Simferopol city, Ukraine

The capital city of Crimea republic.

Simferopol overview

Simferopol is a city and administrative center of Autonomous Republic of Crimea situated in Southern Ukraine. Simferopol lies along the Salgir River where it emerges from the Crimean Mountains. Simferopol is an important highway junction of Crimean peninsula. There is an airport in the city.

Simferopol city has the population of about 360,000 (2010).

The phone code is +380 652; the postal codes are 95000-95490.

Simferopol city flag

Simferopol city coat of arms

Simferopol city map location

Simferopol history

First settlements on the territory of present day Simferopol were formed at pre-historic times, Napels-Scythian is the most famous among ancient ancestors of the city. It was the capital of late Scythian state formed in about 3rd century B.C. and presumably destroyed by Goths in 3rd century A.D.

There was no large town on the territory of Simferopol in early medieval epoch. During Crimean khanate a small town Akmesdzhit (known as Ak-Mechet in Russian sources) which was a residence of kalga - the second person in the state after khan. The quarters built at those times now are called the Old town. The Old town differs in its design with narrow and crooked streets - typical for oriental towns.

After Crimea was included into Russian Empire it was decided to form Tavricheskaya oblast (later – gubernia) on the most of the khanate territory and to found its center on the place of Ak-Mechet. In 1784 construction of administrative and apartment buildings and an Orthodox church began close to Kebir-Dzhami mosque. This district differs by its regular design (direct streets crossing each other at the right angle) and mainly 2-storeyed buildings.

The city including both newly built quarters and the territory of Ak-Mechet received the name Simferopol - it is translated from the Greek as “the town of benefit”. The Greek name was chosen due to the fact that at Catherine II time there was a fashion to give Greek names to new towns on the southern joined territories. It was a kind of memory of Greek colonies existing there at ancient and medieval times.

Since that time Simferopol is the administrative center of Crimea. Soviet power was established in Simferopol city in 1918. During Russian Civil War 1918-1920 Simferopol was occupied by foreign troops. In 1945 after Autonomous republic was abolished and Simferopol became the center of Crimean oblast of Russian Federation. The oblast was granted to Ukrainian Republic in 1954.

After the declaration of Ukrainian independence in 1991 Simferopol city became the capital of the movement (Sevastopol was another important center) for separating Crimea from Ukraine.

The historical and actual closeness of Crimea to Russia is the important reason for this movement: till 1954 Crimea administratively was a part of Russian Federation, most part of Crimean population is Russian-speaking.

Simferopol views

Simferopol city street view

Author: Razuvaev

Simferopol city street

Author: Razuvaev

Simferopol city trolleybus

Author: Buryakov

Simferopol features

Simferopol is an important transportation juncture of Crimea. Most of ways from the republic to outer world cross Simferopol. Simferopol, Alushta and Yalta are connected with a trolley-bus line - the longest in the world (86,5 km).

Most part of Crimea Universities are located in Simferopol, among them - the main University of the republic, one of the 10 classical Universities in Ukraine - Tavrichesky National University named after V.I.Vernadsky, founded in 1918.

Simferopol has teacher-training, medical and agricultural institutes and several research establishments.

Simferopol city has a wide range of food-processing industries and makes wine, tobacco and cigarettes. There are also light engineering and consumer-goods industries, producing machine-tools, armatures, television sets, clothing and footwear in Simferopol.

Simferopol places

Republic of Crimea Parliament

Author: Petr Slezak

Simferopol city hall

Author: Dudenko

Simferopol railway station

Author: Levus Sergiy

Simferopol attractions

On the present outskirts of Simferopol is the site of Neapolis, occupied by Scythians from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD.

In Simferopol there are the following museums: of local study, ethnographic, arts, house-museum of Ilya Selvinsky, a scientific library named after I.Franko, several theaters, a philharmonic society and a circus.

In 2009 a Museum of Simferopol history was opened, the exhibition includes 1784, the year when the city was founded by Catherine II, to 2009. Household items, documents, photos, pictures, coins are exhibited at the museum.

Places of interest of Simferopol

Kebir-Dzhami mosque, the oldest building in the city - Kurchatov street, 4. It was built in 1508 and rebuilt in 1740 and later;
Merchants’ rows of late 18th-early 19th century (shops with columns) - Odesskaya street, 12;
The house where A.S.Griboyedov lived (1825) - Kirov street, 25;
The house where L.N.Tolstoy lived (1854-1855) - Tolstoy street, 4;
The building of former Simferopolsky gymnasium for boys where D.I.Mendeleyev began working in 1855 and I.V.Kurchatov studied in 1912-1920 - Karl Marx street, 32;
500-year-old oak “Tavrida’s Hercules” - in Detsky (“children’s”) park. The trunk of the tree is about 6 meters in circumference, the top crown - 30 meters in diameter. Near it there are several 300-500-year-old oaks of smaller size.