Armenians settled in Ukraine during the early Middle Ages. There was a large Armenian community in Kiev, the capital of ancient Russia. The flow of Armenians to Kiev Russia grew in the 11th century, especially due to tension stemming from the dominance of the Turkish-Seljuks. The Armenian Diaspora community in Ukraine grew during the Soviet era. Since 1988 Armenian non-governmental, cultural, charitable, and youth organizations have been established in Armenian-populated cities and regions of the country. In 1989, the Armenian Union of Kiev was founded. Since the collapse of the USSR, the Armenian community in Ukraine has proliferated. The Union of Armenians of Ukraine was established in 2001. There are currently about 500,000 Armenians living in Ukraine, according to unofficial data.