute for Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine and 20 national research institutions of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, such as the B Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering,[63] Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine, State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals”,[64] Usikov Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics (IRE),[65] Institute of Radio Astronomy (IRA),[66] and others. A total number of 26,000 scientists are working in research and development. A number of world-renowned scientific schools appeared in Kharkiv, such as the theoretical physics school and the mathematical school.

In addition to the libraries affiliated with the various universities and research institutions, the Kharkiv State Scientific V. Korolenko-library[67] is a major research library. Kharkiv has 212 (secondary education) schools, including 10 lyceums and 20 gymnasiums.

Kharkiv’s climate is humid continental, with cold and snowy winters, and hot summers. The seasonal average temperatures are not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer: −4.6 °C (23.7 °F) in January, and +21.3 °C (70.3 °F) in July. The average rainfall totals 513 mm (20 in) per year, with the most in June and July.

During the Soviet era, Kharkiv was the capital of industrial production in Ukraine and the third largest center of industry and commerce in the USSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the largely defense-systems-oriented industrial production of the city decreased significantly. In the early 2000s, the industry started to recover and adapt to market economy needs. Now there are more than 380 industrial enterprises concentrated in the city, which have a total number of 150,000 employees. The enterprises form machine-building, electro-technologic, instrument-making, and energy conglomerates.

State-owned industrial giants, such as Turboatom and Elektrotyazhmash occupy 17% of the heavy power equipment construction (e.g., turbines) market worldwide. Multipurpose aircraft are produced by the Antonov aircraft manufacturing plant. The Malyshev factory produces not only armoured fighting vehicles, but also harvesters. Khartron[60] is the leading designer of space and commercial control systems in Ukraine and the former CIS.

Kharkiv is also the headquarters of one of the largest Ukrainian banks, UkrSibbank, which has been part of the BNP Paribas group since December 2005.

Kharkiv markets:
Barabashovo market is the largest market in Ukraine and one of the largest markets in Europe.

The city of Kharkiv is one of the largest transportation centers in Ukraine, which is connected to numerous cities of the world by air, rail and road traffic. The city has many transportation methods, including public transport, taxis, railways, and air traffic. There are about 250 thousand cars in the city.[92]

Local transport
Being an important transportation center of Ukraine, Kharkiv itself contains many different transportation methods. Kharkiv’s Metro is the city’s rapid transit system, operating since 1975, it includes three different lines with 29 stations in total.[93] The Kharkiv buses carry about 12 million passengers annually, trolleybuses, tramways (which celebrated 100 years of service in 2006), and marshrutkas (private minibusses).

Railways
Kharkiv Railway Station Main Entrance, August 2011
The first railway connection of Kharkiv was opened in 1869. The first train to arrive in Kharkiv came from the north on 22 May 1869, and on 6 June 1869, traffic was opened on the Kursk–Kharkiv–Azov line. Kharkiv’s passenger railway station was reconstructed and expanded in 1901, to be later destroyed in the Second World War. A new railway station was built in 1952.
Kharkiv is connected with all main cities in Ukraine and abroad by regular railway trains. Regional trains known as elektrichkas connect Kharkiv with nearby towns and villages.

Air travel
Kharkiv is served by an international airport which used to have about 200 flights a day, almost all of them being passenger flights. The Kharkiv International Airport has been granted international status. The airport is not large and is situated within the city boundaries, south of the city center. Flights to Kiev and Moscow are scheduled daily. There are regular flights to Vienna and Istanbul and several other destinations. Charter flights are also available. The former largest carrier of the Kharkiv Airport — Aeromost-Kharkiv — is not serving any regular destinations as of 2007. The Kharkiv North Airport is a factory airfield and was a major production facility for Antonov aircraft company.

Local public transportation in Kiev includes the Metro (underground), buses and minibusses, trolleybuses, trams, taxi and funicular. There is also an intra-city ring railway service.
Trolleybus ElektroLAZ-301 at Sofia Square.
The publicly owned and operated Kiev Metro is the fastest, the most convenient and affordable network that covers most, but not all, of the city. The Metro is continuously expanding towards the city limits to meet growing demand, currently having three lines with a total length of 66.1 kilometers (41.1 miles) and 51 stations (some of which are renowned architectural landmarks). The Metro carries around 1.422 million passengers daily[102] accounting for 38% of the Kiev’s public transport load. In 2011, the total number of trips exceeded 519 million.
The historic tram system, once a well maintained and widely used method of transport, is now gradually being phased out in favor of buses and trolleybuses.

All public road transport (except for some minibusses) is operated by the united Kyivpastrans municipal company. It is heavily subsidized by the city.

The Kiev public transport system, except for taxi, uses a simple flat rate tariff system regardless of distance traveled: tickets or tokens must be purchased each time a vehicle is boarded. The digital ticket system is already established in Kiev Metro, with plans for other transport modes. Discount passes are available for grade school and higher education students. Pensioners use public transportation free. There are monthly passes in all combinations of public transportation. Ticket prices are regulated by the city government, and the cost of one ride is far lower than in Western Europe.

The taxi market in Kiev is expansive but not regulated. In particular, the taxi fare per kilometer is not regulated. There is fierce competition between private taxi companies.

Roads and bridges
The Novo-Darnytskyi Bridge over the Dnieper river.
Kiev represents the focal point of Ukraine’s “national roads” system, thus linked by road to all cities of the country. European routes Tabliczka E40.svg, Tabliczka E95.svg and Tabliczka E101.svg cross Kiev.

There are 8 over-Dnieper bridges and dozens of grade-separated intersections in the city. Several new intersections are under construction. There are plans to build a full-size, fully grade-separated ring road around Kiev.[103][104][105]

Overall, Kiev roads are in poor technical condition and maintained inadequately.[106]

Traffic jams and lack of parking space are growing problems for all road transport services in Kiev.

Air transport
Kiev is served by two international passenger airports: the Boryspil Airport located 30 kilometres (19 miles) away, and the smaller, municipally owned Zhulyany Airport on the southern outskirts of the city. There are also the Gostomel cargo airport and additional three operating airfields facilitating the Antonov aircraft manufacturing company and general aviation.

Railways
Railways are Kiev’s main mode of intracity and suburban transportation. The city has a developed railroad infrastructure including a long-distance passenger station, 6 cargo stations, depots, and repairing facilities. However, this system still fails to meet the demand for passenger service. Particularly, the Kiev Passenger Railway Station is the city’s only long-distance passenger terminal (vokzal).

Construction is underway for turning the large Darnytsia Railway Station on the left-bank part of Kiev into a long-distance passenger hub, which may ease traffic at the central station.[107] Bridges over the Dnieper River are another problem restricting the development of city’s railway system. Presently, only one rail bridge out of two is available for intense train traffic. A new combined rail-auto bridge is under construction, as a part of the Darnytsia project.

Kiev Railway Station
In 2011 the Kiev city administration established a new ‘Urban Train’ for Kiev. This service runs at standard 4-10-minute intervals throughout the day and follows a circular route around the city center, which allows it to serve many of Kiev’s inner suburbs. Interchanges between the Kiev Metro and Fast Tram exist at many of the urban train’s station stops.[108]

Suburban ‘Elektrichka’ trains are serviced by the publicly owned Ukrainian Railways. The suburban train service is fast and unbeatably safe in terms of traffic accidents. But the trains are not reliable, as they may fall significantly behind schedule, may not be safe in terms of crime, and the elektrichka cars are poorly maintained and are overcrowded in rush hours.

There are 5 elektrichka directions from Kiev:

Nizhyn (north-eastern)
Hrebinka (south-eastern)
Myronivka (southern)
Fastiv (south-western)
Korosten (western)
More than a dozen of elektrichka stops are located within the city allowing residents of different neighborhoods to use the suburban trains.