Crimea is a real Mecca for tourists. And it is not only the picturesque nature, the sea and the rocky mountains that attracts them here. A huge number of historical and cultural attractions are concentrated on the peninsula. Crimean monuments are cave monasteries, ancient cities, magnificent palaces and military monuments. Thousands of travelers from different countries and continents visit them annually.
We will tell you about the most interesting architectural, cultural and historical monuments of Crimea in our article.
Crimea and its treasures
Crimean land is unique in many aspects. Geographically, this is a peninsula (almost an island), connected to the mainland of Europe only by a narrow isthmus. It is washed by the waters of two seas - the Black and Azov. In the northern and central part of the peninsula, steppes and semi-deserts dominate, and in the southern part the Crimean mountains rise steeply to break off to the sea with a grandiose rocky ledge.
Historically, Crimea is a conglomerate of many cultures and ethnic groups. Representatives of various nationalities live within it: Russians, Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Greeks, Moldavians, Bulgarians, Gypsies, Jews, Turks and many others. Each of these ethnic groups brought their architectural and cultural traditions to the peninsula. Their numerous traces can be seen today in ancient Crimean buildings, and in the life of modern Crimeans.
Crimea is a real treasure chest. The entire territory of the peninsula is densely covered with these "treasures" - historical, cultural and architectural monuments. Crimea also presented the world with a special painting school - Cimmerian. Representatives of this school were such talented artists as Ivan Aivazovsky, Adolf Fessler and Maximilian Voloshin.
Top 20 historical and cultural monuments of Crimea
In Crimea there is absolutely everything a tourist needs: the sea, an ideal climate, mountains, forests, parks with exotic plants and, of course, a lot of historical and cultural sites. These are palace and park ensembles, medieval fortresses, the remains of ancient cities, ruins of ancient buildings, cave monasteries, barrows, mysterious hillforts and much, much more.
Below we will list those monuments of Crimea that are of the greatest value and are most popular among tourists. So these objects are:
- Vorontsov Palace.
- "Tauric Chersonesos".
- Panorama "Defense of Sevastopol."
- Monument to the scuttled ships.
- Adzhimushkaysky quarries.
- Royal Mound in Kerch.
- Livadia Palace.
- Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai.
- Aivazovsky Picture Gallery.
- Sudak fortress.
- Kafa Fortress.
- Fortress Eni-Kale.
- Castle "Swallow's Nest".
- Ancient settlement of Kerkinitida.
- Cave city of Chufut-Kale.
- Naples Scythian.
- Massandra Palace.
- Surb Khach Monastery.
- St. Vladimir Cathedral in Sevastopol.
- Victory Monument (Sevastopol).
Some of the listed monuments of Crimea will be described in more detail later in the article. Among them - one historical, one architectural, one military and one monument of art.
Vorontsov Palace and Park Ensemble
This outstanding monument of architectural and park art is located in Alupka on the Black Sea. It was created in the middle of the XIX century for Count M.S. Vorontsova with the participation of the best European architects and gardeners.
The palace itself is unique in its own way: its northern facade is made in the style of English Gothic, and the southern one is already decorated in the Moorish style. An unimaginable combination! The hallmark of this ensemble is the southern front staircase, decorated with three pairs of white marble lions.
An integral part of the Vorontsov architectural ensemble in Alupka is a park with an area of 40 hectares. It contains a stunning botanical collection of exotic plants brought here from Asia, America and southern Europe.
"Tauric Chersonesos"
The Tauric Chersonesos Nature Reserve was created to preserve the unique antique landscape on the southwestern coast of Crimea. In the fifth century BC, the ancient Greeks founded the Chersonese polis near the modern city of Sevastopol. Due to its favorable geographical position, it quickly turned into a powerful and prosperous city. In 2013, the ruins of Khersones received the status of a UNESCO monument.
The main square of the ancient city, the ancient theater (the only one in the CIS), the foundation of the medieval basilica, the defensive tower of Zeno have survived to this day.
Aivazovsky Picture Gallery
Art Gallery named after I.K. Aivazovsky is located in Feodosia. This is one of the most important art monuments of Crimea. The gallery presents paintings by different artists, which are united by one theme - marine. It collected about 12 thousand paintings. 417 paintings belong to the brush of the famous marine painter I.K. Aivazovsky.
Ivan Aivazovsky is a Russian artist of Armenian origin. An outstanding painter and marine painter, whose paintings were admired all over the world. Born and raised in Feodosia, during his long and fruitful life he created over five thousand paintings. The main theme of most of his paintings is the sea.
Monument to the Scuttled Ships
Crimea has always been a tidbit for many empires and states. Therefore, almost the entire history of the peninsula is an endless chain of armed conflicts and wars. In the middle of the XIX century, another war broke out in the Crimea. The monument, erected in Sevastopol in 1905, is the most famous object dedicated to the events of those distant years.
The monument to the sunken ships was erected in memory of those ships that had to be sunk in order to protect the city of Sevastopol from enemy naval attacks. This happened in 1855 during the so-called First Defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. A seven-meter column, crowned with a bronze eagle with a bowed head and wings spread, rises directly into the sea. The position of the eagle fully conveys the tragedy and hopelessness of this historical event.
The total height of the monument (together with the pedestal) is 16 meters. The name of the author of this monument became known only in 1949. It turned out to be an outstanding Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson.