Chersonesus (Khersones) is an ancient Greek city on the outskirts of Sevastopol, founded in the fifth century BC as a Doric colony. For nearly a thousand years it was the most important city on the Crimean peninsula — a wealthy trading port, a Roman outpost, and later a Byzantine stronghold.
The ruins are extensive and well-preserved: city walls, a basilica, a theatre, residential quarters, and the iconic St Vladimir's Cathedral built over the site where Prince Vladimir of Kyiv is said to have been baptised in 988 AD, the event that brought Christianity to Kievan Rus. The on-site museum houses Greek and Roman artefacts, mosaics, and inscriptions. Chersonesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological sites in the Black Sea region.