Checkpoint Cherson

Being the northernmost territory of the Byzantine Empire, Crimean Cherson for centuries served as an outpost at the discomposed yet vitally significant border. Except for the military and diplomatic importance, Cherson was also a lively centre of trade. In the turbulent history of the northern Pontic area Cherson often played a crucial role both in peace and in the time of war. The paper will delineate the situation in Cherson at the end of the 7th and the beginning of the 8th centuries, surely one of the most eventful periods of the history of Cherson.