Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Since 2014 it has been under the de facto control of Russia, which annexed Crimea that year and regards Simferopol as the capital of the Republic of Crimea.
Simferopol is an important political, economic and transport hub of the peninsula, and serves as the administrative centre of both Simferopol Municipality and the surrounding Simferopol District. Its population was
After the 1784 annexation of the Crimean Khanate by the Russian Empire, the Russian empress decreed the foundation of a city named Simferopol on the location of the Crimean Tatars town of Old Simferopol ("White Mosque").
Etymologies
The name Simferopol ( ; ) comes from
Sympheropoli (). The spelling
Symferopil (Симферопіль) is also used.
In Crimean Tatar, the name of the city is Aqmescit (or in Cyrillic, , from Aq "white", and mescit "mosque"). But aq does not refer to the colour of the mosque, but rather to its location in cosmology. The Turkic peoples give a colour designation to the cardinal points, and white is the west. Thus, the exact translation of the name of the town is "the Western Mosque."
In English, the name was often given as Akmechet or Ak-Mechet (e.g. in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica).
History
Early history
Archaeological evidence in the shows the presence of ancient people living in the territory of modern Simferopol. The Scythian Neapolis, known by its Greek name, is also located in the city, which is the remnants of an ancient capital of the Crimean
who lived in the territory from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD.
Later, the Crimean Tatars founded the town of Aqmescit. For some time, Aqmescit was the residence of the Qalğa-Sultan, the second most important position in the Crimean Khanate after the Khan himself.
Russian Empire
In 1784 modern Ukrainian Simferopol was founded after the annexation of the
Crimean Khanate to the
Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is in
Greek language, Συμφερόπολις (
Simferopolis) and literally means "the city of usefulness." The tradition of Greek place names in newly acquired southern territories began with the
Greek Plan of Russian Empress Catherine the Great.
In 1802, Simferopol became the administrative centre of the Taurida Governorate. During the
Crimean War of 1854–1856, the Russian Imperial Army reserves and a hospital were stationed in the city. After the war, more than 30,000 Russian soldiers were buried in the city's vicinity.
20th-century wars
In the 20th century, Simferopol was once again affected by wars and conflicts in the region. At the end of the Russian Civil War, the headquarters of General Pyotr Wrangel, leader of the anti-
Bolshevik White movement, were located there. On 13 November 1920, the
Red Army captured the city and on 18 October 1921, Simferopol became the capital of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
During World War II, Simferopol was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1 November 1941 to 13 April 1944. Retreating NKVD police shot a number of prisoners on 31 October 1941 in the NKVD building and the city's prison.[Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Zweite aktualisierte Auflage, Frankfurt am Main 2005, page 72]
In April 1944 the Red Army liberated Simferopol. On 18 May 1944 the Crimean Tatar population of the city, along with the whole Crimean Tatar nation of Crimea, was forcibly deported to Central Asia as collective punishment for the perceived collaboration of Tatars with Nazi Germany.
Ukraine
On 26 April 1954, Simferopol, together with the rest of the
Crimean Oblast, was transferred from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
An asteroid, discovered in 1970 by Soviet astronomer Tamara Mikhailovna Smirnova, is named after the city (2141 Simferopol).
Following a referendum on 20 January 1991, the Crimean Oblast was upgraded to an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on 12 February 1991 by the Verkhovna Rada.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Simferopol became the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly independent Ukraine. Today, the city has a population of 340,600 (2006) most of whom are ethnic Russians, with the rest being Ukrainian and Crimean Tatars minorities.
After the Crimean Tatars were allowed to return from exile in the 1990s, several new Crimean Tatar suburbs were constructed, as many more Tatars returned to the city compared to number exiled in 1944. Land ownership between the current residents and returning Crimean Tatars is a major area of conflict today with the Tatars requesting the return of lands seized after their deportation.
Russian annexation
After Russia occupied and formally annexed Crimea on 18 March 2014, Simferopol was named the capital of a new federal subject of the Russian Federation encompassing the majority of the peninsula by decree of Russian president
Vladimir Putin, with the exception of
Sevastopol, which became a federal сity.
Prior to the seizure of the city by Russia, a mass protest was organised by the city's Crimean Tatars in support of Crimea remaining as part of Ukraine.
Geography
Location
Simferopol is located in the south-central Crimean Peninsula. The city lies on the
Salhir River near the artificial Simferopol Reservoir, which provides the city with clean drinking water. The Simferopol Reservoir's earth dam is the biggest in Europe.
Climate
The city experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:
Cfa),
near the boundary of the humid continental climate (Köppen:
Dfa).
The average temperature in January is and in July. The average rainfall is per year, and there is a total of 2,529 hours of sunshine per year.
Politics and administrative divisions
As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol houses its political structure including the Supreme Council of Crimea and the Council of Ministers. Simferopol is also the administrative centre of the
Simferopol Raion (
raion), but is directly subordinate to the Crimean authorities rather than to the district authorities housed in the city itself.
The city of Simferopol is administratively divided into three urban districts (Zaliznychnyi, Kyivskyi and Tsentralnyi), four urban-type settlements (Ahrarne, Aeroflotskyi, Hresivskyi, Komsomolske) and the village of Bitumne.
Viktor Ageev became city mayor on 11 November 2010 and was then elected chairman of the Simferopol City Council on 29 September 2014.
Igor Lukashyov was installed as the head of Simferopol City administration (i.e. local executive) after Russia annexed the region in 2014. He served in this position until his dismissal on 9 November 2018.
Transportation
Simferopol has a major railway station, which serves millions of tourists each year. In December 2014 Ukraine cut the railway line to Crimea at the border with mainland Ukraine (
Kherson Oblast). Currently, the station serves only a
Elektrichka and the Moscow – Simferopol train every day.
The city is also connected via the Simferopol International Airport, which was constructed in 1936.
The city has several main bus stations, with routes towards many cities, including Sevastopol, Kerch, Yalta, and Yevpatoriya. The Crimean Trolleybus connects Simferopol to the city of Yalta on Crimean Black Sea coast. The line is the longest trolleybus line in the world with a total length of
The streets of Simferopol have a rare house numbering – the odd numbers are on the right side of the road, looking in the direction in which the numbers increase.
Demographics
At the last census in 2014, the population of Simferopol was 332,317, the highest of any city in the Republic of Crimea and second only to Sevastopol within the Crimean peninsula.
Economy
When it existed,
Crimea Air had its head office on the grounds of Simferopol Airport.
["World Airline Directory." Flight International. 27 March – 2 April 2001. 57.] A new 19-gate terminal for the airport finished construction in 2018. The terminal was designed in the shape of a wave by Samoo Architects & Engineers, after their successful bid as part of an international competition.
Industry
Simferopol is home to a number of industrial plants, including the following:
-
Fiolent (two locations), producer of power tools and other electrical systems
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Simferopol chemical industry plants
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PO Foton
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SEM SElktroMash SELMZ
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Plastotekhnika and else plastics related
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Santekhprom SSTP
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PEK PromElektroKontakt and PromSchitKontakt, ChPO Sfera IzmertelnPribor, SELTZ ElectroTechnical Plant
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Pnevmatika, other pneumatics tires etc. related industry
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Monolit SMZKon, TsSI Tavrida SKMKZ, Slava Truda SCMNG, SiMZ Motor Plants
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Chornomornaftogaz
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Digital Valley (Tsifrovaya Dolina): silicon industry, computers, wafers and microelectronics, it, other related. It will located (most likely) near the airport for convenience.
Education
The largest collection of higher education institutions in Crimea is located in Simferopol. Among them is the largest university in Simferopol and Crimea, the Taurida V.Vernadsky National University, which was founded in 1917.
Crimea State Medical University named after S. I. Georgievsky, also located in Simferopol, is one of the most prominent medical schools of Ukraine. The Crimean Medical University is situated on the plot, where in 1855 a nursery garden was planted by the founder of the Nikita Botanical Gardens Ch.Ch.Steven (1781–1863). In 1863–66 a school for girls was built here and in 1931 a medical institute was opened. On the same plot P.Krzhizhanovsky built a three-storey hostel for medical students after the design in 1934. The building with clear geometric masses was completed in 1938. A new federal university campus was opened 4 August 2014.
Sports
Simferopol is home to the football club FC TSK Simferopol which plays in the Crimean Premier League. It was formed as a Russian club in 2014, following the 2014 Crimean Conflict, to replace the Ukrainian club Tavriya Simferopol which had been the first winners of the Ukraine Premier League, and also won the
Ukrainian Cup in 2010.
Houses of worship
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Kebir-Jami Mosque, Simferopol
Notable people
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Max Alpert (1899–1980) a Soviet photographer, front-line work during WWII
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Andrei Abrikosov (1906–1973) a Soviet stage and film actor.
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Reşat Amet (1975–2014) a Crimean Tatar activist
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Yelyzaveta Bohutska (born 1964), Ukrainian politician (Servant of the People) and current member of parliament
-
Denis Bouriakov (born 1981), principal flautist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
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Rachel Devirys (1890–1983) French film actress, starred in some 50 films from 1916 to 1956.
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Nadia Volodymyrivna Dorofeeva, professionally known as Dorofeeva (born 1990), female vocalist of the pop duo Vremya i Steklo
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Roman Filippov (1936–1992) a Soviet theatre and film actor
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Viktor Grebennikov (1927–2001) scientist, naturalist, entomologist and paranormal researcher
-
Adolph Joffe (1883–1927) Communist revolutionary, Bolshevik politician and Soviet diplomat
-
Sergey Karjakin (born 1990), Chess prodigy and grandmaster at age 12 years, 7 months
-
Pavlo Kazarin (born 1983), Ukrainian journalist
-
Serhiy Kokurin (1978–2014), Ukrainian military officer and the first soldier killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War
-
Olexandr Kolchenko (born 1989) a Ukrainian left-wing anarchist, ecologist and archaeologist
-
Oleg Kotov (born 1965), Air Force colonel, 15 Soyuz flight commander and flight engineer
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Andrey Kozenko (born 1981), a Russian and former Ukrainian statesman and politician.
-
Nicolai Ivanovich Kravchenko (1867–1941) a Russian battle painter, journalist and writer.
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Anna Kuliscioff (1857–1925) Russian born Italian feminist, anarchist and Marxist socialist militant.
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Zara Levina (1906–1976) a Soviet pianist and composer.
-
Saint Luke of Simferopol (1877–1961), born Valentin Felixovich Voino-Yasenetsky, Russian surgeon and Archbishop of Simferopol
-
Musa Mamut (1931–1978) a deported Crimean Tatar who immolated himself in Crimea
-
Yuri Manin (1937–2023) a Russian specialist in algebraic & diophantine geometry
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Alisa Melekhina (born 1991), chess master, attorney and classically trained ballerina
-
Sergey Mergelyan (1928–2008), a Soviet Armenian mathematician and scientist
-
Gennady Samokhin (born 1971) a Crimean speleologist, holds the depth world record of cave diving
-
Ilya Selvinsky (1899–1968) was a Soviet Jewish poet, dramatist, memoirist and essayist
-
Andriy Senchenko (born 1959), a Ukrainian politician (Batkivshchyna) and former Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea
-
Oleg Sentsov (born 1976) a Ukrainian filmmaker, writer and activist from Crimea.
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Valery Sigalevitch (born 1950), a Russian classical concert pianist, lives in La Rochelle.
-
Bob Sredersas (1910–1982) a Lithuanian-Australian art collector.
-
Alexei Stepanov (1858–1923), a Russian genre painter, illustrator and art teacher.
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Evhen Tsybulenko (born 1972), Estonian professor of international law
-
Georges Vitaly (1917–2007), French actor, theatre director and theatre manager.
-
Evgenii Wulff (1885–1941) a Crimean Russian Soviet biologist, botanist and Biogeography.
-
Diana Tishchenko (born 1990), Ukrainian classical violinist
-
Valeri F. Venda (born 1937), Russian psychologist, engineer, and designer
Sport
-
Gleb Bakshi (born 1995) boxer, bronze medallist at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
-
Lyudmila Blonska (born 1977), Ukrainian heptathlete, banned after 2 doping offences
-
Serhiy Dotsenko (born 1979), boxer, silver medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-
Andriy Hryvko (born 1983), a Ukrainians cyclist who rides for Astana
-
Daniil Khlusevich (born 2001), Russian international footballer who plays for Spartak Moscow
-
Yana Klochkova (born 1982), a Ukrainian swimmer with five Olympic medals, four being gold
-
Natalia Popova (born 1993) former figure skater, five-time Ukrainian national champion
-
Hanna Rizatdinova (born 1993), Ukrainian individual rhythmic gymnast, bronze medallist at the 2016 Summer Olympics
-
Kateryna Serebrianska (born 1977), Ukrainian individual rhythmic gymnast, gold medallist at the 1996 Summer Olympics
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Oleksandr Usyk (born 1987), Ukrainian heavyweight boxer, gold medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
-
Anatoliy Zayayev (1931–2012), Ukrainian football player and coach
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Simferopol is currently
sister city with:
-
Salem, Oregon, United States (1986)
-
Heidelberg, Germany (1991)
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Kecskemét, Hungary (2006)
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Tepebaşı, Turkey (2007)
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Bursa, Turkey
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Irkutsk, Russia (2008)
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Moscow, Russia (2008)
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Novocherkassk, Russia (2008)
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Omsk, Russia (2008)
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Ruse, Bulgaria (2008)
-
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (2016)
Notes
External links
