Chersonesos
Tauric Chersonesos is the name of the city founded by Greek colonists in southwestern Crimea more than 2500 years ago. Its archaeological ruins are presently one of the attractions of the city of Sevastopol. In ancient Greek the word chersonesos means "peninsula." The city was indeed located on a small peninsula between two bays. "Tauric" Chersonesos further denotes the location of the colony, that is, "in the lands of the Taurians". This a warring tribe that inhabited the neighboring mountains. The city was destined to exist for nearly two thousand years, and its history is intertwined with that of ancient Greece, Rome, and Byzantium. As in other Greek colonies, life for the Chersonesites depended entirely on the agricultural territory, or chora which lay adjacent to the city. At present, the farm plots and estates of the chora of Chersonesos are the subjects of interdisciplinary study by scholars of various specializations. The surrounding countryside was populated by different tribes, some peaceful, others belligerent. During the Middle Ages, when Chersonesos became the Christian center of the Crimean peninsula, a great number of monasteries, hermitages, and "cave towns" appeared nearby. At the end of the 14th century nomadic raids brought an end to the city and its ruins were buried under earth with time. In 1827, 50 years after the foundation of Sevastopol, the first excavations at the site of Chersonesos commenced. Soon afterwards, Chersonesos received the epithet of "Russian Troy." With every year new houses and streets, squares and churches of the ancient city appeared from under layers centuries-old. The excavations produced so many finds that they soon comprised an intriguing collection, and thus appeared the Chersonesos Archaeological Museum. In 2002 the museum celebrated its 110 anniversary.
Also:
http://www.chersonesos.org/?p=index&l=eng
http://www.archaeo-photo.chersonesos.org/en/galleries/local-antiques-warehouse/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chersonesus_%28Crimea%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sevastopol#Etymology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCtgQaXi5lI
http://www.eeiu.org/chapters/sevastopol/updates.html
http://www.sebastopolwf.org/node/92
http://www.sinp.com.ua/instud5.htm
