Tambov

Tambov (Тамбов) is a city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tsna and Studenets Rivers, about 480 kilometers (300 mi) south-southeast of Moscow. Population: 280,161 (2010 Census); 293,658 (2002 Census); 304,600 (1989 Census).

Tambov in "Black Tulip"
Tambov was the home of Sergei the pharmacist's son, who served in the Soviet army during the Afghan intervention in the 1980s. After Sergei was killed in the battle of Bulola, his closed casket was sent home to Tambov. In reality it was weighted down with bags of sand, as his body had been incinerated in a manner that would have been a little hard to explain.