Catherine II's rescript of April 8, 1783, notified other countries that the Crimean Peninsula, Taman Peninsula, and "the entire Kuban side were accepted under the All-Russian state." 1 Soon, construction of the main Russian naval base on the Black Sea, Sevastopol 2, began in the Akhtiar Bay of the Crimean Peninsula . The choice of the site was made after hydrographic studies: depth measurements, studying the topography and soil of the bottom, the possibility of using the coastal zone for the construction of barracks and repair shops. The first survey of the bay was conducted back in 1773 by the description party of the navigator of ensign rank I. V. Baturin on the ship of the Azov flotilla "Modon", which was commanded by the future admiral, and then lieutenant, F. F. Ushakov. Baturin, having made measurements of the depths, plotted them on the map. It was the first Russian map of the Sevastopol raid. In the autumn of 1782, new soundings were made by captain of the 1st rank I. M. Odintsovo, commander of the frigates "Brave " and" Cautious", who remained in the bay for the winter. The crews of these ships built sailors 'barracks, quarters for officers and dug wells in the village of Akhtiar, and Odintsovo ordered to make a "map of the Akhtiar harbor, with bays, with depth measurement and the position of the coast"3. It was also marked with the surrounding area-the valley of the Belbek River, the village of the same name five versts from the mouth, the territory of the ancient Chersonese. March 7, 1783 Odintsovo sent the map to the head of the port of Kherson I. A. Hannibal 4 . In the report, Odintsov wrote that there is enough space in the bay for more than 50 ships that can stand at anchor, since the bottom is muddy and there is almost no unrest. The shores of the bay are steep, he noted, and the depth is great near them. Odintsovo also pointed out a sufficient amount of fresh water: the Akkermanka River (Black River) flows into the bay, and many springs and wells ar ... Читать далее