Sevastopol is a city located on the Crimean Peninsula. Modern Sevastopol was built by the Russian Empire in 1783 and eventually became a part of Ukraine in 1991. In 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, Sevastopol became part of the Russian Federation and now operates as a Federal City like Moscow and St. Petersburg. Sevastopol was a city of major importance in the Crimean War, where the city was held under siege and hosted several famous battles, notably the Battle of Balaclava. In Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, Mary Seacole opens a hotel in Balaclava, right outside Sevastopol, to provide medical aid to officers fighting in the war. 

Short History of the City, https://web.archive.org/web/20140211231852/http://sev.gov.ua/en/cityinfo....