Putin puts Crimean archaeological site under federal control

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has placed a major archaeological site in Crimea under federal control following turmoil over the appointment of its director.

The Kremlin said on Saturday that Putin ordered the area of the ancient Greek city of Chersonesus to be placed under federal oversight. The site is located just outside Sevastopol, the main port city in Crimea, the Black Sea Peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine last year.

Putin's order followed the Sevastopol governor's decision last month to appoint a Russian Orthodox priest as director of the Chersonesus museum, a move that has angered its keepers and fueled strong public criticism. According to the Interfax news agency, Putin's adviser, Vladimir Tolstoy, said the Culture Ministry will now be in charge of Chersonesus and choose its new director.