Belgorod
(Russian: Белгород;)is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast,
Russia, situated on the Seversky Donets River just 40 kilometers (25 mi) north
of the Ukrainian border.
The name
Belgorod in Russian literally means "a white city", name being a
compound of "белый" (bely, "white, light") and
"город" (gorod, "town, city"). The city was thus named
after the region being rich in limestone. Etymologically, it corresponds to
other Slavic city names of identical meaning: Belgrade, Białogard, Biograd,
Bilhorod, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi etc.
The settlement
was first mentioned in 1237, when it was ravaged by the hordes of Batu Khan. It
is unclear whether this Belgorod was located at the same place where the
current city is. In 1596, it was re-founded by the order of Feodor Ioannovich
as one of numerous forts set up to defend Southern borders from the Crimean
Tatars.[6]
After the
Russian border was moved further south, the fortress fell in disrepair and the
town was assigned to Kursk Governorate. Peter the Great visited it on the eve
of the Battle of Poltava, and a dragoon regiment was stationed in the town
until 1917.
Ioasaph of
Belgorod, an 18th century bishop, became widely venerated as a miracle worker
and was glorified as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1911.
It was
occupied by Nazi Germany on October 25, 1941. On July 12, 1943, during the
Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in world history took place near
Prokhorovka, and the city was consequently liberated on August 5, 1943. The
Belgorod Diorama is one of the World War II monuments commemorating the event.
Belgorod is an
administrative, industrial and cultural center of Belgorod Oblast, established
in 1954. The major educational centers of the city are Belgorod State
University, Technological University, Agricultural Academy, Financial Academy.Belgorod Drama Theater is named after one of the famous 19th-century actors Mikhail Shchepkin who was born in this region.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgorod)
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