HISTORIC CRIMEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24723, 27 September 1941, Page 10

HISTORIC CRIMEA

GERMAN OBJECTIVE PORT OF SEBASTOPOL BASE FOR SOVIET FLEET Germany’s principal objective in the Crimea is undoubtedly the naval port of Sebastopol, base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and one of the finest, harbours in southern and eastern Europe. Sebastopol is best known to AngloSaxons for its 11 months’ siege in 1854-55 by the British and French forces during the Crimean War. It was evacuated in the end by the Russians and its fortifications were blown up. The arsenal was rebuilt after 1870 and assumed great importance in the 'nineties, when Russia created a considerable fleet in southern waters. A number of years ago practically all the ordinary sea trade of the region was diverted to Nicolayev and Theodosia. Sheltered Harbour The city lias a population of about 80,000 and fairly substantial light industries, The harbour is four miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, deep enough for the largest vessels and completely sheltered in all weathers. The Crimean peninsula was constituted in 1921 an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union, with its capital at Simferopol, an inland city of about 100,000 people on the railway running south from Kharkov to Sebastopol. The population, which approaches 1.000.000, consists mainly of Russians. Tartars and Turks. The Tartars inhabit primitive villages on the dry and inhospitable steppe country of the interior. Greatest asset of the Crimea is its south-eastern coastal belt, known as the Russian Riviera, and sloping up from the sea to a mountain range which in places is nearly 5000 ft high. Along the shore are many places and mansions erected by the former Imperial family and the nobility and aristocracy of older days, but now converted into sanatoria for working people from all parts of Russia, who go there in thousands every summer to enjoy sea bathing at the States expense., Foodstuff Exports The scenery of this coastal strip is very beautiful, for the country is fertile and well wooded, and contains large numbers of vineyards and orchards. Its chief products arc wine, fruit, tobacco and maize, while wheat and oats are grown as winter crops. Fishing is carried on all around the coasts of the Crimea, and iron is mined near Kerch, a seaport in the east, near the entrance to the Sea of Azov. There are branch railways to Kerch and two other ports, Theodosia and Eupatrbia.