From 21 July 1893, until the October Revolution in 1917, Sevastopol, under the Russian Empire, used a royal coat of arms, which featured the monograms of Tsars Nicholas I and Alexander II.

[1] The Ribbon of Saint George surrounds the shield, entangling two diagonally crossed anchors, symbolizing the port city, and two flag poles.

The flag poles contain gules banners featuring the monograms of Tsars Nicholas I (left) and Alexander II (right) enclosed by the chain of the Order of Saint Andrew.

[7][5] In October 1992, the Representative of the President of Ukraine in Sevastopol, Ivan Fedosovich Yermakov [ru] started a review of the city's coat of arms.

Article 22 dictated that villages, towns, and cities may have their own symbols, flags, and coat of arms reflecting their own historical traditions and cultures as determined by local council.

Alternatively, some versions of the coat of arms feature the ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew and a banner with the Russian word for Sevastopol, Севастополь.

The Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation approved the option to revert to the previous monarchical coat of arms with the addition of the Gold Star medal as the emblem's order.

[16] Vasily Parkhomenko [ru], the Chairman of Sevastopol City Council when the resolution 518 was passed to approve the Soviet-era design, was among the signatories.

[17] Chairwoman of the Legislative Assembly, Yekaterina Altabaeva [ru], announced that a referendum on the coat of arms was planned for March 18, alongside the 2018 Russian presidential election, however it was later cancelled due to time constraints.

Infringements include the gold border, which indicates the city is of a lower status, contradictory of Sevastopol's city of federal importance status; the Gold Star, which is in the field instead of the shield's order or support; the image of the Monument to the Sunken Ships; the structure of the shield, which is interpreted as combining two emblems into one shield, contradictory of the city's history; and the imposition of the Gold Star and laurel branch on a silver background, which violates the Rule of tincture where a metal (or) may not be placed on another metal (argent).

[22] On 1 November 2018, Governor Dmitry Ovsyannikov made a decree allowing the Soviet-era design to be used as the city's coat of arms until the appropriate laws are put in place.