Inkerman ( uk, Інкерман, russian: Инкерман, crh, İnkerman) is a city in the
Crimean peninsula
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...
. It is ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' within the
federal city
The term federal city is a title for certain cities in Germany, Switzerland, and Russia.
Germany
In Germany, the former West German capital Bonn has been designated with the unique title of federal city (''Bundesstadt''). Since 28 April 1994, it ...
of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
within the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, but ''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
'' within
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. It lies 5 kilometres east of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, at the mouth of the
Chernaya River which flows into
Sevastopol Inlet (also called the North Inlet). Administratively, Inkerman is subordinate to the municipality of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
which does not constitute part of the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea, commonly known as Crimea, is a de jure autonomous republic of Ukraine encompassing most of Crimea that was annexed by Russia in 2014. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea occupies most of the peninsula, . Population:
The name ''Inkerman'' is said to mean "cave fortress" in Turkish.
[
Compare: Turkish ''in'' (cave, burrow); Turkish ''kermen'' (fortress).
]
During the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
era the area was known between 1976 and 1991 as ''Bilokamiansk'' ( uk, Білокам'янськ) or ''Belokamensk'' (russian: Белокаменск), which literally means "White Stone City", in reference to the soft white stone quarried in the area and commonly used for construction. In 1991 the Ukrainian authorities restored the pre-1976 name.
History
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. The
cave monastery of St. Clement was founded near Inkerman in the 8th century by Byzantine icon-venerators fleeing persecution in their homeland. The monastery was closed during the Soviet era and several of its churches destroyed but is now in restoration and brought back into use.
The city was called Kalamita ( gr, Καλαμίτα) and was a medieval fortress built in the 8th-9th century on a strategic cliff overlooking the estuary and later expanded in the 14th century. In 1475 Kalamita, along with the rest of the
Principality of Theodoro
The Principality of Theodoro ( el, Αὐθεντία πόλεως Θεοδωροῦς καὶ παραθαλασσίας), also known as Gothia ( el, Γοτθία) or the Principality of Theodoro-Mangup, was a Greek principality in the southern pa ...
, was taken by the Turks, and Kalamita would be renamed Inkerman. After the
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ( tr, Küçük Kaynarca Antlaşması; russian: Кючук-Кайнарджийский мир), formerly often written Kuchuk-Kainarji, was a peace treaty signed on 21 July 1774, in Küçük Kaynarca (today Kayna ...
in 1774 the fortress was abandoned and fell into ruin, but a small settlement at the base of the cliff remained.
The town became the centre of worldwide attention in 1854 during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
, when Inkerman was the scene of the
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on 5 November 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, an ...
and the
Battle of Chernaya River, both victorious for the
French and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
troops.
During the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
times, a large underground ammunition warehouse of the
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
was situated under rocky cliffs in the Inkerman area. The storage was abandoned in the 1970s after an explosion that damaged the facility but did not detonate all its stockpiles. However, no efforts to secure the site were made until the 1990s when local residents began salvaging
explosives
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...
which led to a number of deaths.
Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They w ...
engineer corps started extracting and decommissioning outdated ammunition in 2000 under a special government program.
Inkerman has since largely returned to its pre-war obscurity, serving as a suburb of Sevastopol linked to the downtown core by commuter ferries. One of the major Crimean
wineries
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...
featuring the Inkerman label is located in the adjacent area. A popular hiking trail leading into Crimean Mountains begins just east of the town.
A horse in the
Household Cavalry
The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment st ...
Blues and Royals
The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment in ...
has been named after the town and battle.
The left flank company of the 1st Battalion
Grenadier Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
, which holds the traditions of the disbanded 3rd Battalion (which played a large part of the battle) is named after the town and battle. Now known as the Inkerman Company, or by its nickname "The Ribs".
Gallery
WEBSTER(1830) 1.309 INKERMANN.jpg, Inkerman around 1830
Inkerman-c1910.jpg, Inkerman Cave Monastery
, native_name_lang =
, logo =
, logo_size =
, logo_caption =
, image = Inkerman Cave Monastery chapel.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = One of the Inkerman Cave Monaste ...
around 1910.
Inkerman cave monastery 2009 G1.jpg, Inkerman orthodox men's cave monastery of St.Clement in 2009.
See also
*
Gulf of Kalamita
__NOTOC__
The Kalamita Bay (russian: Каламитский залив, uk, Каламітська затока, crh, Kalamita körfezi, Каламита корьфези), also known as Gulf of Kalamita, is a bay and a gulf in the Black Sea so ...
*
Hicks Withers-Lancashire
Hicks Withers-Lancashire (1829 – 31 January 1909), also known as Hicks Withers, was a British veterinary surgeon.
He was born in Ham Green in Somerset to Samuel Withers, a veterinary surgeon, and Martha Lancashire.
He graduated in Londo ...
References
External links
Official Sevastopol city websiteInkerman
{{Authority control
Cities in Sevastopol
Wine regions of Ukraine
Wine regions of Russia
Populated places of the Byzantine Empire
Principality of Theodoro