For two centuries, the southern coast of Crimea has been considered one of the most luxurious resorts on the entire Black Sea coast. It is no coincidence that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries these places were chosen for the construction of a summer residence for Russian emperors. The famous Livadia Palace in Crimea is a masterpiece of Russian architecture and the main attraction of the southern coast of Crimea. It is located three kilometers from the resort town of Yalta. Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world come here not only to relax on the gorgeous beaches of the peninsula, but also to visit its unique attractions, the main of which is the magnificent Livadia Palace. In Crimea, of course, there are other historical monuments that are of interest to guests of the peninsula, however, this imperial residence is the most visited, and the flow of tourists who want to visit here never runs out.
History of Livadia
Once the area on which the majestic Livadia Palace now towers (the photo can be seen in the article) was called Panas Chair, which is translated from the Tatar "sacred meadow". After the Crimean peninsula passed to Russia as a result of the Russian-Turkish war, its southern coast was liberated from local residents and transferred to ordinary members of the legendary Greek battalion. Colonel of the Russian army Lambro Kachoni (Greek by birth), the national hero of Greece, liked these lands so much that he bought from his compatriots the plots they got. Having settled in the Crimea, he named this area in honor of his hometown - Livadia. Later this estate passed into the hands of another Greek officer, F. Reveliottis, and he, in turn, sold it to the Polish aristocrat Count Leo Potocki.
Livadia estate becomes the residence of Russian tsars
In the 60s of the 19th century, the Russian nobility chose the peninsula. Summer residences for Russian aristocratic families began to be built here. In 1862, Count Potocki received an offer to sell his estate to the Russian imperial family and, of course, agreed. For four years, on the estate under the leadership of the Italian architect Monighetti, the main and small (in the Oriental style) royal palaces, separate houses for the imperial retinue and servants, two churches were built, a water supply system was established, etc. In subsequent years, the estate’s infrastructure developed with incredible speed: a school and a hospital were opened, a dairy farm and greenhouses were created, various fruit trees were planted, extensive vegetable gardens were set up, etc.
During the reign of Alexander the Third, unauthorized persons were banned from entering Livadia, and free passage between Yalta and Sevastopol was also closed. In 1911, under Nicholas II, the construction of the Grand Palace began here, and the entire technical part of the estate was reconstructed in a modern way, and a power station was built.
Yalta, Livadia Palace (Soviet period)
At the end of January 1918, Soviet power was established in Crimea, however, after 4 months, German units occupied Livadia. As a result, the palace was looted and damaged. In November of that year, the Germans were expelled by the Entente forces and the White Guards. Exactly 2 years later the power of the Soviets was finally established on the peninsula , the palace and the estate were nationalized, and the Livadia state farm appeared on its territory. Soon, a peasant sanatorium with 300 beds was built here.
Livadia during the Second World War
During the Second World War, Livadia was again occupied by German troops. The sanatorium was completely destroyed, the Small Palace was also badly damaged, but the Bolshoi remained almost untouched, and in February 1945, a meeting of the heads of three great powers took place here: the USSR, Great Britain and the USA.
After the war ended, it took 10 years to restore the Palace and its environs, after which the Livadia Palace in Crimea became open for excursions. Since then, this estate has become the main attraction of the entire southern coast of Crimea.
Location
Naturally, the first thing that interests tourists who want to visit the Livadia Palace is how to get there. Well, firstly, to get to Livadia, you need to go to the Crimean peninsula. This can be done by air, sea or road. By the way, the only airport on the Crimean peninsula is located in the city of Simferopol. From there, the resort of Yalta can be reached by taxi or bus. Here you can stay either in a pre-booked hotel, or rent a house in the private sector, relax from the road, well, and then go on an excursion to the Livadia Palace, whose address is: Livadia village, st. Baturin, 44-a. You can get there from Yalta by a pleasure boat or by bus.
We would advise you to choose the sea route. It will be faster and more interesting. The Livadia Palace on the map can be found in the immediate vicinity of Yalta, and its coordinates for GPS: N 44 28.087, E 34 8.598.
Excursion program
In the early 90s of the last century, the Livadia Palace in Crimea received the status of a historical and art museum. However, in addition to the excursion zone, there is a sanatorium for cardiac patients on the territory of the palace, as well as a wonderful botanical garden - a beautiful place for walking along the coast. Tourists seeking to visit the palace are primarily attracted by the opportunity to get acquainted with the living conditions of the royal family (the exposition "Romanovs and Livadia"), as well as visit the oval office where the outcome of World War II was decided in 1945. By the way, meetings and summits are held at the highest level in the White Hall of the palace.
general description
The magnificent Grand Palace is built in a classic Italian style, and its heart is the Italian courtyard with chic pink bushes and evergreen tropical plants planted on it. In addition to this magnificent snow-white building, the Palace and Park Ensemble includes the Page Corps, the Palace of Baron Fredericks, the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, several picturesque arbors, a rotunda, fountains, etc.
Description of the interior
Each hall, any of the rooms, all the numerous walkways and exits - everything is decorated with amazingly great taste. Despite all the luxury, the wealth of interior decoration and furniture, nothing looks elaborate here. In the palace you can find a mixture of different styles - from ancient to modern, inherent in the era of the reign of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II. So, for example, one of the main rooms of the palace is a chic dining room, decorated in the ancient Roman style, with stucco walls and ceilings, and next to it there is a strictly furnished English billiard room or the imperial cabinet “a la jacob”.
The palace has a total of 116 separate furnished rooms, many terraces, balconies, towers, galleries with numerous columns, etc. In addition to the courtyard, there are three more courtyards in Arabic and Italian style. The palace is also decorated with numerous sculptures, paintings and other cute and expensive trinkets, which gives the interior a special royal chic.
The summer imperial residence was so convenient and comfortable in its structure that the royal family often did not want to leave here. Plus, the fresh sea air was perfect for the empress, who suffered from lung disease.
Conclusion
It is simply impossible to visit the Crimean peninsula and not visit the Livadia Palace. The palace and park ensemble is ready to receive visitors every day, seven days a week, from 10.00 to 19.00.