Chersoness Tauride

Ruins of Chersonesus State affiliation Ancient Greek colonies of the Northern Black Sea Coordinates 44°36′42′′ N N 33°29′36′′ EHGNO Modern locationCrimea, Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol Cultural heritage The object is included in the state register of monuments of Ukraine. Monument of archaeology of Ukraine of national importance. Security number: 270001-N[1] UNESCO World Heritage Reference:1411 Russian • Type: Cultural Criteria:III, V Year of application:2013 Tauride Chersonese

Tauride Chersonese

Chersonese Tauride on Wikimedia Commons Chersonesus Tauric, or simply Chersonesus (Other Greek). еερσόνησος - е χερσόνησος: "the peninsula"; in Byzantine time - Cherson, in the Genoese period - Sarson, in the chronicles of Ancient Russia - Korsun) - a policy founded by the ancient Greeks on the Heraclean Peninsula on the southwestern coast of the Crimea. The only ancient polis of the Northern Black Sea coast, urban life in which was continuously maintained until the end of the XIV century. For two thousand years Chersonese was a major political, economic and cultural center of the Northern Black Sea region, where it was the only Dorian colony. Now Chersonese settlement is located on the territory of Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol and is a historical and archaeological reserve. Chersonese, along with its choir on the Heraclean Peninsula, is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but since 2014, UNESCO has not monitored the preservation of the museum-reserve, since the organization does not recognize that it is under the jurisdiction of Russia. In the Russian Federation, which controls the disputed territory of Crimea, Chersonese Tauride is classified as especially valuable objects of cultural heritage of federal importance, in Ukraine Chersonese Tauride is classified as monuments of archaeology of national importance. Chersonese was founded in 424/421 BC as an ancient Greek colony by natives of Asia Minor Heraclea of Pontus. There is also an earlier settlement [15]. Founded at the present Quarantine Bay, the colony soon explores the Heracleian Peninsula, and then the territory of the north-western Crimea, dividing to the IV century BC. Crimea and the Bosporus.

Being a democratic polis, Chersonesos took an active part in all-Greek holidays, sports, led an active foreign policy. The supreme patroness of the city was considered Artemis. In the IV-III centuries BC. Chersonese produces a massive series of silver coins, successfully competing with other currencies of the Black Sea region. In the III century BC, the historian Sirisk lived in Chersonesos, who described the history of the city and its relations with the Bosporus and other cities of the Black Sea region. The mention of this historian preserved a commemorative decree dating from the second half of the III century BC. All the years of the existence of the state, Chersonese had to wage wars. In the II century BC. e. there was a bloody, long war with the Scythians. Kerkinitida was lost, Kalos Limen was destroyed, the enemy repeatedly stood at the gates of the city. Chersonesos was forced to seek help from the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator, who sent a large detachment to the Crimea led by the commander Diophantus. Acting at the head of the united army, which included Chersonese and Pontic troops, Diophantus during three campaigns (about 110-107 BC) defeated the Scythians, took Theodosia, marched to the Kerch Peninsula and captured Panticapeus. However, Chersonesos failed to maintain its independence: he became part of the power of Mithridates. Since then, the city has been in constant dependence on the Bosporan state. After the death of Mithridates VI Eupator, the political map of the entire Eastern Mediterranean changed dramatically. Choosing the lesser of the two evils, the Chersonesites sought to "become under the firm hand" of Rome as a "free city" and get rid of the humiliating tutelage of the semi-barbarian kings of the Bosporus. Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar gave the city what it wanted. However, later, following their favorite principle of “divide and rule”, the Roman emperors either subordinated the city to their allies – the Bosporan kings, then granted it “freedom” when it was necessary to restrain the ambitions of the Bosporan monarchs. In 25 BC. Augustus grants Chersonese "freedom" from the Bosporan kingdom. In 8 BC. King Polemon of the Bosporus was killed by the Aspurgians. Octavian Augustus recognizes Aspurges as the king of the Bosporus, having achieved separation from his kingdom of Chersonesos. In the first centuries of our era, an oligarchic republic was established in Chersonesos, the power in which belonged to a small circle of influential, noble and obedient to Rome persons. In the 60s of the first century, the Romans organized a large military expedition to Taurica to repel the Scythians, who again threatened the city. After the defeat of the Scythians by the troops of the tribune of Plautius Silvanus, Chersonese became an outpost of Roman troops in the Northern Black Sea region. In the citadel of the city, replacing and complementing each other, there were detachments of the I Italic, XI Claudius and V Macedonian legions from the province of Lower Moesia, and in the Chersonese harbor were based ships of the Moesian fleet (Classis Flavia Moesica). In the city was the headquarters of the military tribune, who commanded land and naval forces in the Crimea.

Monument to Andrew the First-Called in Chersonesos

Already in the I century, the first followers of Christianity appeared in Chersonese. Here ends his life Pope Clement I. To the IV century belongs the time of the lives of the Chersonese saints. In 381, Bishop Eferius of Chersonesus took part in the Second Ecumenical Council.[19] With the establishment of Christianity as the state religion in the empire, monuments of ancient art, theaters, temples are ruthlessly destroyed, they are replaced by Christian churches and chapels. As part of the Roman state in the IV-V centuries, the city leads an exhausting struggle for survival, restraining the strongest onslaught of barbarians, among whom the Huns were particularly ferocious. Chersonese, protected by powerful defensive walls, continues to live for another millennium, but under the conditions of a new, feudal system. In the V century Chersonese became part of the Byzantine Empire, and in the IX century became one of its military-administrative areas - the feme. By this time, not only the appearance of the medieval city changed, but also its name: the Byzantines called it Kherson, the Slavs called Korsun. Until the XIII century it was an outpost of Byzantium in the Crimea. In this half-millennium of its history, Kherson found himself in the crossroads of military and political interests of the Khazar Khaganate, Kievan Rus, Pechenegs and Polovtsev, but the enemy only once managed to enter the city limits. In 988, Prince Vladimir of Kiev captured the city after several months of siege. The capture of Korsuni allowed Vladimir to dictate his terms to Emperor Basil II and marry the Byzantine princess Anna. The success of the 4th Crusade in 1204 led to the collapse of the Byzantine Empire into a number of small states and the sharp activation of Muslim and nomadic peoples. Control over the Black Sea possessions in Chaldia, Paphlagonia and Kherson was seized by the Trebizond Empire. All this had the most sad consequences for Chersonesos. In the first half of the XIII century, the Seljuk Turks became the masters of the Black Sea region, subjugating all transit trade. In 1223, the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan made their first raid on the Crimea; the southern coast of the peninsula was attacked by the Seljuk Turks. In 1299, the southern and south-western Tavrika was ravaged by a horde of Tatar Khan Nogai. The Chersonese couldn't resist either. In the second half of the XIII century, the main trade routes moved to the eastern part of Taurica, where the Genoese founded their trading stations Kafu (modern Feodosia), Soldaya (modern Sudak), and near Kherson there is Chembalo (modern Balaklava). In the middle of the XIV century, the Genoese exercised control over the city, but they failed to restore its former power. In 1363, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd defeated the Crimean Tatar army near the mouth of the Dnieper, invaded the Crimea, devastated Chersonesos and seized all valuable church items here. His successor Vitautas in 1397 went to the Crimea, reached Kafa and again destroyed Chersonese. It should not be thought that in the XIII-XIV centuries the Chersonites humbly observed the extinction of the life of their native city. On the contrary, city walls and towers were repaired, services were performed in temples, streets were bridged, workshops worked, inns were not empty. Residential houses were decorated with ornamental carvings, painting, figure cornices. But in 1399 the Temnik Yedigei betrayed the city to fire and sword. After this crushing blow, Chersonesus was not destined to rise. Chersonese was primarily a trading city, which disappeared because it could not withstand competition with the Genoese colonies: Cafa, Chembalo and others who took over trade in the Black Sea basin. Given the mores of the Genoese merchants, one can imagine that not all methods of fighting Chersonese were honest. In the first half of the XV century, the life of a small fishing village was still warm, but soon the population left it. In the sixteenth century, the Polish ambassador Martin Broniewski wrote about Chersonesos: Surprising ruins very clearly indicate that it was once a magnificent, rich and glorious city of the Greeks, crowded and glorious with its harbor. In the entire width of the peninsula, from the coast to the other, still now stands a high wall and towers numerous and large of hewn huge stones. This city stands empty and uninhabited and represents only ruin and devastation. The houses lie in the dust and are leveled to the ground. The Chersonese state was a polis with a democratic form of government. The highest authority was the assembly of all free male citizens of the age of majority. The People's Assembly passed laws and decided the most important issues. The day-to-day life of the city was led by an elected council and collegiums, which oversaw all the activities of the residents of the city. Apparently, the members of the council were elected for a month, and its secretary (grammateus) for a year. The so-called king (Basileus) was an eponym, that is, his name was called and dated the year. From the ancient high office of the king preserved honorary, but only formal religious functions. A college of strategists was elected to command the army, later replaced by the Archons.

The college of demiurges guarded the purity of the democratic system. In the city there was a people's court and special officials - dicasts (judges). The decisions of the court were made by means of voting by stones, that is, by secret ballot, as stated in the Chersonese oath: "I will judge by stones according to the laws." The state treasury and the sacred sums were administered by various persons, who were also elected by the people, and at the end of their term of office reported to the people's assembly on the expenditures incurred. The agoranomas observed the order of the market, the astinomas observed the accuracy of measures of weight and volume. The names of the latter were put on coins and pens of amphorae. As in other ancient states, in Chersonesos they attached great importance to physical education and training. There was a special position of gymnasiarch. All these positions were elected – elections were made either by cheirotony (voting by show of hands) or by lot. Among the most important officials were the nomophilacs (magistrates), characteristic exclusively of aristocratic and oligarchic states, where they had the right to impose punishments, appoint ambassadors, and so on. This feature of the aristocratic structure is associated with the conquest and subjugation of the local population and the need to be in constant military readiness, when representatives of the most wealthy and noble families play a large role, acting as a force strengthening and cementing the armed forces. The political history of Chersonesos of the V-II centuries BC is almost unknown to us. Perhaps only one, but a very important period is covered in the sources very fully. Since the III century BC, the Scythians have become a formidable force in the Northern Black Sea region. Their scattered tribes gradually move to a settled way of life, agriculture (along with cattle breeding), the formation of tribal unions. Their political unification ends with the creation of a large state with the center in Naples Scythian. At the head of it becomes an intelligent and energetic leader - King Skilur. The Scythian nobility dreams of the riches of Greek cities, seeks to seize the coast with its overseas trade. In the first century BC. Chersoneseus lost the democratic form of government and became dependent on Rome. The Chersonese trade was mostly mediation. From the Greek cities of Asia Minor, the islands of the Aegean Sea and mainland Greece (Herakleia, Sinope, Delos, Rhodes, Athens), traders brought here jewelry made of precious metals, weapons, painted black and lacquerware, olive oil, marble, etc. Some of these goods were resold to neighbors - Scythians. A significant proportion of Chersonese exports were native goods: bread, livestock, leather, fur, honey, wax, and slaves. The Chersonesites turned the Heraclean peninsula into their agricultural district - a choir, where fortifications, estates were built, allotments were demarcated, vineyards and gardens were green. Viticulture and winemaking formed the basis of local agriculture. In the city itself, crafts developed: pottery, blacksmithing, foundry, construction and bone carving. At all times, the inhabitants of Chersonesos were excellent sailors and fishermen.

The Roman protectorate contributed to economic growth in the I-III centuries. Citizens actively fortified the city walls and towers, built new temples, built baths (baths), rebuilt the theater, held several strings of water supply. Chersoneseus conducted a lively trade with the major trade and craft centers of the Black and Mediterranean Seas and, above all, with its traditional partners on the southern shore of Pontus - Heracleia, Sinope, Amis, Amastria. In Chersonesos, the minting of gold coins was periodically resumed. To the goods traditionally imported into the city were added elegant glass and bronze vessels, a variety of red and lacquer ceramics, spices and incense. From the city in large volumes exported agricultural products, leather, salt and dried fish, fish sauces. At this time, fishing became an independent branch of the urban economy. During the excavations, about a hundred fish oilseed tanks were discovered, the capacity of some of them reached 30-40 tons. After the capture of Chersonesos by the Kiev prince Vladimir, Byzantium concluded an equal alliance with Russia. Chersonese, who served as an intermediary in their trade, this alliance was very profitable. From here to Asia Minor and Byzantium were sent products of agriculture and livestock; from the southern countries to Chersonesos and further, to the north, weapons, fabrics, oil. In the XI-XII centuries there is some weakening of trade and economic positions of Chersonesos. However, it has retained its importance as a stronghold of the Byzantine military and political presence in the region, as evidenced by the finds of seals of the Sevasts - senior officials, members of the imperial families. Over time, the power of Byzantium weakened, and in the XIII century, trade on the Black Sea was in the hands of Italian (Venetian, and then Genoese) merchants who founded their trading stations in the Crimea. Trade routes moved to Eastern Crimea, and this was one of the reasons for the decline of the economy of Chersonesos. By the middle of the XV century, life in it finally died out. Time passed, and the earth buried the ruins of a once large and beautiful city. Only 400 years later, in 1827, by order of the chief commander of the Black Sea Fleet and ports, A. S. Greig, the first excavations were carried out for scientific purposes on the site of the deceased Chersonese, at which three temples were opened [20]. The manufacturer of the works, presumably, was the captain of the Sevastopol port Moritz Borisovich Berch[21]. Subsequently, they were carried out by individuals and organizations. The most systematic excavations began in the late 1880s under the leadership of General K. E. Gemmelmann. Twenty years of life was given to them by the organizer of the future museum K. K. Kosciuszko-Valuzhinich, who in May 1908 was replaced by Robert (Roman) Christianovich Leper, who had previously been the scientific secretary of the Russian Archaeological Institute in Constantinople (RAIC).

Cooperation with the National Reserve "Chersonesus of Tauride" made a significant contribution to the formation and development of the Ural school of Byzantine studies: in 1958, the efforts of the Ural Byzantinists and anticologists created the Crimean expedition of the Ural State University, which for almost half a century conducted archaeological excavations in Chersonesos. In 1969-2000, the expedition was headed by A. I. Romanchuk, who published many scientific works devoted to Chersonesus. Chersonesos Historical and Archaeological Reserve is one of the largest research centers, a base where archaeological scientists from all over the world conduct research and students of universities practice. Systematic excavations helped to restore the history of the ancient city-state. The museum-reserve is visited annually by tens of thousands of tourists. They are attracted by collections of epigraphic monuments (including the world-famous oath of citizens of Chersonesos III century BC), works of art, handicrafts and tools, household items used by the inhabitants of Chersonesos. The most valuable finds from the excavations of ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the State Historical Museum and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. In 2012, for the first time in the history of underwater research of Chersonesos, the Department of Underwater Archaeology of the National Reserve “Chersonesus Tauride” received permission to study the water area within the administrative boundaries of the whole of Sevastopol. Underwater archaeologists from the bottom of the sea were raised artifacts of the Middle Ages. In particular, 12 stone anchors weighing up to 60 kg were found at a depth of 15 to 27 m. Founded here during the initial planning of the city in the V century BC. e. it did not change its purpose until his death. In ancient times, there were temples, altars, statues of gods, decrees of the People’s Council.

After the adoption of Christianity in the IV century, a new architectural ensemble consisting of seven temples appeared on the agora. In the middle of the XIX century, in honor of the Kiev Prince Vladimir, baptized in Chersonesos (Cherson), a cathedral bearing his name was built on it. Chersonesos Theatre was built at the turn of the III and IV centuries, it accommodated about 3000 spectators. Presentations, public gatherings and festivities were held here.

During the Roman period, the theater also served as an arena for gladiator fights. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, performances were banned. The theater fell into disrepair and two Christian churches were built on its ruins. One, placed on the orchestra, was dismantled during the restoration. The second, a large cross-shaped temple, was preserved. It was called the Temple with the Ark. The only ancient theater found in the CIS. In May 2007, vandals overturned the columns of the basilica, some columns split, and the mosaic floor was damaged. Zeno Tower is the defensive flank tower of Chersonesos, one of the best preserved defense structures of the city.

The bell on the bell reads:

The bell was cast in Taganrog in 1778 from Turkish cannons taken as a trophy. They are the guardians of the sailors. Nicholas and St. Foca. After the Crimean War he was taken to Paris, where he remained until 1913. During bad weather it was used as a bell. In 1803, by decree of Emperor Alexander I, the bell was sent to Sevastopol and was intended for the Church of St. Nicholas under construction. After the Crimean War of 1853-1856, the Allied troops of England and France took the bell from Sevastopol among the trophies. The return of the bell took place on November 23, 1913 with a large crowd and was accompanied by a solemn procession of the Cross. Not all researchers agree on the romantic origins of the bell. According to archival data, it was cast around 1890, shortly before the completion of the cathedral. It took its place by the sea in 1925, when the monastery buildings and the cathedral turned into office and exhibition spaces of the museum created in the same year, and the bell was turned into a sound beacon. After the Great Patriotic War, when civilian ships began to be massively equipped with radar, the lighthouse duties from the Chersonesos bell were removed, and it turned into another monument of the history of the city of Sevastopol. Chersonese was exiled by political opponents of the Constantinople rulers: Pope Clement I (in Inkerman) and Martin I, the deposed Emperor Justinian II, his rival Philippe Vardan, the brothers of Leo IV Khazarin, the self-styled son of Roman IV. Visited Chersonese Greek Queen Olga, Duke of Sparta Constantine, Prince George of Greece, Russian Emperor Alexander III. Repeatedly visited Chersonese last Russian Emperor Nicholas II with his family. It is widely believed that the city of Kherson was named Empress Catherine II in honor of Chersonesos. But there is also a version that the name “Kherson” is due to the fact that the fortress was an exit to the high bank of the Dnieper. Empress Catherine II was fond of Greek at that time. In Greek, “Kherson” is a high coast, and “Chersonesus” is a peninsula. In addition, at the time of signing the decree on the construction of Kherson, Crimea was not Russian, it was an independent Crimean Khanate. The Chersonese Bell was filmed in an episode of the film "The Adventures of Buratino" (the moment of the arrival of the main characters on the Field of Wonders of the Land of Fools)[25] In 2009, the National Reserve "Chersonesus of Tauride" together with American colleagues - the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the University of Texas in Austin - implemented a project to digitize the documentary fund of the reserve. 75 DVDs were recorded with digital copies of drawings of manuscripts, negatives and books of the XIX-early XX century[26].4 December 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his annual message to the Federal Assembly said that for Russia Korsun (Chersones) “have a huge civilizational and sacred value, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for those who profess Islam or Judaism.” In July 2015, the governor of Sevastopol Sergey Menyailo dismissed the director of the Chersonesus Tauride Andrey Kulagin and appointed Archpriest Sergius Khalyuta in his place. This was sharply opposed by the reserve staff, refusing to work under the guidance of a priest. Under public pressure, Halyuta refused the post. After this scandal, Vladimir Putin ordered to speed up the transfer of the museum-reserve to the federal jurisdiction. This means that regional authorities will no longer be able to influence the museum.