History of Chersonesos. Where is Chersonesos in Crimea? Chersonesos message

City name Chersonesos, which means peninsula, was given by its location between two bays, now Quarantine and Sand. Tauride it was called because it was located on the land of the legendary warlike Taurians.

In the second half of the 5th century. BC e. (422-421) settler colonists, immigrants from the ancient Greek city of Heraclea Pontic, located on the southern coast of the Black Sea, firmly settled in the southwestern corner of the Crimean peninsula, founding here a city called Tauric Chersonesos. Its ruins - the remains of defensive walls, residential buildings, public buildings, basements, wells, cisterns, an adjacent cemetery and numerous rural estates outside the city - lie on the territory of modern Sevastopol. Excavations have been going on here for about 200 years, which annually yield amazingly beautiful works of sculpture, painting, architectural details, inscriptions, coins, tools, and household items.

In 390-380 BC. Chersonesus issued the first coins. From that time on, city coinage was carried out for one and a half thousand years, with some interruptions. The coins depicted the legendary heroes of Chersonesos and Greece and various symbols.

The history of the city is being clarified and detailed. By the way, materials obtained in recent years have made it possible to suggest that Chersonesos was founded much earlier than is commonly believed - already at the end of the 6th century BC. e. However, such a dating, except for some small archaeological material, is not confirmed by anything else - neither literary, nor epigraphic, nor numismatic data. Therefore, we will focus on generally accepted dating. It was at this time that the conditions for the emergence of the city arose. One ancient land description says: "... consequence of the prophecy given to the Heraclians ... to populate Chersonesos together with the Dolosians"The fact is that the Athenians evicted the inhabitants of Delos from their native land for their hostility and disobedience. At the same time, a detachment of Athenian troops landed in Heraclea and devastated the outskirts of the city. As a result, the struggle between scattered peasants and the trade and agricultural elite became fierce. The democratic forces that were defeated in this conflict were forced to leave the city and look for a new place to settle. The coincidence in time of these two facts led to the emergence of Chersonese. The Delians, however, very soon returned to their native island and did not leave any trace in the further development of Chersonese history and culture. As for relations with Heraclea, they were versatile, strong and long-lasting. Even in the 2nd century AD, that is, six centuries after the founding of the city, the Chersonesos remembered that their distant ancestors came from Heraclea, and called its inhabitants “venerable fathers.” By creating the colony, other goals were simultaneously achieved: new markets in the Northern Black Sea region were drawn into trade exchanges, Chersonesos closed the direct route through the Black Sea, mastered just at that time (previously, ships sailed only along the coast), along this route the Heracleans hoped to receive grain from Scythia.

At first, the future city was a small village clinging to the shore of the bay, which is currently called Karantinnaya. The colonists, having sailed to Crimea, brought with them household utensils, tools, weapons, clothing, food supplies, and perhaps livestock. Having landed on the shore of Quarantine Bay, they had to settle next to it, setting up tents near their ships, erecting temporary shelters in the form of huts and dugouts, and starting the construction of permanent housing. Of the entire territory over which the city subsequently spread, the site on the shore of the bay seems to be the most convenient. The bay, which by nature itself was intended for ship moorings, was at first supposed to play a particularly large role in the lives of the settlers, and not only as the only route connecting them with their homeland, but also as a source of food supplies (fishing). This area is protected by elevation from cold northern and northeastern winds, and this, of course, is a factor of paramount importance for people who do not yet have permanent housing. And finally, there is reason to believe that it was possible to dig wells here and obtain the required amount of fresh water. In any case, one of the wells located on the slope of a ravine flowing into the bay, and functioning in the 4th century. BC e., immediately after the excavations it gave clean fresh water, which acquired a bitter-salty taste only after two or three days (in ancient times this well reached fresh water, later, due to the general lowering of the soil and rising sea levels, sea water also began to flow here ).

The area of ​​the site occupied by the early settlement was small and hardly exceeded 4 hectares. Such a small size should not seem strange. For example, Panticapaeum, the largest city in the Northern Black Sea region, hardly occupied a large territory in the early era of its existence. The area occupied by many North Pontic cities in ancient times did not exceed 4 hectares, and sometimes was less: Tiritaka - about 4.5 hectares, Tanais - slightly more than 4 hectares, Ilurat - 2.5 hectares. The population of the early village was correspondingly small and hardly exceeded 1-1.5 thousand people.

Soon after the founding of the city, the construction of defensive walls was to begin. The settlers found themselves surrounded by Taurus tribes, who especially closely populated the southwestern part of the peninsula, that is, the immediate surroundings of the newborn city. The Taurians had a bad reputation as a fierce and warlike people. The Taurus were at that level of development (other peoples did not escape it) when war becomes an inevitable element of social life. In addition, the Taurus tribes, forced out by the Scythians into the mountains and foothills, simply could not get enough food here, which naturally forced them to make up for this deficiency by robbery. The threat of attack, like the sword of Damocles, always hung over the city, and the only guarantee of safety was the construction of powerful walls. These first, earliest walls have not yet been found, but their direction can presumably be indicated now.

In the classical period (last quarter of the 5th - first quarter of the 4th century BC), Chersonesus did not play any role not only in the political life of the Mediterranean, but also occupied a secondary place among the northern Black Sea cities. There are two points of view about the occupations of the inhabitants in the early period. Some authors believe that the main thing in the city’s economy was trade. Others, citing unfavorable conditions for the development of trade operations (the relative backwardness of possible trading counterparties - the Taurians, the lack of convenient land communications), believe that Chersonesos "...from the very beginning began to develop not as a trading center, but mainly as an agricultural center production". As usually happens in such cases, the truth lay somewhere in the middle. Probably, from the very foundation, Chersonesos was of great importance as an intermediate point in the trade of the Northern Black Sea region with the Greek cities of the Mediterranean and the southern coast of Pontus. There was a convenient anchorage here for merchant ships heading directly across the open sea or following along the western and then northern shores of the Black Sea. Some researchers even see this as one of the reasons that prompted the Heracleans to move here. Very few traces of early agricultural and craft production have been found. On the other hand, it is logical to assume that from the very foundation of the city, small land holdings were founded in its immediate vicinity, crafts were organized in their rudimentary form (especially construction - the construction of residential buildings, defensive walls, some of the most important public buildings), fishing could play a significant role fishing, hunting, other crafts. By the way, already in 390-380. BC e. Chersonesus mints its own coins, and this is evidence not only of developed trade, but also an indicator of a high level of metalworking, which in turn largely determined the level of all other crafts.

At the end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd centuries. BC e. Chersonesus is entering a period of political and economic prosperity. From a small village it turns into a significant city at that time, the center of one of the large states of the Northern Pontus. As a result of repeated expansion of the urban area, it occupies almost the entire hilly space between Karantinnaya and Pesochnaya bays, its area reaches almost 30 hectares. The population increased significantly, reaching perhaps 10 thousand people. It was this size of the city that in ancient times was considered close to ideal; it was this that ensured, on the one hand, the safety of residents, allowed the development of all sectors of the economy, and, on the other hand, did not interfere with the efficiency of management, communications, and joint activities of citizens.

At this time, the Chersonesos were developing the Heraclean Peninsula (the southwestern corner of Crimea, west of the line connecting the peaks of the Northern and Balaklava bays), turning it into a base of agricultural production. Its development takes place in two stages: first - in the first half of the 4th century. - the northwestern tip of the Heraclean Peninsula (Mayachny Peninsula) is divided into about a hundred sections; much later, after 50-60 years, all the surrounding areas of the city are demarcated. Sources do not tell us how and due to what the rapid growth of the city's population occurs. It can be assumed that the arriving colonists - mostly young men - took young women from the local population as wives, created families, which ensured natural growth, and abundant childbearing could be stimulated by special legislation, just as it was in other Greek states, for example , in Sparta. The arrival of new small parties of colonists is not excluded. Be that as it may, the territory of the city by the end of the 4th century. BC e. has grown, which is a derivative of population growth. Chersonesus was surrounded by walls, the army (militia) was armed and trained, the tactics of fighting the Taurians were worked out and tested in the small skirmishes that inevitably arose. Now Chersonesos had the opportunity to launch an offensive against the Tauri. As a result, the entire Heraclean Peninsula was in the hands of the Chersonesos, and the local population was partially exterminated, but for the most part conquered.

The creation of the Chersonese state occurs just when Alexander the Great makes his campaigns and the Hellenistic states arise. It was during this era that the old “right of the spear” became especially widely rooted in the ideology of the Greeks, according to which land, for example, captured by military force, became the property of the strongest. “All over the world there is an eternal law that when a city is taken by war, the person and property of those in it belong to the conquerors,” says the Greek writer Xenophon. This law justifies any conquests; it is used to justify the Hellenistic monarchs’ right to power; The Chersonesos, of course, were guided in their aggressive activities by this right.

According to a long-standing tradition, all lands were divided into equal plots, and the inhabitants were turned into slaves of the type that is characteristic of Sparta and other Dorian states. Some of the Tauri who lived along the border of the Heraclean Peninsula continued to live in their villages and were something like Laconian perieki (free, but politically powerless inhabitants). Judging by the testimony of Strabo and the reports of travelers who visited Crimea shortly after its annexation to Russia, the entire Heraclean peninsula was fenced with a wall or rampart with a moat along the Inkerman-Balaklava line. Such a wall not only prevented the enemy from invading the peninsula, but also made it difficult for the Tauri, who had been turned into slaves, to escape. Apparently, in this regard, there is an increased interest of Chersonesos in military affairs. In this regard, the most interesting are the tombstones and the images on them. The Chersonesos developed a system of architectural design of tombstones and attributes on them that is not found anywhere else. Three symbols were placed on the monuments with men's names: 1) a special scraper that athletes used and a vessel for oil, which they rubbed their bodies with before wrestling; 2) a sword with a sword belt; 3) a schematic representation of a knotty staff. The first of the symbols was depicted on the monuments of boys or young men; it represented objects necessary for every young Greek. The Greeks paid a lot of attention to sports, especially in those policies that arose as a result of conquest (Sparta, Crete, Thessaly). It is not for nothing that a harmonious system of educating the younger generation was developed in Sparta. From early childhood, young people spent most of their time in palestras and gymnasiums, where they engaged in physical exercises that developed strength, agility, endurance, that is, the qualities necessary for a warrior. Therefore, if a young man was overtaken by death, then on his journey to the afterlife he should have been accompanied by pieces of sports equipment, the same ones that he so often used during his life, which constituted his pride and even glory. Such objects could be placed in the grave, they could also be depicted on a tombstone. If a man died in the prime of his life, a warrior, a defender of the fatherland, a monument was erected to him with the image of a weapon. The emergence of the Dorian states is associated with conquest, and daily existence is associated with the exploitation of large groups of subject populations. In the face of the constant danger of the uprising of the oppressed, these policies lived like a military camp, where everything was subject to strict military discipline, military successes were valued above all else, and cowardice was condemned. The entire system of the Spartans, according to Aristotle, is aimed “at only one part of virtue, namely military valor, since it is useful for acquiring dominance.” In such states, weapons were revered; there was even a kind of cult of weapons. It is quite natural that weapons and armed people were depicted on tombstones. Finally, the last attribute is the staff. He was a symbol of old age and was depicted on the monuments of people who died in old age.

Thus, the symbols on the monuments divide all the dead into groups according to their attitude to military service: into the “pre-conscription” age, when children and young men are preparing for military service; the age of prime when a man joins the city militia; and for older people for whom military service is no longer feasible. This system is a reflection of the outstanding role of military affairs in Chersonesos.

A pedestal of a statue of one of the citizens, Agasikles, was found in the city; it lists the merits of this Agasikles, and he is called “the one who demarcated the vineyards on the plain.” In total, about 400 land plots have been allocated on the Heraclean Peninsula, each with an area of ​​26 - 30 hectares. They were owned by all full citizens of Chersonesos. Conditions for the comprehensive development of agricultural production on the Heraclean Peninsula are not particularly favorable: clay and limestone, coming to the surface in separate spots and even whole ridges, are cut in different directions by numerous beams throughout the entire area of ​​the peninsula. The soil cover - mainly gray forest leached soils - does not reach significant thickness anywhere. The development of agriculture requires the mandatory application of fertilizers and the adoption of measures to artificially moisten the soil; in addition, it was desirable to combat intense erosion and weathering of the soil layer. Under a thin (0.30-0.50 m) soil layer there was a layer of limestone, and below it there was a layer of clay. The owners of the clerks acted this way. The soil was removed over a large area and stored somewhere nearby. Then the rock was removed, the soil was laid on the clay and partially mixed with it. As a result, the actual thickness of the soil layer increased. The resulting huge amount of stone was used to construct the fence of the plots, to divide each plot into plots by the walls, to build estates, as well as to construct plantation walls, which played a decisive role in adapting the lands of the Heraclean Peninsula for the development of agriculture. No more than 350 mm of precipitation falls here per year. This is the minimum figure at which viticulture is possible. But, as is clear, 350 mm is an average figure, which means that in some years it is either 400 or 300 mm. With the latter indicator, there is no harvest at all. The walls, folded dry, play the role of condensers of moisture from the air and give this moisture to the adjacent strips of earth, replenishing some of its deficiency. In addition, parallel walls terraced steep slopes, prevented weathering and washing away the soil, protected bushes from the wind, and replaced trellises, serving as a support for vines. Such walls were laid in vineyards every 2 m, in the garden - every 5 m. This distance is still recommended in agricultural textbooks as the most rational between rows of grape bushes or fruit trees. The distance between grape bushes in a row was close to 1.4 m. With this method of planting, about 5 thousand bushes were placed on one hectare. Grapes were served at the table along with other fruits, but most of them were processed into wine. They received such a large quantity of wine that it was not only enough to cover their own needs, but a significant amount was also exported. At the same time, at all times the demand for wine was high and stable, which to some extent determined the growth and stability of the Chersonese economy. Viticulture and winemaking were the main branches of the economy. In addition to grapes and fruits, grain crops and vegetables were grown on agricultural plots, and cattle breeding was greatly developed.

On each plot, an estate was erected, where those who cultivated the lands of the plot lived, who did enormous work aimed at various land improvements that compensated for the shortcomings of the soil and climatic conditions of the Heraclean Peninsula. Since artificial nature was created, which was conducive to the development of viticulture, but did not help the development of grain farming, the desire of Chersonese to take possession of the fertile plains of Western Crimea is quite understandable. And the Chersonesos are achieving great success in this regard. Their civil oath (III century BC) says: " I will not betray Chersonese, nor Kerkinitis, nor Kalos-Limen (Beautiful Harbour), nor other fortified points, nor from the rest of the territory that the Chersonese govern or governed, nothing to anyone, neither a Greek nor a barbarian, but I will protect all this for the Chersonese people..." The words of the solemn oath indicate that the city of Kerkinitida (modern Evpatoria), Kalos-Limen (Chernomorskoye village) and a number of other points on the western shore of the peninsula, and with it this entire shore, by the time the oath was written, already belonged to Chersonesos This is also confirmed by archaeological research data. Thus, in the southwestern part of Crimea a significant state arose with its center in Chersonesus. While the Heraclean Peninsula specializes mainly in viticulture, winemaking and gardening, bread is obtained primarily from the newly acquired lands. Which, of course, does not exclude the cultivation of grapes and other crops here.

It is impossible to imagine an ancient polis without more or less developed handicraft production. Craft products became firmly established in the life and everyday life of the Greeks and were used by them on a wide scale. Chersonesos, of course, was no exception in this regard. From the end of the 4th - beginning of the 3rd century. BC. There is brisk construction activity in the city. The city is significantly expanding its original boundaries, and this leads to the construction of new defensive walls, and entire neighborhoods are built up with residential buildings. A number of large public buildings are being built - a mint, a theater, and temples. Construction business, in terms of its importance and the number of workers employed in it, takes one of the first places among other crafts of Chersonesus. Very little is known about metalworking. Finds of industrial waste, crucibles for melting metal, and foundry molds in layers of this time are relatively rare. However, even they allow us to assert that metalworking not only existed, but also played a significant role in the life of the city. Ceramic production has developed greatly. This is because it; was closely connected with the most important sectors of the city’s economic life: agriculture, primarily winemaking (containers for storing and transporting wine were produced), fishing, trade, construction, as well as household management. The existence of spinning and weaving production in Chersonesos is confirmed by numerous finds of spindle whorls and weights for the loom. Fabric dyeing tanks have been opened in one of the city's districts. We know less about other crafts, but it can be argued that carpentry, leatherworking, bone carving and others were developed.

Chersonesos conducted extensive trade with the cities of the Northern Black Sea region, with local tribes; it was connected with many remote areas, such as Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula. The breadth of trade relations is evidenced by numerous decrees on proxies, which granted citizenship rights and various benefits for the import, export and sale of goods to representatives of other cities. Among the Chersonese proxenes, the inhabitants of Heraclea, Sinope, and Olbia predominate. Based on the finds of Chersonese amphorae (most often fragments), one can judge the lively trade in wine with the Scythians and Greek city-states of the northwestern and western Black Sea region. In the cities of mainland Greece, Chersonesos sold livestock products, fish, salt, honey, and wax. Fragments of amphora handles with Chersonese marks are found during excavations in Athens and distant Egyptian Alexandria. In exchange for their goods, the Chersonesos import from Greece the products they lack, olive oil, expensive wines, handicrafts, including painted ceramics, and objects of art (terracotta, statues).

The Chersonesos state was a slave-owning republic with a democratic form of government. The highest authority was the assembly of all free male citizens who had reached the age of majority. The People's Assembly adopted laws and decided important issues. The daily life of the city was led by an elected council and boards that monitored all the activities of the city residents. Apparently, the members of the council were elected for a month, and its secretary (grammatevs) for a year. The so-called king (basileus) was an eponym, that is, the year was named and dated by his name. From the ancient high position of the king, honorary, but only formal religious functions have been preserved. A college of strategists was elected to command the army; later they were replaced by archons. The College of Demiurges protected the purity of the democratic system. In the city there was a people's court and special officials - dikasts (judges). Court decisions were made by voting with pebbles, that is, by secret ballot, as stated in the Chersonesos oath: “I will judge with pebbles according to the laws.” The state treasury and sacred sums were under the control of various persons, who were also elected by the people, and at the end of their service, reported to the people's assembly on the expenses incurred. Agronomists monitored the order in the market, astynomians monitored the accuracy of measures of weight and volume, the names of the latter were placed on coins and amphorae handles. As in other ancient states, Chersonesos attached great importance to physical education and training. Therefore, there was a special position of gymnasiarch here. All these positions were elective and elections were made either by cheirotonia (voting by show of hands) or by lot. Among the most important officials were nomophilacs - magistrates, characteristic exclusively of aristocratic and oligarchic states, where they had the right to impose punishments, appoint ambassadors, etc. 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 wealthiest and most noble families play a large role, acting as a force that strengthens and cements the armed forces.

Political history of Chersonesos V-II centuries. BC e. almost unknown to us. Perhaps only one, but a very important period is covered very fully in the sources. From the 3rd century. BC. The Scythians become a formidable force in the Northern Black Sea region. Their scattered tribes gradually switched to a sedentary lifestyle, agriculture (along with cattle breeding), and the formation of tribal unions. Their political unification ends with the creation of a large state centered in Naples (New City, its ruins are on the southeastern outskirts of modern Simferopol). It is headed by an intelligent and energetic leader - Tsar Skilur. The Scythian nobility dreams of the riches of Greek cities and strives to seize the coast with its overseas trade. Olbia, an ancient Greek colony on the shores of the Bug Estuary, actually loses its independence and submits to the Scythian kings. Chersonesos is next. One of Skilura-Palak's sons continues his father's policies.

The Scythians are actively preparing for war. In the II century. BC e. A grandiose reconstruction of the defense of Naples is being carried out, which, in the words of one of the researchers, is “turning into a fortress city”; at the same time, a number of fortresses are being rebuilt, they are assigned the role of strongholds in the upcoming military operations. At the same time, the Scythians are trying to attract the Tauri to their side and, obviously, are succeeding in this.

More than ever, a serious danger looms over Chersonesos. Residents of the city are feverishly looking for a way out: they either try to bribe the Scythians with “gifts,” or they turn to the Pontic king Pharnaces I and conclude an agreement of friendship and mutual assistance with him (179 BC). The wording adopted in the text of the treaty indicates the constant possibility of an attack on the city. Pharnaces undertakes to provide military assistance in the event “if neighboring barbarians launch a campaign against Chersonese or a subject Chersonese country, or offend the Chersonese people.” An episode dates back to this time, based, in all likelihood, on genuine events of the end of the 3rd or 2nd century. BC. One ancient writer says that the Scythians “offended” the Chersonesos, who therefore had to enter into an alliance with the leader of the Sarmatians, Amaga. So, when the Scythians did not listen to her demand to “stop their raids on Chersonesus,” Amaga suddenly attacked them, killed the king and his entourage, and strictly punished the heir to royal power to “rule fairly and, remembering the sad death of his father, not to touch the neighboring Hellenes and barbarians."

Be that as it may, in the 2nd century. BC. The growing Scythian kingdom is increasingly disturbing Chersonesos. Military action is inevitably approaching. Not relying on diplomatic demarches alone, the Chersonesos are taking a number of energetic practical measures to strengthen the defense capability of their city. A new defensive wall is being hastily erected. When the forces of the Chersonesos were running out, they had to look for help from the outside. In accordance with the treaties of 179, they turned to the king of the Pontic kingdom, Mithridates VI Eupator, with a request to send troops. The commander Diophantus was sent to Crimea with a detachment of soldiers. Acting at the head of a united army, which included Chersonese and Pontic troops, Diophantus, in the course of three companies (about 110-107 BC), defeated the Scythians. This achievement, however, cost Chersonese dearly: having freed itself from the threat of subordination to the Scythians, it was forced to sacrifice its independence in favor of the Pontic king.

From the 5th century n. e. Chersonesus is part of the Byzantine Empire. In 988, after a 9-month siege, the city (Russian name Korsun) was taken by Prince Vladimir. Here Vladimir converted to Christianity. At the end of the XII-XIV centuries. Chersonesos suffered twice from attacks by Tatar hordes. By the middle of the 15th century. the city ceased to exist. Already in 1472, the Genoese consul in Kafa (Feodosia) called it “one uninhabited place.”

Now in its place is the Chersonesos Historical Museum. archaeological reserve(territory of Sevastopol). After visiting the museum, you can explore the ruins of an ancient theater - the only one in our country, city blocks, a section of defensive walls with Zeno's Tower and many other interesting architectural structures.

During its history, Chersonese survived Roman and Byzantine rule, but at all times the city remained a cultural and political center, as evidenced by the mention of Chersonese in the “Geography” of the Greek historian Strabo: “Many kings sent their children for the sake of educating the spirit and in which rhetoricians and sages were always honored guests.” Chersonesus fell into disrepair after the raids of nomads in the 13th–14th centuries and was revived in the 19th century as an archaeological monument.

City `s history

The foundation of the city was laid by immigrants from Heraclea Pontica and the island of Delos. Initially, the territory of the city, which did not exceed 4 hectares, was concentrated on a small cape at the entrance to modern Quarantine Bay. The settlement was surrounded by a defensive wall, behind which there was a necropolis. Residents of the city conducted trade relations with Heraclea Pontic, the Mediterranean islands and Attica.

By the second quarter of the 4th century BC. e. Chersonese Tauride was a slave-owning republic with a democratic form of government, in which the people's assembly was the main legislative body of power, and only the first settlers and their descendants had civil rights.

In the middle of the 4th century BC. e. The early settlement expanded deep into the Heraclean Peninsula, the area of ​​the city increased almost 10 times. At the same time, the agricultural territory - Chora - is also being developed. Archaeological excavations show that the city had a regular system of urban development, in which streets intersected at right angles, forming blocks with typical residential buildings.

Already from the 1st century AD. e. The episodic presence of Roman troops is recorded in the city: during excavations, statues of legates of the Roman provinces were found. At the beginning of the 2nd century AD. e. The Roman presence in Chersonesos expands, a permanent Roman garrison appears here and the city serves as an important outpost of the Roman Empire in Taurica. From the second half of the 3rd–4th centuries, the Gothic wars weakened the Roman military presence in the region, including Chersonesos.

In 322, Chersonese provided military assistance to Constantine the Great on the Danube, for which he confirmed the freedom and absence of taxes previously given to the city. Later, Chersonesos came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire and Christianity spread in the city.

In 987, Prince Vladimir launched a military campaign against Chersonesos, besieging it from sea and land - the city was forced to surrender. Entering the city, the Russian prince asked for the hand of Princess Anna, the sister of Emperor Vasily II, and received consent on the condition that he accepted the Christian faith. It was in Chersonos, or Korsun, as the Slavs called the city, that Vladimir was baptized.

Archaeological excavations

The first descriptions of the ruins of Chersonesus were compiled in 1595 by the ambassador of the Polish king M. Bronevsky. In the 18th century, with the beginning of the construction of the Sevastopol fortress near Chersonese, the remains of the structures of the ancient city began to serve as building material for a new settlement. Through the efforts of public figures who understood the significance of ancient Chersonesus, in 1805, Alexander I issued an order “On protection from destruction of the antiquities of Taurida,” which significantly reduced the scale of looting.

The first archaeological excavations were carried out in 1827 by Lieutenant K. Kruse, on the orders of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral A.S. Greig. At the same time, work is being carried out by Count and Countess Uvarov and the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities.

In 1852, on the territory of the Kherson settlement, the monastery of St. Vladimir was opened, the inhabitants of which were also engaged in excavations of the ancient city.

Since 1888, K.K. was appointed head of the excavations of Chersonesus. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich, who all his life served the idea of ​​researching and preserving the ancient city. During the excavations, city blocks of the Hellenistic polis with residential buildings, defensive walls, the remains of several basilicas were discovered and studied, and in 1952 the first ancient theater in the Northern Black Sea region was opened.

Chersonese Museum

In 1892, the first museum of Chersonese opened, which was called the “Warehouse of Local Antiquities.” During the First World War, the Kherson collection was evacuated to Kharkov, where it was kept in the library of Kharkov University. In 1920, after the establishment of Soviet power in Crimea, the museum was reorganized, the exhibition was transferred to former monastery buildings, the stock collections were systematized, a new museum exhibition was created and excavations of the ancient settlement continued.

During the Great Patriotic War, the museum’s collection was evacuated to the Urals, and the territory of the ancient settlement and choir turned into a fortified area with various military structures, suffering significant damage.

In 1978, a state reserve was created on the basis of the Kherson Museum; today it is a large research and museum institution on an archaeological territory of more than 290 hectares. The museum collection includes over 214 thousand exhibits. Among them are monuments of numismatics, epigraphy, architectural details, sculpture, glazed ceramics, bone products, beads, lamps, mosaics.

On June 23, 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee, the serial site “The Ancient City of Tauride Chersonesos and its Chora” was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

History of Chersonese Tauride

The emergence and early history of Chersonese Tauride (last quarter of the 5th - first half of the 4th century BC)

So clearly from time immemorial

An inquisitive mind prepares for rebirth

The forgotten roar of dead cities

And existence is a return movement.

Until recently, it was believed that Tauric Chersonesus was founded by immigrants from Heraclea Pontic and the island of Delos in 422-421. BC e. Moreover, the eviction of some of the Heracleots to Taurica was due to an acute social struggle between the aristocracy and the people. The aristocrats of Pontian Heraclea won the victory in this struggle, as a result of which some of the democratically minded residents of this ancient center were forced to leave the city and found a new Greek colony on a rocky cape in the northeastern part of the current Chersonesos settlement, the population of which was mainly Greek-Dorians.

However, recently archaeological research has established that long before the founding of Chersonesus, this territory had already been developed by the Greeks. In the area of ​​the central street, a cultural layer of the second half of the 6th-5th centuries was discovered. BC e. and ceramics of this time were discovered, among which the most interesting are shards with “scratched” male names, the so-called ostracons. The latter irrefutably testifies that elections of city magistrates took place here. Consequently, almost a hundred years before the founding of Chersonese, there was a Greek settlement here with elected bodies of city government.

An analysis of the names recorded on the ostracons showed that among the inhabitants of this early settlement the Heracleotes predominated, and a considerable proportion of them were representatives of aristocratic families. This suggests that the early settlement on the site of Chersonesos also arose as a result of the eviction here of some part of the population of Pontic Heraclea, which was defeated in one of the internal social conflicts. However, along with the Dorian Greeks, the population also included Ionian Greeks, immigrants from Asia Minor, as can be judged by their characteristic names.

Tauric Chersonesos, or simply Chersonesos, is a polis founded by the ancient Greeks on Heracles on the southwestern coast of Crimea. Now the Chersonesos settlement is located on the territory of the Gagarinsky district. The territory of Chersonesos and part of the waters of the Quarantine Bay are an archaeological reserve, which in 2013 was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

For two thousand years, Chersonesos was a major political, economic and cultural center of the Northern Black Sea region, where it was the only Dorian colony.

Story. Chersonesos was a Greek colony founded in 529/528. BC e. came from Heraclea Pontus, located on the Asia Minor coast of the Black Sea. It is located in the southwestern part of Crimea, near the bay, which is currently called.

In the earliest layers of Chersonesos, archaeologists found a significant number of shards (fragments) of archaic black-figure ceramics, which date back no later than the 6th century. BC e.

A little over a hundred years after its founding, the territory of Chersonesus already occupied the entire space of the peninsula lying between Karantina and Pesochnaya. Chersonesos took an active part in pan-Greek holidays, sports competitions, and pursued an active foreign policy. In the IV-III centuries. BC e. Chersonesos issues mass series of silver coins that successfully compete with other currencies of the Black Sea region.

In the 3rd century. BC e. The historian Siriscus lived in Chersonesos, who described the history of the city and its relationship with the Bosporus and other cities of the Black Sea region. A memorial decree dating back to the second half of the 3rd century preserved a mention of this historian. BC e.

All the years of the existence of the state, the Chersonesites had to fight wars. In the 2nd century BC. e. There was a bloody, long war with the Scythians. It was lost, destroyed, the enemy repeatedly stood at the gates of the city. Chersonese was forced to turn for help to the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator, who sent a large detachment led by the commander Diophantus to the Crimea. Acting at the head of a united army, which included Chersonese and Pontic troops, Diophantus, during three campaigns (about 110-107 BC), defeated the Scythians, took, marched to the Kerch Peninsula and captured.

After the death of Mithridates VI Eupator, the political map of the entire Eastern Mediterranean changed dramatically. Choosing the lesser of two evils, the Chersonesites sought to “stand 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.

The Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar granted the city what it wanted. However, later, following their favorite principle of “divide and conquer,” the Roman emperors either subjugated the city to their allies, the Bosporan kings, or provided it with “freedom” when it was necessary to restrain the ambitions of the Bosporan monarchs.

In the first centuries A.D. e. An oligarchic republic was established in Chersonesos, power in which belonged to a small circle of influential, noble and obedient persons to Rome. In the 60s of the 1st 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 Plautius Silvanus, Chersonesos 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 Italian, XI Claudian and V Macedonian legions from the province of Lower Moesia (modern-day Bulgaria), and the ships of the Moesian Flavian fleet were based in the Chersonesos harbor. In the city there was the headquarters of the military tribune, who commanded the ground and naval forces in Crimea.

Already in the 1st century. The first followers of Christianity appear in Chersonesos. Here Pope Clement I ends his life. The life of the Chersonese saints dates back to the 4th century. In 381, Bishop Epherius of Chersonesos took part in the Second Ecumenical Council.

Monuments of ancient art, theaters, and temples are being mercilessly destroyed, and they are being replaced by Christian churches and chapels. As part of the Roman Empire in the 4th-5th centuries. the city is waging a grueling struggle for survival, holding back the strongest onslaught of barbarians, among whom the Huns were particularly ferocious. Chersonesos, protected by powerful defensive walls, continues to live for another millennium, but under the conditions of a new, feudal system.

In the 5th century, Chersonesus became part of the Byzantine Empire, and in the 9th century. became one of its military-administrative areas. By this time, not only the appearance of the medieval city had changed, but also its name: the Byzantines called it Kherson, the Slavs - Korsun. Until the 13th century. it was an outpost of Byzantium in Crimea.

During this half-millennium of its history, Kherson found itself in the crosshairs of the military-political interests of the Khazar Khaganate, Kievan Rus, the Pechenegs and the Polovtsians, but the enemy only once managed to enter the city limits. In 988, the Kiev prince Vladimir, after several months of siege, captured the city. The capture of Korsun allowed Vladimir to dictate his terms to Emperor Vasily II and marry the Byzantine princess Anna. In the minds of ancient Russian chroniclers, the capture of Korsun is inextricably linked with the Baptism of Rus' and preceded the spread of Orthodoxy among the Russian people.

The failure of the IV Crusade in 1204 led to the collapse of the Byzantine Empire into a number of small states and a sharp activation of Muslim and nomadic peoples. All this had the most tragic consequences for Chersonesos. In the first half of the 13th century. The Seljuk Turks became the masters of the Black Sea region, subjugating all transit trade. In 1223, the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan made their first raid on Crimea; the southern coast of the peninsula was attacked by the Seljuk Turks. In 1299, southern and southwestern Taurica was ravaged by the horde of the Tatar Khan Nogai.

Chersonesus could not resist either. In the second half of the 13th century. the main trade routes moved to the eastern part of Taurica, where the Genoese founded their trading posts (modern), Soldaya (modern), and appeared near Chersonesus (modern Balaklava).

In the middle of the 14th century. The Genoese exercised control over the city, but failed to return it to its former power. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgerd defeated the Crimean Tatar army in 1363 near the mouth of the Dnieper, invaded Crimea, devastated Chersonesus and captured all valuable church objects here. His successor Vytautas went to the Crimea in 1397, reached Kafa and again destroyed Chersonesos.

One should not think that in the XIII - XIV centuries. The Chersonites humbly observed the fading of life in their native city. On the contrary, city walls and towers were being repaired, services were held in churches, streets were paved, workshops were operating, inns were not empty... Residential buildings were decorated with ornamental carvings, paintings, and figured cornices. But in 1399 the temnik Edigei betrayed the city to fire and sword. After this crushing blow, Chersonesus was not destined to rise.

Chersonesos was primarily a trading city, which disappeared because it could not withstand competition with the Genoese colonies: Kafa, Chembalo and others. They took control of trade in the Black Sea basin. Considering the morals of the Genoese merchants, one can imagine that not all methods of fighting Chersonesus were honest.

In the first half of the 15th century. The life of the small fishing village was still glimmering, but soon the population abandoned it too. The city died... In the 16th century. Polish ambassador Martin Braniewski writes about Chersonese: “The amazing ruins very clearly indicate that it was once a magnificent, rich and glorious city of the Greeks, populous and famous for its harbor. A high wall and numerous and large towers made of hewn huge stones still rise across the entire width of the peninsula, from shore to shore. This city stands empty and uninhabited and presents only ruins and devastation. The houses lie in the dust and are razed to the ground...”

By the middle of the 15th century. the life in him completely faded away. Time passed and the earth buried the ruins of the once large, beautiful city.

Interesting Facts. 1. Political opponents of the rulers of Constantinople served their exile in Chersonesus: Pope Martin, the deposed emperor Justinian II, his rival Philippicus Vardan, the brothers of Leo IV Khazarin, the self-proclaimed son of Roman IV.

2. The Greek Queen Olga, the Duke of Sparta Constantine, the Greek Prince George, and the Russian Emperor Alexander III visited Chersonesos. The last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family visited Chersonesos several times.

3. The city of Kherson was named after Chersonese by Empress Catherine II.

4. The Chersonesos Bell was filmed in an episode of the film “The Adventures of Pinocchio” (the moment the main characters arrive at the Field of Wonders of the Country of Fools)

Excavations. 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 for scientific purposes were carried out at the site of the lost Chersonese, during which three temples were discovered. The work was presumably carried out by the port captain Moritz Borisovich Berch.

They were subsequently carried out by individuals and organizations. The most systematic excavations began in the late 80s of the last century. The great enthusiast and organizer of the future museum, K.K. Kostsyushko-Valyuzhinich, gave them twenty years of his life.

During the years of Soviet power, the Chersonesos Historical and Archaeological Reserve has turned into one of the largest research centers and has become a base where archaeologists from all over the world conduct research and university students do internships. Systematic excavations have helped to reconstruct the history of the ancient city-state.

The museum-reserve is very popular; tens of thousands of tourists visit it every year. They are attracted by collections of epigraphic monuments (including the world-famous oath of citizens of Chersonesos in the 3rd century BC), works of art, handicrafts and tools, and household items used by the inhabitants of Chersonesos.

The most valuable finds from excavations of the ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the State Historical Museum and the State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin in Moscow, as well as others.

Address: Russia, Republic of Crimea, Gagarinsky district of Sevastopol
Based: 422
Main attractions: Basilica in the basilica, Vladimir Cathedral, Zeno's tower, ancient theater, Fog bell
Coordinates: 44°36"42.0"N 33°29"36.0"E
Object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation

In a bay on the southwestern coast of the Crimean peninsula in the area of ​​modern Sevastopol, approximately in the middle of the fifth century BC. e. Tauric Chersonesus was founded by the ancient Greeks, which was a huge center of the Northern Black Sea region, where culture, crafts and trade actively developed.

Historical facts

The history of this city is closely connected with the history of ancient and medieval states. Due to the fact that Chersonesos was located at the crossroads of sea routes, and trade was booming there, it had enormous wealth and attracted the attention of many conquerors. In the second half of the IV-III centuries. BC e. Chersonesos reaches maximum prosperity of economy and culture.

Basilica

However, the Scythian kings, whose state was located in the center of the peninsula, begin numerous wars, trying to seize the grain trade in Crimea. Then the Chersonesos conclude an agreement on military assistance with the king of the Pontic state, which arose after the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great, which subsequently leads to Chersonesos losing its independence.

The king of the Pontic state ousts the Scythians, but at the same time, almost the entire Crimea loses its independence and begins to pay tribute in the form of bread and silver to Mithridates VI of Pontus.

Basilica within a basilica

Mithridates VI of Pontus waged constant wars with Rome; during the reign of his son, an enslaving alliance was concluded with the Roman Empire, as a result of which Chersonesos became dependent on the Roman Empire. At the beginning of the new era, Christianity came to Chersonesos and in the 4th century it became the official religion. During this period, ancient monuments, temples and theaters were destroyed and Christian churches and chapels were erected in their place. In the 5th century the city became part of the Byzantine Empire.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

An important historical event was the wedding in 988 of the Byzantine princess Anna with the Kyiv prince Vladimir the Red Sun, who conquered the city after a long siege and was baptized here. It was this historical event that marked the beginning of the Christianization of Kievan Rus, and Prince Vladimir was named Vladimir the Baptist. In honor of him, on the site of a medieval temple, a cathedral was erected in the 19th century - the Cathedral of St. Vladimir.

City architecture

In 1827, archaeological excavations began. The important fact is that they are being carried out intermittently to the present day.

City Gate

The work of several generations of archaeologists and historians makes it possible to get acquainted with the history and culture of this ancient city, the center of human civilization, which was also called Russian Troy. The city's architecture reflects the influence of different cultures.

Once upon a time, the city was surrounded by powerful defensive walls with towers 3-5 meters thick. The largest is the round tower of Zeno. Its diameter is 23 meters. Tombstones were found inside the tower, and outside there is a slab indicating that the tower was built in 488 in honor of Zeno, the Byzantine emperor.

Tower of Zeno

An important feature of the city's layout is the rhythmic arrangement of longitudinal and transverse streets. Straight streets divided the city into identical rectangles, small blocks consisting of three or four houses. But the estates of the Chersonesos nobility looked like small fortresses, with high towers, built from large stone blocks, the thickness of the walls reaching two meters and a height of 12 meters. The main street of the city starts from the main gate and runs along the ridge of the cape all the way to the fortress wall.

City walls

In the city of Chersonesos, in the northeastern region, there was also a mint, where during excavations fragments of a smelting furnace, various waste from bronze foundry production and blanks for coins were found. In ancient times, the cult of the goddess Virgo was very widespread in Chersonesos. The priests of the city dedicated altars and statues to the Virgin in her temple, where incubation, that is, a kind of sacred sleep, was also practiced. Under the influence of the Romans, a water supply system was built in Chersonesos, which contributed to the construction of large public baths - thermal baths, steam rooms and swimming pools.

Internal gate

The ancient theater dating back to the 3rd century has been very well preserved to this day. BC e., which accommodated about three thousand townspeople. Opposite the central aisle of the theater there was an altar, and on top there was a stone platform where the actors performed. Above the platform there was a building, a place where the performers changed clothes, against which the performance took place. To this day, various performances are held here. Another attraction of the city is its religious center. The largest three-nave basilica in Crimea was opened in this center, 50 meters long and more than twenty meters wide.

Ancient theater

Most of the Chersonesos basilicas were destroyed and small churches and chapels were built in their place, one or two in each quarter. On the seashore there is a large copper bell, which was cast in 1778 in Taganrog. The material for this was Turkish captured guns. It is decorated with images of the patrons of sailors - St. Nicholas and Phocas. This bell was taken by the French from Sevastopol during the Crimean War, however, 60 years later it was discovered in Notre Dame Cathedral and then returned to Sevastopol. Now the bell is installed on the seashore and warns passing ships in the fog about the proximity of the rocks.

Fog Bell

An important part of the reserve is the archaeological museum, located in the buildings of the former monastery of St. Vladimir. Today the museum collection includes more than 200 thousand items. Thus, there are many places of interest in Chersonesus, each of which contains history and fascinates with its beauty and primitiveness. Chersonesus is a historical monument that reflects entire eras. A visit to this reserve will amaze anyone, because it is impossible to remain indifferent at the sight of such majestic beauty of the ancient city.