Official sources state that the city derives its name from Prince Boris, of Boris and Gleb, two sons of Vladimir the Great, who were both murdered during the internecine wars of 1015–1019. Others state that the name of the city is of the Greek origin; it consists of two parts Borys from Borysthenes and Pil from Polis. The city also has a sister city, Hopkins, Minnesota, US.
History
The settlement is first mentioned in 1015 in connection with the internecine wars of 1015–1019, and later, in the 12th century, as part of the Kievan Rus. Sometime after the Mongol invasion, most of the Ruthenian territory belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The site of the settlement belonged to the King's translator Soltan Albiyevich who in 1508 sold it to the KievSaint Nicholas Hermitage. It is believed that it was then when the settlement received its modern name. After the Union of Lublin, the southern regions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were passed over to the Polish Crown and in 1590 on decision of the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the settlement was given to Wojtech Czonowicki, a senior of the Registered Cossacks, who later participated in the Kosiński uprising. In 1596 the Polish KingSigismund III Vasa transformed the town into a royal estate and there was formed the Boryspol starostwo. Later the same year it was granted the Magdeburg rights and in the town was built a ratusz. The Boryspil town's coat of arms contained an image of Saint Stanislav. With extinguishing the Nalyvaiko Uprising, the Boryspil starostwo was passed to Stanisław Żółkiewski and stayed as the Żółkiewski's family estate until the 1648 Khmelnytsky Uprising. On 14 January 1752 the Hetman of Little RussiaKyrylo Rozumovsky has given the town in eternal possession to his brother-in-law Kiev Colonel Yukhym Darahan. On 2 June 1920 at the Battle of Boryspil Polish-Ukrainian Army defeated the Red Army. Later in 1920 in the town was established the Soviet regime. There were created four collective farms : "Shevchenko Memorial", "Kirov Memorial", "Sickle and Mallet", "Victory". The town suffered greatly during the Soviet organized Holodomor when between 1 January 1933 to 1 January 1934 only by official data perished 5,739 among which 266 were infants. During World War II, Boryspil was occupied by the German Army from September 23, 1941 to September 23, 1943. Fierce battles were fought around the city during its capture and liberation. During the Nazi occupation, the airfield of the modern Boryspil International Airport was used as a camp for prisoners of war. In 1956 Boryspil was officially granted the city status. Currently the city is home to the country's main and biggest airport, Boryspil International Airport and some minor industry.
Infrastructure
had its head office on the grounds of Boryspil International Airport. Around the city detours the main European route, particularly the Kiev-Kharkiv highway. Along between Kiev and Boryspil International Airport stretches a modernized motorway. In the city also starts another national highway which connects Boryspil with Zaporizhia.
