Sevastopol (/ˌsɛvəˈstoʊpəl,sɪˈvæstəpoʊl/SEV-ə-STOH-pəl, siv-AST-ə-pohl),[a] sometimes writtenSebastopol, is the largest city inCrimea and a major port on theBlack Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an importantport andnaval base throughout its history. Since the city's founding in 1783, it has been a major base for Russia'sBlack Sea Fleet. During theCold War of the 20th century, it was aclosed city. The total administrative area is 864 square kilometres (334 sq mi) and includes a significant amount of rural land. The urban population, largely concentrated aroundSevastopol Bay, is 479,394,[3] and the total population is 547,820.[4]
Sevastopol, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part ofUkraine, and under the Ukrainian legal framework, it is administratively one of twocities with special status (the other beingKyiv). However, it has been occupied byRussia since 27 February 2014, before Russiaannexed Crimea on 18 March 2014 and gave it the status of afederal city of Russia. Both Ukraine and Russia consider the city administratively separate from theAutonomous Republic of Crimea and theRepublic of Crimea, respectively. The city's population has an ethnicRussian majority and a substantial minority ofUkrainians andCrimean Tatars.
Sevastopol's unique naval and maritime features have been the basis for a robust economy. The city enjoys mild winters and moderately warm summers, characteristics that help make it a popularseaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from theformer Soviet republics. The city is also an important centre formarine biology research. In particular, the military has studied and traineddolphins in the city formilitary use since the 1960s.[5]
The name of Sevastopolis was originally chosen following the sameetymological trend as other cities in the Crimean peninsula; it was intended to express its ancient Greek origins. It is a compound of the Greek adjective,σεβαστός (sebastós,Byzantine Greek pronunciation:[sevasˈtos]; 'venerable') and the nounπόλις (pólis, 'city').Σεβαστός is the traditional Greek equivalent (seeSebastian) of the Roman honorificAugustus, originally given to the first emperor of the Roman Empire,Augustus and later awarded as a title to his successors.
The city was probably named after Empress ("Augusta")Catherine II of theRussian Empire who founded Sevastopol in 1783. She visited the city in 1787, accompanied byJoseph II, the Emperor of Austria, and other foreign dignitaries.
In the west of the city, there are well-preserved ruins of the ancient Greek port city ofChersonesos, founded in the 5th[6] century BC by settlers fromHeraclea Pontica. This name means "peninsula", reflecting its immediate location. It is not related to the ancient Greek name for the Crimean Peninsula as a whole:ChersonēsosTaurikē ("theTaurian Peninsula").
The name of the city is spelled as:
English:Sevastopol, the current prevalent spelling; the previously common spellingSebastopol was used because the letter 'V' in the Cyrillic spelling, "Севасто́поль", looks like a Western letter 'B'. This form is still used by some publications, and formerly byThe Economist.[7][8] The current spelling has the pronunciation/ˌsɛvəˈstoʊpəl,-ˈstɒpəl,sɪˈvæstəpəl,-pɒl,-poʊl/,[9][10] while the former spelling has the pronunciation/sɪˈbæstəpəl,-pɒl,-poʊl/.[11][12]
In the 6th century BC, a Greek colony was established in the area of the modern-day city. The Greek city ofChersonesus existed for almost two thousand years, first as an independent democracy and later as part of theBosporan Kingdom. In the 13th and 14th centuries, it was sacked by theGolden Horde several times and was finally totally abandoned. The modern day city of Sevastopol has no connection to the ancient and medieval Greek city other than geographical location, but the ruins are a popular tourist attraction located on the outskirts of the city.
Sevastopol was founded in June 1783 as a base for a naval squadron under the name Akhtiar[14] (White Cliff),[15] byRear Admiral Thomas MacKenzie ("Foma Fomich Makenzi"), a nativeScot in Russian service; soon after, theRussian Empire annexed theCrimean Khanate. Five years earlier,Alexander Suvorov had ordered that earthworks be erected along the harbour and Russian troops be placed there. The Crimean Tatar version of this name is now writtenAqyar.
In February 1784,Catherine the Great orderedGrigory Potyomkin to build a fortress there and call it Sevastopol. The realisation of the initial building plans fell to CaptainFyodor Ushakov who in 1788 was named commander of theport and of theBlack Sea squadron.[16] The city was established on the western shore of Southern Bay which branches away from the biggerSevastopol Bay. The ruins of ancient Chersonesus were situated to the west. The newly built settlement became an importantnaval base and later a commercialseaport. In 1797, under an edict issued by EmperorPaul I, the military stronghold was again renamed Akhtiar. Finally, on 29 April (10 May), 1826, the Senate returned the city's name to Sevastopol.[citation needed] In 1803 to 1864 along withMykolaiv the city was part of Nikolayev–Sevastopol Military Governorate. The town had 3,000 inhabitants by the 1840s.[17]
From 1853 to 1856, the Crimean peninsula's strategic position in controlling the Black Sea caused it to be the site of the principal engagements of theCrimean War, where Russia lost to a French-led alliance.[18]
After a minor skirmish at Köstence (nowConstanța), the allied commanders decided to attack Sevastopol as Russia's main naval base in the Black Sea. After extended preparations, allied forces landed on the peninsula in September 1854 and marched to a point south of Sevastopol after winning theBattle of the Alma on 20 September. The Russians counterattacked on 25 October in what became theBattle of Balaclava and were repulsed, but theBritish Army's forces were seriously depleted as a result. A second Russian counterattack,at Inkerman in November, ended in a stalemate as well. The front settled into thesiege of Sevastopol, involving brutal conditions for troops on both sides.
Sevastopol finally fell after eleven months, after the Frenchhad assaulted Fort Malakoff. Isolated and facing a bleak prospect of invasion by the West if the war continued, Russiasued for peace in March 1856. France and Britain welcomed the development, owing to the conflict's domestic unpopularity. TheTreaty of Paris, signed on 30 March 1856, ended the war and forbade Russia from basing warships in the Black Sea.[19] This hampered the Russians during theRusso-Turkish War of 1877–78 and in the aftermath of that conflict, Russia moved to reconstitute its naval strength and fortifications in the Black Sea.[citation needed]
DuringWorld War II, Sevastopol withstood intensive bombardment by the Germans in 1941–42, supported by their Italian and Romanian allies during theBattle of Sevastopol. German forces usedrailway artillery—including history's largest-ever calibre railway artillery piece in battle, the 80-cm calibreSchwerer Gustav—andspecialised mobile heavy mortars to destroy Sevastopol's extremely heavy fortifications, such as theMaxim Gorky Fortresses. After fierce fighting, which lasted for 250 days,[20][21][22] the fortress city finally fell to Axis forces in July 1942.[23] It was intended to be renamed to "Theodorichshafen"[24] (in reference toTheodoric the Great and the fact that Crimea had been home to GermanicGoths until the 18th or 19th century) in the event of a German victory against the Soviet Union, and like the rest of Crimea was designated for future colonisation by the Third Reich. It was liberated by theRed Army on 9 May 1944 and was awarded theHero City title a year later.
Part of the Ukrainian SSR
During theSoviet era, Sevastopol became a so-called "closed city". This meant that any non-residents had to apply to the authorities for a temporary permit to visit the city.
On 29 October 1948, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian SFSR issued anukaz (order) which confirmed the special status of the city.[25] Soviet academic publications since 1954, including theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia, indicated that Sevastopol,Crimean Oblast was part of theUkrainian SSR.[26][15]
In 1954, underNikita Khrushchev, both Sevastopol and the remainder of the Crimean peninsula were administrativelytransferred from being territories within the Russian SFSR to being territories administered by the Ukrainian SSR. Administratively, Sevastopol was a municipality excluded from the adjacentCrimean Oblast.[citation needed][further explanation needed] The territory of the municipality was 863.5 km2 and it was further subdivided into four raions (districts). Besides the City of Sevastopol proper, it also included two towns—Balaklava (having had no status until 1957), Inkerman, urban-type settlement Kacha, and 29 villages.[27]
For the 1955 Ukrainian parliamentary elections on 27 February, Sevastopol was split into two electoral districts, Stalinsky and Korabelny (initially requested three Stalinsky, Korabelny, and Nakhimovsky).[25] Eventually,[clarification needed] Sevastopol received twopeople's deputies of theUkrainian SSR elected to theVerkhovna Rada,[clarification needed] A. Korovchenko and M. Kulakov.[25][28]
In 1957, the town ofBalaklava was incorporated into Sevastopol.
On 10 July 1993, theRussian parliament passed a resolution declaring Sevastopol to be "a federal Russian city".[29] At the time, many supporters of PresidentBoris Yeltsin had ceased taking part in[clarification needed] the parliament's work.[30] On 20 July 1993, theUnited Nations Security Council denounced the decision of the Russian parliament. According toAnatoliy Zlenko, it was the first time that the council had to review and qualify actions of a legislative body.[25]
On 14 April 1993, the Presidium of the Crimean Parliament called for the creation of the presidential post of the Crimean Republic.[clarification needed] A week later, the Russian deputy, Valentin Agafonov, said thatRussia was ready to supervise a referendum on Crimean independence and include the republic as a separate entity in theCIS. On 28 July 1993, one of the leaders of the Russian Society of Crimea, Viktor Prusakov, said that his organisation was ready for an armed mutiny and the establishment of Russian administration of Sevastopol.
In September, the commander of the joint Russian-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet,Eduard Baltin [ru], accused Ukraine of converting some of his fleet and conducting an armed assault on his personnel and threatened to take countermeasures placing the fleet on alert. (In June 1992, the Russian president Yeltsin and the Ukrainian presidentLeonid Kravchuk had agreed to divide the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet between Russia and Ukraine. Eduard Baltin had been appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet by Yeltsin and Kravchuk on 15 January 1993.)
The Moscow mayorYury Luzhkov to claim[clarification needed] the city, and in December 1996, the RussianFederation Council officially endorsed the claim, threatening negotiations. In response, Ukraine proposed a "special partnership" with NATO in January 1997.[31]
Russian presidentVladimir Putin with Ukrainian presidentLeonid Kuchma on board the Black Sea Fleet's flagship in July 2001
The ex-Soviet Black Sea Fleet and its facilities were divided between Russia's Black Sea Fleet and theUkrainian Naval Forces. The two navies co-used some of the city's harbours and piers, while others were demilitarised or used by either[clarification needed] country. Sevastopol remained the location of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters, and the Ukrainian Naval Forces Headquarters were also located in the city. A judicial row periodically continued over the navalhydrographic infrastructure both in Sevastopol and on the Crimean coast (especiallylighthouses historically maintained by the Soviet and Russian Navy and also used for civil navigation support).
As in the rest of Crimea, Russian remained the predominant language of the city, although following the independence of Ukraine there were some attempts atUkrainisation, with very little success. Russian society in general and even some outspoken government representatives never accepted the loss of Sevastopol and tended to regard it as temporarily separated from Russia.[34]
In July 2009, the chairman of theSevastopol City Council, Valeriy Saratov (Party of Regions),[35] said that Ukraine should increase the amount of compensation it is paying to the city of Sevastopol for hosting the foreign Russian Black Sea Fleet, instead of requesting such compensation from the Russian government and the Russian Ministry of Defense in particular.[36]
On 27 April 2010, Russia and Ukraine ratified theRussian Ukrainian Naval Base for Gas treaty, which extended the Russian Navy's lease of the Crimean facilities for 25 years after 2017 (through 2042) with the option to prolong the lease in five-year extensions. The ratification process in theUkrainian parliament encountered stiff opposition and even resulted in a brawl in the parliament chamber. Eventually, the treaty was ratified by a 52% majority vote—236 of 450. TheRussian Duma ratified the treaty by a 98% majority.[37]
On 23 February 2014, a pro-Russian rally took place in Nakhimov Square declaring allegiance to Russia and protesting against the new government inKyiv following theoverthrow of the president,Viktor Yanukovych.[38] On 27 February, pro-Russian militia, including Russian troops, seized control of government buildings in Crimea, and by 28 February, controlled other strategic locations such as the military airport in Sevastopol.[39][40]
On 16 March 2014, an internationally unrecognisedreferendum was held in Sevastopol with official results claiming an 89.51% turnout and 95.6% of voters choosing to join Russia. Ukraine and almost all other countries of theUnited Nations General Assembly consider the referendum illegal and illegitimate.[41][42]
Cape Fiolent, on the southwestern coast of Sevastopol.
The city of Sevastopol is located at the southwestern tip of the Crimean peninsula in a headland known asHeracles peninsula on a coast of theBlack Sea. The city is designated a special city-region of Ukraine which besides the city itself includes several of its outlying settlements. The city itself is concentrated mostly in the western portion of the region and around the longBay of Sevastopol. This bay is aria, a river canyon drowned byHolocene sea-level rise, and the outlet ofChorna River. Away in a remote location southeast of Sevastopol is located the former city ofBalaklava (since 1957 incorporated within Sevastopol), the bay of which in the Soviet era served as a main port for the Soviet diesel-powered submarines.
The coastline of the region is mostly rocky, in a series of smaller bays, a great number of which are located within the Bay of Sevastopol. The biggest of them are Southern Bay (within the Bay of Sevastopol), Archer Bay, a gulf complex that consists of Deergrass Bay, the Bay of Cossack, Salty Bay, and many others. There are over thirty bays in the immediate region.
Three rivers flow through the region: the Belbek, Chorna, and Kacha. All three mountain chains of theCrimean mountains are represented in Sevastopol, the southern chain by the Balaklava Highlands, the inner chain by the Mekenziev Mountains, and the outer chain by the Kara-Tau Upland (Black Mountain).
The average yearly temperature is 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) during the day and around 9 °C (48 °F) at night. In the coldest months, January and February, the average temperature is 5–6 °C (41–43 °F) during the day and around 1 °C (34 °F) at night. In the warmest months, July and August, the average temperature is around 26 °C (79 °F) during the day and around 19 °C (66 °F) at night. Generally, the summer/holiday season lasts 5 months, from around mid-May and into September, with the temperature often reaching 20 °C (68 °F) or more in the first half of October.
The average annual temperature of the sea is 14.2 °C (58 °F), ranging from 7 °C (45 °F) in February to 24 °C (75 °F) in August. From June to September, the average sea temperature is greater than 20 °C (68 °F). In the second half of May and the first half of October; the average sea temperature is about 17 °C (63 °F). The average rainfall is about 400 millimetres (16 in) per year. There are about 2,345 hours of sunshine duration per year.[49]
The head of the executive branch in the city is theGovernor of Sevastopol. According to the city charter, amended on 29 November 2016, the governor is elected in a direct election for a term of five years and no more than two consecutive terms.[52] The current governor isMikhail Razvozhayev.
Within the Russianmunicipal framework, the territory of the federal city of Sevastopol is divided into ninemunicipal okrugs and the town ofInkerman. While individual municipal divisions are contained within the borders of the administrative districts, they are not otherwise related to the administrative districts.
Economy
This sectionis missing information about Sevastopol's economic output byeconomic sector. Please expand the sectionto include this informationto include this information orby making an edit request. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(March 2014)
Apart from navy-related civil facilities, Sevastopol hosts some other notable industries. An example is Stroitel,[55] a majorplastic manufacturer.
Industry
Sevastopol Aircraft Plant,SMZ Sevastopol Shipyards (main at Naval Bay) & Inkerman Shipyards, Balaklava Bay Shipyard
Impuls 2 SMZ
Chornomornaftogaz § Chernomorneftegaz (Chjornomor), oil/gas extraction, petrochemical, jack rigs and oil platforms, LNG and oil tankers.
AO FNGUP Granit subsidiary of Almaz Antej, assembly, overhaul, and maintenance of SAM and radar EW complexes, ADS services.
Sevastopol (Parus SPriborMZ, Mayak, NPO Elektron, NPP Kvant, Tavrida Elektronik, Musson, and other industrial plants)
Sevastopol Economic Industrial Zone SevPZ (SE area)
Persej SMZ ship repair and floating dock yard plant (South Bay, Sevastopol)
Sevastopol ship repair and floating docks yards (various)
Metallurgy, Chemical Plants, and other industries.
Agriculture: rice, wheat, grapes, tea, fruits, and tobacco (lesser).
Mining: iron, titanium, manganese, aluminum, calcite silicates, and amethyst.
Kerch bridge, Taurida highway, Sevastopol GasTES plus solar FV plants, gas and petrol depots, and coal derivatives.
There are different types of transport in Sevastopol:
Bus – 101 lines
Trolley bus – 14 lines
Minibus – 52 lines
Cutter – 6 lines
Ferry – 1 line
Express bus – 15 lines
HEV train (local, suburban route) – 1 route
Airport – 1
Sevastopol Shipyard comprises three facilities that together repair, modernise, and re-equip Russian Naval ships and submarines.[56] TheSevastopol International Airport is used as a military aerodrome at the moment and being reconstructed to be used by international airlines.
Sevastopol maintains a large port facility in theBay of Sevastopol and in smaller bays around theHeracles peninsula. The port handles traffic from passengers (local transportation and cruise), cargo, and commercial fishing. The port infrastructure is fully integrated with the city of Sevastopol and the naval bases of theBlack Sea Fleet.
Due to its military history, most streets in the city are named after Russian and Soviet military heroes. There are hundreds of monuments and plaques in various parts of Sevastopol commemorating its military past.
The rocky shore of Heracles of the Ey Peninsula, Chersonesos
The high shore of Cape Fiolent
South bank landscape, Laspi
South bay
Balaklava bay
View of Sevastopol from Balaklava Heights
Road, Verkhniosadove village
Demographics
This sectionis missing information about the different religions practised in Sevastopol; its education system (schools, colleges, and universities); and its healthcare system (clinics and hospitals). Please expand the sectionto include this informationto include this information orby making an edit request. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(March 2014)
Population pyramid of Sevastopol as of the 2021 Russian Census
The population of Sevastopol is 509,992, consisting of 479,394 urban residents and 30,598 rural (January 2021), making it the most populous city of theCrimean Peninsula.[3]
In 2015, Sevastopol had the largest decrease inlife expectancy at birth among all regions of Russia. In 2020, after beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sevastopol became the only region of Russia where there was increase of life expectancy. In 2021, average life expectancy at birth in Sevastopol was 72.25 years (67.87 for males and 76.43 for females).[59][60]
Life expectancy in Sevastopol in comparison with Crimea on average and neighboring regions of the country
Life expectancy in Sevastopol in comparison with Crimea on average (in detail)
Culture
This sectionis missing information about architecture, arts, cuisine, literature, media, and music in Sevastopol. Please expand the sectionto include this informationto include this information orby making an edit request. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(March 2014)
There are many historical buildings in the central and eastern parts of the city and Balaklava, some of which are architectural monuments. The Western districts have modern architecture. More recently, numerous skyscrapers have been built. Balaklava Bayfront Plaza (on hold), currently under construction, will be one of the tallest buildings in Ukraine, at 173 m (568 ft) with 43 floors.[61]
^Taylor & Francis (2020)."Republic of Crimea".The Territories of the Russian Federation 2020.Routledge.ISBN978-1-003-00706-7.Note: The territories of the Crimean peninsula, comprising Sevastopol City and the Republic of Crimea, remained internationally recognised as constituting part of Ukraine, following their annexation by Russia in March 2014.
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