Ancient cities on the Crimean peninsula. Ancient monuments in Crimea

Photos and text by Sam Namos

Arriving by train from Sevastopol to Bakhchisarai, we take a bus to the village of Staroselye. it extreme point, which can be reached by transport. Up the gorge, a pedestrian path rises to the Holy Dormition Cave Monastery:

The place is worth your attention. Directly in the sheer cut of the cliff, grottoes are carved into which the monks' cells are located:

Holy Dormition caveman male monastery founded by Byzantine icon-worshiping monks no later than the 8th century. Located in the tract Mariam-Dere (Maria Gorge) near Bakhchisarai. During the First Defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War in 1854-1855, a hospital was located in the cells, the house of pilgrims and other buildings of the monastery. Those who died from their wounds were buried in the monastery cemetery. In 1921 the monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities.

After the resettlement of Germans, Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks from Crimea to other regions of the USSR in 1941, and in 1944 - Crimean Tatars, a neuropsychiatric dispensary was located on the territory of the monastery for decades. In 1993 it was returned to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Three of the five monastery churches, cell buildings, the abbot's house and the bell tower have been restored.

At the bottom of the gorge, construction work is underway to expand the monastery complex.

It was not possible to take pictures inside. the abbots pounced on us on the move, convincing that Vladyka himself had forbidden taking photographs on the territory of the monastery ...

We go around all the rooms available for viewing and head up the road to the cave city - the Chufut fortress - Kale:

On the way, our attention comes across a nondescript information sign that says about a grandiose find of the 21st century:

The find turned out to be an ancient 45-meter sedimentary well of the Chufut fortress - kale:

The structure is a shaft with a 120-meter adit suitable for a slope. The scope of work for that time was colossal:

Fork. The adit on the right is flooded and after a dozen meters it runs into a dead end:

The adit on the left goes into a shaft with a downward spiral staircase, carved right into the rock:

At the very bottom, as conceived by the creators, it accumulated, and then climbed purest water:

From above, the well shaft has an exit to the surface:

From the ground, it looks like this:

Nearby, at the foot of the Chufut-kale fortress, there is another, much more modest in scale, artesian well. Previously, it was also located in the thickness of the rock, but either a piece of rock fell off, or archaeologists cut through the wall, and now it is a cut right at the foot of the fortress:

It's time to look inside the fortress itself. Two gates lead inside: Kiyuk-Kapu (in the east) and Kuchuk-Kapu (in the south-west). From other sides, the fortress is practically impregnable. However, out of sports interest, we decided to climb the wall, just north of the gate of Kiyuk-Kapu, where there is a weak point. Climbing can be done with minimal mountaineering skills. By the way, the entrance to the territory of the fortress is paid.

Kiyuk-Kapu gate:

A little help:

Chufut-Kale is a medieval fortress city located 2.5 km from Bakhchisarai. Once the fortress was the capital of the Crimean Khanate. The name is translated from the Crimean Tatar language as “Jewish fortress”, because the Tatars considered the Karaites living there to be Jews because of the similarity of their religion with Judaism.

The city appeared presumably in the 5th century as a fortified settlement on the border of the Byzantine possessions. Starting from the XIV century, Karaites began to settle in the city, who by the time of the formation of the Crimean Khanate already made up the majority of the city's population. Chufut-Kale remained the main center of the Karaites of Crimea until the middle of the 19th century, but gradually became empty - the inhabitants moved from the low-water plateau to more convenient places for life.

There is almost nothing to look inside the fortress. Most of the space is covered with thickets. In the center of the territory there is an old stone road with a beaten track from carriages.

WITH southwest on the side there is a small complex of industrial caves and several buildings. Big and Small Kenassa (prayer house of the Karaites):

Kuchut-Kapu Gate ( South entrance):

Complex of household caves:

Former rich manor with a system of underground rooms Chaush-Kobasy ("Chief's Caves") in the northern part of the fortress:

On the way to the descent into the grotto, I heard a beautiful violin melody coming from under the ground:

A violinist was playing inside. As soon as I wanted to photograph him, he immediately ran to the side. His case remained in the frame. The acoustics here are simply incredible! If not for the violinist, I myself would have shouted there:

Next room:

In the same part of the fortress there is observation deck... A stunning view of the Biyuk-Ashlama-Dere gully and Besh-Kosh mountain opens from here.

After it finally got dark, we move towards Mount Tepe-Kerman:

I don’t know how long the wandering along the forest paths would have lasted, had we not stumbled upon the parking lot of experienced tourists who suggested the right way for us. Don't risk looking for cave cities by printouts satellite maps and applications on smartphones. Almost the entire space is in the trees, behind the tops of which practically nothing is visible, and the satellite binding on the phone now and then misses an indecent distance. It's time for me to get a real gps-navigator.

By midnight, we finally reached the top of the plateau. Climbing the mountain, by the way, is not pleasant. The slope is very sharp and the path continually crumbles underfoot:

A little help:

Cave city Tepe-Kerman existed in the period from VI to XIV centuries and reached its greatest flowering in the XII-XIII centuries. The peculiarity of Tepe-Kermen is the greatest, in comparison with other cave cities, concentration of caves. On an area of ​​about 1 hectare, there are more than 250 of them. The main part of the city was located on the top of the plateau (540 meters above sea level).

The overwhelming majority of intra-rock structures here (about 85%) were used for household needs. Of these, about 88%, or 170-180 premises, were barns for animals. The rest of the utility rooms were basements of estates, cisterns for storing water. Non-commercial caves were used for housing and burial.

In many caves there is a hole in the ceiling (most likely for smoke extraction). When walking along the plateau, you should be extremely careful. Many of these holes are almost invisible among the thickets:

One of the most remarkable grottoes cave complex- "Church with a baptistery" (Church with a baptismal). Located on the northeastern edge of the plateau:

According to some versions, the death of the city is tied to the raid of the Golden Horde beklyaribek Nogai in 1299.

It was decided to set up a parking lot on the so-called "Dragon's Tooth" right in one of the grottoes. the whole plateau is blown by a strong wind. The place turned out to be very cozy, and we sincerely noted last night our trip in Crimea with a small fire:

Waking up in the morning, I was stunned by the view from the ledge of the plateau. A panorama of tens of kilometers opened from the ledge.

The history of Kerch is more than 2.5 thousand years old. This city has a large number of Byzantine villages, monuments Bosporan and Scythian kingdoms, Tmutarakan. Even a gravity water supply system, built during the Byzantine Empire, has been preserved in Kerch.

There is an Orthodox church in Kerch - ancient working temple, built by the Byzantines about 1400 years ago. There is even such a version (it was put forward by the German historian Theodor Mommsen back in the 19th century) that the famous leader of the slaves, Spartacus, who raised an uprising in the Roman Empire, was born in Kerch.

The Scientific Council of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) recognized Kerch as the most ancient city in Russia. This was announced by the director of the East Crimean Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve Tatyana Umrikhina.

“After the report of the head of the Panticapaeum expedition, Vladimir Tolstikov, the scientific council recognized that the city of Panticapaeum (modern Kerch) was founded in 610-590. BC NS. The corresponding paper has arrived at the East Crimean Nature Reserve, and now we are preparing documents for the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of Russia, so that this date would be officially fixed ”,- T. Umrikhina said and added: by their decision, scientists confirmed the status of Kerch as the most ancient city in the country.

Tatyana Viktorovna clarified: Kerch is also the capital of the first state in the country.

“Panticapaeum was the center of the Bosporus kingdom. Therefore, we can talk about the most ancient statehood in territory of Russia», -
she stressed.

Before the reunification of Crimea with Russia, the Dagestan Derbent was considered the most ancient city in the country: in September 2015, it solemnly celebrated its 2000th anniversary.

Ancient cities of Crimea

In ancient times, sea routes connected the Black Sea coast with the Mediterranean, where at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. the great civilization of Greece arose. From the shores of Hellas, brave sailors set off in search of new lands.

Where large seaports, industrial and resort centers Crimea - Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia and Kerch, in the VI-V centuries. BC. the ancient Greeks founded, respectively, the cities of Kerkinitida, Chersonesus, Theodosia, Panticapaeum, and near them - Mirmekiy, Tiritaku, Nympheus, Cimmerik and others. Each of them was the center of an agricultural region where wheat was grown, grapes were cultivated, and livestock were raised. The cities housed temples, public and administrative buildings, markets, artisan workshops.

Convenient geographical position promoted the development of trade. Merchants exported slaves and food to the Mediterranean Agriculture, purchased from local tribes - Scythians, Meots, Sinds. In exchange, olive oil, wine, art and craft items were brought from the cities of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor.

Chersonesos was founded in 421 BC. on the shore of the bay, which is now called Quarantine. Later, the city significantly expanded its holdings. During its heyday, Kerkinitida, the Beautiful Harbor (on the site of the modern village of Chernomorsky) and other settlements of the northwestern Crimea obeyed him.

The Chersonesus state was slave democratic republic... The supreme body of power was the People's Assembly and the Council, which decided all issues of foreign and domestic policy. The leading role in the administration belonged to the largest slave owners, whose names were brought by the Chersonesus inscriptions and coins.

Archaeological excavations, begun back in 1827, showed that the city was well fortified. Remains of defensive structures - massive towers, fortresses, parts of stone walls - have also been preserved throughout the state. This speaks of the constant military danger to which the inhabitants were exposed. The famous Chersonesos oath tells about their patriotism. The Chersonesos swore that they would not betray either the city or its possessions to the enemies, they would protect the democratic system, and would not divulge state secrets.

As confirmed by archaeological research, the city had the correct layout. Residential buildings were combined into quarters, streets intersected at right angles. They were paved with small stones. Stone gutters ran along the streets. Temples towered on the squares. Public buildings and homes of wealthy citizens were decorated with colonnades and mosaic floors.

From ancient buildings, only the foundations of the walls and basements have survived to this day. Particularly interesting are the mint, baths, and the ruins of a theater that has existed since the 3rd century. BC. to the IV century. AD Only stairways and stone benches for spectators have been partially preserved from it. Judging by their size, the theater could accommodate up to 3 thousand spectators.

The area of ​​artisans was located near the city walls. There, archaeologists discovered the remains of ceramic production: kilns for burning pottery, stamps for ornaments, molds for making terracotta reliefs. Other crafts flourished in Chersonesos - metalworking, jewelry, weaving.

The largest ancient state of the Black Sea region was the Bosporus kingdom. It was formed as a result of the unification of originally independent Greek cities, such as Panticapaeum, Mirmekiy, Tiritaka, Phanagoria and others, located on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus - the modern Kerch Strait. Panticapaeum became the capital of the state. From 438 BC more than three hundred years they were ruled by the dynasty of Spartokids.

At the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th centuries. BC. Nympheus and Theodosius, as well as lands inhabited by other tribes, were annexed to the possessions of the Bosporus. In the 1st century. BC. The Bosporus captured most of the territory of Crimea, subjugated Chersonesos.

Excavations on Mount Mithridates, carried out in Kerch from the end of the 19th century, made it possible to restore the size and plan of Panticapaeum. At the top was the acropolis - the central fortification of the city with powerful defensive walls and towers. It housed the most important temples and public buildings. Quarters of one- or two-story stone buildings descended as terraces down the slopes. The whole city and its surroundings were surrounded by numerous lines of fortifications. The deep and comfortable harbor provided safe shelter for merchant and military vessels.

Found fragments of marble statues, pieces of painted plaster and architectural details allow us to talk about the rich decoration of the city's squares and buildings, about the skill of ancient architects and builders.

On the site of Mirmekia and Tiritaki, not far from Kerch, in addition to city walls, residential buildings and sanctuaries, archaeologists have discovered several wineries and baths for salting fish. In Nymphea, near the modern village of Heroevka, there are the temples of Demeter, Aphrodite and Kabirov; in Ilurat, near the modern village of Ivanovka, there was a Bosporan military settlement of the first centuries AD, which guarded the approaches to the capital.

Next to everyone antique city was his necropolis - City of dead... They were usually buried in simple earthen graves, sometimes lined with tiles or stone slabs. The rich and noble were placed in wooden or stone sarcophagi. For their burial, crypts were built, built of stones or carved into the rocks. The walls of crypts and sarcophagi were decorated with paintings, reliefs, inlay. They were decorated with ornaments, depicted mythological plots, scenes of real life. Together with the deceased, they put things belonging to him: jewelry, dishes, weapons, vessels with incense, terracotta figurines and other items. In one of the Panticapaean burials of the 3rd century. AD, possibly the Bosporan king Riskuporis, a unique golden mask was found that reproduced the facial features of the deceased.

Researchers have long been interested in large mounds located in the vicinity of Kerch. They found burials of the Bosporan kings and nobility with outstanding works of Greek art: gold and silver jewelry, bronze and glass items, painted and figured vases.

The gold temporal pendants of the 4th century BC are rightfully considered a masterpiece of world art. BC. from the Kul-Oba mound. They are made in the form of discs, to which are attached numerous braided crossing chains, connected by plates and rosettes. On a disc 7 cm in diameter, there is a relief of the head of Athena wearing a helmet with clearly distinguishable figures of griffins, an owl and a snake. The finest filigree plates, rosettes, as well as the disc circumference are covered with grain and blue enamel.

The most valuable finds from the excavations of the ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the State Historical Museum and the State Museum fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin in Moscow, as well as others.

Now on the territory of Chersonesos in Sevastopol and on Mount Mithridates in Kerch, reserves have been organized. Every year, thousands of people come there to walk along the streets and squares of ancient cities, to get acquainted with greatest monuments culture.

When on South Bank the Romans established themselves, they created fortified points on the coast to protect Chersonesos. Of the Roman fortifications, the largest was Kharax at Cape Ai-Todore (now there is a lighthouse on it next to " Swallow's nest"). Fortification Kharax (in Greek "pillar", "stake", that is, "enclosure") was founded in the 70s. 1st century under the Roman emperor Vespasian. At the end of the century there was a garrison, in the II century. housed the soldiers of the I Italian Legion. The last Roman garrison of the fort was made up of soldiers of the XI Claudian Legion (late II - first half of the III century). These three periods in Kharax's history are attested to by the marks on the bricks and tiles.

N.I. Sheiko

Photo beautiful places Crimea

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How tourist centre Crimea has been known since the second half of the 19th century. The special popularity of the peninsula among the imperial persons and the highest foreign guests is evidenced by the large number of summer residences - palaces and villas, which to this day make up the architectural appearance of the Crimean cities. Time passes, and Crimea becomes not just a privileged place of rest, but a health resort of the all-Union scale. However, while retaining its mass character, this tradition has undergone transformations. Wild rest defeated organized sanatorium treatment.

Today, Crimea is perceived by many as the focus of sea resorts that popularize beach and leisure... At the same time, the rich and deep history of the peninsula is well known, the traces of which are preserved by numerous monuments covering the widest time and thematic range. The seven diverse cities presented in our review can rightly be called museums that introduced their guests to the heritage of the ancient, multinational and generous land called Crimea.

A hero city, one of the three cities of federal significance in Russia, the largest city in Crimea in terms of population, one of the key naval facilities of the country, a large ice-free sea trade port - all these are the definitions of the legendary Sevastopol. The city has acquired particular importance since its foundation, when in 1783 it became the main base of the newly formed fleet. Russian Empire- the Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol bravely withstood two defenses - during the Crimean War and during the Great Patriotic War, securing the unofficial status of the city of Russian glory.

Numerous attractions tell about the military-historical heritage of Sevastopol, including the world-famous panorama "Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855", large-scale memorial complexes on the Malakhov Kurgan and Sapun Mountain, the Military-Historical Museum of the Black Sea Fleet, museum complexes Mikhailovskaya Battery, 35th Coastal Battery, Balaklava (underground submarine base). Near Primorsky Boulevard, on a granite cliff washed by the sea, stands the main symbol of Sevastopol - the Monument to the Scuttled Ships.

On the Central (City) hill is the majestic Vladimir Cathedral, which has become the burial vault of the famous Russian admirals - Lazarev, Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin. Another significant place located in the historical center of Sevastopol is the Aquarium Museum - the first in Russia and one of the oldest public marine aquariums in the world, founded in 1897 at the initiative of N.N. Miklouho-Maclay. Sevastopol squares and boulevards are beautiful, the appearance of which is made up of interesting historical and architectural objects. The city has an art museum, four professional theaters, two of which have academic status.

O ancient history the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula is narrated by unique monuments located in the suburbs of Sevastopol: the ancient settlement of Chersonesos, the Genoese fortress Chembalo in Balaklava, the ancient Klimentovsky cave monastery in Inkerman. Not just a background for them, but an independent peculiar attraction is an unusually beautiful nature... The numerous picturesque bays of the city are especially attractive.

Sevastopol, surrounded on three sides by the sea, is not inferior to other Crimean resorts in terms of beach holiday, striking not only by the number, but also by the variety of beaches - from wild rocky to comfortable golden sandy ones.

Sight

Ancient, 1, Sevastopol

In ancient times, the central part of the Crimean peninsula was occupied by the fortress city of Naples-Scythian - the capital of the Scythian kingdom. Now the capital of the Republic of Crimea is located here - the glorious city of Simferopol. It has no outlet to the sea. The Salgir River, the longest river in Crimea, flows here.

Being the main transport hub of the peninsula, the city justifies its name, which is translated from ancient Greek as "city of benefits", "city-gathering". However, Simferopol gathers not only random guests who perceive the city as an intermediate point on the way to the Black Sea coast but also history buffs. Indeed, whole eras have been imprinted in the appearance of the city. The memory of the late Scythian state is kept by the Scythian settlement of Naples, located on the Petrovsky rocks. A peculiar symbol of the Crimean Tatar city of Akmesjit, the predecessor of Simferopol, is the Kebir-Jami mosque, the oldest building in the city, known since the beginning of the 16th century. And, finally, the beginning of the Russian period in the life of the Crimean city is marked by the Orthodox churches of the late 18th - 19th centuries. Almost the same age as Simferopol is the Church of Constantine-Eleninskaya - the first christian temple cities. Ancient cathedrals - Peter and Paul Cathedral, Holy Trinity Cathedral - admire their grandeur. An interesting cult building of the Karaites - Kenassa, erected at the end of the 19th century. During the Great Patriotic War, Simferopol took on a powerful enemy blow, having survived the German occupation. The feat of the defenders of the city was immortalized by the monuments placed in its parks and squares.

The most complete picture of the nature, history and culture of not only Simferopol, but the entire Republic of Crimea is given by the main museums of the city - the Central Museum of Taurida, the Crimean Ethnographic Museum and the Simferopol Art Museum. The city has the oldest theater of the Crimea - the Russian Drama Theater named after M. Gorky, as well as Musical Theatre Republic of Crimea, Puppet Theater and the world's only theater of the Crimean Tatars.

Simferopol is famous for its unique green areas. Can't be ignored old parks founded in the 18th-19th centuries. A special place among them is Botanical Garden Tavricheskiy National University (Salgirka Park or Vorontsovskiy Park) is one of the largest and most beautiful parks in Simferopol. Young squares of the city are picturesque and cozy.

The most eastern and most ancient city Crimea - the city of Kerch, whose age has exceeded a colossal figure - twenty-six centuries! One of the hills of the city - Mount Mithridates - is its historical and geographical center, a place where at the end of the 7th century BC. NS. the future Kerch was born, and then - the ancient Greek polis Panticapaeum, which became in 479 BC. the capital of the Bosporus kingdom. The ruins of its Acropolis are now a unique monument of the Antiquity and one of the main attractions of Kerch.

In addition to Panticapaeum, on the territory of Kerch there are other ancient settlements - Nympheus, Tiritaka, Mirmekiy. Many artifacts found during the excavation of the fortified settlements are presented in the famous Kerch Museum of Antiquities. Monuments of funerary architecture of the 4th century have also survived to our time. BC. - Tsarsky and Melek-Chesmensky burial mounds.

Until 1774, that is, before the annexation of Kerch to Russia, the city was part of many states: the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the Genoese Republic, Ottoman Empire... The Church of St. John the Baptist, the oldest Orthodox church on the Crimean peninsula, has become a witness of many historical events, the time of construction of which dates back to the period between the 8th and 9th centuries.

Kerch bears the honorary title of Hero City. During the Great Patriotic War, the front line passed through Kerch four times, in 1941-1944 the most severe occupation regime was established here. Soon after the liberation of the city, on the top of Mount Mithridates, a memorial complex was created - the Obelisk of Glory to the Immortal Heroes and the Eternal Flame.

423 steps of the Great Mithridatskaya Staircase lead to the top of the mountain, which is an outstanding architectural monument the first half of the 19th century. A magnificent panorama of the city and the Kerch Strait opens from the upper observation deck of the stairs.

Evpatoria, stretching along the Kalamitsky Bay off the western coast of the Crimean Peninsula, is known primarily as a resort town. Every summer season, the number of tourists on vacation is several times higher than its population. The huge popularity of the small town is undoubtedly due to the presence of beautiful beaches with golden sand and shallow seabed, a favorable climate (at the height of summer, the air temperature is usually kept at + 26-28 ° C). However, limiting ourselves to coastal areas, it is impossible to form a complete picture of the city, whose history goes back centuries.

On the site of Evpatoria from the V century. BC NS. to the end of the II century. n. NS. there was one of the ancient Greek colonies - Kerkinitida. The ancient settlement of the polis is a valuable archaeological complex, and the ruins of the city wall of Kerkinitida today are one of the main historical relics of Evpatoria. The Greek settlement was destroyed by the Scythians. The city here again emerged during the time of the Crimean Khanate. It was called Kezlev (Tur. Gozlev). The sonorous name Evpatoria, which is translated from Greek as "Noble", the city received after the Crimea became part of the Russian Empire.

Typical eastern city The Middle Ages is the eastern part of modern Evpatoria, the so-called Old city... The area is distinguished by narrow, crooked streets and ancient buildings. The age of some buildings of the historical part is more than 500 years, among them is the Khan-Jami cathedral mosque, founded in 1552.

A unique historical, architectural and religious monument in Yevpatoria - Tekie Dervishes - the only Muslim monastery in Crimea, founded at the end of the 15th - 16th centuries. Of no less interest is the complex of religious buildings of the early 19th century - the Keraim kenassas. Outstanding monuments of Russian temple architecture are pre-revolutionary Orthodox churches - St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Temple of St. Elijah.

The resort history of the city began at the end of the 19th century, when the first mud baths were built, where the healing mud of Lake Moinaki was used. Subsequently were opened medicinal properties mud and waters of other lakes of Evpatoria. There are several mineral springs, which, together with numerous other natural factors, makes the rest in Evpatoria incredibly useful.

On the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula, a magnificent pearl shines - the beauty of Yalta. This is one of the most sunny resorts Crimea, a city with luxurious nature and rich cultural heritage... It is interesting that Yalta acquired the status of a city and the glory of a fashionable resort only in the 19th century, although its history began much earlier ...

Once on the site of the future city, on the picturesque coast of the Black Sea, there was a small village of Yialos (from the Greek - "coast"), founded in the 6th-5th centuries BC. Greek sailors. Like other cities of Crimea, the settlement passed from hand to hand more than once: from the Tauride Greeks to the Venetians, then to the Genoese, Byzantines; later it entered the possession of the principality of Theodoro, the Ottoman Empire, and, finally, Russia. Fundamental changes took place in the middle of the 19th century, when small city, in the recent past - a fishing village, drew attention to the highest statesmen. In the 1860s, the nearest Yalta suburb - Livadia - became the summer residence of the royal family. And by the end of the 19th century, Yalta was turning into a prestigious vacation spot for the Russian aristocracy. It was to this time that the creation of fabulous palaces (Livadia, Massandrovsky, Vorontsov), noble estates and mansions, organically inscribed in the mountain landscape, belong. In pre-revolutionary times, Yalta also attracted distinguished foreign guests. So, for example, the German oil industrialist Baron P. Steingel, who loved to relax in the Crimea, in 1912 on the edge of the Aurora rock was built a Gothic castle - the famous "Swallow's Nest".

Without belittling the value and beauty of the palace and park ensembles, we will give the priority in the ranking of the region's attractions to the Yalta nature. Imprisoned in the stone embrace of the Crimean mountains, Yalta is open only to the sea and the sun. The terrain is extremely varied. There is mountain ranges, one of which includes the famous Ai-Petri peak; hills covered with dense pine and beech forests; deep gorges with waterfalls; valleys of mountain rivers, on one of which the most big waterfall in Crimea - the Uchan-Su waterfall with a height of 98 meters. Yalta, immersed in greenery, boasts an abundance of exotic plants: palms, cypresses, magnolias, wisterias grow here ...

One of the most beautiful places in the city and the most visited street in Crimea is Yalta Embankment. Today it is a developed resort area with numerous restaurants, cafes, attractions. On the embankment there is the president-hotel "Tavrida", previously the hotel of the same name, where Rimsky-Korsakov, Nekrasov, Chekhov, Bunin, Mayakovsky, Stanislavsky, Chaliapin stayed at different times. Not far from the hotel building there is an entrance to cable car"Yalta-Gorka", which makes it possible to enjoy the views of the city from a bird's eye view.

Outstanding figures of art and literature lived in Feodosia at different times - the world famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky, whose name Feodosiyskaya bears today picture gallery; an outstanding writer, the brightest representative of neo-romanticism A. Green, to whom the literary-memorial museum in Feodosia is dedicated. About history, culture, natural wealth southeastern Crimea the story of the Feodosia Museum of Local Lore, which is the oldest provincial museum institution in Russia.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city survived the German occupation. Fierce battles were fought here, leading to significant destruction. For courage, endurance and mass heroism, Feodosia was awarded the honorary title - City of Military Glory.

The fortress city of Aluston has been known since the 6th century. The fortification, built by order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, retained the role of an important coastal defensive point for all states that owned it in the Middle Ages: the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the principality of Theodoro. Its strategic importance the fortress was lost after the conquest of the Crimea by the Turks. Remaining ruins ancient structure is one of the main attractions of the peninsula.

Like Yalta, by the end of the 19th century, Alushta turned from a quiet seaside village into a popular resort. Among the curious pre-revolutionary buildings - the mansion of General Golubov, known as the dacha "Golubka"; the mansion of the merchant N.D. Stakheeva, Palace of Princess Gagarina. In 1941-1944. the city was under German occupation. A number of monuments of Alushta are dedicated to military-historical events.

Soon after the end of the war, in the middle of the last century, a real tourist boom began in Alushta, when dozens of sanatoriums and boarding houses were opened here. Today the city still attracts tourists. On its territory there are a large number of beaches, attractions, there is an aquarium with a large collection of freshwater and marine fish, a dolphinarium, and interesting museums.

Alushta, located in a vast valley on the southern coast of Crimea, is surrounded by an amphitheater Crimean mountains... From the west, the high massif Babugan-Yayla rises above the city, in the north-west - Mount Chatyr-Dag, in the north - Demerdzhi. The mountain slopes are covered with dense beech and pine forests. In the picturesque surroundings of Alushta, the shooting of the famous Soviet films "Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Hearts of Three", "Ships storm the bastions" and others took place.

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Crimea has been known as a tourist center since the second half of the 19th century. The special popularity of the peninsula among the imperial persons and the highest foreign guests is evidenced by the large number of summer residences - palaces and villas, which to this day make up the architectural appearance of the Crimean cities. Time passes, and Crimea becomes not just a privileged place of rest, but a health resort of the all-Union scale. However, while retaining its mass character, this tradition has undergone transformations. Wild rest has triumphed over organized spa treatment.

Today, Crimea is perceived by many as the focus of sea resorts that popularize beach and outdoor activities. At the same time, the rich and deep history of the peninsula is well known, the traces of which are preserved by numerous monuments covering the widest time and thematic range. The seven diverse cities presented in our review can rightly be called museums that introduced their guests to the heritage of the ancient, multinational and generous land called Crimea.

A hero city, one of the three cities of federal significance in Russia, the largest city in Crimea in terms of population, one of the key naval facilities of the country, a large ice-free sea trade port - all these are the definitions of the legendary Sevastopol. The city acquired particular importance from the moment of its foundation, when in 1783 it became the main base of the newly formed fleet of the Russian Empire - the Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol bravely withstood two defenses - during the Crimean War and during the Great Patriotic War, securing the unofficial status of a city of Russian glory.

Numerous attractions tell about the military-historical heritage of Sevastopol, among which are the world-famous panorama "Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855", large-scale memorial complexes on the Malakhov Kurgan and Sapun Mountain, the Military-Historical Museum of the Black Sea Fleet, museum complexes "Mikhailovskaya Battery" , "35th Coastal Battery", "Balaklava" (underground submarine base). Near Primorsky Boulevard, on a granite cliff washed by the sea, stands the main symbol of Sevastopol - the Monument to the Scuttled Ships.

On the Central (City) hill is the majestic Vladimir Cathedral, which has become the burial vault of the famous Russian admirals - Lazarev, Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin. Another significant place located in the historical center of Sevastopol is the Aquarium Museum - the first in Russia and one of the oldest public marine aquariums in the world, founded in 1897 at the initiative of N.N. Miklouho-Maclay. Sevastopol squares and boulevards are beautiful, the appearance of which is made up of interesting historical and architectural objects. The city has an art museum, four professional theaters, two of which have academic status.

Unique monuments located in the suburbs of Sevastopol tell about the ancient history of the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula: the ancient settlement of Chersonesos, the Genoese fortress Chembalo in Balaklava, the ancient Klimentovsky cave monastery in Inkerman. The unusually beautiful nature is not just a background for them, but an independent peculiar attraction. The numerous picturesque bays of the city are especially attractive.

Sevastopol, surrounded on three sides by the sea, is not inferior to other Crimean resorts in terms of beach recreation, striking not only by the number, but also by the variety of beaches - from wild rocky to comfortable golden-sandy ones.

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Ancient, 1, Sevastopol

In ancient times, the central part of the Crimean peninsula was occupied by the fortress city of Naples-Scythian - the capital of the Scythian kingdom. Now the capital of the Republic of Crimea is located here - the glorious city of Simferopol. It has no outlet to the sea. The Salgir River, the longest river in Crimea, flows here.

Being the main transport hub of the peninsula, the city justifies its name, which is translated from ancient Greek as "city of benefits", "city-gathering". However, Simferopol gathers not only casual guests who perceive the city as an intermediate point on the way to the Black Sea coast, but also connoisseurs of history. Indeed, whole eras have been imprinted in the appearance of the city. The memory of the late Scythian state is kept by the Scythian settlement of Naples, located on the Petrovsky rocks. A peculiar symbol of the Crimean Tatar city of Akmesjit, the predecessor of Simferopol, is the Kebir-Jami mosque, the oldest building in the city, known since the beginning of the 16th century. And, finally, the beginning of the Russian period in the life of the Crimean city is marked by the Orthodox churches of the late 18th - 19th centuries. Almost the same age as Simferopol is the Church of Constantine-Eleninskaya - the first Christian church in the city. Ancient cathedrals - Peter and Paul Cathedral, Holy Trinity Cathedral - admire their grandeur. An interesting cult building of the Karaites - Kenassa, erected at the end of the 19th century. During the Great Patriotic War, Simferopol took on a powerful enemy blow, having survived the German occupation. The feat of the defenders of the city was immortalized by the monuments placed in its parks and squares.

The most complete picture of the nature, history and culture of not only Simferopol, but the entire Republic of Crimea is given by the main museums of the city - the Central Museum of Taurida, the Crimean Ethnographic Museum and the Simferopol Art Museum. The city has the oldest theater of the Crimea - the Russian Drama Theater named after M. Gorky, as well as the Musical Theater of the Republic of Crimea, the Puppet Theater and the world's only theater of the Crimean Tatars.

Simferopol is famous for its unique green areas. Old parks founded in the 18th-19th centuries cannot be ignored. A special place among them is occupied by the Botanical Garden of the Tavrichesky National University (Salgirka Park or Vorontsov Park) - one of the largest and most beautiful parks in Simferopol. Young squares of the city are picturesque and cozy.

The easternmost and most ancient city of Crimea is the city of Kerch, whose age has exceeded a colossal figure - twenty-six centuries! One of the hills of the city - Mount Mithridates - is its historical and geographical center, a place where at the end of the 7th century BC. NS. the future Kerch was born, and then - the ancient Greek polis Panticapaeum, which became in 479 BC. the capital of the Bosporus kingdom. The ruins of its Acropolis are now a unique monument of the Antiquity and one of the main attractions of Kerch.

In addition to Panticapaeum, on the territory of Kerch there are other ancient settlements - Nympheus, Tiritaka, Mirmekiy. Many artifacts found during the excavation of the fortified settlements are presented in the famous Kerch Museum of Antiquities. Monuments of funerary architecture of the 4th century have also survived to our time. BC. - Tsarsky and Melek-Chesmensky burial mounds.

Until 1774, that is, before the annexation of Kerch to Russia, the city was part of many states: the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the Genoese Republic, the Ottoman Empire. The Church of St. John the Baptist, the oldest Orthodox church on the Crimean peninsula, has become a witness of many historical events, the time of construction of which dates back to the period between the 8th and 9th centuries.

Kerch bears the honorary title of Hero City. During the Great Patriotic War, the front line passed through Kerch four times, in 1941-1944 the most severe occupation regime was established here. Soon after the liberation of the city, on the top of Mount Mithridates, a memorial complex was created - the Obelisk of Glory to the Immortal Heroes and the Eternal Flame.

423 steps of the Great Mithridatskaya Staircase, which is an outstanding architectural monument of the first half of the 19th century, lead to the top of the mountain. A magnificent panorama of the city and the Kerch Strait opens from the upper observation deck of the stairs.

Evpatoria, stretching along the Kalamitsky Bay off the western coast of the Crimean Peninsula, is known primarily as a resort town. Every summer season, the number of tourists on vacation is several times higher than its population. The huge popularity of the small town is undoubtedly due to the presence of beautiful beaches with golden sand and shallow seabed, a favorable climate (at the height of summer, the air temperature is usually kept at + 26-28 ° C). However, limiting ourselves to coastal areas, it is impossible to form a complete picture of the city, whose history goes back centuries.

On the site of Evpatoria from the V century. BC NS. to the end of the II century. n. NS. there was one of the ancient Greek colonies - Kerkinitida. The ancient settlement of the polis is a valuable archaeological complex, and the ruins of the city wall of Kerkinitida today are one of the main historical relics of Evpatoria. The Greek settlement was destroyed by the Scythians. The city here again emerged during the time of the Crimean Khanate. It was called Kezlev (Tur. Gozlev). The sonorous name Evpatoria, which is translated from Greek as "Noble", the city received after the Crimea became part of the Russian Empire.

A typical eastern city of the Middle Ages is the eastern part of modern Evpatoria, the so-called Old City. The area is distinguished by narrow, crooked streets and ancient buildings. The age of some buildings of the historical part is more than 500 years, among them is the Khan-Jami cathedral mosque, founded in 1552.

A unique historical, architectural and religious monument in Yevpatoria - Tekie Dervishes - the only Muslim monastery in Crimea, founded at the end of the 15th - 16th centuries. Of no less interest is the complex of religious buildings of the early 19th century - the Keraim kenassas. Outstanding monuments of Russian temple architecture are pre-revolutionary Orthodox churches - St. Nicholas Cathedral, the Temple of St. Elijah.

The resort history of the city began at the end of the 19th century, when the first mud baths were built, where the healing mud of Lake Moinaki was used. Subsequently, the healing properties of mud and waters of other lakes in Evpatoria were discovered. There are several mineral springs on the territory of the resort, which, together with numerous other natural factors, makes the rest in Evpatoria incredibly useful.

On the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula, a magnificent pearl shines - the beauty of Yalta. This is one of the sunniest resorts in Crimea, a city with luxurious nature and rich cultural heritage. It is interesting that Yalta acquired the status of a city and the glory of a fashionable resort only in the 19th century, although its history began much earlier ...

Once on the site of the future city, on the picturesque coast of the Black Sea, there was a small village of Yialos (from the Greek - "coast"), founded in the 6th-5th centuries BC. Greek sailors. Like other cities of Crimea, the settlement passed from hand to hand more than once: from the Tauride Greeks to the Venetians, then to the Genoese, Byzantines; later it entered the possession of the principality of Theodoro, the Ottoman Empire, and, finally, Russia. Cardinal changes took place in the middle of the 19th century, when the highest state officials drew attention to a small town, in the recent past - a fishing village. In the 1860s, the nearest Yalta suburb - Livadia - became the summer residence of the royal family. And by the end of the 19th century, Yalta was turning into a prestigious vacation spot for the Russian aristocracy. It was to this time that the creation of fabulous palaces (Livadia, Massandrovsky, Vorontsov), noble estates and mansions, organically inscribed in the mountain landscape, belong. In pre-revolutionary times, Yalta also attracted distinguished foreign guests. For example, the German oil industrialist Baron P. Steingel, who loved to relax in the Crimea, in 1912 built a Gothic castle on the edge of the Aurora Rock - the famous Swallow's Nest.

Without belittling the value and beauty of the palace and park ensembles, we will give the priority in the ranking of the region's attractions to the Yalta nature. Imprisoned in the stone embrace of the Crimean mountains, Yalta is open only to the sea and the sun. The terrain is extremely varied. There are mountain ranges, one of which includes the famous Ai-Petri peak; hills covered with dense pine and beech forests; deep gorges with waterfalls; mountain river valleys, on one of which the largest waterfall in Crimea is formed - the Uchan-Su waterfall, 98 meters high. Yalta, immersed in greenery, boasts an abundance of exotic plants: palms, cypresses, magnolias, wisterias grow here ...

One of the most beautiful places in the city and the most visited street in Crimea is Yalta Embankment. Today it is a developed resort area with numerous restaurants, cafes and attractions. On the embankment there is the president-hotel "Tavrida", previously the hotel of the same name, where Rimsky-Korsakov, Nekrasov, Chekhov, Bunin, Mayakovsky, Stanislavsky, Chaliapin stayed at different times. Not far from the hotel building there is an entrance to the cable car "Yalta-Gorka", which makes it possible to enjoy the views of the city from a bird's eye view.

Outstanding figures of art and literature lived in Feodosia at different times - the world famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky, whose name is today the Feodosia Picture Gallery; an outstanding writer, the brightest representative of neo-romanticism A. Green, to whom the literary-memorial museum in Feodosia is dedicated. The Feodosia Museum of Local Lore, which is the oldest provincial museum institution in Russia, tells about the history, culture, natural wealth of the southeastern Crimea.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city survived the German occupation. Fierce battles were fought here, leading to significant destruction. For courage, endurance and mass heroism, Feodosia was awarded the honorary title - City of Military Glory.

The fortress city of Aluston has been known since the 6th century. The fortification, built by order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, retained the role of an important coastal defensive point for all states that owned it in the Middle Ages: the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the principality of Theodoro. The fortress lost its strategic importance after the conquest of Crimea by the Turks. The ruins of an ancient structure that have survived to this day are one of the main attractions of the peninsula.

Like Yalta, by the end of the 19th century, Alushta turned from a quiet seaside village into a popular resort. Among the curious pre-revolutionary buildings - the mansion of General Golubov, known as the dacha "Golubka"; the mansion of the merchant N.D. Stakheeva, Palace of Princess Gagarina. In 1941-1944. the city was under German occupation. A number of monuments of Alushta are dedicated to military-historical events.

Soon after the end of the war, in the middle of the last century, a real tourist boom began in Alushta, when dozens of sanatoriums and boarding houses were opened here. Today the city still attracts tourists. On its territory there are a large number of beaches, attractions, there is an aquarium with a large collection of freshwater and marine fish, a dolphinarium, and interesting museums.

Alushta, located in a vast valley on the southern coast of Crimea, is surrounded by the Crimean Mountains like an amphitheater. From the west, the high massif Babugan-Yayla rises above the city, in the north-west - Mount Chatyr-Dag, in the north - Demerdzhi. The mountain slopes are covered with dense beech and pine forests. In the picturesque surroundings of Alushta, the shooting of the famous Soviet films "Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Hearts of Three", "Ships Storm Bastions" and others took place.

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