Battle of Kursk officers of the General Staff from 12 to 15 April 1943. In the end he and the "Stavka" agreed that the Germans would probably target Kursk. Stalin believed the decision to defend would give the Germans the initiative, but Zhukov countered that the Germans would be drawn into a trap where their armoured power would be destroyed, thus creating the conditions for a major Soviet counteroffensive. They decided to meet the enemy attack by preparing defensive positions to wear out the German groupings before launching their own offensive. Preparation of defences and fortifications began by the end of April, and
Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Kursk Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Kursk The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption () It is a Latin Rite Catholic Church located in the city of Kursk, in the Archdiocese of European Russia, headquartered in Moscow (and whose archbishop is Monsignor Paolo Pezzi). In 1859 the Catholic community of Kursk, most Polish or German origin, with more than a thousand faithful, asked permission to build a church. They previously met in a chapel. Once the funds were raised, it was granted permission and the church was begun in 1892 in neo-Gothic style. The church was under the