Kursk

: For other uses, see Kursk (disambiguation).

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Kursk (Russian: ?????; pronunciation: koorsk) is a city in Central Russia, an administrative center of Kursk Oblast. Its geographical location is {{coor dm|51|44|N|36|11|E|}}. The population of the city was 412,442 in 2002.

Related Topics:
Russian - Russia - Kursk Oblast - 2002

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The city lies in the western part of Central Russia, at the confluence of Kura and Seym rivers. It's known that a Slavic fortified settlement existed there at least since 8th century CE, and other settlements since 4-5th century BCE.

Related Topics:
Kura - Seym - Slavic - 8th century - CE - 4 - 5th century BCE

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The first written record of Kursk is dated 1032. It was mentioned as one of Severian towns by Prince Igor in The Tale of Igor's Campaign: "As to my Kurskers, they are famous knights - swaddled under war-horns, nursed under helmets, fed from the point of the lance; to them the trails are familiar, to them the ravines are known, the bows they have are strung tight, the quivers, unclosed, the sabers, sharpened; themselves, like gray wolves, they lope in the field, seeking for themselves honor, and for their prince glory."

Related Topics:
1032 - Severia - Prince Igor - The Tale of Igor's Campaign

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The city was raided by the Polovtsians in 12th and 13th centuries. Batu Khan destroyed the city around 1237. The city was rebuilt by no later than 1283. Kursk joined the centralized Russian state in 1508 becoming the southern border province of the state.

Related Topics:
Polovtsi - 12th - 13th centuries - Batu Khan - 1237 - 1283 - Centralized Russian state - 1508

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The area is famous for rich deposits of iron ore. It is one of the major railroad hubs in the Russian Southwest.

Related Topics:
Iron ore - Railroad

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The city is a home for several universities: Medical University, University of Technology, Pedagogue University and Agricultural Academy.

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A village of Prokhorovka near Kursk was the center of the Battle of Kursk during the World War II.

Related Topics:
Prokhorovka - Battle of Kursk - World War II

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