Starodub is a town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Babinets River, 169km southwest of Bryansk. Population: 16,000 .HistoryStarodub has been known since the 11th century, when it was a part of Severia. It was burned to the ground by the Mongols in the 13th century. It became a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century, and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1503–1618, Starodub was a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and then Poland until 1648. During the Khmelnytskyi Uprising, it became the center of Starodub Cossack Regiment and enjoyed a large measure of autonomy between 1666 and 1686.Starodub remained a part of autonomous Cossack Hetmanate until 1781 when it became an uyezd town. In 1796, Starodub was incorporated into Chernigov Governorate. In 1918, the town was occupied by the Germans. The Soviet authority was reinstated in November 1918.During the Soviet period, Starodub was a part of Gomel Governorate (1919–1926), Bryansk Governorate (1926–1929), Western Oblast (1929–1937), and Oryol Oblast (1937–1944). The town was once again occupied by the Germans between August 18, 1941 and September 22, 1943. Starodub finally became a part of Bryansk Oblast in 1944.