Суско Тетяна,

учениця 10 класу
«Міжнародного ліцею Глобус» м. Києва
Постернак Олег, к.і.н.,
заступник директора
«Міжнародного ліцею Глобус» м.Києва

TAURIC CHERSONESE
Tauric Chersonese is an ancient city on the coast of the Black Sea, in currently
occupied Crimea, Ukraine. It was founded by Dorian Greeks in the 5th century before
the Common Era. The city thrived until the 13th century of the Common Era [1].
Chersonese is a unique monument, especially for tourists, because it is recommended
to be one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine and was included on UNESCO’s list of
World Heritage Sites on the 23rd of June 2013. There is a Chersonese Archaeological
Museum with historical findings near the monument [2].
Chersonese and its chora (territory under the control of the Chersonesites) is an
ancient colony of Dorian Greeks, founded in the 5th century before the Common Era.
Chersonese was a slave-owning republic with a democratic government [3]. The polis
and chora of Tauric Chersonese can be an example of an ancient cultural landscape
(Greek polis and agricultural hinterlands) as well as those days activities and some
jobs in the 4th and the 3rd century before the Common Era. Archaeological ruins of
the city and lands near it retain valuable physical remains, which were used between
the 5th century before the Common Era and the 13th century of the Common Era [1].
Four centuries after its foundation, the settlement became a part of the Roman
Empire. Later, Christianity became its official religion. At that time, numerous
monasteries, churches and chapels appeared in the city; however, many theatres and
ancient art monuments were destroyed [3]. Then, in the 5th century, Chersonese
became a part of the Byzantine Empire. Byzantines named it Cherson, Slavs -
Korsun. In the 13th century, the city had a shattered economy, so Mongol and Tatar
invasions put a full stop to its existence [2]. The ruins were covered by grass and
ground for a long time. However, Chersonese was found in the middle of the 19th
century on the territory of modern Sevastopol. After all the hard work of
archaeologists, many streets, houses and workshops saw the light of day yet again,
although half of the city was lost. Nearly 10 of 40 hectares of Chersonese were
excavated. No restoration or conservation was carried out. Authenticity in design and
form was mostly saved. Finds became the main reason to set up the Tauric
Chersonese National Preserve in the area of the ancient city. Nowadays, there is an
archaeological museum there with the collection of more than 200000 exhibits [3].
 As everyone knows, Crimea has been occupied by Russian Federation since
2014. In 2015-2016 Russia included Chersonese in the "cultural heritage objects of
federal importance". On the 7th of September in 2017, after the visit to Sevastopol,
Russian president V. Putin concluded Tauric Chersonese. He instructed the
governments of the Russian Federation in Sevastopol and the Russian Academy of
Scientists about the creation of the so-called historical and archaeological park
"Tauric Chersonese". This park was not created to protect historical exhibits, but to
support the Russian Orthodox Church in Crimea and destroy archaeological heritage.
Russian Orthodox Church uses Chersonese as a foundation for its religious expansion
because of its early Christianity. In August 2020, there were archaeological projects
by both: government organisations and illegal institutions. During illegal excavation,
workers founded three residential complexes. From archaeological heritage was
illegally removed a collection of ancient dishes, metallic, glass, stone, osseous
products, jewellery as well as about 600 coins. In 2021, archaeologists found a
unique crypt that could have been a family tomb, where the remains of more than 10
people were preserved [5].
After 9 exhausting years of war, we have to think about our future, especially
about tourism. Our country is wonderful, and we need to show it to the whole world,
and prove that Ukraine is not about villages, it is about wonderful landscapes, nature
and incredibly kind people. According to the Unian’s article due to the full-scale
invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the amount of the tourist tax for 2022 was UAH
178.9 million, which is 24% less than in 2021. According to the press service of the
STDA, before the war, the total amount of the tourist tax was 235.4 million UAH. In
order to correctly draw an analogy and evaluate the potential effects on the tourist
sector, the war already raging in Ukraine has no analogues in modern European
history. But you need to understand that everything will depend on the speed of
infrastructure restoration and the general standard of living in the country. The
capacity of post-war Ukraine to carry out a significant marketing campaign in
international markets, which will enable changing the impression of our country from
a place of conflicts to a secure location for tourists, will also be a significant
component. As well, it's crucial to begin talks with international hotel chains right
once and invite them to join Ukraine in order to create growth plans for the post-war
period. Making the most of the time when interest in us is still high and hostilities
ultimately finish requires careful planning.
 Sources:
1. Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1411/
2. Chersonesus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chersonesus#Ecclesiastical_history
3. Chersonesus. https://discover-ukraine.info/places/crimea/sevastopol/33
4. Chersonesus. http://www.chersonesos.org/?p=out&l=eng
5. Херсонес Таврійський. Наслідки окупації для культурної спадщини.
https://culture.voicecrimea.com.ua/uk/khersones-tavrijskyj-naslidky-okupatsii-dlia-
kulturnoi-spadshchyny/