Sevastopol

Sevastopol - a city of maritime glory, a historical monument and a resort. Independent administrative-territorial unit within Ukraine. Modern Sevastopol was founded as a naval fortress near the village of Akhtiar by Rear Admiral Thomas Mackenzie on the recommendation of Alexander Suvorov in 1783, after the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire.

However, earlier in its place there was a Greek city of Chersonesos Tavria, founded in 422-421 BC by colonists from Heraclea. It was a democratic city-state, then an aristocratic republic dependent on Rome. For centuries it remained the cultural and commercial center of the entire southwestern Crimea. In the III-V centuries it gradually became dependent on Byzantium. In the V century he converted to Christianity (the first Christian co ...

Sevastopol - a city of maritime glory, a historical monument and a resort. Independent administrative-territorial unit within Ukraine. Modern Sevastopol was founded as a naval fortress near the village of Akhtiar by Rear Admiral Thomas Mackenzie on the recommendation of Alexander Suvorov in 1783, after the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire.

However, earlier in its place there was a Greek city of Chersonesos Tavria, founded in 422-421 BC by colonists from Heraclea. It was a democratic city-state, then an aristocratic republic dependent on Rome. For centuries it remained the cultural and commercial center of the entire southwestern Crimea. In the III-V centuries it gradually became dependent on Byzantium. In the V century he converted to Christianity (the first Christian community was founded by Andrew the First-Called in the I century). During the times of Kievan Rus it was known as Korsun, here the Kyivan prince Volodymyr the Great converted to Christianity.

It experienced an economic boom until the 13th century, when the city, weakened by the Genoese, was destroyed by the Tatar hordes. The new rise of the city began in the XVIII century, after Russia's victory in the war with Turkey, when the Russian fleet needed a base on the Black Sea. Founded by order of Empress Catherine II, the fortress received the Greek name Sevastopol ("majestic city", "city of glory"). During the Crimean War of 1854-55, after a 349-day siege (First Defense), the city fell under pressure from the combined forces of England, France and Turkey. The second defense lasted 250 days during World War II in 1941 - after four assaults, the destroyed city was handed over to the Nazis.

In 1957 Sevastopol was rebuilt almost anew. As a naval base of the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR Navy, Sevastopol was a closed city. After the annexation of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954, Sevastopol became a city of republican subordination to the Ukrainian SSR and was subordinated to Kyiv. Now it is becoming a popular resort with a well-developed tourist infrastructure.

Sevastopol City Day is celebrated on the second Saturday after June 2.