Sébastopol

Sébastopol (Севастополь, Sevastopol' in Russian and Ukrainian; Aqyar in Tatar of the Crimea) is a town of Ukraine, located in the western south of the peninsula of the Crimea. It was based by Catherine II, on a site particularly favorable to the establishment of a port, since made of eight deep water bays, of which that of Balaklava. Today, 328  600 inhabitants live there (2004).

The city is located at 60 kilometers of Simferopol and at 15 km of the tourist small town of Balaklava. Many tourists coming from the countries from CEI go there in summer. The city comprises many buildings of the 19th century, as well as many Monument S dating from the communist era. Sébastopol is one of the eight Villes Hero of the Soviet Union with Moscow, Kiev, Odessa, etc

The site also sheltered the Greek colony of Chersonèse, also called Hersones.

The seat of this city in 1854 was the principal operation of the Crimean War.

It shelters the naval Base of the fleet of the Black Sea, divided since 1997 between the Russia and the Ukraine. This naval base was equipped with a base reserved for the Sous-marin S of attack dug under the mountain of Balaklava, now abandoned.

Political statute and subdivision

Administratively, Sébastopol is a municipality independent of the remainder of the autonomous Crimea (see Subdivision of the Ukraine). Moreover, the city is then subdivided into four Oblast S. Some oblasts include/understand cities and villages which were before under the administration of Sébastopol, most known being Balaklava, Inkerman and Kacha.

History

Sébastopol is probably the most known Citadelle naval in the world. The city was founded in 1783 at the time of the annexation of the Crimea in Russia. The city becomes then an important naval base and a flourishing commercial port. During the Crimean War, Sébastopol is besieged by the French and the Britanniques, falling after 11 months.

During the Second world war, the German troops and Rumanian advanced in the surroundings of the city by north and launched their attack the October 30th 1941. The attack having failed, the forces of the Axe began the seat from the city and launched important bombardments. One second terrestrial offensive failed in December 1941. Sébastopol very strongly resisted more than 250 days of seat of 1941 at June 1942. The city was released after a bloody combat in May 1944.

In 1945, the city is lived to allot the statute of Ville Hero. The gold medal accompanying it is found on the blazon of the city. A monument was inaugurated in full center town, at the time of the commemoration of the 60e birthday of the victory of the allied forces on the Nazis. The monument celebrates the heroic resistance of the city as of the eleven other cities of the Soviet Union which have the statute of Hero City.

Under the Soviet mode, the city was not attached to the district of the Crimea itself attached to the socialist Republic of Ukraine but was subordinated to Kiev.

In 1957, the town of Balaklava was attached to Sébastopol.

Dispute between the Russian naval base and the Ukrainian Fleet of the Black Sea

According to the treated of 1997, the naval Base of the Russian Marine is located at Sébastopol, thanks to a lease signed between the two parts. This treaty follows a long political and diplomatic argument between Russia and the new nation independent of Ukraine. With the whole beginning, Moscow refused to recognize the Ukrainian Souveraineté on Sébastopol like on all the surrounding area of the Crimea, pretexting that the city had practically never integrated the Ukrainian Soviet socialist République owing to the fact that it had a military basic special statute. It is thereafter, thanks to the bilateral ones of the treaty “Paix and Amitié” that the membership of Sébastopol to the Ukraine will be confirmed.

However, the Command of the naval base and the organizations Russian control the city, dominating the trade and the cultural life. Indeed, the transfer of Sébastopol to the Ukraine forever really accepted by the Russian company (like certain statesmen), regarding the transfer as temporary. The Muscovite authorities, under the governorship of the Luzhkov mayor continue with sponsoriser social fabric pro-Russian, as well as education (schools, universities) and the cultural activities of Sébastopol (particularly those in favor of the employees of the Russian Marine and their families). These activities indicate a certain independence with respect to the remainder of the Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities control the formal activities such as the taxes and the police force.

Old the Soviet Fleet of the Black Sea as all the installations was divided between the Russian Flotte of the Black Sea and the Ukrainian Marine. Thus, two marine forces divide some of the ports and quays along the coasts of Sébastopol and its area, while certain zones are demilitarized or controlled by only one nation. Sébastopol remains the general headquarter as well of the Russian Fleet of the Black Sea as that of the Ukrainian Navy. A quarrel continues between the two parts, bearing on the hydrographic infrastructures of Sébastopol like on the Phare S along the coast of the Crimea.

External bond

  • “Sebastopol, Russian citadel in Ukraine”, in '' Le Monde '', February 13rd, 2006

Simple: Sevastopol

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