Crimea is famous for its natural beauty, warm climate and sea beaches. This is an amazing place where you can not only improve your health, but also have a great time. One of the decorations of the peninsula is the Gurzuf Park, which is located near the resort village of Gurzuf.
Location
The park covers an area of 12 hectares. This corner of nature is located on the Black Sea coast, near the mouth of Avunda. The mountain river divided the magnificent park into two unequal parts. The northeast is small, but in its beauty and decoration it occupies a leading position. On its territory are located the main architectural structures and sanatoriums "Pushkino" and "Gurzufsky". In a large part of the park, a summer stage and a cinema are installed, there are a huge number of playgrounds for children and physical education.
Park vegetation
Gurzufsky park is a cultural and historical heritage of Crimea. It contains more than 100 species of shrubs and trees. The main vegetation of the park is conifers inherent in the subtropical climate, and valuable deciduous trees. The most unique species are:
- giant sequoias ;
- large-flowered magnolias;
- yucca tree
- evergreen cypress;
- several types of cedars: Lebanese, Atlas, Himalayan;
- fragrant osmanthus;
- a plant of the cornel family - aucuba;
- Crimean cistus;
- blunt pistachio;
- strawberry tree or arbutus.
Due to the huge variety of rocks, it was possible to create unrivaled corners of nature with a highly artistic design. Plant compositions in most cases are plantings of homogeneous groups of deciduous and coniferous trees. They alternate with flower meadows and lawns of lush green grass.
Olive grove is the highlight of the park. It is located near the sea coast. Trees are of considerable age, but, despite this, they still bear fruit.
Park history
Discover the history of the open-air museum and enjoy the beauty of these places will help the tour.
Gurzuf Park was created by the great-great-grandson of Cardinal Richelieu - Arman. In 1808, he acquired a plot of land with an area of approximately 40 hectares. During this period, the Duke of Richelieu Arman occupies the post of mayor of Odessa (1803-1814), being in the rank of Governor General of New Russia. Having visited the South Coast and seeing the picturesque area near the bay, he falls in love with these lands. The Duke is building a two-story house, around which the beautiful Gurzuf Park is laid out.
Distinguished guests
Beautiful architectural buildings with open spacious terraces, as well as magnificent landscapes of the surrounding places created a cozy atmosphere for a good rest and unity with nature. The owner of the estate rarely visited the Crimean residence, so the building was leased from time to time.
Many wanted to relax in such a picturesque corner, so they moved into the house along with all their belongings, servants and guests. The Raevsky family settled here in 1820. A.S. Pushkin came to the estate at the invitation of them. Being in exile, he spends a lot of time on the Crimean peninsula, working on his work “The Prisoner of the Caucasus”. It is in these places that the idea arises to write the now famous novel “Eugene Onegin” and the poem “Bakhchisarai Fountain”.
Nowadays, the museum of A.S. Pushkin is located in the house of the Duke of Richelieu.
Small architectural buildings
In addition to the picturesque nature, Gurzuf Park is decorated with small architectural forms: fountains and sculptural compositions. One of the most popular statues is the baroque fountain, called the sculpture group Goddess of the Night. There is an opinion that this composition is an exact copy of the work of the German sculptor Berger, which was presented at the Vienna International Exhibition of Fountains. Elements of antiquity are embodied in the sculpture. Nyukta - that is the name of the goddess of the night, appears as a naked girl holding a torch over her head. Following her is Hypnos (the patron of sleep) and the ancient Greek Eros (god of love).
In the central part of the composition is a ball, which is surrounded by zodiac signs, which is a symbol of the universe. At the bottom of the sculptural group are the caryatids and atlantes, which support the ball with their shoulders. In one hand they hold a fish, from the mouth of which there is a fountain symbolizing silence.
Another notable sculpture is the sculpture of the "Bathers". It is believed that the image of a naked girl was borrowed from the great Rembrandt (the picture "Susanna, caught by an old man").
The Rachel Fountain was created for biblical reasons. The sculpture is depicted as a woman holding a jug over her head.
If you like a cultural holiday, you should definitely visit the Gurzuf Park.
How to get to Gurzuf?
Just a walk in the park does not work. Free access is available only to people resting in a sanatorium located on its territory. For other visitors, excursions are organized, which are held at 11-00 and at 17-00 every day, seven days a week.
If you come to Yalta, then getting to Gurzuf is quite simple, as the village is located on the outskirts of the resort town.
Gurzuf Park will give a lot of impressions and good mood. The address of the monument of landscape gardening art: Leningradskaya street, 10.