12 Best Sights in Sevastopol, Ukraine

Near Grafskaya Quay, on the square named after the famous Russian admiral, this bronze statue was inaugurated in 1959. Nakhimov was an outstanding naval commander and one of the chief defenders of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, when he was killed. These days, newlywed couples lie down bouquets here on their wedding day.

This is one of the oldest aquariums in the world, dating from 1897, and the only aquarium in the Ukraine. More than 180 different sea creatures are on display here.

You can view ship models as well as naval mementos in this museum dedicated to Russia's navy, which had a historically important base here. The museum was a direct result of the scuttling of the entire fleet in Sevastpol's harbor during the Crimean War.

The historic quay on Nakhimov square offers a lovely greeting to those arriving by sea and is an important architectural monument in its own right. Built in June 1783, it was created from masonry stones. It was further improved in 1787 in honor of a visit by the Russian Empress Ekaterina II, when the quay was equipped with modern amenities and when white marble columns where added. Two lions on the column are said to preserve the calmness of the city.

This avenues of this park are shaded by chestnut, acacia, and cypress trees. During World War II, it came under particularly heavy German bombardments that left virtually no living thing in the park. Many monuments and statues here are dedicated to great sacrifices of that war. There's also a museum here. The park is about 20 minutes from the City Center by public transportation.

One of the most famous monuments of Sevastopol, this column, which stands on an artificial rock among the waves, was the state emblem of the city in the Soviet times. It commemorates the scuttling of the Russian Navy (so that the ships would not fall into enemy hands and so that they would block entry into the harbor) after a year-long siege by French and British troops during the Crimean War. On top of the column is a bronze, two-headed eagle holding a laurel wreath in its beak.

Trained dolphins and fur seals put on a show several times daily at this open-air performance pool.

Created by Franz Alekseevich Rubaud in 1905 to mark the 50-year anniversary of the 349-day defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War, this huge 360-degree painting is four meters high and 115 meters long. It presents an almost life-size reconstruction of the defense to create an authentic-seeming presentation. During World War II, the circular building housing the Panorama was destroyed, but it was restored by Soviet painters in the years after the war. There is also a small museum of Crimean war objects and uniforms.

Constructed in 1905, the cathedral was virtually destroyed during World War II, along with most of the rest of Sevastopol. It was partially restored and until 1962 remained a church. After, it was turned into a gymnasium and city archive. In 1992, the northern part of the cathedral was returned to church control and was re-consecrated in the name of great martyr Pantelejmon. It remains a worthy example of Orthodox architecture and is worth seeing (even though it seems to be undergoing a never-ending renovation).

Built between 1854–1888, Neo-Byzantine St. Vladimir's Cathedral commemorates the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1850s. The Cathedral is the burial place of several renowned Russian admirals, including Lasarev, Kornilov, Istomin, and Nakhimov, and has become the church most associated with the Russian navy.

The Neo-Byzantine, or Byzantine Revival style, Russian Orthodox cathedral overlooks the Chersonesos area. It is named after St. Vladimir of Kiev, who – as the legend has it – was baptized in this very spot in the year 988. Badly destroyed during World War II, it was reconstructed in 1990s. Today the interior dazes the visitor with polished white marble, stained glass and mozaics.

These extensive ruins are all that remain of the ancient Greek colony that was built around 422 BC, when the area was known as Taurica by the Greeks. The city was surrounded by a long defensive wall and a series of towers, the remains of which can still be seen. A characteristic feature was a grid of streets. The first excavations were begun here in 1827. In addition to the ruins themselves, you can visit the museum. The famous "Foggy Bell" that was erected here in 1776 was cast from a melted German cannon to warn ships of dangerous conditions during bouts of bad visibility. The French took the bell (along with all the other bells of Sevastopol) after Russia's defeat in the Crimean War, and it ended up in the belfry of Notre-Dame de Paris, where it hung until 1913, when Russian diplomats secured its return to Chersonesos.