Belgorod

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Belgorod (Russian: Бе́лгород) is a city in western Russia, situated on the Seversky Donets river just 40 km north from the Ukrainian border, at 50°37′N, 36°35′E. It is the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast. Population: 337,030 (2002 Census).

The name Belgorod (like Belgrade in Serbia) is the Slavic for "white city", the vicinity being rich in limestone. The settlement is first mentioned in 1237, when it was ravaged by the hordes of Batu Khan. In 1596 it was refounded by the order of Boris Godunov as one of the numerous fortresses set up to defend Southern borders from the Crimean Tatars.

After the Russian border was moved further south, the fortress fell in disrepair and the town was assigned to the Government of Kursk. Peter the Great visited it on the eve of the Battle of Poltava, and a dragoon regiment was stationed in the town until 1917.

During the great Battle of Kursk, the village of Prokhorovka in Belgorod Oblast was a stage of the largest tank battle in history (July 12, 1943). The World War II monuments include the Belgorod Diorama and a huge cathedral in Prokhorovka.

Belgorod is an administrative, industrial and cultural centre of Belgorod Oblast, established in 1954. The main educational centres are the Belgorod Shukhov State Technological University, the Belgorod State University, the Belgorod Agricultural Academy and Financial Academy. The Belgorod Academic Theatre is named in honour of the famous 19th-century actor Mikhail Shchepkin who was born in the vicinity. The city is served by Belgorod Airport.