The territory of Kursk Oblast has been populated since the end of thelast ice age. Slavic tribes of theSeverians inhabited the area. From 830 the current Kursk Oblast was part of theRus' Khaganate andKievan Rus' states. The oldest towns in the region areKursk andRylsk, first mentioned in 1032 and 1152,[7] respectively, both capitals of small medieval eponymous duchies.[8][7] In the 13th century, the region wasconquered by theMongol Empire.
The Kursk Governorate existed until 1928, when the territory of Kursk Governorate became a part ofCentral Black Earth Oblast. As Central Chernozem Oblast was very large its administration was very difficult, on 13 June 1934 it was divided into two oblasts: Kursk Oblast and Voronezh Oblast.[citation needed] In the period between 1934 and 1954, oblasts' borders were frequently adjusted. However, the area and borders of the oblast have remained stable from 1954.
DuringWorld War II, the territory of Kursk Oblast was occupied byGerman troops from the autumn of 1941 until the summer of 1943. TheBattle of Kursk, which was one of the major battles of World War II, took place in the region between 5 July 1943 and 23 August 1943.
It occupies the southern slopes of the middle-Russian plateau. The surface is hilly and intersected byravines. The central part of the oblast is more elevated than theSeym river valley in the west. The average elevation is 177–225 m (581–738 ft) and the Timsko-Shchigrinsky ridge contains the highest point at 288 m (945 ft) above sea level. The low relief, gentle slopes, and mild winters make the area suitable for farming, and much of the forest has been cleared.Chernozem soils cover around 70% of the oblast, andpodsol soils 26%; chernozem is among the best soils for agriculture, and podsol among the worst.
Kursk Oblast contributes to two major drainage areas: theDnieper River and theDon River (78% and 22% respectively). There are 902 rivers and streams in the oblast, with a total length of approximately 8,000 km (5,000 mi). Major rivers include theSeym and thePsyol. The inland waters of Kursk oblast consist of 145 artificial lakes and about 550 small ponds.
Kursk Oblast is one of Russia's major producers ofiron ore. The area of theKursk Magnetic Anomaly has one of the richest iron-ore deposits in the world.Rare earths andbase metals also occur in commercial quantities in several locations. Refractoryloam,mineral sands, andchalk are quarried and processed in the region. The oblast's reserves ofartesian-well water are proving useful for medical purposes.
The oblast's location at the center of the European part of Russia gives the region a medium continentalclimate: warm summers and relatively mild winters. In July the average daytime high temperature is +19.3 °C (66.7 °F). In January the average high is −8.6 °C (16.5 °F). The average number of frost-free days ranges from 150 in the north to 160 in the south. The growing season in Kursk Oblast varies, from 180 days in the north to 195 days in the southwest. The average annual precipitation for the oblast is 584 mm (23.0 in), but it ranges from 634 mm (25.0 in) in the northwest to about 500 mm (20 in) or less in the southeastern corner. Rainfall peaks during June and July. The snow depth in Kursk Oblast differs considerably, from 300–400 mm (12–16 in) in the north of the oblast, to 150–250 mm (5.9–9.8 in) in the south. Annual sunshine is 1775 hours.
Kursk Oblast forms a part of the Eastern European forest-steppe. One-quarter of Kursk oblast was once heavily wooded. Hardwood timbers includedoak,ash, andelm. Now forests cover only 10% of the oblast. Animals native to the area are numerous.Pike,bleak, andperch abound in local rivers.Otter andbadger, as well as wildboar,red deer, androe deer remain numerous in many parts of the area.
148,354 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.[25]
According to a 2012 survey[28] 68.7% of the population of Kursk Oblast adheres to theRussian Orthodox Church. In addition, 24% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 4% isatheist, and 3.3% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.[28]
During theSoviet period, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Kursk CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). In 1991, CPSU lost power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside electedregional parliament.
The Charter of Kursk Oblast is the fundamental law of the region. TheKursk Oblast Duma is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the Oblast Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Oblast administration supports the activities of the Governor who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the oblast Charter in accordance with theConstitution of Russia.
The oblast's industrial production dropped rapidly during the 1990s, as an industrial crisis was stimulated by the nationwide economic crisis which followed the collapse of theSoviet Union. However, by the end of the decade output was increasing. Moreover, the manufacturing sector, despite a sagging economy in the late 20th century, continues to account for about 40% of the oblast'sGDP. The engineering, electric-power, metal-working, chemicals, and food processing are the dominant industries.
The Mikhailovsky Mining Plant is one of the largestiron ore mining and processing facilities in Russia.[30]
Most of the main farming areas are used for natural pastures or cultivation, which involves mainlywheat,sugar beet, andfodder crops. The main categories of productive holdings are wheat farms, dairy farms, poultry farms, and beef cattle. Agricultural lands cover 23,000 km2 (8,900 sq mi), or 77% of the oblast's territory.
The transportation industry of Kursk Oblast, with easy access to national and international markets, is the basis for the oblast's development. The most important modes of transport throughout the oblast are railway and road. Region roads serve towns and rural settlements through a 5,600 km (3,500 mi) road network. An airport in the oblast was opened to international flights in July 1997.[citation needed]
The oblast's railroads are one of the most important parts of the transportation system. They are part of theMoscow andSouth Eastern Railway systems. Two major rail links pass through the oblast: Moscow–Kharkiv andKyiv–Voronezh. The total length of the railway network is 1,100 km (680 mi). The operational length of the railways is 1,561.2 km (970.1 mi), of which 500 km (310 mi) are access roads. The length of the electrified lines is 242 km (150 mi). The density of the railroads in Kursk Oblast is one of the highest in Russia. The largest railway junctions are Kursk,Lgov, andKastornoye. There are sixty-five railway stations in the oblast.
Kursk Oblast's most prominent natural attraction is theCentral Black Earth Nature Reserve, which is well-suited for hiking and other outdoor activities. The Oblast's forests and other undeveloped areas are ideal for hunting, fishing, and camping. Traditional art and architecture are preserved in the town-museum ofRylsk and other historical towns of Kursk Oblast.
^abSłownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom X (in Polish). Warszawa. 1889. p. 94.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Курская областная Дума. Закон №67-ЗКО от 2 октября 2001 г. «Устав Курской области», в ред. Закона №30-ЗКО от 28 апреля 2015 г. «О внесении изменения в абзац второй части 3 статьи 23 Устава Курской области». Вступил в силу со дня официального публикования. Опубликован: "Курская правда", №161, 5 октября 2001 г. (Kursk Oblast Duma. Law #67-ZKO of October 2, 2001Charter of Kursk Oblast, as amended by the Law #30-ZKO of April 28, 2015On Amending Paragraph Two of Part 3 of Article 23 of the Charter of Kursk Oblast. Effective as of the official publication date.).
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