Belgorod

**Belgorod** () is a ceety an the admeenistrative centre o Belgorod Oblast, Roushie, locatit on the Seversky Donets River juist  north o the Ukrainian border. Population: 

## History
The name *Belgorod* in Roushie literally means "a white ceety", name bein a compoond o "" (*bely*, "white, licht") an "" (*gorod*, "toun, ceety"). The ceety wis thus namit efter the region bein rich in limestane. Etymologically, it corresponds tae ither Slavic ceety names o identical meanin: *[[Belgrade]]*, *[[Białogard]]*, *[[Biograd]]*, *[[Bilhorod]]*, *[[Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi]]* etc.

The dounset wis first mentioned in 1237, when it wis ravagit bi the hordes o Batu Khan. It is unclear whether this Belgorod wis locatit at the same place whaur the current ceety is. In 1596, it wis re-foondit bi the order o Feodor Ioannovich as ane o numerous forts set up tae defend Soothren borders frae the Crimean Tatars.

Efter the Roushie border wis muivit further sooth, the fortress fell in disrepair an the toun wis assigned tae Kursk Govrenorate. Peter the Great visitit it on the eve o the Battle o Poltava, an a dragoon regiment wis stationed in the toun till 1917.

Ioasaph o Belgorod, an 18t century bishop, became widely veneratit as a miracle wirker an wis glorifeed as a saunt o the Roushie Orthodox Kirk in 1911.

It wis occupeed bi Nazi Germany on 25 October 1941. On 12 Julie 1943, durin the Battle o Kursk, the lairgest tank battle in warld history teuk place near Prokhorovka, an the ceety wis consequently leeberatit on 5 August 1943. The Belgorod Diorama is ane o the Warld War II monuments commemoratin the event.

Belgorod is an admeenistrative, industrial an cultural centre o Belgorod Oblast, established in 1954. The major educational centres o the ceety are Belgorod State University, Technological University, Agricultural Academy, Financial Academy.

Belgorod Drama Theater is namit efter ane o the famous 19t-century actors Mikhail Shchepkin who wis born in this region.

## Admeenistrative an municipal status
Belgorod is the admeenistrative centre o the oblast. Athin the framewirk o admeenistrative diveesions, it is incorporatit as the **[[ceety o federal subject significance|ceety o oblast significance]] o Belgorod**—an admeenistrative unit wi the status equal tae that o the destricts. As a municipal diveesion, the ceety o oblast significance o Belgorod is incorporatit as **Belgorod Urban Okrug**.

### Ceety diveesions
For the admeenistrative purposes, Belgorod is dividit intae twa ceety okrugs:
*Vostochny ("Eastren"), population: 141,844 (2010 Census)
*Zapadny ("Wastren"), population: 214,558 (2010 Census)

## Climate
Belgorod's climate is humid continental (Köppen climate classification *Dfb*) featurin cauld winters, wairm simmers an moderate precipitation.

## Transportation
Syne 1869, thare is an railwey connection atween Belgorod an Moscow. Belgorod is servit bi the Belgorod Internaitional Airport (EGO).

## Internaitional relations

### Twin touns an sister ceeties
Belgorod is twinned wi:
* Wakefield, Ingland, United Kingdom
* Herne, North Rhine-Westphalie, Germany
* Palembang, Sooth Sumatra, Indonesie
* Opole, Poland
* Vyshhorod, Ukraine
* Kharkiv, Ukraine

## References
### Notes

### Sources
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## Freemit airtins
* Offeecial wabsteid o Belgorod Shukhov State Technological University
*Belgorod ceety views an scenery
*Belgorod, the gowden gate o Sooth Roushie