(1613) (1852). The city's date of establishment is unknown. It was first mentioned in the
Paterikon of
Caves Monastery in
Kyiv of the 11th century where it is mentioned about relocation of icon painters from
Constantinople during rule of
Vsevolod of Kyiv. There is no definite information on the source and meaning of the city's name; supposedly its name is derived from the personal nickname Kanya ('buzzard'). in his
Toponymic dictionary of Ukraine says that the name is derived from Turkish word meaning the place of
khan. There are other hypotheses on the city's name. From mid-12th century Kaniv became a big city and played prominent role in the
Kievan Rus' (Ruthenian state) where it was a center of an apanage principality within the principality of Kyiv. Until the 13th century, the central part of Kaniv was so called "Hellenic town" located at the Moskovka Mountain. Kaniv has been mentioned in the report of
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine after his 1245 travel to the
Mongol Empire. In the report, the city is mentioned as a Tatar post. In the
Middle Ages it was located on the
Road from Varangians to Greeks. Initially part of Kievan Rus', in 1362 it was annexed by the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the 14th century, Grand Duke of Lithuania
Vytautas the Great built in Kaniv a castle that existed until 1768. == Population ==