Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and Lybid - Ukrainian

Hello! My name is Kyi, and I want to tell you a story about a special place. Long ago, the air in our land smelled of pine trees and damp earth, and my brothers, Shchek and Khoryv, my sister Lybid, and I were looking for a place to build a home for our people. We traveled across wide, green fields and through deep, quiet forests, always searching for the perfect spot. We knew we would find it one day, a place where our people could be safe and happy. This is the story of how we found that place and built a great city, a legend that people call the Founding of Kyiv.

One day, we came to a mighty river that flowed like a wide blue ribbon through the land. This was the great Dnipro River. On its bank stood seven beautiful green hills, rising up to touch the clouds. The sun shone down on them, and wildflowers grew everywhere, like a colorful carpet. My brother Shchek pointed to one hill and said, “Look! It’s as tall as a giant!”. Khoryv pointed to another. My sister Lybid smiled as she watched the water flow by, and she found a gentle stream that trickled into the big river. We all felt it in our hearts—this was the place! It was strong, beautiful, and felt like home already. We decided right then that we would stop our journey and build our future here, on these amazing hills.

As the oldest brother, I helped lead the work. We all worked together, side by side, like a busy team of ants. We built strong wooden houses and a fort on the highest hill to keep everyone safe from harm. Everyone in our tribe helped, and soon, our small settlement began to grow into a real town. We decided to name our new city 'Kyiv' in my honor, as I was the eldest. But everyone had a place named for them! One hill was named Shchekavytsia for my brother Shchek, and another was called Khoryvytsia for Khoryv. The gentle stream my sister loved so much was named Lybid, after her. Our family had built more than just a home; we had built the beginning of a great city where everyone had an important part.

Our city of Kyiv grew and grew, becoming strong and famous throughout the lands. Our story was told by parents to their children, for many, many years. It is a story about how a family, working together with a shared dream, can create something wonderful that lasts for a very long time. Today, Kyiv is a huge, beautiful city, and you can still find the hills and the river from our story. The myth reminds people in Ukraine of their proud beginnings and shows everyone that when we build things together with love and courage, our dreams can grow as big and as strong as a city on seven hills.