Founding of Sevastopol

Background. The city occupies the southwestern tip of the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea coast, in a headland known as the Heracles Peninsula. Its strategic location and navigable harbours made it an important port and naval base throughout its history, and it was established on the site of the ancient, ruined Greek city of Chersonesus.

Founding of the Naval Base. In June 1783, Rear Admiral Thomas MacKenzie (Foma Fomich Makenzi), a native Scot in Russian service, founded a base for a naval squadron under the name Akhtiar (White Cliff). Soon afterwards the Russian Empire annexed the Crimean Khanate. In February 1784, Catherine the Great ordered Grigory Potyomkin to build a fortress there and call it Sevastopol.

Naming and Etymology. The name Sevastopolis was chosen following the same etymological trend as other cities in the Crimean peninsula, intended to express ancient Greek origins. The city was probably also named after Empress Catherine II. One source states that Catherine II founded Sevastopol in 1783, which disagrees with the account of the founding by MacKenzie in June 1783 and of the naming order issued by Catherine in February 1784.