The Dnieper is the longest river of both Ukraine and Belarus.
It rises in Russia’s Valdai Hills, crosses Belarus, and then flows through Ukraine before entering the Black Sea. Its total length is commonly given as about 2,200 kilometres, although published measurements vary depending on how the source and channel are defined.
The river has shaped settlement, commerce, and politics across Eastern Europe. Kyiv grew on its banks, and the Dnieper formed part of the route known as the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. In the modern era, a chain of reservoirs and hydroelectric dams transformed much of its flow.
The Pripyat is a major tributary, not the main river itself; it joins the Dnieper in Ukraine after flowing through Belarus. The Dniester and Southern Bug are separate Ukrainian rivers, while the Western Dvina is Belarus’s other major north-flowing river. The names Dnieper, Dnipro, and Dnepr reflect different languages and historical usage.