Ah, Novorossiysk. A city on the Black Sea, and frankly, a rather unremarkable one, if you ask me. It’s a port, you see. Ships come and go, carrying… well, whatever it is people deem important enough to transport across vast bodies of water. It was even designated a Hero City by the Soviets. A title that feels as hollow as a drum now, doesn't it?
History
The very shores of Tsemes Bay have seen more action than the city itself. Back in antiquity, there was a Greek colony called Bata. They apparently specialized in the grain trade. Imagine, peddling wheat. Strabo and Ptolemy bothered to mention it, which is more than can be said for most places.
After the Greeks, there were brief stints of Roman and Khazar control. Then, from the 9th century, it became part of the Byzantine empire, specifically the Théma Khersonos. This whole region seems to have been a revolving door for empires.
The 11th century brought the Cumans, nomads from the steppe. Apparently, Alexios I Komnenos, the Byzantine emperor, offered land to Anglo-Saxon refugees fleeing the Norman Conquest. They were to recapture the area from the nomads. There's some evidence of a Byzantine-English colony being founded, with place names on the Kuban coast, like Susaco (or Susacho), possibly linked to Sussex. There was even a river called Londina, no prizes for guessing its potential origin. It’s a bit of a stretch, but then again, so is most history.
By the 13th century, Genoese merchants, specifically the Ghisolfi family, set up a trade outpost. Archeological digs in 2007 unearthed some interesting items, though I suspect they were more interested in the items than the meaning.
Later, the port became part of a chain of forts known as the Black Sea Coastal Line, stretching south to Sochi. A rather precarious line of defense, I imagine.
The 19th century saw some development. It officially became a city in 1866 and the capital of the Novorossiysk Okrug and Black Sea Governorate in 1896. It was the smallest part of the Russian Empire, which tells you something about the empire's priorities, or lack thereof. In 1905, it was the site of the short-lived Novorossiysk Republic. From 1918 to 1920, it served as the base for Anton Denikin's White Army during the Russian Civil War. Denikin's government fled to Crimea, and many of his supporters escaped to Constantinople with the help of Allied warships during the Evacuation of Novorossiysk (1920). A rather ignominious exit, wouldn't you say?
During World War II, the Germans and Romanians occupied most of the city on September 10, 1942. A small group of Soviet sailors held out in a section called Malaya Zemlya for 225 days. They were eventually liberated by the Red Army on September 16, 1943. The defense of the port, apparently, prevented the Axis from using it for supplies. Hence, the Hero City title, awarded in 1973. A rather belated recognition for a rather desperate stand.
In 1960, Dmitri Shostakovich composed "Novorossiysk Chimes, the Flame of Eternal Glory" (Opus 111b). A musical tribute to… a port. How thrilling.
More recently, in 2003, Vladimir Putin signed a decree for a naval base for the Black Sea Fleet. Billions were allocated for its construction. Russia even planned to move the entire fleet from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk by 2020. This whole saga with Sevastopol and Ukraine is a rather tiresome affair, involving lease extensions and then, of course, the annexation of Crimea in 2014. It makes all the prior negotiations rather… moot.
Administrative and Municipal Status
Novorossiysk is part of Krasnodar Krai. It's designated as a City, which means it’s an administrative unit with a status equivalent to that of the districts. Municipally, it's classified as Novorossiysk Urban Okrug. This administrative jargon is as exciting as watching paint dry.
Coat of Arms
The coat of arms has a rather convoluted history. It was first approved in 1914 by Nicholas II. It featured a double-headed eagle, a crown, a scepter, and a power. On its chest, a scarlet shield with a golden Orthodox cross over a silver inverted crescent. In 1994, they ditched the Soviet version for a new one, and in 2006, they brought back the 1914 design with some modifications. The modern version has a gold shield, a black wavy tip, a black double-headed eagle crowned with an Imperial crown, scepter, and power. The wings bear a shield with a scarlet field, a golden eight-pointed cross atop a silver inverted crescent. And a golden five-pronged tower crown. It’s a lot. Frankly, it looks like something a child would draw after a particularly vivid fever dream.
Geography
The city hugs the shore of Tsemess Bay on the Black Sea. It’s not exactly a resort town, unlike its neighbors Anapa and Gelendzhik. It does, however, oversee several urban settlements, the most notable being Abrau-Dyurso. This place has a townlet on Lake Abrau and a village on the coast, connected by a rather winding mountain road.
The region around Novorossiysk is a significant wine-growing area. The Abrau-Dyurso wineries, established in 1870 by Tsar Alexander III, produce table and sparkling wines. I suppose that's something.
Climate
Novorossiysk sits on the cusp of humid subtropical (Cfa) and Mediterranean climate (Csa) zones. The driest month can have around 36 mm of precipitation, which can occur at any time of year, making a strict classification difficult. It’s neither here nor there, much like the city itself.
The climate data reveals average January temperatures around 2.9°C (37.2°F) and average July temperatures of 23.8°C (74.8°F). Record highs have reached a scorching 39.0°C (102.2°F), while the mercury has dipped to -18.0°C (-0.4°F) in January. It gets about 860.2 mm (33.87 inches) of rain annually, spread across roughly 70 days.
Economy
The city's economy is largely tied to its port, the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port. It's the busiest oil port on the Black Sea and the endpoint for a pipeline from the Tengiz Field in Kazakhstan. It handles an impressive amount of cargo, with turnover figures often in the tens of millions of tons. It's also listed on the Moscow Exchange and London Stock Exchange.
Beyond the port, Novorossiysk is an industrial center. Think steel, food processing, and metal goods. The abundant limestone deposits fuel several cement factories. For education, there's the Maritime State Academy and Novorossiysk Polytechnic Institute.
Transportation
As Russia's largest seaport, Novorossiysk is a crucial transport hub. It's connected by rail and highways to major Russian cities, as well as Transcaucasia and Central Asia. The Novorossiysk railway station serves as a key node.
The closest airports are Gelendzhik Airport, Anapa Airport, and Krasnodar Airport, located 33 km, 53 km, and 172 km away, respectively. They offer flights to numerous Russian cities.
Sports
The local football team, FC Chernomorets Novorossiysk, competes in the Russian Second Division. Not exactly a global powerhouse, but it's something.
Buildings and Structures
Notable structures include the Novorossiysk TV Tower, the "Krasnaya Ploshchad" shopping mall, "Lenin's" Amusement Park, and the Malaya Zemlya Memorial. The memorial commemorates the tenacious defense during World War II.
Notable Residents
The city has seen its share of notable individuals, though their significance varies. There's Georges Gurvitch, a Russian-French sociologist and philosopher; Seitumer Emin, a Crimean Tatar writer and activist; and Eugene Kaspersky, founder of Kaspersky Labs. There are also several football players and coaches, and a human rights defender, Emir-Usein Kuku. Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky, a forester and landowner, also makes the list. It’s a rather eclectic mix, wouldn't you agree?
Twin Towns and Sister Cities
Novorossiysk has a number of twin towns and sister cities. These include Plymouth in the United Kingdom (though this relationship has been suspended since 2022), Livorno in Italy, Valparaíso in Chile, Gijón in Spain, Gainesville, Florida in the United States, Varna, Bulgaria, Pula in Croatia, Constanța in Romania, Samsun in Turkey, Tomsk in Russia, Gavar in Armenia, Novo Mesto in Slovenia, and Heilbronn, Germany. It seems to be quite the international city, at least on paper.