Sevastopol (1 of 2)
Moscow's Black Sea Fleet has dominated Sevastopol life for more than two centuries. To the casual observer there's no doubt this port city looks good. Whitewashed neoclassical buildings and stone forts parade before a cerulean bay. Yet behind the attractive appearance there's a vaguely unsettled air. Some citizens still hark nostalgically back to the Soviet era, when the city's strategic importance meant preferential treatment. Almost all locals retain some allegiance to Russia. Sailors still swarm over town and will continue to do so for many years, but before Sevastopol has even properly bid farewell to the past, you can already sense another major sea change looming.
