Video: 'The World at War: Barbarossa: June-December 1941 (5 of 26)' (Kiev falls @ 29:35)

(Friday, September 19, 1941; during First Battle of Kiev, part of Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front of World War II) — Kiev, a city of 850,000, third largest in the Soviet Union and next in importance to Moscow and Leningrad of the three top German objectives, fell this morning after its last strong fortications on the west bank of the Dnieper River had been smashed by violent Nazi charges.

The Soviets lost over 500,000 soldiers, and it might be as many as 700,000; the Germans a bit more than 100,000.

The First Battle of Kiev would continue, however, for another week, ending on Sept. 26, 1941.