Kursk is situated in the very heart of Russia. It is a big cultural and industrial regional centre in the Russian Federation. It supports a population of more than 1.2 million people.
Emerged in the XI century, even earlier than Moscow, and being a frontier settlement, Kursk, for many centuries fought to repel enemy invasions. Kursk, for many centuries has been a spiritual centre for the Russian Orthodox Church. Korennaya Holy Mother hermitage is famous for the miraculous discovery of the icon “Sky-sign” in 1297. Today, this icon is the main symbol of the American Orthodox Church. Kursk is adorned with several striking historical and spiritual monuments. A masterpiece of architecture – Sergievo-Kazanskiy Cathedral is linked to one of the most respected saints in Russia, Seraphim Sarovskiy, who was born in Kursk.
Not only Kursk, but also dozens of small towns composing the territory of the Kursk region, possess both signs of their majestic past and their sophisticated present. They are famous throughout Russia for their folk arts and crafts, their parks and mansions (“Marino”, “Mokva”), being the birthplaces of several Russian writers, poets and musicians.
The natural environment of the Kursk region is uniquely beautiful and diverse. The famous reputation of “Streletskaya Steppe” (The Central Black Soil Region State Biospherical Reserve) is justified, since it protects wild virgin grassland and rare black soils, which have never been touched by a plough, as well as a wealth of flora and fauna native to the region. The songs of Kursk nightingales have become the symbol of the Russian soul.