BYELGOROD, Russian Federation

Territory: 153,1 sq. кm.

 

Population: 348,2 thousand people (2006)
 

Language: Russian
 

Religion: Orthodox

 

Title: The City of the First Salut. The City of the Warriors Glory.

 

 

Byelgorod is sityated on the right edge of the Central Russian Upland, on the right bank of river Siverskiy Donets (the right flowing of the Don) 695 km to the south from Moskva. Byelgorod has a profitable geographic position, I sa city on the boundary, a centre of a contact zone of Russia and Ukraine, because of the reason that it is in 45 km from the boundary with Ukraine.

History

Byelgorod was founded by a decree of tsar Fedor Ioannovich on the 11^th of September of 1596 as a boundary fortress. Since 1658 Byelgorod had become a main city os so-called “Byelgorod Line” – the line of defence of more than 800 km long which defended Moskovia from the Crimea Tatars raids. At the beginning of the XVIII century after the Ukrainna defensive line the strategy importance of Byelgorod had been reduced. After qonquering the Crimea in 1785 the city was excluded from the range of active fortresses.
 

In 1727-1779 the city was a center of Byelgorod governship, to which the cities Oryol and Kharkiv belong. After the cancellation of the governship Byelgorod became a county in Kursk governship.
 

The Soviet power in the city was appointed on the 26^th of October (the 8^th of November) of 1917. on the 10^th of 1918 Byelgorod was occupied by German military forces. After the Brest peace conclusionthe demarcation line passed to the north of the city and Byelgorod was included to the Ukrainian State of getman Skoropadskiy. On the 20^th of December of 1918 after the city had been occupied by the Red Army, Byelgorod was returned to RSFR. Since the 24^th of December of 1918 to the 7^th of January of 1919 there had been a Temporary Workers and Peasants Govenment led by g. Pyatakov in Byelgorod.
 

During the Great Patriotic war there were bloody battles at Byelgorod. In honor of Byelgorod and Oryol deliverance of fashists there was salut in Moskva on the 5^th of August of 1943. Since then Byelgorod has been called the City of the First Salut, and the day of the city has been celebrated on the 5^th of August.
 

In 1954 the city became an administrative center of Byelgorod region.
 

Modern Byelgorod is one of the most beautiful cities of the South of Russia. The city occupied the honorable place for accuracy and comfortability among the cities of Russia with population from 100 to 500 thousand people for several times. The population of the city increases each year because of those who have arrived from the north.
 

Economics  

One of the priorities in Byelgorod economics is digging and export of the brass. Chalk which is digged on the territory of Byelgorod region does not have analogs in the world. Besides the iron stone is digged on the territory of the region. There are huge resources of iron stone in the neighbour regions too. It is so called “Kursky magnetic anomaly”.
 

The industry of the city is presented by the leading enterprises of chemical, pharmaceutical, woodworking, food, consumer industry, machinery and building materials producing. There are about 675 big and of middle size enterprises in the city. The industrial base of the city are OSJC “Byelgorodskiy plant of the mining machinery”, CSJC “Energomash”, “OSJC “Byelgorodasbestcement”, “ZBK-1” Ltd, OSJC “Byelgorodskiy plant “Rhythm”, OSJC @Byelgorodsky cement”, OSJC @Byelgorodsky abrasive plant” etc.
 

Small business develops actively: on the 1^st January of 2007 there were 10,5 thousand enterpreners without creating a natural person and 8,1 thousand small enterprises registered in the city.
 

Byelgorod is a big transport unit where the roads from the north to the south cross with thous passing from the east to the west. There is a big railway station and international airport, which provide transport connections in the region and with neighbour regions.

There are 8 higher, 7 profeccional and 50 secondary educational institutions, among them Byelgorodskiy State University, the State Technology university named by V.G. Shukhov, the university of Cunsomers Cooperation, the Law Institute of MIA of Russia, the State Agricultural Academy, the State Institute of Culture and Arts, Byelgorod Orthodox seminary (aimed to missionary) and others.
 

There are 75 memorial places of history and culture on the territory of the city. These places have historical, scince and art value and are guarded by the state. There is a regional natural history museum, Drama Theatre named by M.S. Shghepkin (a son of Byelgorod region), Diorama Museum “Kursky Battle. Byelgorod direction”, the puppet theatre, three cinemas, Palace of Sports, the ice rink “Orange Ice”.

Administration of the city pays a great attention to international cooperation. In different years there were signed contracts with the cities of different countries: Herne (Germany), Elging (Great Britain), Wakefield (USA), Opole (Poland), Chang-Chung (CPR), Kharkiv (Ukraine).

The contract of settling the twin relationship between Kharkiv (Ukraine) and Byelgorod (Russian Federation) and cooperation in trade, economics, schience, technology humanitary and cultural areas was signed on the 18^th of September of 2001 during the Forum of the twin cities of Russia and Ukraine which was organized in Kiev by the international Association “Twin Cities”.
 

Each year the cities send and receive delegations due to the Victory Day, Day of Byelgorod and Day of Kharkiv, cooperation in the area of culture, sports and work with youth.
 

The visits of the veterans of the Great Patriotic war of both cities to each other have become a good Victory Day tradition.
 

Since 2002 the team of twin city Byelgorod has become a constant active participant of the International Football Tournament of children teams and has occupied high positions. Since 2004 the team of Byelgorod has participated in the International conquest of ball dances “ The Cup of Kharkiv Mayor”.
 

Falk children ensambles of the twin cities have performed in Kharkiv and Byelgorod for many times in frames of different celebrations and festivals, in particular in 2005-2006 the teams of Byelgorod took part in the International Festival of Children Falk Ensambles of falk dancing “Zelen Svit” in honor of the day of Independence of Ukraine and the Day of Kharkiv. UDring the time of the twin cities connections children of Byelgorod have participated in conquests of children pictures, in particular in the frames of “Biennale from 5 to 10”.
 

In December of 2006 a delegation of Frunzenskiy district of Kharkiv visited Byelgorod with the aim of the experience exchange. The delegation visited Byelgorod State university, spiritual and enlightening center named by the Sanctifier Joasaph, a kindergarten, liceeum and schools of the city. The delegation also get aquanted with achievement of Byelgorod teachers in realization of the priority project “Education” and purpose aducational programmes which are active in Byelgorod.

During the last period of time cooperation in area of housing maintenance and utilities became more active. In particular, in April of 2007 the delegation of the constatnt commission on the questions of housing maintenance and utilities, provision of urban amenities and engineering infrastrurcture of the city of Kharkiv city council made a visit to Byelgorod to exchange experience in the questions of reforming the housing maintenance and utilities which was provided in Kharkiv.

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