Kaniv Raion is a raion (district) of Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. Its administrative centre is located at Kaniv.
Kaniv (Ukrainian: Канів; Russian: Ка́нев, translit. Kanev; Polish: Kaniów) is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper. The current estimated population is 25,354 (as of Jan-2014). The city was called Kaniv because of the manufacture of knives during the 15th century. Kaniv is a historical town that was founded in the 11th century by Kyivan Prince Yaroslav the Wise. This pleasant city is known today mostly for the burial site of Taras Shevchenko, the great Ukrainian poet and artist.