Overview of Balaclava attractions in Crimea and their description

Balaclava had the status of a city until 1957, then it became district center of Sevastopol. In Soviet times, Balaklava with underground military bases was considered a closed place to visit. Traces of the presence of the imperial Russian army remained on its territory. Since the 14th century, a Genoese fortress stood here, which took upon itself the blows of its enemies. Balaclava is located in a strategic place of Crimea, for many centuries military clashes took place between different nations for it.

Surprisingly beautiful place in the Crimea - the sea, mountainous landscape, hidden bay, reservoirs and diverse vegetation. The first mention of this land is found in Homer in the Odyssey. Since those times, different nations lived here - the Romans, Greeks, Turks, Tatars, the British and Germans fought for these expanses. In 2004, the town celebrated its 2500th anniversary. Resort direction Balaclava received in the XIX century, many Russians came here to improve their health.

Alexander Kuprin and Lesya Ukrainka visited these places. Balaklava is located five kilometers south-west of Sevastopol, until 1941 there was a tram between the cities. This place is rich in events and natural landscapes, even in the holiday season, Balaclava does not lose the charm of a quiet, tranquil place.

Balaklava, as a resort of Crimea, is known to few, since a long stay in the status of a closed town has made this place little known. But the settlement has something to be proud of and something to show. For those who want to visit it, we give descriptions of attractions.

The unique natural bay formed in the process of tectonic shift and fracture. From the sea it goes into the depths of one and a half kilometers, then expanding, then narrowing to 50 meters in width. Because of this configuration, it is actually not visible from the Black Sea, therefore, the bay is also called “Secret”. In the past, captains hid their ships in it from prying eyes.

In the XIV century, the Genoese fortress city Chembalo was built on the Castle Hill at the entrance to the bay. For seven centuries, the walls have experienced a lot, their ruins can be seen today. The fortress was captured by the Mongols. In the XV century, it was captured by the Turks, they used the city to refer objectionable Khans. During the Crimean War the Greeks were in Chembalo, they defended themselves from the soldiers of the English army.

Initially, wood was used for the construction of the embankment. It was built by the British during the Russian-Turkish war. In the XIX century, the tree was replaced by a stone. Today on the waterfront to them. Nazukina you can find a cinema, a museum, a diving center, a yacht club, restaurants, marinas from which all pleasure and sightseeing boats depart. From the embankment you can see the ruins of the fortress Chembalo and Balaklava Bay, and along it - buildings of the XIX and early XX centuries.

The museum is located on the famous Nazukin embankment, it contains historical documents relating to the life of the city of Balaclava in different periods of time. The building can accommodate a group of up to 50 people. The museums organize excursions that cover the history of the city, with a visit to the bay and the Chembalo fortress, with a tasting of local dishes and access to the open sea.

The author of the monument is the sculptor S. A. Chizh. He installed the sculptural image of the writer in 2009. The place was chosen on the city embankment, not far from the Grand Hotel, where, according to documented information, Kuprin lived with his wife during a visit to Balaclava. Here he wrote his essay "In Memory of Chekhov". Lifetime in Balaclava (1904–1906) coincided with the events of the first Russian revolution.

He was put on the town square in 2004. It was originally planned to carve a bust, but the sculptor was carried away and completed the half-figure. It was installed on a high pedestal-column. Lesia Ukrainka visited Balaclava twice - with her parents in her youth and with her husband in more mature years.

The secret underground facility "100" was built in the fifties of the last century. He was called complex "cliff". Soviet anti-missile systems were to oppose the NATO landing forces. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the facility was closed and dismantled. Today, stone maze lovers enjoy visiting it. There was a message about the possible restoration of the complex by the military.

Not in every city you will meet a base for submarine parking, the object 825GTS is such. It was stored ammunition and engaged in the repair of nuclear submarines. The base was closed in 1993 and left for ten long years. In the difficult nineties, the locals removed from the structures no one needed non-ferrous metal. In the two thousand years, the city authorities in the territory of the former military base substantiated the underground museum complex of the naval history of Balaclava. Today it is one of the most visited places in the city.

The battery began to be built under Nicholas II, in 1914, and finished already under Soviet rule. From here the enemy ships were to be shot at. Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War, the battery failed to protect Sevastopol from the onslaught of the fascist army. This military object finished its existence in 1991.

Forts were built at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, with the participation of the British from the end of the 19th century until 1915. They were supposed to guard the approaches to Sevastopol. This is a whole engineering system of concrete structures, warehouses for ammunition, roads and moats, shelters, designed for the stay of the military. Before World War II, the forts were reconstructed.

This object was built during the construction of the Southern Fort. It looked very unusual, in the form of an iron barrel held by a concrete base and hovering over a precipice. It was supposed to be a point of observation, since the sea was well visible from this place. Locals call it a barrel of death, because during the revolution it was shot and dumped in the sea of ​​the Red Army, and during the Great Patriotic War, the Germans did the same with our soldiers. The barrel still keeps traces of bullets.

Very beautiful, unearthly sight. Previously, limestone was mined here, so the descent is stepped down. The quarry looks like a crater of an extinct volcano with an amazing blue lake at the bottom. It is located 14 meters below sea level. Vegetation has just begun to inhabit this place. The lake became home to many birds - cormorants, gulls, wild ducks. You can go down to it on the road in the form of a serpentine, which is unsafe due to frequent collapses.

For the first time at this place the temple was built in 1357 by the Genoese.But he could not survive to this day. What we see today is the building of 1794. After the Crimean War, the temple was reconstructed in 1875. The structure is built of limestone and, if you look at it from above, you can see the shape of the cross.

The monastery was founded in 891 by Greek seafarers. Legend has it that the ship hit the storm and was on the verge of death. Sailors prayed St. George for salvation. On the rock, they saw the image of the saint and thanks to his help they were able to get ashore. In gratitude for the lives saved, in a sheer mountain, they knocked out the church and dedicated it to St. George. Sailors transferred to the temple the image of the saint, who appeared on the rock. Over time, a monastery was formed around the church. He survived many wars, but remained in force until the Soviet regime. It was reopened in 1994.

In the 19th century, a water supply system was built to supply Sevastopol with water. The aqueduct bridge was part of it. It is built of Inkerman stone (limestone), which was used in ancient Rome. The architecture of the bridge is made in the antique style. Water and plenty of greens make this place incredibly beautiful. The water supply system was destroyed during the Crimean War and did not begin to be restored, the Chorgunsky bridge reached our days as the most preserved part of it.

Here is the St. George Monastery. Once it was a beautiful secluded place, now it has entered the city limits of Sevastopol, has found chaotic buildings and lost the feeling of wild nature. The cape was formed 150 million years ago during a volcanic eruption. On both sides of the cliff, even today, one can observe places of layering tuff lava.

This fabulous place is located in the reserve with red-book plants and animals. The climate here is Mediterranean. Only in this place you can find a grand funnel with multi-colored boulders, as well as grottoes with azure reservoirs.

In the vicinity of Balaklava, more than 30 beaches are open for visitors, 3 of them are among the twenty best in the Crimea. Almost all of them are pebbly. Balaclava as a place to relax is suitable for a wide range of people. It can provide a quiet and relaxing pastime for families with young children on beautiful resort beaches.

About what sights in Balaclava, see the next video.