Sevastopol, Crimea

This is my first postcard received from Crimea since Russia occupied the area, so the stamps are Russian. I always thought Russian Post was really slow, but this arrived in 13 days, which is pretty standard in my experience for mail from Ukraine. I like the dreamy feel of this picture. ...and again wish I lived a bit closer to the sea. :P

  UA-1265549   Sevastopol is a city located in the southwestern region of the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. The city is currently a subject of territorial dispute, as a result of annexation of Crimea, between Ukraine, which considers Sevastopol as a city with special status, and Russia, which itself considers it a federal city within the Crimean Federal District.

Sevastopol has a population of 342,451, concentrated mostly near the Bay of Sevastopol and surrounding areas. The location and navigability of the city's harbours have made Sevastopol a strategically important port and naval base throughout history. The city has been a home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is why it was considered as a separate city in Crimea of significant military importance.

Although relatively small at 864 square kilometres, Sevastopol's unique naval and maritime features provide the basis for a robust economy. The city enjoys mild winters and moderate warm summers; characteristics that help make it a popular seaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the former Soviet republics. The city is also an important centre for marine biology; in particular, dolphins have been studied and trained in the city since the end of World War II.

This postcard shows the Monument to the ships scuttled during the siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War by Amandus Adamson.

The Bear Mountain, Crimea, Ukraine

We are having a mini summer here in England today :) It was warm enough to go out in a t-shirt, and I was sweating even then! A perfect excuse for some ice crea, then, I say! :D I do wish I could go on a beach on a day like this but it's not like there are any in the middle of England :P Oh well, at least I can see beaches and the sea on postcards, like this one I once received in a swap with dear Katya.



On this postcard you can see the Bear Mountain in Partenit, a seaside townlet in the southern part of Crimea, Ukraine. The name has its origins in the Greek “Parthenon.” Lying just east of the Bear Mountain, Partenit is on a fairly flat coastal plot of land, although the elevation quickly rises the further away one goes from the sea. Much of the architecture of the city is in the Soviet realist style. The current permanent-resident population is largely Russian Ukrainian, with a significant influx of Tatars and Armenians. Crimea, or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name. It was often referred to with the definite article, as the Crimea, until well into the 20th century.

Crimea is now an autonomous parliamentary republic which is governed by the Constitution of Crimea in accordance with the laws of Ukraine. The capital and administrative seat of the republic's government is the city of Simferopol, located in the center of the peninsula. Crimea's area is 26,200 square kilometres and its population was 1,973,185 as of 2007.

Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority who now make up about 13% of the population, formed in Crimea in the late Middle Ages, after the Crimean Khanate had come into existence. The Crimean Tatars were forcibly expelled to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin's government. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some Crimean Tatars began to return to the region. However, a majority of the population consists of Russians, and the Russian language has official status in the autonomous republic.

Koktebel, Ukraine

The second official for today comes from Ukraine. I wanted to post it here because it's such a beautiful view, I love the colours and the dreamy atmosphere in it.


UA-45640

Koktebel, formerly known as Planerskoye, is one of the most popular resort townlets in South-Eastern Crimea. Koktebel is situated on the shore of the Black Sea. It is best known for its literary associations. The Russian poet Maximilian Voloshin made it his residence, where he entertained many distinguished guests, including Marina Tsvetayeva, Osip Mandelshtam, and Andrey Bely (who died there). They all wrote remarkable poems in Koktebel.

The original name Köktöbel is of Turkic origin: in Crimean Tatar it means “Land of the blue hills” (from kök, “sky blue”, and töbe, “hill” or “mountain”, composed with the collective suffix -el). Its Soviet name of Planerskoye comes from the Russian planer, or glider: the hills above the shoreline were the site of many early experiments in manned heavier-than-air flight by Russian pioneer aviators.



#2 reason to post this card here: the stamps are amazing! Huge, colourful and beautiful. The stamp on the right is from a set of 3 stamps issued in 2008 to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Birth of Taras Shevchenko - this one here is a Self portrait from 1840. The two stamps in the middle are from a set of 4 stamps issued in 2009, representing Ukrainian Songs. The one on the left represents Haidamaky Songs and the one on the right Joking Songs. I couldn't find any info on the small stamp on the left but it looks like a definitive stamp.