SYVASH

also spelled Sivash, or Siva, Russian Gniloye More (Putrid Sea), system of shallow inlets of the Sea of Azov that penetrate the northern and eastern coasts of the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine. Syvash is an area of marshy inlets and coves on the western margin of the Sea of Azov, from which it is separated by the Arabat Spit, a sandbar measuring from 900 feet to 5 miles (270 m to 8 km) in width. Syvash covers an area of approximately 990 square miles (2,560 square km) and is covered with mineral salts during the summer months. The salts are used in the local chemical industries of Krasnoperekopsk, a city in northwestern Crimea.