Kherson, city, southern Ukraine, capital of Khersons'ka Oblast, a major port on the Dnieper River, near the Black Sea. Manufactures include ships, refined petroleum, cotton textiles, and processed food. Located on the probable site of an ancient Greek colony, Kherson was founded in 1778 by the statesman Grigory Potemkin as a fortress and port. In 1783 the first ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were launched here. Population (1998 estimate) 359,000.
