Sevastopol

Introducing Sevastopol

In a dozen short years, naval Sevastopol has changed enormously. Seeing it overrun with rich Russian tourists today, it’s hard to imagine that until 1996 it was closed off to all but official permit-holders. Now Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet, which has dominated Sevastopol life for more than two centuries, has been told it has to leave.

To the casual observer there’s no doubt this port city looks good; for Ukraine it’s pristine. Whitewashed neoclassical buildings and stone forts parade before a cerulean bay, and there’s a real sense of civic pride as early-morning cleaners sweep the waterfront promenades of the previous evening’s detritus.

Yet behind the attractive appearance there’s a vaguely unsettled air. Some citizens still hark nostalgically back to the Soviet era, when the city’s strategic importance meant preferential treatment. Almost all locals retain some allegiance to Russia. Sailors still swarm over town and will continue to do so for many years, but before Sevastopol has even properly bid farewell to the past, you can already sense another major sea change looming.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009