Sevastopol Naval Base
| Sevastopol Naval Base | |
|---|---|
| Севастопольская военно-морская база Севастопольська військово-морська база | |
| Sevastopol, Crimea | |
 Map of the Sevastopol Bay | |
| Coordinates | 44°36′28″N 33°31′48″E / 44.60778°N 33.53000°E |
| Type | Naval base |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Disputed: |
| Operator |  Black Sea Fleet |
| Controlled by |  Russia |
| Condition | Operational |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1772–1783 |
| Built by |  Russian Empire |
| In use | 1783–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Black Sea Fleet |
| Occupants |  Russian Navy |
The Sevastopol Naval Base is a naval base located in Sevastopol, Crimea. It the main base of Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet.
Geography[change | change source]
The base is located in theadministrative territory of Sevastopol. It has several places for ships to dock which includes:
- Severnaya (Russian: Северная бухта; Ukrainian: Північна бухта)
- Yuzhnaya (Russian: Южная бухта; Ukrainian: Південна бухта)
- Karantinnaya (Russian: Карантинная бухта; Ukrainian: Карантинна бухта)
History[change | change source]
Work to build the port was started in 1772. At the time, the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) was happening. Russia had annexed Crimea, and finished the port in 1783. On 13 May 1783, the first eleven ships of the Imperial Russian Navy reached the Sevastopol Bay.[1]
In the Crimean War (1853–1856), all large ships were sunk on purpose in the entrance to the bay. This was done to stop enemy ships from being able to enter the bay. The city defended itself for 349 days against France, the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire and Piedmont-Sardinia. On 9 September 1855 the Russians left Sevastopol.[1]
During World War I, the German army took over Sevastopol on 1 May 1918. Later, a few ships from the Black Sea Fleet were sunk by their crews.[1]
During World War II, the Black Sea Fleet of the Soviet Navy was at first able to defend against Nazi Germany. However, after the city defended itself for 250 days, Sevastopol fell to the Germans on 4 July 1942.[1]
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, Sevastopol became part of Ukraine. Russia made a treaty with Ukraine to use the base for the Russian Navy. In order to do so, Russia paid an annual amount to Ukraine.[2][3] Since the Russia took over Crimea in 2014, the base is under Russian control.[4]
Gallery[change | change source]
-
The first map of the Akhtiar (Sevastopol) Bay, created by navigator Ivan Baturin and his team, 1773. -
The Russian Squadron on the Sebastopol Roads (1846), by Ivan Aivazovsky. -
Map of Sevastopol, 1904. -
Color view of part of the port, 1905. -
Aerial view of the port, August 1918. -
Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2005. -
Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2008. -
Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2015.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Flottenstützpunkt Sewastopol" (in German). Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ↑ "Ukraine stellt Hafen zur Verfügung, Moskau gibt Energierabatt" (in German). Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ↑ "State Duma approves denunciation of Russian-Ukrainian agreements on Black Sea Fleet". TASS. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ↑ Deutsche Presse-Agentur (19 March 2014). "Annexion: Russland sichert sich militärische Kontrolle über die Krim" (in German). Die Zeit. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
Other websites[change | change source]
- Photos Black Fleet Archived 2020-02-16 at the Wayback Machine