Kurgan () is the largest city and the administrative center of Kurgan Oblast in the south of the Urals Federal District of Russia. Population: . Until 1782 Kurgan bore the name Tsaryovo Gorodishche. History An urban settlement was established here between 1659 and 1662 as Tsaryovo Gorodishche (, meaning Imperial Citadel) by Timofey Nevezhin, a farmer from Tyumen. In the ensuing years it was developed as a fortress town. It served as a frontier post and its fortified position enabled it to defend other Russian settlements from nomad attacks. Nevertheless, it was itself not always able to withstand such attacks, and was sometimes plundered and burnt down. The city was granted city privileges by the Empress Catherine the Great in 1782, which is when it acquired its present name and became the seat of an uyezd. The present name is taken from a large kurgan (burial mound) close to the original settlement. Its coat of arms was granted on 17 March 1785, and it became the administrative center of Kurgan Oblast in 1943. Kurgan was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1982. Administrative and municipal status Kurgan is the administrative center of the oblast. Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as Kurgan City Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, Kurgan City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as Kurgan Urban Okrug. Economy and military Kurgan stands on the Trans-Siberian Railway line, between Yekaterinburg and Omsk. It is served by two railway stations and the Kurgan Airport, and it was home to the Kurgan West air base during the Cold War. It is also home to Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and Orthopaedics, KAvZ autobus plant, and the machine building company Kurganmashzavod which produces the widely known BMP-1, BMP-2 and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. Climate Kurgan has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). Influenced by the Siberian High, it is a relatively dry climate. Winters are cold, although not severe by Siberian standards. Summers are variable but relatively moderate, even though heat waves can bring temperatures well above the average July highs. Educational facilities Agricultural academy Kurgan State University Kurgan International University Military Academy Railroad Academy Various theaters Academy of Labor and Social Relations Gallery Notable people Oleg Bogomolov (born 1950), governor of Kurgan Oblast Dmitri Bushmanov (born 1978),