Belgorod

Belgorod (English) Белгород (Russian)
-  City[1]  -
View of the central part of the city
Location of Belgorod Oblast in Russia
Belgorod Location of Belgorod in Belgorod Oblast
Coordinates: 50°36′N 36°36′E / 50.600°N 36.600°E / 50.600; 36.600Coordinates: 50°36′N 36°36′E / 50.600°N 36.600°E / 50.600; 36.600
Coat of arms	Flag
Anthem	none[2]
City Day	August 5[3]
Administrative status (as of July 2013)
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Belgorod Oblast[1]
Administratively subordinated to	city of oblast significance of Belgorod[1]
Administrative center of	Belgorod Oblast,[1] city of oblast significance of Belgorod[1]
Municipal status (as of May 2013)
Urban okrug	Belgorod Urban Okrug[4]
Administrative center of	Belgorod Urban Okrug[4]
Mayor[5]	Konstantin Polezhayev[6]
Representative body	Council of Deputies[7]
Statistics
Population (2010 Census)	356,402 inhabitants[8]
- Rank in 2010	49th
Population (January 2015 est.)	384,425 inhabitants[9]
Time zone	MSK (UTC+03:00)[10]
Founded	1596[11]
Postal code(s)[12]	308000–308002, 308004–308007, 308009–308020, 308023–308027, 308029, 308031–308034, 308036, 308099, 308700, 308880, 308890, 308899, 308940, 308960, 308961, 308967, 308971–308974, 308991–308994
Dialing code(s)	+7 4722
Official website
Belgorod on Wikimedia Commons

Belgorod (Russian: Белгород; IPA: [ˈbʲɛlɡərət]) is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River just 40 kilometers (25 mi) north of the border with Ukraine. Population: 356,402 (2010 Census);^[8] 337,030 (2002 Census);^[13] 300,408 (1989 Census).^[14]

History

The name Belgorod in Russian literally means "white city", compounding the sememes "белый" (bely, "white, light") and "город" (gorod, "town, city"). The city thus acquired its name because the region was rich in limestone. Etymologically, the name corresponds to other Slavic city-names of identical meaning: Belgrade, Belogradchik, Białogard, Biograd, Bilhorod, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi etc.

Records first mention the settlement in 1237, when the Mongol-led army of Batu Khan ravaged it. It is unclear whether this Belgorod stood on the same site as the current city. In 1596 Tsar Feodor Ioannovich of Russia ordered its re-establishment as one of numerous forts set up to defend Muscovy's Southern borders from the Crimean Tatars.^[11] In the 17th century Belgorod suffered repeatedly from Tatar incursions, against which Russia built (from 1633 to 1740) an earthen wall, with twelve forts, extending upwards of 200 miles from the Vorskla in the west to the Don in the east, and called the Belgorod line. In 1666 the Moscow Patriarchate established an archiepiscopal see in the town.^[15]

Men's Monastery in 1911

After the Russian border moved south following the annexation of eastern Ukraine to Russia in the second half of the 17th century, the fortress fell into disrepair; the town became part of the Kursk Governorate.

Tsar Peter the Great visited Belgorod on the eve of the Battle of Poltava (1709). A dragoon regiment had its base in the town until 1917.

Ioasaph of Belgorod, an 18th-century bishop of Belgorod and Oboyanska, became widely venerated as a miracle worker and was glorified as a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1911.

20th century

View of Belgorod in 1912

Soviet power was established in the city on October 26 (November 8), 1917. On April 10, 1918, troops of the Imperial German Army occupied Belgorod. After the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty of 9 February 1918 the demarcation line passed to the north of the city. Belgorod became part of the Ukrainian State (April to December 1918) headed by Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi.

On December 20, 1918, after the overthrow of Skoropadskyi, the Soviet Red Army occupied the city, which became part of the RSFSR. From December 24, 1918 to January 7, 1919, the Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government of Ukraine, then led by General Georgy Pyatakov, was based in Belgorod. The city served as the temporary capital of Ukraine. From June 23 to December 7, 1919 the Volunteer Army occupied the town as part of White-controlled South Russia.

From September 1925 the territorial 163rd Infantry Regiment of the 55th Infantry Division of Kursk was stationed in Belgorod. In September 1939 it was deployed to the 185th Infantry Division.

On March 2, 1935, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union decided to allocate the city of Belgorod, Kursk region, into an independent administrative unit directly subordinate to the Kursk Regional Executive Committee.

The German Wehrmacht occupied Belgorod from October 25, 1941 to February 9, 1943. The Germans re-captured it on March 18, 1943 in the final move of the Third Battle of Kharkov. On July 12, 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in world history took place near Prokhorovka, and Red Army definitively liberated the city on August 5, 1943. The Belgorod Diorama is one of the World War II monuments commemorating the event.

In 1954 the city became the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast. From this time the rapid development of the city as a regional center began. One can say that the city was rebuilt.

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, the Belgorod Technological University, the Belgorod Agrarian University, and the Financial Academy.

Belgorod Drama Theater is named after the famous 19th-century actor, Mikhail Shchepkin, who was born in this region.

On April 22, 2013, a mass shooting occurred at approximately 2:20 PM Moscow time on a street in Belgorod. The shooter, identified as 31-year-old Sergey (Sergei) Pomazun (Russian: Сергей Помазун), opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle on several people at a gun store and on a sidewalk, killing all six people whom he hit: three people at the store and three passers-by, including two teenage girls. Pomazun was later apprehended after an extensive day-long manhunt; during his arrest, he wounded a policeman with a knife. He was sentenced to life in prison on August 23, 2013.

Administrative and municipal status

Belgorod is the administrative center of the oblast.^[1] Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the city of oblast significance of Belgorod—an administrative unit with status equal to that of the districts.^[1] As a municipal division, the city of oblast significance of Belgorod is incorporated as Belgorod Urban Okrug.^[4]

City divisions

For administrative purposes, Belgorod is divided into two city okrugs:

• Vostochny ("Eastern"), population: 141,844 (2010 Census)^[8]
• Zapadny ("Western"), population: 214,558 (2010 Census)^[8]

Climаte

Belgorod's climаte is humid continentаl (Köppen climate classification Dfb) feаturing moderаte precipitаtion. Winters аre rаther cold and changeable with often warmings which are followed by rains. Also quite often temperature falls lower −15 °C (5 °F) which can proceed about one week and more. Summer is warm, in separate years — could be rainy or hot and droughty. Autumn is soft and rainy. The Belgorod reservoirs become covered with ice at the end of November — the beginning of December, the ice drift lasts from March to April.

• аverаge yeаr [Temperature|temperature]: + 7,7 °C
• аverаge humidity: 76%
• аverаge wind speed: 5-7 m/s
• аverаge precipitation 380–620 mm (14.96–24.41 in), mostly in summer.

Transportation

LiAZ-5293 CNG low-entry bus

AKSM-420 Vitovt trolleybus

Since 1869, there has been a railway connection between Belgorod and Moscow.^[18] Belgorod is served by the Belgorod International Airport (EGO).

Trolleybus

Length of trolley lines is over 120 km (75 mi). Trolleybus city park consists of 150 pieces of equipment, mainly Russian-made trolley ZiU-682V, 2 units ZiU-683, operated since 1990, and 3 units ZiU-6205, 30 units "Optima", and also has one trolley Skoda-VSW -14Tr, which started operation in 1996. In 2002, the city administration purchased 15 new trolleybuses ZiU-682G, and in 2005 bought another 20 new trolleybuses ZiU-682G, and in 2011 - 30 trolleybuses Trolza-5275.05 "Optima", and in 2013 - 20 new trolleybuses ACSM-420.

Bus

The city has two bus stations: Bus Belgorod, Belgorod- 2 Bus Terminal (located on the forecourt ), as well as bus stop complex Energomash. The Energomash bus station is mainly for commuting buses. From the bus station Belgorod-2 buses go mainly to nearby regional centers, and departure of buses in accordance with the arrival of trains.

Culture and art

Theaters

• Belgorod Drama Theater
• Belgorod Puppet Theater
• Two monkeys, Belgorod clowning theater

Museums

• Belgorod historical museum
• Belgorod Art Museum
• Belgorod Museum of Folk Culture
• The Belgorod Diorama Of The Tank Battle of 1943

Festivals

• White mask, a festival of street arts

Notable people

• Joasaph of Belgorod, 18th century bishop
• Svetlana Khorkina, Olympic gymnast
• Natalia Zuyeva, Olympic rhythmic gymnast
• Alexey Shved, basketball player
• Vadim Moshkovich, Federation Council member

Twin towns and sister cities

Belgorod is twinned with:

References

Notes

Sources

• Белгородский городской Совет депутатов. Решение №197 от 29 ноября 2005 г. «О принятии Устава городского округа "Город Белгород"», в ред. Решения №262 от 22 июля 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Устав городского округа "Город Белгород"». Вступил в силу 1 января 2006 г. (за исключением отдельных положений). Опубликован: "Наш Белгород", №50, 16 декабря 2005 г. (Belgorod City Council of Deputies. Decision #197 of November 29, 2005 On the Adoption of the Charter of the Urban Okrug of the "City of Belgorod", as amended by the Decision #262 of July 22, 2015 On Amending the Charter of the Urban Okrug of the "City of Belgorod". Effective as of January 1, 2006 (with the exception of certain clauses).).
• Белгородская областная Дума. Закон №248 от 15 декабря 2008 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Белгородской области», в ред. Закона №213 от 4 июля 2013 г. «О внесении изменения в Закон Белгородской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Белгородской области"». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней со дня официального опубликования за исключением положений, для которых предусмотрены иные сроки вступления в силу. Опубликован: "Белгородские известия", №219-220, 19 декабря 2008 г. (Belgorod Oblast Duma. Law #248 of December 15, 2008 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Belgorod Oblast, as amended by the Law #213 of July 4, 2013 On Amending the Law of Belgorod Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Belgorod Oblast". Effective as of 10 days after the day of the official publication; except for the portions for which other effective dates are specified.).
• Белгородская областная Дума. Закон №159 от 20 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения, городского округа, муниципального района», в ред. Закона №244 от 4 декабря 2013 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 12 Закона Белгородской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения, городского округа, муниципального района"». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Белгородские известия", №218–220, 24 декабря 2004 г. (Belgorod Oblast Duma. Law #159 of December 20, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations and on Granting Them a Status of Urban, Rural Settlement, Urban Okrug, Municipal District, as amended by the Law #244 of December 4, 2013 On Amending Article 12 of the Law of Belgorod Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations and on Granting Them a Status of Urban, Rural Settlement, Urban Okrug, Municipal District". Effective as of the day which is 10 days after the official publication.).

External links

• Belgorod at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine

Administrative divisions of Belgorod Oblast
Administrative center: Belgorod
Cities and towns	Alexeyevka Belgorod Biryuch Grayvoron Gubkin Korocha Novy Oskol Shebekino Stary Oskol Stroitel Valuyki
Administrative districts	Alexeyevsky Belgorodsky Borisovsky Chernyansky Grayvoronsky Gubkinsky Ivnyansky Korochansky Krasnensky Krasnogvardeysky Krasnoyaruzhsky Novooskolsky Prokhorovsky Rakityansky Rovensky Shebekinsky Starooskolsky Valuysky Veydelevsky Volokonovsky Yakovlevsky