Simferopol'. The capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea,
its administrative, economic end cultural centre. The city received the present
name at the end of the 18th century. The history of the city goes back to the
remote ages. The site of the Palaeolithic times (50,000-40,000 years ago) was
found in its environs, in the Chokurcha Cave. In the 3rd с. ВС on the territory
of contemporary Simferopol' there was the city-fortress Scythian Neapolis, the
capital of the late Scythian state. Granaries, remains of fortification walls
and the mausoleum of the Scythian king Skiluros have survived to our time. In
the 16th - 18th cc. there existed the Tatar settlement of Ak-Mechet' where
forces were gathered for plundering raids on Ukraine and Russia.
In 1771, during the Russo-Turkish war, the army of General V. Dolgorukov took by
assault Perekop fortifications and burst into the Crimea. In commemoration of
these events in 1842 the Dolgorukov obelisk was erected, the first monument in
Sevastopol'.
The mosque Kebir-Djami (1508) is the oldest architectural monument of the city.
In the landscape pаrк Salghirka laid out in the early 19th century by an
outstanding scientist Academician P. Pallas stands Vorontsov's Palace (1826). It
is interesting to visit the premises of the former gubernian gymnasia for boys
where D. Mendeleev taught in his young years. Among the pupils of the gymnasia
were the outstanding physicist I. Kurchatov, composer A. Spendiarov, artist I.
Aivazovskyi.
In 1984, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Simferopol' a memorial
table was erected with the names of eminent persons who lived and worked in the
city.
Alupka. In the 14th с. the town belonged to the Genoese. On
their maps Alupka was marked as a small port for warships under the name Lupico.
In 1475 the Genoese colonies and the fortress fell under the blows of the Turks.
The revival of the city began in the 19th с. from the construction of the estate
of Princes Vorontsov – the outstanding monument of Romanticism culture of the
19th с. Concurrently with the manor the Alupka Park was laid out where now about
200 exotic kinds of trees and shrubs grow.
In 1921 a museum was opened in the palace based on artistic collections of
several estates on the Southern Coast of the Crimea. Now it numbers more than
20,000 exhibits. Alupka is a well-known climatic health resort on the Crimean
coast.
Alushta. One of the oldest cities of the Crimean coast with the
1,500-year history. The old fortress Aluston (6th - 15th cc.) has been preserved
on the territory of the contemporary city. Since the late 14th c. Aluston was
controlled by the Genoese, and in 1475 Alushta met the fate of other maritime
towns of the Crimea: it was seized by Turkish troops.
Now Alushta is a well-known resort, a significant centre of tourism and wine
growing on the Southern Coast of the Crimea.
Atlesh. The reserve on the seacoast formed of limestone rocks
with numerous caves, grottos, niches, stone arches, and conglomeration of
boulders.
Baidars'ki Vorota, pass. Baidars'ki Vorota (Gate) were built in
the form of the arch resembling an ancient portico in 1848, to mark the
completion of the construction of the road Sevastopol' - Yalta through the pass
(527-m). A wonderful panorama opens from the pass. The Resurrection Church
(1892) rises above a cliff. Of great interest for tourists are fresco paintings
on the rocks.
Bakhchysarai. The Khan's Palace - Khan-Sarai (16th – 18th cc.) –
is the most famous architectural monument of the town. It was not only a
magnificent administrative ensemble but also the residential complex of the
medieval feudal type comprising the great Khan-Djami Mosque and two fountains –
The Golden Fountain (1733) and The Fountain of Tears (1764).
Of no less interest for the tourists are also the large cemetery Azislar with
mausoleums of noble beys and their relatives (16th c.), the complex of the cave
Monastery of the Dormition (8th - 15th cc.), and the cave town of Chufut-Kale
(10th-14th cc.).
Balaklava. In the mid-14th c. Balaklava came under the authority
of the Genoese who built a fortress there and called it Cembalo. In 1475 the
Turks conquered it and gave it a new name – Balyk-Yuve, which turned into
Balaklava.
Feodosiia. Ancient Theodosia (Feodosia) existed till the 6th c.
At the end of the 13th c. the town of Kafa
was founded here, which with time became the largest city of the medieval Crimea.
In 1475 Kafa was seized by the Osmanlis. The city was renamed Kefe and became
the centre of the Crimean province of the Turkish Sultan. The Turks
reconstructed the city, adorning it with mosques and minarets. Only in 1787 Kefe
regained its ancient name of Feodosia.
The city is rich in monuments of history and culture. The most interesting among
them is the Genoese Fortress (14th - 18th cc.) which became a city emblem.
Towers of St. Constantine and Pope Clement IV have come down to our time, as
well as Armenian Churches of St. Gabriel and St. Michael (1408) and St. Sergius
(14th - 15th cc.), the Turkish Mosque Mufti-Djami (1623), Turkish and Armenian
fountains (16th c.), the fountain of I. Aivazovskyi (1888), the Presentation of
the Virgin Church (8th, 19th cc.), former villas Milos (1911) and Otrada (1914)
of manufacturer Stamboli.
The Aivazovskyi Picture Gallery, the pride of the townspeople, is the largest
collection of the canvases by the outstanding marine painter. It is interesting
to visit the literary-memorial museum of A. Grin who lived in the city for six
years and wrote here his best novels and stories.
At present Feodosia is not only the historico-cultural centre but a well-known
health resort.
Foros. At the place of the contemporary settlement a Greek
colony once existed, and later, in the Middle
Ages, the Genoese fortress of Fori (13th c.), of which remained a medieval
church and ruins of the defensive wall.
The Foros park (1834) is one of the finest on the Southern Coast of the Crimea.
In its middle, there is The Paradise while arranged on different levels pools
are connected by miniature waterfalls into a single cascade. In 1933-1936 Maxim
Gorky rested here in the villa Teseli. A small tower-beacon resembling a chess
castle stands on Cape Sarych, the southernmost point of Ukraine.
Hurzuf. Gurzuf was first mentioned as the fortress of Gorzuvit
(6th c.). In the 8th c. it was destroyed by the Khazars. To our days the
dilapidated wall on the Genoese rock survived, in whose eastern part a tunnel
was cut with the exit to the sea.
At the foot of the seaside rock the park spreads, the monument of landscape
gardening laid out in 1808. The park is decorated with fountains The Night and
Rachel.
Karadaz'kyi reserve. Organised in 1979, its area is 2,900 ha.
The reserve is a mountain massif of volcanic origin, consisting of lavas and
tufa. It has numerous species of flora and fauna and sea biota. Here works an
automatic station for the environment monitoring, the only one in Ukraine.
Kazantyps'kyi nature reserve. One of Ukraine's objects of nature
of unique biological and landscape diversity. Established in 1998, the Kazantyp
Nature Reserve occupies an area of 450 ha. Its territory is a
picturesque locality with exotic rocks and bays. There is an area of outstanding
natural beauty in the form of an atoll-like promontory whose central lower part
is encircled with a limestone ridge.
Kerch. In the 6th c. BC – 4th c. AD on Mithridates Mount, which
is situated in the territory of the contemporary town, stood the capital of the
Bosporos Kingdom, Pantikapaion. To see the ruins of the ancient Pantikapaion it
is necessary to climb the top of the mountain by the Great Mithridates Staircase
(1833-1840) which has more than 400 steps. Kerch burial mounds that resemble
Egyptian pyramids are an outstanding archaeological monument. The Church of St.
John the Forerunner (10th c.), a monument of early medieval Ukrainian
architecture, the Eni-Kale Fortress (1703), and the Adzhimushkai Quarry are also
of interest to the tourists.
Kryms'kyi reserve. Covers an area of 44,175 ha, has a branch The
Swans' Isles situated in the Karkinitis Bay. Received the status of the nature
reserve in 1991.
Here valuable species of animals – deer, roe, moufflon, and many others, as well
as unique beech, oak and pine forests are protected. The branch The Swans' Isles
is one of largest places of nesting and wintering for waterfowl in Ukraine.
On the basis of the Crimean Nature Reserve the Museum of Nature and the
dendrological park were organized where unique mountain-forest natural complexes
and rare species of plants and animals are represented. The reserve organises
excursions with the purpose of ecological education of the population, and they
include a visit to the Marble Cave.
Livadiia. In the late 10th c. in the territory of contemporary
Livadia there was the Greek settlement of Ai-Yan. In 1834 Livadia became the
property of Count Potocki for whom a house was built and a wonderful park laid
out which is now a monument of landscape gardening. In 1860 Livadia passed to
the royal family of the Romanovs. The house of Potocki was turned into the
palace. In 1910-1911 it was again rebuilt into the White Palace which became a
favourite residence of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.
In February 1945 the Livadia Palace became the venue of the historic Yalta
Conference. Now there functions the Livadia Palace-Museum.
Mys Martian reserve. Founded in 1973, it covers an area of 240
ha. The reserve was organised with the aim of protection and study of
Mediterranean relics and aquatic life of the Black Sea.
Oputs'kyi reserve. Created in 1998, its area, including the area
of the Black Sea water belonging to it, is 1,592.3 ha.
Original landscapes and natural conditions favoured the formation and preserving
of the unique flora and fauna, of natural complexes that have no analogues not
only in the Crimea but also in entire Ukraine. The reserve shelters 23 species
of flora and 32 species of fauna entered into The Red Book of Ukraine. Here is
the single in the Crimea place of nesting of rose-coloured starling.
Sevastopol'. The history of Sevastopol' like that of the Black
Sea Fleet is inseparably connected with the history of Russian and Ukrainian
peoples. During the Crimean War Sevastopol' got into the centre of military
actions. The heroic defence of the city, which lasted from September 13, 1854
till August 28, 1855, brought it world renown. The feat of the city defenders is
perpetuated in the panorama The Defence of Sevastopol' in 1854-1855. This severe
time is reminded by the common cemetery of the city defenders; St. Volodymyr's
Cathedral erected in commemoration of the city defence, which became the burial
vault for Russian naval commanders M. Lazarev, V. Kornilov and P. Nakhimov; the
memorial complex on the site of the legendary 4th bastion; the obelisk on the
site of the Yazon redoubt; the monument to the scuttled ships, etc.
The memory of the Great Patriotic War of 1941- 1945 is perpetuated in the
diorama The Storm of Sapun Hill on May 7,1944, the Malakhov Kurgan memorial
complex and numerous monuments of the city. The Chersonessos
Historico-Archaeological Museum-Preserve is a monument of world significance.
The preserve incorporates the Historico-Archaeological Museum and the site of
the ancient Greek city of Chersonessos. The museum has many unique exhibits,
including the marble plate with the text of the oath of Chersonessos citizens
(3rd c. BC), fragments of fresco paintings, and patterns of Greek mosaics. Of
special interest are the remains of the ancient city with its streets, squares
and individual structures. Near to the entrance stands the monument to the Great
Prince of Kyiv Volodymyr.
Sudak. The city was first mentioned in 212 under the name of
Sugdea. The Sudak Fortress is an archaeological monument that has two defence
tiers. The ancient city was situated between them. Seven towers guarded it and
each of them had its own name. Among the archaeological monuments of great
interest are the olden mosque and a small Armenian medieval church.
Yalta. Yalta is one of the most popular resorts not only in
Ukraine but in entire Europe. This largest resort centre on the Southern Coast
of the Crimea is a real open-air museum which attracts numerous tourists and
holiday-makers.
In the 1st-3rd cc. there existed the Greek colony of Jalita. Written sources
mention the city under the name of Djalita in the 12th c. In 1475 the city fell
under the rule of the Turkish sultan and in 1783 entered into the Russian Empire.
In the 19th c. Yalta became the famous aristocratic resort where numerous famous
persons of that time took their vacation and received medical treatment: Lesia
Ukrainka, M. Kotsiubyns'kyi, S. Rudans'kyi, A. Chekhov, V. Korolenko. A. Kuprin.
L. Tolstoy. I. Levitan. M. Schepkin. F. Chaliapin. Monuments, memorial plates
and museums commemorate their sojourn at the city.
The Church of St. John Chrysostom, built on Polikurovs'kyi Hill in 1832 – 1837,
is one of the oldest structures in he city. Among other architectural monuments
we should mention the Armenian Church of St. Ripseme and the house of the former
gymnasia for boys, built in the late 19th – early 20th c., the former palace of
the Bukhara Emir (1912) which now houses the Yalta Sanatorium, the Roman
Catholic Church of the Holy Virgin (1914). In the settlement of Massandra that
is adjacent to Yalta a well-known palace and park ensemble is situated. The
Glade of Tales, some kilometres off the city, is an open-air museum of folk
decorative art with sculptures of personages from folk tales and works by
Crimean sculptors and woodcarvers.
In Yalta outskirts there are many interesting sights of nature, including the
Uchan-Su waterfall and the Nikitskyi Botanical Garden. Uchan-Su, the highest (98
m) and most full-flowing waterfall in the Crimea, is especially magnificent in
spring and autumn, in the period of the greatest water flow. The Nikitskyi
Botanical Garden was laid out in 1812 by the outstanding Russian botanist Ch.
Steven. The collection of more than 15,000 species, kinds and forms of plants
brought from various corners of the world and acclimatised here occupies an area
of almost 1,000 ha. This garden has the largest collection of subtropical plants
in Ukraine.
Yaltyns'kyi mountain-forest reserve. Founded in 1973; its area
is 14,230 ha.
Impressive are the conglomerations of chimerical rock formations that appeared
because of earthquakes and landslides, among which rocks Tarak-Tash and
Stavri-Kaia are especially notable for their fantastic outlines. The natural
conditions of the reserve favour the protection and investigation of the natural
complexes, disappearing species of vegetable and animal kingdoms. In its
territory, there are numerous interesting objects of nature: the Uchan-Su
waterfall, Baidaro-Kastropol' wall, Kuchuk-Koi stone chaos, Nikita crevice,
rocks Iphigenia and Isar, Pendikul' area, and numerous caves.
Yevpatoriia. The history of the city runs to twenty-five
centuries. At the turn of the 5th c. BC the Greek city of Kerkinitis existed on
the site of the present-day Yevpatoria. In the 15th c. the Turks built there the
city-fortress and named it Guezlev, which became a centre of slave trade.
The remainders of the walls of Kerkinitis Fortress (6th c. BC - 4th c. AD) have
come down to out time, as well as the Greek-Scythian site Chaika (5th c. BC -
10th c. AD), the Djuma-Djami Mosque (16th c.), a Turkish bath (16th c.), and
Karaite kenassas (praying-houses, 18th с.).
Oblast farmsteads