Irpin, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine

🇺🇦 Irpin (Ірпі́нь) is a Hero City of Ukraine located on the Irpin River in Kyiv Oblast (province) right next to the city of Kyiv in northern Ukraine. A portion of Irpin, the settlement of Kotsiubynske, is an exclave within Kyiv.

Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance and serves as an administrative centre of Irpin Municipality, which includes the city of Irpin and three urban-type settlements. The city has a railway station built in 1899.

In the battle of Irpin during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 70% of the city was damaged. As of June 25, 2023, the city's mayor reported that most people had already returned: "Yes, we have already returned 85% of the entire city's population. In addition, we have received almost 25,000 internally displaced persons, mostly from the east".

History In the 17th century on the site of Irpin were the villages of Romanivka and khutir Liubka. In the 19th century Severynivka village, and khutirs Rudnia and Stoianka appeared.

Irpin was formed in 1899 as a passing loop, during construction of the Kyiv–Kovel railway line. Railway workers founded the town near the railway road along with other localities such as Bucha and Vorzel. The city's name (along with the settlement of Vorzel) was chosen due to its location on the Irpin River.

From 26 July 1941, right after the Battle of Kyiv, it was occupied by the Wehrmacht until November 1943, when Kyiv was recaptured. Most of its Jewish population were murdered in either Babi Yar or other massacres by the Nazis.

In 1956, Irpin's status was changed to that of a "city of raion (district) subordination", subordinate to the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion (district).

On 30 December 1962, the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR issued a decree changing the status of Irpin to that of a "city of oblast subordination", thus being directly subordinate to the oblast authorities rather than the city administration housed within the city. Also mentioned within the decree were the inclusion of the urban-type settlements of Bucha (a city since 2007), Vorzel, Hostomel, and Kotsiubynske within the city limits.

Until 18 July 2020, Irpin was incorporated as a city of oblast significance and the centre of Irpin Municipality, which also included the urban-type settlement of Hostomel, Kotsiubynske, and Vorzel. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Kyiv Oblast to seven, Irpin Municipality was merged into Bucha Raion.

2022 Russian invasion During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Irpin became the site of a battlefield engagement during the Kyiv offensive. Russian forces took the Hostomel Airport in the north of the city to facilitate an advance southwards, around Kyiv. The city was shelled by Russian artillery while the Ukrainians were able to repel and destroy multiple forces attempting to move into the town. According to Human Rights Watch, on March 6, 2022, Russian forces bombarded an intersection on a road of Irpin which was used by civilians to flee. As of 24 March 2022, 80% of the city was recaptured from Russian occupants by Ukrainian Armed Forces. On 28 March, Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn announced that all of Irpin was fully recovered by the Ukrainian forces. On March 30, the mayor of Irpin said that the Russian military had killed more than 300 civilians and 50 servicemen in the city.

On 31 August 2022, the Declaration on Cooperation was signed in Irpin by the National Republican Army and Russian Volunteer Corps in an aim to overthrow the regime of Vladimir Putin.

On 24 August 2023, the Ruta Kindergarten  was opened under a collaborative project by Lithuania and Taiwan.

Economy There are 22 industrial manufacturers operating in the Irpin region. The city has close to one thousand enterprises of various forms of ownership. The most notable are Peremoha Industrial Complex of Irpin (bricks, reinforced concrete components, heat insulation and sound proofing materials), Irpinmash (gears for agricultural industry), Perun Trading Firm (books), KATECH-electro Private Commercial and Manufacturing Company (cabling and wiring products), Irpintorfmash factory (construction materials), and a furniture factory, just to name some.

The agricultural sector of Irpin provides the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, with potatoes and other vegetables.

The city is also a health resort area known for its recreational facilities.

Demographics As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, Irpin had a population of 100,390 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the entire Kyiv Oblast after Bila Tserkva. The population is overwhelmingly Ukrainian, yet sizeable Russian, Belarusian, Polish and Moldovan minorities reside in the city. The exact ethnic composition was as follows:

Sport The city has a well developed sports infrastructure. At some point it used to host several professional football clubs, among which are Dynamo Irpin (later known as FC Ros Bila Tserkva), Nafkom-Akademiya (later known as FC Nafkom Brovary), and others.

In the summer of 2016 a newly built small city stadium was opened in the city.

There is also a sports school, a football academy, and several other sports organizations such as a rugby club. A number of sports events are conducted regularly at the city's stadium.

Education • University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine (formerly State Tax Academy) • School of Economy of the National Agrarian University • Evangelical Bible Seminary.