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Simferopol

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Simferopol is a large and busy city on the Crimean Peninsula.

Simferopol 04-14 img19 K-Marx-Street
Simferopol 04-14 img19 K-Marx-Street

It sits in the south-central part of the peninsula. The city is built near the Salhir River. A large artificial lake called the Simferopol Reservoir is also nearby. This reservoir provides clean drinking water for the people living there.

Simferopol Reservoir
Simferopol Reservoir

The earth dam used for this reservoir is the biggest in Europe. The weather here is often warm and sunny. The city sees about 2,529 hours of sunshine every year.

This place has a very long and layered history. Long ago, ancient Scythian people lived in this area. Later, the Crimean Tatars founded a town called Aqmescit. In their language, this name means "the Western Mosque." The modern city was founded in 1784 by the Russian Empire. The name Simferopol comes from the Greek words for "the city of usefulness."

Ruins of a Greek Chapel and Monastery, upon the South Coast of the Crimea, near Derykêuy - Clarke Edward Daniel - 1810
Ruins of a Greek Chapel and Monastery, upon the South Coast of the Crimea, near Derykêuy - Clarke Edward Daniel - 1810

This name was part of a plan to use Greek names in the region.

Simferopol has faced many difficult times during wars. During World War II, German forces occupied the city for several years. This was a very sad time when many local people were killed. In 1944, the Crimean Tatar people were forcibly moved away from their homes. They were sent to Central Asia as a form of punishment. Many of these families were finally able to return to the city in the 1990s. Today, many Crimean Tatars live in new suburbs built for them.

Traveling through Simferopol is very easy because it is a major hub.

Simferopol 04-14 img28 train station square
Simferopol 04-14 img28 train station square

The city has a large railway station that serves millions of tourists. There is also an international airport that was first built in 1936. One very special way to travel is by the Crimean Trolleybus. This line runs from Simferopol to the city of Yalta on the coast. It is actually the longest trolleybus line in the entire world.

Today, the city is a center for learning and work. It has many large schools and the biggest university in Crimea. The Taurida V. Vernadsky National University was started way back in 1917. There are also many factories that make things like tools and electronics. Many people live in the city, with most being ethnic Russians. Others include Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities. It remains an important place for politics and trade in the region.

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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Карло Боссоли. Симферополь.jpg
Карло Боссоли. Симферополь.jpg
File:Ruins of a Greek Chapel and Monastery, upon the South Coast of the Crimea, near Derykêuy - Clarke Edward Daniel - 1810.jpg
Ruins of a Greek Chapel and Monastery,...
File:TankT34.jpg
TankT34.jpg
File:Simferopol Reservoir.jpg
Simferopol Reservoir.jpg
File:Simferopol_04-14_img19_K-Marx-Street.jpg
Simferopol_04-14_img19_K-Marx-Street.jpg
File:Simferopol 04-14 img28 train station square.jpg
Simferopol 04-14 img28 train station square.jpg
File:Sakharov Prize 2018 laureate Oleg Sentsov receives his award (49127359156) cropped.jpg
Sakharov Prize 2018 laureate Oleg Sentsov...
File:Yana Klochkova 2010 001.jpg
Yana Klochkova 2010 001.jpg
File:FM Alisa Melekhina L.jpg
FM Alisa Melekhina L.jpg
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