Sevastopol - the disputed land

A cover from Sevastopol, Crimean peninsula , Russia 🇷🇺 

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 following Crimea's annexation by Russia in 2014, though Ukraine and most of the UN member countries continue to regard Sevastopol as a city with special status within Ukraine.

The location and navigability of the city's harbours have made Sevastopol a strategically important port and naval base throughout history. The city has been a home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is why it was considered as a separate city in Crimea of significant military importance and was therefore once a closed city.

Although relatively small at 864 square kilometres (334 sq mi), Sevastopol's unique naval and maritime features provide the basis for a robust economy. The city enjoys mild winters and moderate warm summers; characteristics that help make it a popular seaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the former Soviet republics. The city is also an important centre for marine biology; in particular, dolphins have been studied and trained in the city since the end of World War II.

On 20 February 2014, Russian armed forces seized control of the Crimean peninsula. The city council of Sevastopol reportedly unilaterally declared that it wished to join the Russian Federation as a federal subject. The city council on 11 March released a joint resolution with the Supreme Council of Crimea to unite as an independent republic between the potential passing of the referendum and union with Russia. Ukrainian authorities and the international community strongly criticised the referendum decision. The actions of the Russian Federation were qualified by the international community as aggression against Ukraine, and occupation of its territory.

Postcards showing the Crimean bay and the memorial of the sunken ship 

The Monument to the Sunken Ships is the symbol of the city of Sevastopol, on disputed Crimean peninsula. Located in the Sevastopol Bay, it was designed by Amandus Adamson and built by Valentin Feldmann in 1905. The monument was erected in 1905 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Siege of Sevastopol, during the Crimean War, in which many ships of the Imperial Russian Navy were destroyed, most of them part of the Black Sea Fleet.