For 500 Years, the World’s Largest Cities Were in Ukraine

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]For 500 years, from 4,100 to 3,600 BC, the world's largest cities stood in what is now Ukraine. Talianki, 500 hectares, 3,000 buildings, 25,000 people.

[00:00:15]Nebelyvka, 400 hectares, 1,800 buildings, 20,000 people. Maidanetske, 370 hectares, 2,900 buildings, 18,000 people. Dobrovody, 350 hectares, 2,500 buildings, 17,000 people. Veselyi Kut, 300 hectares, 1,600 buildings, 12,000 people.

[00:00:41]The largest cities outside Ukraine were smaller. Uruk, 250 hectares, 2,000 buildings, 20,000 people.

[00:00:50]Eridu, 100 hectares, 700 buildings, 7,000 people.

[00:01:04]The population of the Trypillia culture within modern Ukraine was about 1 million people, roughly equal to the entire population of Europe at that time.

[00:01:13]Like and subscribe. We have a lot of interesting things coming up.