MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – The federal city of Sevastopol will hold ceremonies Tuesday to mark the 231st anniversary since the founding of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
After a morning prayer at St. Vladimir's Cathedral, the city will host a wreath laying ceremony at a monument to Empress Catherine the Great and later a ceremony of handing over colors at the Nakhimov Higher Naval Institute.
“All warships of the Black Sea Fleet will be topped with flags colorization and crews will line decks during solemn ceremonies,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.
The main tasks of the Black Sea Fleet are protecting the region’s economy, suppression of illegal activities, ensuring navigation safety, and the implementation of foreign policy actions in economically important areas of the oceans.
Last year, the fleet’s vessels made nine long-distance cruises and visited 37 ports in thirteen countries.
The aircraft and helicopters of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation conducted more than 300 training flights, dropping sonobuoys and conducting exercises with bombs and missiles.
The Russian Defense Ministry expects that the Black Sea Fleet will receive new submarines this year.
The Admiral Grigorovich, the newest Project 11356 escort ship, is expected to join the fleet by early next year.
Russia plans to allocate more than 86 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) for the development of the Black Sea Fleet in the period to 2020, the ministry said.
On February 21, 1784, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia signed a decree renaming the city of Akhtiyar as Sevastopol, which is Greek for “Majestic City, Worthy of Worship.” Soon, the port city of Sevastopol became Russia’s main naval base on the Black Sea.
