For years the town of Sevastopol was closed to foreigners even to Ukrainians who couldn't show that they had a good reason for going there eg family or business connections. You had to have a permit, because Sevastopol was the home of the soviet Black Sea fleet, and at the height of the cold war the town was definitely off limits to western tourists. In 1997, Russia agreed to hand over control of the town to Ukraine, and now Sevastopol welcomes visitors.
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The Black Sea fleet is still there, but now you can get a boat tour of the harbour and take photos of the subs and battleships at their berths. The 1997 agreement left Russia and Ukraine with about half of the fleet each, although Russia bought back some of the more modern ships for cash. Russia rents three harbours from Sevastopol for the ships it stations there, but there are no nuclear weapons at the leased facilities. |
The Naval Fleet
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Russian Submarine
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The harbour at Sevastopol is part of a huge bay forming the mouth of the Chernaya (Black) river. From this quay there are numerous small boat tours around the bay, including close views of the Black Sea Fleet. |
Sevastopol Harbour
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Sevastopol Bay
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The 1997 agreement allows Russia to lease three harbours for its ships until 2017. The agreement also allows for no more than 25,000 Russian military personnel at the bases. |
Harbour Front
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The Promenade
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Travel, Tourism and Holidays Specialists to Kiev, Around Ukraine and Crimea |
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