ABSTRACT
This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on a territorial unit of the Russian Federation, Kursk Oblast, which is about 500 km south of Moscow on the Ukrainian border. In Russia it borders Belgorod, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Orel, and Bryansk oblasts. The oblast’s administrative center dates to the 11th century. Kursk Oblast is also an important source of energy, which is generated from a large nuclear power station in the regional capital, for neighboring regions. Aleksandr Rutskoi is one of the most notorious governors in Russia. Rutskoi rules Kursk Oblast as his personal fiefdom and appointed many of his family members to important positions, although several have since been arrested on various charges. For instance, he reportedly ordered collective farmers to plow the ground near the main roads. Thus, in case inspectors arrive, the fields of Kursk Oblast look well tended.
