The term “spit” in geography means a sand peninsula washed by sea currents or rivers . Moreover, it should be far reaching in the water area. In this sense, the Tuzla braid is fully consistent with the definition. In fact, this is a sandy continuation of the Taman Peninsula, separating the Black Sea from the Taman Gulf. Tuzla is a very significant place for Russian patriots: in 1792, fighters of the Black Sea Cossack army landed on its shore. At the beginning of the twentieth century, more than a dozen Cossack farms were located on this spit. So why in 2005 Tuzla appeared in the television news as a "disputed territory"? And is it possible to relax there now?
It all began in 1925, when local fishermen who did not want to go around the tip of the spit in boats to get from one shore to another decided to dig a canal. But the winter storm, which occurred a few months later, turned the creation of people into a strait that expanded from year to year until it reached several
kilometers wide. This formed part of the land, washed from all sides by the sea, which is officially called the “island of Kosa Tuzla”. Why is that? The word "braid" indicates the reclaimed origin of a piece of land. By the way, in satellite images, the coastal shelf connecting the man-made island with the Taman Peninsula is perfectly visible. Administratively, this territory belonged entirely to the Russian Federation, and more precisely, to the Temryuk district of the Krasnodar Territory.
An interesting story happened in the early 40s. When the elections to local councils took place, the authorities of the Krasnodar Territory forgot to include the islanders on the voters list. The offended descendants of the Cossacks filed a complaint in which they petitioned for the subordination of their small but proud island to the city council of Kerch on the Crimean peninsula. Since the country of the Soviets was already ruled by the Kremlin, the central government did not see much difference: Tuzla residents did not ask for Turkey! And therefore, in January 1941, the corresponding Decree of the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the RSFSR was issued, according to which the island of Kosa Tuzla departed to the Crimean ASSR.
Even a schoolboy knows about further events. In 1954, Khrushchev transferred the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian SSR, and in 1991 Russia and Ukraine became independent powers. Thus, through the narrow canal, once dug by fishermen and expanded by storms, it was no longer the administrative border of the two union republics, but the state cordon. However, the Kremlin used the artificiality of creating the island for political attacks. So, after the Orange Revolution, he instructed to reunite the natural integrity of the braid. Trucks loaded with rubble headed towards its edge and increased the length by 4 kilometers. The political implications of this move were obvious. After all, the Tuzla spit still belongs to Russia. If the island reunites with the mainland, it will have to become Russian. The conflict, fortunately, broke out and died out at the stage of diplomatic negotiations. Everything returned to normal: the island is Ukrainian, the appendage protruding into the sea from the mainland is Russian. And now they are sunbathing, swimming, fishing in both territories ...
However, so far few people know how good rest is on the spit. Fishing (you want - in the estuary, you want - in the sea), a beach untouched by civilization ... Here is expanse for nudists. After almost a decade, the artificial embankment gradually became part of nature: overgrown with algae and shells. Birds nest off the coast, dolphins frolic. Lovers of wild and romantic life in tents come to Tuzla, although there is also enough private sector here. The only drawback is the strong currents, so do not swim for the buoys. Sandy and small shell beaches attract lovers to soak up under the gentle rays of the southern sun. Well, since this, albeit man-made, but still an island, the sunsets are amazing. The sea surface creates a special flicker that shrouds the island of Kos Tuzla. Photos of these paradise landscapes win hearts with their wild pristine beauty.