One of the elements of knowing the country's past is the history of the city. Kursk is quite interesting in this regard, since it was founded a very long time ago and can represent the events of the Russian state from princely times to the present day. In addition, the city is also interesting because it is located not far from the borders of our homeland. So, how did Kursk live during its existence? The history of the city, summarized in this article, will help to find the answer to this question.
Geographic location
Let's find out where this settlement is located before moving on to such an interesting topic as the history of the city. Kursk is located in the west of the European part of the Russian Federation, at a distance of 450 kilometers southwest of the capital of our homeland, Moscow. The city is located in a temperate climate zone with a temperate continental climate. It is the administrative center and the largest city of the Kursk region.
The territory occupied by the settlement is about 190 square meters. km. The height of the center of Kursk above sea level is 250 m. The largest river in the city is the Seim. In addition, a number of tributaries of this water flow through Kursk.arteries.
Population
The total population of Kursk is about 443.2 thousand people, which is the 41st indicator among all settlements in Russia. Density - 2.3 thousand people. per sq. km.
Since 2012, the change in the population has shown exceptionally positive dynamics. The vast majority of residents are ethnic Russians.
Foundation of the city
How does the history of the city begin? Kursk is one of the most ancient settlements of the Russian Federation. It was founded in the first half of the 10th century. There is no exact date of formation of this settlement, but the first mention of it is found in the biography of Theodosius of the Caves. True, even there the exact date of the life of this saint is not indicated, with which the formation of Kursk could be compared. But this event should have happened no later than 1032. Even then it was a large settlement with developed trade, so its actual foundation should have happened much earlier.
At the same time, archaeological data allow us to say that the first settlement on the site of modern Kursk arose no later than the 8th century. It is quite possible that people have lived here continuously since that date.
Origin of the name
What is the history of the name of the city of Kursk? It is named after the river Kur. This is a small river, which is a tributary of the Tuskari River, which, in turn, flows into the Seim on the territory of the modern city. In ancient times, the core of the settlement was formed near the Kur River, from where Kursk got its name.
Linguists don'testablished the exact meaning of the name of the river, but there is an assumption that it comes from the word "kurya", which means backwater or river bay. True, there is another version among the people, which says that the name of the city comes from the name of a partridge or chicken.
Some scholars are trying to derive the name from the Turkic languages. In their opinion, Kursk is translated as "security city".
Princely times
Kursk becomes the center of a specific principality until 1095, when Vladimir Monomakh, at that time the prince of Chernigov, and later the Great Kyiv, appointed his son Izyaslav Vladimirovich to reign in this city. But already in 1095, Izyaslav, by order of his father, retired to rule in Murom. In 1096, the prince died in one of the internecine battles. Despite his short reign, Izyaslav managed to build a fortress in Kursk.
The history of the city of Kursk is most interesting for children when it comes to Prince Vsevolod Svyatoslavovich, nicknamed Bui-tour. He is one of the main characters in The Tale of Igor's Campaign. This prince became famous for his incredible strength and courage. Even before his reign, Kursk turned into one of the main fortress lines designed to protect Russia from the raids of the Polovtsy and other nomads.
In 1180 Vsevolod becomes Prince of Kursk and Trubetskoy. During his reign, he became famous for participating in numerous campaigns, along with other princes against the Polovtsians. The most famous is the campaign of 1185, sung in the "Tale of Igor's Campaign", when he, along with hisbrother Igor Svyatoslavovich, Prince of Novgorod-Seversky, was captured by the Polovtsians. Vsevolod returned from captivity only in 1188. He died in 1196.
Participating in the infamous Battle of Kalka against the Mongols in 1223, the inhabitants of Kursk also sent their garrison to the Russian army. In 1238, during the Batu invasion, the city was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars. After that, Kursk was rebuilt, but was again devastated in 1285.
In 1362, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd managed to wrest the city from Tatar rule and annexed it to his lands.
As part of the Russian state
In 1508, the history of the city changed radically. Kursk was included in the Grand Duchy of Moscow under Vasily III. It became one of the links in the defense of the resurgent Russia on its southwestern borders simultaneously against the Commonwe alth and the Crimean Khanate.
In the 15th and in the first half of the 16th century, Tatar raids became more frequent, which caused the desolation of Kursk. But the city was revived again in 1586. It is this date that is considered to be the second foundation of Kursk. Under Ivan the Terrible, rebels and unreliable people were exiled to this border town. In 1596, a new fortress was built, which became the key to the security of the borders and the population of the city.
Throughout the first half of the 17th century, Poles, Nogais and Crimean Tatars repeatedly attacked Kursk, but they never managed to take this impregnable fortress.
Soon, the residents of Orel were resettled in Kursk. By 1678, it already numbered about 2,800 people,that for the border fortress of that time was not so little. This was due to a rather favorable economic and geographical position. Through Kursk there was a road from Moscow to the Crimean Khanate, and there was also a fork to Kyiv, which ensured developed trade.
Due to the fact that Kursk at that time had fairly strong ties with Little Russia, in 1708 it was included in the Kyiv province.
Kursk during the Russian Empire
However, already in 1727 Kursk was included in the Belgorod province. But in 1779, under Catherine the Great, this province was disbanded, and the city became the center of the Kursk governorship. Its first head was the famous Field Marshal Rumyantsev. In 1781, a big fire broke out in the city, after which it began to be rebuilt. In 1797, the governorship was transformed into a province. Since then, Kursk has become a provincial city.
With the expansion of the borders of the Russian Empire, Kursk is losing its importance as a border town, but trade is intensively developing in it. The city grew and expanded, industry began to actively develop in it, in 1808 a gymnasium was opened. The history of Zarechnaya Street is connected with the expansion of Kursk across the river. The city of Kursk has become a fairly large regional center. In the second half of the 19th century, a centralized water supply system appeared, and tram traffic was opened.
Soviet times
In the first quarter of the 20th century, the history of the city of Kursk changed dramatically. The summary of the events of those times is that at the end of 1917, Soviet power came to the city. However, this was only the beginning of the Civilwar. In September 1919, Kursk was captured by the White Army of General Denikin, but in November it was recaptured by the Red Army. Since then, the city became part of Soviet Russia, and then the USSR.
In 1928 Kursk province ceased to exist. Kursk became the administrative center of one of the three districts of the Central Black Earth Region, and since 1934 the central city of the Kursk Region.
During the Great Patriotic War, the city was occupied by Nazi troops in November 1941, although it was defended not only by the army, but also by the militia. The liberation of the city took place a year and a half later - in February 1943. In July - August, one of the largest battles of World War II, the Battle of Kursk, took place near Kursk.
A year after the liberation, Kursk began to be restored, although the war was still going on. In 1953, trams began to run along the streets of the city. Plants and factories were being restored in the city.
Modernity
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the severity of the transition period affected all the cities of Russia. Kursk is no exception. In the 90s, many enterprises were closed here, there was a high level of unemployment.
In the 2000s, due to the general rise of the Russian economy, life gradually began to improve in this regional center. Industry, manufacturing, service provision and trade began to develop, which means that new jobs have appeared.
In 2012, the 980th anniversary of the city was solemnly celebrated. The current head of Kursk is Olga Germanova. The city is divided into three districts: Seimsky, Zheleznodorozhny and Central. Today Kursk is a modern Russian regional center.
The meaning of the history of Kursk
To understand the modern inhabitants of a particular settlement, you need to study its history. The past and the present constantly flow into each other, forming a continuous chain of events. Everything that happened today was built on the foundations laid yesterday. Therefore, the history of the city of Kursk is so important. A brief summary for children and adults of the historical events that took place in this city is set out above. But, of course, this is not enough if you want to learn more about Kursk. The article outlines only the main historical milestones. And for a closer study, it is required to use mainly primary sources.
According to the educational program, the history of the city of Kursk for grade 2 is included in the lessons on the world around. Of course, this helps to familiarize children with the past of their native city. But adults should not forget about the history of their region. Moreover, residents of other cities in Russia should also be interested in the events that took place in the past in various settlements of the country. Indeed, from such parts of the mosaic, the history of our entire country is formed into a single whole.
