Belgorod

Belgorod (Russian: Белгород, pronounced) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately 40 kilometers (25 mi) north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of 339,978 (2021 census).

It was founded in 1596 as a defensive fort on the southern border of Russia. Contested by various factions during World War I and the Russian Civil War, the city served as the temporary Soviet Ukrainian capital at the turn of 1918 and 1919.