Sevastopol is the largest city on the Crimean Peninsula and a major Black Sea port. The city is administered as a federal city of the Russian Federation.

After the reunification of the Crimea with Russia following the referendum in 2014 Sevastopol became a city with special status.

In February 1784, Catherine the Great ordered Grigory Potemkin to build a fortress in the Crimea where was situated a little town Akhtiar and called it Sevastopol. The realisation of the initial building plans fell to Captain Fyodor Ushakov who in 1788 was named commander of the port and of the Black Sea squadron. It became an important naval base of Russian Empire and later a commercial seaport. In 1797, under an edict issued by Emperor Paul I, the military stronghold was again renamed to Akhtiar. Finally, on 29 April (10 May), 1826, the Senate returned the city's name to Sevastopol.

Arch at the entrance to Sevastopol.

Monument to the Scuttled Ships. The monument was built in 1905 to the 50th anniversary of the First Defense of Sevastopol, during which Russian sailing ships were flooded, to block the entrance of enemy ships to the raid and thereby save Sevastopol.

Vladimir Cathedral, where Russian prince Vladimir was baptized.

Monument to the Russian admiral Pavel Nakhimov.

Monument "City-Hero Sevastopol" (popular name - "Bayonet and sail") is situated in the Crystal Bay of Sevastopol. From this cape the first salute was given in honor of the end of the Defense of Sevastopol (1941-1942) during the Second World War.


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