‘Great to Be Making History’ : Soviet Port Gives Riotous Welcome to U.S. Warships

Throwing flowers, candy and coins, more than 1,000 cheering residents of this key Black Sea port gave a riotous welcome today to U.S. Navy warships cruising into Sevastopol’s historic harbor.

“That’s for ice cream when you come ashore,” called one woman in the crowd as she lobbed a 20-kopeck coin toward the American sailors lined along the ships’ decks in their blinding summer whites.

The visiting seamen, who sent dozens of round sailor hats whizzing toward the whistling, waving crowd, were equally excited.

“It just feels great to be making history,” said Greg Marlatt, medical officer aboard the cruiser Thomas S. Gates.

The good-will port call by the Gates and the frigate Kauffman mirrored a visit last month by three Soviet ships to Norfolk, Va., in the first such Soviet-American naval exchange in 14 years.

The U.S. 6th Fleet’s flagship, the Belknap, also was to join but was diverted to be at President Bush’s disposal because of the hostage crisis in Lebanon.

The ships’ visit to Sevastopol is the first since World War II. Three U.S. warships docked in Leningrad in 1975.

Sevastopol, headquarters of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, normally is a closed city, even to Soviets. But today it opened its gates wide to greet the American sailors.

Crewmen were mobbed by beaming Soviets, handed babies to kiss, asked to pose for snapshots and given rubles, souvenirs and food. A brass band played marches, and two women in traditional costume met the ship with bread and salt, symbols of hospitality.

“My whole soul is happy that we finally did this great thing and that we will be friends,” said 18-year-old Zinaida Kolisinchenko. “And the American sailors, they are so attractive.”

Vladimir Zverev, the military commandant of Sevastopol, looked with bemusement at the crowd on the pier. “We didn’t expect so many people,” he said. “This is the biggest reception for a ship I have ever seen here.”