Pushkin and Mickiewicz, Akhmatova and Kuprin, and many other great authors wrote about this city. All of them were struck by the local beauties and amazing nature. Today lovers of the most sophisticated and unusual holidays come here. To relax on the beach, you have to sail to it on a skiff or boat. This will allow you to get an unforgettable experience from the Balaklava Bay, from the shore protected by mountains.
The city of Balaklava, whose sights are well known to many residents of the former Soviet Union, is located in the southwest of the Crimea peninsula. This is a settlement that is part of Sevastopol, although it is separated from it by a rather large territory. The name of the city is translated from Turkish as “fish tank”.
This amazing city has a huge number of monuments of nature, history, architecture. Today we will introduce you to some of them. So, Balaklava (Crimea), the sights by name.
Chembalo Fortress
It must be said that many come to Sevastopol. Balaclava, whose attractions are described in all brochures of travel agencies, is certainly included in the excursion routes. Most often, acquaintance with memorable places begins with the fortress of Cembalo.
This fortification appeared on Mount Kastron, above the entrance to Balaklava Bay, in the 14th century. It was built by the Genoeses who settled in these places. On the mountain was the administrative part of the fortress - the City of St. Nicholas, below was the City of St. George, which was surrounded by three lines of walls. Simple townspeople lived in it. In 1475, it was captured by the Turks, who renamed it Balak-Juve.
They owned Balaclava for three centuries, until Russia conquered the peninsula. During the Crimean War, there was a British garrison. Today, only ruins have survived from the Chembalo fortress, nevertheless, the silhouette of its towers on the Fortress Mount is the hallmark of Balaclava. It is planned to create a museum here, restoration work is underway.
Barrel of death
Sights of Balaklava, photos with the description of which can be seen in city guides, reflect the history of this amazing place.
The long-term coastal fortification, bearing such an eerie name, is located on Mount Asceti, in the suburbs of Balaklava. An unusual element of this structure is an observation post made of thick sheet armor in the form of a barrel.
The first earthen fortifications in these places were erected by the allies of the Crimean War and were somewhat rebuilt during the First World War. In this form, Fort Balaclava, which can be seen at present, appeared in the 1920s, the two observation posts built at the same time also belong to this time.
The “barrel” has a diameter of 1.8 m and a height of 2 m. It is perfectly preserved and hangs on a rock above a huge precipice (360 m). Slots were made in its floor and walls for firing and viewing the territory. For a long time, the inhabitants of Balaklava told a legend about how the Nazis shot captured Soviet soldiers in this “barrel” and dumped their bodies into the sea. From here this terrible name appeared - the Barrel of death. True, no documentary evidence of this version has been preserved. Now it is a wonderful viewing platform. It offers stunning views of the picturesque cape Ayia, on the Ayazma tract, as well as the entrance to the famous Balaklava Bay.
Cape aya
It is located on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula. This is a sheer spur of the Main ridge of the Crimean mountains with the highest point - Mount Kokiya-Kala (558 m). Today it is the state landscape reserve "Cape Ayia", which is owned by Balaklava (Crimea). The sights of the cape are the Batiliman tract, the vast groves of Pitsunda pine, Stankevich pine and juniper high, as well as the aquatic coastal complex, which is located near Cape Ayia. At its foot there are numerous grottoes and an excellent beach with the romantic name "The Lost World". You can get to it from Balaclava only by sea.
Balaclava: Underwater Museum
Thousands of tourists from our country and from abroad come to see this complex. "Balaclava" is a museum created in 2002 on the basis of an underground submarine service and repair plant.
Balaklava Bay became the base for the Black Sea Fleet even before the Second World War. Then there was the 155th brigade of underwater submarines. In the 1950s, the construction of a secret underground facility began. The complex covers an area of 10 square meters. km It was cut in a mountain that rises 120 meters above sea level. It included the repair part and the nuclear arsenal. A canal eight meters deep, which runs through the entire mountain, allowed to place seven boats of the 613th and 633rd classes.
At the end of the 20th century, in connection with the rearmament of the fleet, the plant lost its relevance as a military facility. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all valuable equipment was removed from its territory.
Today it is one of the most visited attractions that Balaclava has. The museum was created on the basis of well-preserved underground structures. There are exhibits telling about the history of the Navy, about the submarine forces of the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR, about the political military aspects of the Cold War.
Today, visitors can explore the underground canal, the workshops of the former plant and the arsenal, where nuclear warheads and torpedoes were stored at one time. Here are samples of models of warships, weapons and equipment.
A large-scale exhibition of exhibits relating to the period of the Crimean War is currently working in one of the adits. It includes: military ammunition, awards, uniforms, samples of firearms and cold steel, personal belongings and letters of officers and soldiers of the warring parties, dishes and household items.
Fort North Balaclava
Its construction lasted three years (1912-1915). It is located at an altitude of 212 meters, on Mount Kefalo Vrisi. The fort consists of a system and partially concrete ditches carved into the rock. Their depth is three meters and a length of two kilometers.
The western and eastern ditches are connected by a concrete adit. Its length is 124 meters, its width is just over 2.5 meters, its height is 3.5 meters. The ditches are covered with concrete, one meter thick. There were 240 beds in the adit. Ventilation holes in the walls were arranged every 7 meters, and shafts with stairs leading to the surface were located every 30 meters.
The adit from the west adjoins the KP, which has an overlap of 2.2 m and side walls 1.5 m high. It was planned to install 75-mm guns here, but the guns were not installed in connection with the October Revolution. Later, this facility was used as a warehouse for storing explosives and ammunition.
Temple of the Twelve Apostles
Not only monuments related to the history of the Black Sea Fleet, Balaclava (Crimea) is famous. Sights, photos of which you see in our article, have historical, cultural and architectural significance.
The first temple in the city was built by the Genoese in 1375 on the very spot where the Temple of the Twelve Apostles is today . It was erected in the XVIII century on the foundation of the previous temple. During the Crimean War, it was damaged and consecrated again in 1875. Here, the priceless relics of the Greek battalion of Balaklava were carefully preserved. In Soviet times, the temple was closed; in its premises, the House of Pioneers was first organized, and later the club. In 1990, the building was returned to the church.
Monument to Kuprin
Balaclava, whose sights are dedicated to famous people, is famous for the monument to the Russian writer A. Kuprin, which was installed on the city's embankment in 2009.
A. Kuprin from 1904 to 1906 lived in Balaclava. At this time, he wrote the first chapters of the "Duel", the famous essay "In memory of Chekhov." In November 1905, he witnessed the events in the Black Sea Fleet and the reprisals on the cruiser Ochakov. After the publication of the article “Events in Sevastopol” in the newspaper “Our Life” in St. Petersburg (1906), Kuprin was forced to leave the city by order of the police, however, the theme of Sevastopol and Balaklava continued to be heard in such stories as “The Dream”, “Listrigons” , "Caterpillar", "Svetlina."
The monument is created in full size. Its author is S. Chizh. Sculptors - K. Tsikhiev, V. Gordeev. Architect - G. Grigoryants.
19th battery Drapushko
This building, known as Captain Drapushko’s battery, was built for twelve years (1912-1924). It is located on the top of the mountain, at Cape Curon. After construction, it was armed with four guns with a caliber of 152 mm, which could hit battleships and cruisers at a distance of up to 20 km. Each gun was assigned a calculation, consisting of 12 people. Shells weighing 52 kg were fed manually.
In November 1941, this battery under the command of Captain M. Drapushka accepted a battle with fascist units. During the assault on Sevastopol, the 19th battery was badly damaged. Immediately after the war, it was restored and continued to serve. In 2002, it was written off and liquidated.
This is a unique city of Balaclava. Sights (photos are presented in our material) are carefully guarded and very reverent, as many of them tell about the heroic past of Russian sailors.
Chelter Marmara Monastery
This amazing cave monastery stretches along the cornice of Mount Chelter Kai over Ternovka. It consists of more than 50 caves, which are located in five tiers: refectory and cells, a gallery with five columns, utility rooms, as well as a Christian church. The complex is surrounded on all sides by impregnable cliffs and rocks. This monastery was operating from the XIII to the end of the XV century, although some researchers attribute its creation to the VI-IX centuries. The epithet "Marmara" (which means Marble) appeared from the medieval village of the same name. Its ruins can still be seen on the slopes of the mountain.
We talked about the wonderful Crimean city of Balaklava. Its sights deserve careful study. Only some monuments are considered in the article. It is worth to come to this picturesque place and see all its sights with your own eyes.