| The Port of Sevastopol in Ukraine lies on the shores of the Akhtiarskaya Bay off the Black Sea on the Crimean peninsula. Before the fall of Soviet communism, the Port of Sevastopol was home to the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Today, it is used by both the Russian and Ukrainian navies. Port History An ancient Greek colony, Chersonesus, was founded in 421 BC to the west of the modern Port of Sevastopol. The early republic later became a port of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Prince Vladimir of Kiev captured the town in the late 10th Century. Later, it passed to the Trebizond Empire and all but disappeared. When Russia annexed the Crimea in 1783, it constructed a naval base and fortress there, naming it Sevastopol. Russia's Emperor Pavel I renamed the port Akhtiar after a Tatar settlement near there in 1797. The original name of Sevastopol was returned in 1826. A commercial port was opened in 1808. During the Crimean War of the mid 1800s, the Port of Sevastopol was under siege for almost a year by Anglo-French troops that seriously damaged the town. Russia sank its whole fleet to keep it from falling to the enemy and to block the entrance to the harbor. During World War II in 1942, the town was again under siege, this time by the Germans. Reduced to rubble by the war, it was reconstructed after being liberated in 1944 by the Red Army, who bestowed the title of Hero City to the Port of Sevastopol. In rebuilding the city, Russia imported architects and engineers for the reconstruction that lasted to the mid-1950s. In 1957, nearby Balaklava was incorporated into the Port of Sevastopol. Under Soviet rule, the port became a closed city, and non-residents had to apply for a permit to visit it. Its importance as a naval base led to its direct administration by, first, the Russian government and then by Ukraine. Most of the city's streets bear the names of Russian and Soviet heroes, and hundreds of plaques and monuments commemorating its military history. The Port of Sevastopol has been an important center for marine biology since the end of World War II when a secret program was established there to use dolphins for undersea operations. Port Commerce The Port of Sevastopol lies on a natural deep-water harbor. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, trade and shipbuilding have grown. The Association of Ukrainian Ports (Ukrport) was created in 2001 as an independent not-for-profit organization to manage ports and water transportation. Today, the Port of Sevastopol is largely defined by its military importance to both Russia and the Ukraine, as they share the port. Through the 1997 �eace and Friendship Treaty,?Russia acknowledged that the city belongs to Ukraine. Russian influence dominates the city today, with most of its residents speaking Russian and authorities from Kiev retaining control of much of the city's life. As with other post-Soviet cities, the Port of Sevastopol is working to expand its container-handling capacity and modernize its port facilities. However, commercial traffic no longer uses the harbor. Cruising and Travel A closed city under Soviet rule, the Port of Sevastopol is not in itself a terrific magnet for tourists. But it is a gateway to the Crimean peninsula. Within the city is the amazing panorama depicting the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Visitors can visit the �alley of Death,?site of the famous Charge of the Light Brigade. Ruins remain of the ancient Greek town of Chersonesus within the city center. This is where Prince Vladimir of Kiev converted to Christianity and was baptized. Today, a large cathedral commemorates the spot. The site also includes Byzantine basilicas and the �oggy bell?made of melted Turkish cannons in the late 18th Century. The Chersonesus National Preserve |
