Symbols of Sevastopol. Coats of arms. Flag

Currently, there are two coats of arms in Sevastopol. The first was adopted during the time of the Russian Empire, the second - during the times of the Soviet Union. The second coat of arms is officially in force, therefore it is located on the flag of the city.
Coat of arms

The first coat of arms, imperially approved in 1893, had the following description: In a scarlet shield there is a silver griffin with scarlet eyes and tongue. In the free part, the coat of arms of the Tauride province. The shield is crowned with an ancient royal crown, on which the Imperial eagle stands. Behind the shield there are two crossed golden anchors, and on the sides of the shield there are two scarlet banners connected by a ribbon of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and the Victorious George. On the right banner there is a golden monogram in the Bose of the deceased Emperor Nicholas I, and on the left there is the same monogram in the Bose of the deceased Emperor Alexander II; both monograms are decorated with the Imperial crown and the chain of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called.

The description of the coat of arms adopted by the Decision of April 21, 2000 reads: The coat of arms of the city is a French-shaped heraldic shield beveled on the right with a width-to-height ratio of 8: 9. In the upper right side of the coat of arms, on a silver (light gray) field, there is the Gold Star medal established by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on August 1, 1939. On the lower left side of the coat of arms, on an azure (blue) field, there is a silhouette of the monument to the Sunken Ships in silver (light gray) color (view from the coast of the bay). Compositionally, the two fields are united by a golden-colored laurel branch, symbolizing the glory of the defenders of Sevastopol. The shield has a golden outer border.

Flag
The flag of the city is a rectangular cloth of burgundy color with a width to length ratio of 2: 3 with the coat of arms of the hero city of Sevastopol placed in the center of each side of the cloth, made in color according to the official description of the coat of arms. The overall width of the coat of arms on the flag is 2/5 of the length of the flag. The coat of arms is a beveled French-style heraldic shield.
The upper field of silver color (depicted in white on the flag), symbolizing the white-stone city, bears the image of the Gold Star medal, which the city was awarded in 1965 for the courage and heroism shown by the defenders of the city during the Great Patriotic War. The lower field is azure color (depicted in blue on the flag), symbolizing the sea, which depicts the Monument to the Scuttled Ships during the Crimean War. A golden laurel branch unites the two fields, symbolizing the connection between the historical past and the present of the city.

February 6, 2015, the Legislative Assembly of the city of Sevastopol considered the bill № 19/102 "On the coat of arms and flag of the city of Sevastopol", introduced by the deputy A. V. Kovshar. This bill provides for the return, with some changes, of the historical coat of arms of Sevastopol in 1893 (a silver griffin in a scarlet field) and the adoption of a flag built on its basis, the description of which reads: “The flag of the city of Sevastopol is a rectangular cloth with a height-to-length ratio of 2: 3, in the center of which there is a silver rebellious griffin 7/10 of the width of the flag. " In October 2014, this flag passed an examination at the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation and was recommended for approval as the flag of the city of Sevastopol. On October 19, 2015, the initiator recalled the bill on the coat of arms and flag of Sevastopol.

The Monument to the scuttled ships of the Black Sea Fleet is located in the Sevastopol Bay, 10 meters away from the seafront of the Seaside Boulevard. It was built in 1905 on the fiftieth anniversary of the first heroic defense of Sevastopol after the design of sculptor A.G. Adamson, architect V.A. Feldman with the participation of the military engineer colonel 0.I. Enberg.
Monument to the scuttled ships

The monument was erected in 1905 on the 50th anniversary of the Siege of Sevastopol, during the Crimean War, in which many ships of the Imperial Russian Navy were scuttled, most of them part of the Black Sea Fleet.

A seven-meter column towers over the base of the cliff, ending with a capital or pedestal on which the royal two-headed eagle stands. The eagle proudly spread its wings. He has a wreath in his beak. From the top of the wreath hangs an anchor chain with an anchor, and the laurel wreath itself consists of two parts: laurel leaves - the symbol of victory, and oak leaves - a symbol of faith and glory.

The Bell of Chersonesos, located close to the ruins of Chersonesos Taurica, Crimea, is the symbol of Chersonesos and one of the main sights of Sevastopol. It was cast before the foundation of Sevastopol for the Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Church in Taganrog, which was the Russian Navy's military base at that time. It was later confiscated by the French, then returned.
Bell of Chersonesos

Today's fog bell was cast in 1778 from the Turkish trophy cannons seized by the Russian Imperial Army during Russo-Turkish War (1768- 1774). The bell features depictions of two patron saints of sailors, Saint Nicholas and Saint Phocas, and the following phrase on it can still be read today in Russian:"This bell was cast in the Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Church in Taganrog from the trophy Turkish artillery.