About the city and region

The city of Yalta is located in the South-Eastern part of the Crimean peninsula. Being the most famous Crimean elite resort it attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The territory on which Yalta is situated was inhabited by the humans long ago. Today's Yalta developed on the place of the Tauri settlement, which was near the former village of Chehovo in I century A.D. Close to the town archaeologists found things referring to the Stone and Bronze Ages. In the old part of Yalta, on the slope of Polikurovsky Hill and in suburbs of the town there were found the "stone boxes" - burial grounds of the Tauri, ancient inhabitants of the southern coast. The Tauri has lived in the Crimean peninsula within the period from the X-IX centuries B.C. to the III century A.D. In the memories of the Greek authors this tribe has bad reputation of cruel pirates, who not only thief travellers, but sacrifice them for their goddess Virgo. But it goes without saying that for the Tauri the piracy wasn't the basis of economy, it was only an "extra trade". They helped life by livestock farming, arable farming, hunting, fishing, dolphin hunting, and gathering sea molluscs.

From the beginning of the 15-th century Yalta together with others territories of the Southern coast of the Crimea was included in the feudal princedom of Feodoro, inhabited by people of the ohristan religion. Then it belonged to Genoeses, and later again to Feodoro until 1475.

From 1475 to 1774 Yalta was the part of the province owned by the Turkish sultan. During this term it declined and by the end of the XVIII century it became a small fish village - a number of miserable hovels and church. It was located in the lower part of Polikurovsky Hill, on Cape Svyatogo Ioanna (of St. John) - here now the sea passenger terminal is situated.

Places of interest

Palace of Emir Bukharskiy in Yalta

The architecture memorial of XX century previous palace of emir bukharskiy in Yalta was founded in 1907-1911. The author of the project Tarasov used plastic assays and decorative elements of Moslem architecture of the countries of Northern Africa. The asymmetric composition is a typical feature of this two-storied palace. The mixture of quadrate, carved and semi-circular volumes, terraces, loggias and belvederes. The tracery carving of the columns looks very elegant.

Large Livadia palace

Large Livadia palace is a previous residence of the last Russian Emperor Nikolay II the main place of interest in Yalta. Livadia architect-memorial complex is one of the most famous architecture memorials of park art. The palace was founded according to the project of an outstanding Yalta architect, Academician N.Krasnov (1865-1939) in the style if the Italian Renaissance. The Livadia palace, except of the large palace the palace of Minister Frederics, created together with the main palace, inner church in the name of Exaltation of the Cross built in 1872 and Italian courtyard.

By the way the gates of the Italian courtyard are of Italian work, and in 1750 were transferred from Verona, but not made by the Uralic masters. In 1925 in the previous tsar palace the sanatorium for the peasants was opened. Then it was transformed into a climatic curative complex. On 4-11 February 1945 in three months to the victory over the fascist Germany, the Crimean (Yalta) conference was held in the rooms of this palace. The heads of governments of three countries of anti-Hitler coalition USSR, USA and Great Britain signed the declaration about Europe liberation, made a decision about OUN and other documents important for the entire world. During the conference the palace was a residence for the President of United States of America F.Roosevelt.

Armenian Church in Yalta

Armenian Church in Yalta distantly reminds an ancient temple Ripsime (VII-XII) in Etchmiadzina. Building was buit in 1909-1914 by the architect G.Ter-Mikelov according to the scetches of famous artist Vardges Surenyatsa. The building is located on the steep slope of the mountain.

The decision of the gala approach to the church was very wit. There is a nicely decorated entrance to the temple gates in the view of wide arch. There is a grandiose ladder surrounded by the cypresses. Rising over it one can see the whole temple compact, as carved from monolith, decorated with hexahedral hipped roof from the same stone.

Amazing talent of the artist-decorator, ideally stone processing is shown in every quadrate meter of the church facade.

Swallow nest

Swallow nest is overlooking the sea Avrora rock of Ay Todor bay. Wonderful architecture and historical memorial. It is a proof of human courage a real medieval knight castle. In current view Swallow nest was built in 1912 according to the project of architect A.V.Shervud. the son of famous architect V.O.Shervud, the author of Historical project of museum on the Red Square in Moscow. Swallow nest became an emblem of the Southern coast of the Crimea. Everybody wants to visit it. This memorial is greatly observed from the South coastal highway and from yachts that move between Yalta and Simeis. The grey building of worrying silhouette that holds that falling Avrora rock in the ay Todor bay. Swallow nest is situated between the row of rest complexes that decorate it very greatly.

How to get there

A traveler can come to Yalta either by sea or by land. To tourists coming on board a ship the town does not open at once. First, a passenger sights on the horizon ehead in the ship's course a little lilac stripe - the Main Range of the Crimean Mountains. Then you can see that the mountains grow higher but Yalta cannot he seen ..yet. And finally somehow at once at the foot of the mountains on the very seashore the light spots of sanatoria come into view... Therefore, when guides tell bout the origin of the town's name linking it with the legend of the shore of salvation for the Greek seafarers, tourists can easily imagine how it all happened.