White City – the Soul of Russia Далее Далее НазадНазад

Belgorod was first mentioned as an outpost in 995, when Prince Vladimir of Kiev brought Christianity to Rus. In 1596, the Tsar ordered to built a fortress on a chalk hill. Life was difficult. People had to fight against the tartars from the south to protect their families and land.

1667. Belgorod was a military, administrative and spiritual centre. Peter I visited Belgorod. He gave the city its coat-of-arms.

Two cathedrals, St. Nicholas and Holy Trinity, were built. Josaphat, now the patron saint of Belgorodia, became Bishop of Belgorod.

1727. Belgorod was the centre of the Province with a population over 1 million people. The first Belgorod Governor was Prince Yuri Trubetskoy.

In 1766 the city was burnt to the ground. Catherine II gave money to rebuild Belgorod. Andrey Kvasov planned the restpration with a concept of long straight streets and blocks of houses. In the following years Empress Catherine and her grandson, Emperor Alexander I, visited Belgorod. Nicholas II also came.

By the beginning of the XX century Belgorod was a large industrious city with a railway, 3 cinemas and over 20 different types of schools.

Belgorod suffered badly from the wars in the first half of the century. The greatest tank battle in history, the Battle of the Kursk Bulge, was fought at the small town of Prokhorovka, near Belgorod, in July 1943.

The German army was defeated. It was one of the greatest victories in World War II. On August 5 Moscow saluted this victory with a big fireworks display.

Belgorod today has a population of over 350,000 people. It is the City of the First Salute. It is among the Best Kept Cities of Russia.

Schools, colleges and universities provide education for young people. Belgorod state and Technological Universities are among the best in the country.

Belgorod is also famous in sports – Svetlana Khorkina, twice the Olympic Champion in gymnastics, Belgorod volleyball team, seven times the Champions of Russia and twice the European League Champion.

Belgorod with its tidy streets, green parks and squares, combination of water, light and music is a joy to live in.