Irpin (river)

For the city with the same name, see Irpin.

Irpin’ Ірпінь
The river in May
Location
Country	Ukraine
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Dnieper
• location	Kyiv Reservoir
• coordinates	50°44′40″N 30°22′05″E
Length	162 km (101 mi)
Basin size	3,340 km2 (1,290 sq mi)
Basin features
Progression	Dnieper→ Dnieper–Bug estuary→ Black Sea
Tributaries
• right	Nyvka

The Irpin’ or Irpen’ (Ukrainian: Ірпі́нь; Russian: Ирпе́нь) is a river in Ukraine, a right tributary of the Dnieper. It is 162 kilometres (101 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 3,340 square kilometres (1,290 sq mi). It flows through the city of Irpin'.

The location where Irpin' enters the Dnieper river falls into the Kyiv Reservoir which the Dnieper forms because of the Kyiv Hydro-Electric Power Plant dam. Thus, the Dnieper water level at this location is lifted artificially by about 6.5–7 meters above the natural level. Therefore, the water of Irpin' is pumped into the Kyiv Reservoir by powerful electrical pumps, making Irpin' the river that literally flows upwards.

The lands around Irpen' were the heartland of Kyivan Rus and the chronicles mention the river in connection with several important historic events, such as the Battle on the Irpen' River of 1321 in which the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas (Gedemin) allegedly gained control over the lands of what is now central Ukraine. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed the bridge crossing over the river to stop a Russian advance towards Kyiv.