Description

City of Military Glory is an honorary title bestowed upon the citizenry of Russian cities, where defenders had displayed courage, steadfastness, and mass heroism in the fight for their Fatherland’s freedom and independence during the Second World War.

Kursk is an ancient Russian town. According to recent excavations, the Kursk fortress of the principality of Kiev was founded around 982-984, and was located in the area of the Red Square of the present city.

The official year of foundation of Kursk is 1032. This date is based on an ancient church document “The Life of Theodosius Pechersky”, created by the monk-chronicler Nestor in the 11th century. In this chronicle, Kursk is described as a large trade town with a significant number of residents.

Since the end of the 11th century, the fortress of Kursk was one of the most powerful outposts on the border of Kievan Rus. In 1185, Prince Vsevolod Kursky sent his troops against Polovtsy; this unsuccessful campaign of the Russian princes is described in the famous literary work “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”.

In 1223, people from Kursk participated in the Battle of the Kalka River - the battle between the united Russian-Polovtsian army and the Mongolian army, the Mongols won a complete victory. This was the first Mongol invasion in Russia. In 1238, Kursk was completely destroyed by the Mongols.

During World War II, Kursk was occupied by Germany between November 4, 1941 and February 8, 1943. The village of Prokhorovka near Kursk was the center of the Battle of Kursk, a major engagement between Soviet and German forces which is widely believed by historians to have been the largest tank battle in history and was the last major German offensive mounted against the Soviet Union.