Livadia Palace: history and location

One of the most popular tourist attractions of the Crimea - Livadia Palace, is the center of attraction for residents and guests of the peninsula. Its majestic white walls saw many historical events and served as the residence of Russian emperors. Today, evidence of the historical heritage of this place is carefully preserved. In the palace interiors are guided tours, and the park around is striking in its magnificence.

The first thing that interests Livadia guests is where the palace is located in the Crimea on the map and how to get to it from Yalta. In fact, traveling by car, the route is easy to draw up with the help of a navigator. In addition, local attractions are easy to find by contacting guidebooks or the public. But the best solution would be preliminary study of all the details that can help the visitor when visiting the Livadia Palace.

Even the most detailed description does not give a complete picture of the magnificence of this unique cultural heritage. The snow-white complex of stone buildings looks incredibly attractive, and the surrounding park is well-groomed and has a special charm.

The name “Livadia Palace” today means not only the museum itself. On its territory there is the Holy Cross House Church and the Page Corps. Also located here the Grand Palace itself and the palace complex that belonged to the Minister Baron Frederiks.

The cultural-historical mission of the Livadia estate today is quite large. Many significant meetings, conferences, symposia take place here. And in the surrounding area regularly pass shooting of cinematographic films and serials.

During the excursion "The Romanovs in Livadia" you can explore the interior of the palace complex. It includes the following premises.

The luxurious front hallway has a Renaissance finish. Stucco molding, exquisite decor and a spacious fireplace for heating the room - all this from the first steps creates the desired surroundings in the interior.

The white dining room is a place known to most people for reports and pictures from the Yalta Conference. The interior is decorated with marble, mined in Carrara. In addition, all furnishings are also decorated in a single snow-white range.

Here, in the period of the Yalta Conference, was the receptionist of Roosevelt. Austere and at the same time elegant decor in mahogany finish is complemented by walnut panels and a fireplace of rare green marble framed with lacquered wood panels. Special attention is given a luxurious Venetian chandelier, located in the center of the room.

During the Russian Empire, there was a room for visitors to visit, and during the Yalta Conference it was converted into the bedroom of Theodore Roosevelt. The interior is decorated in the style of Jacob with French chic. Natural mahogany veneer is complemented by a fireplace made of white marble.Here you can also see unique vases from Meissen porcelain on display, displayed for viewing and stored in the collection of items belonging to the imperial family.

The place of informal meetings and pleasant pastime. The room is decorated in the English style typical of the Tudor era. Luxurious painting on the ceiling and wall paneling with natural chestnut wood panels complete the decor. A partly modern exposition has been preserved since the time of the Yalta Conference, when there was a canteen inside, reserved for the President of the United States and those accompanying him.

The ruler of Russia worked here, and although the original appearance of the room has changed, you can still see traces of former magnificence here. The exhibition carefully preserves the unique product - hand-woven carpet depicting Emperor Nicholas II with his wife and son. In addition, the main features of the Art Nouveau style with its rigor and brevity, including a unique fireplace with a stone lining of dionite gray-green color, have been preserved. The walls are covered with panels of natural maple wood.

Personal chambers of the first couple of the empire are designed in laconic colors, with white walls. Inside there is an exhibition in the form of iconographic artworks, engravings, photographs related to the circumstances of the life of Nicholas II and his family.

In addition to the luxurious collection of books, placed on the racks of mahogany, its interiors amaze with the magnificence of the painting hung on the walls. The hall itself looks emphasized strictly and concisely, without excessive pretentiousness and unnecessary decorations.

Well preserved interior allows you to get a complete picture of how exactly this place looked like family meals during the reign of the Romanov dynasty. In the Livadia Palace, this room is decorated with panels of natural yew. In the small dining room there is an exposition related to everyday amateur photographs of the royal family, as well as traditional dishes that were present on the tables of the sovereigns more than a century ago.

She in the Livadia Palace acted as a cabinet, where she studied the heirs of the imperial family. There is an exhibition with exposed watercolors of the architect and artist Krasnov, who erected the building. Also, visitors can see the drawings of the children of the last Russian emperor, as well as their letters. Also here you can see a group family snapshot, created specifically for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty.

The interior has preserved little from its original appearance. In particular, you can see a bookcase made of unique stained maple, as well as pictorial canvases devoted to floristic themes.

The room is decorated in the spirit of art-nouveau, in it there is an effective oval-shaped mirror, a fireplace with ceramic lining are available for viewing. In addition, the interior presents a portrait of Alexandra Feodorovna with children.

Outside the palace walls also have something to see. It is enough to mention the Italian courtyard, around which the colonnade in the refined Tuscan style is created. In the central part there is a magnificent fountain with marble veneer. Architects this corner was planned as a place to walk in the morning and afternoon hours. It is noteworthy that The courtyard's light-flooded space is familiar to every lover of history - the legendary group shots of the participants of the Yalta Conference were made here.

The light well, called the Arabian courtyard, in the territory of the Livadia Palace was not created for promenades. The walls of its interior are decorated with original majolica with a recognizable bright ethnic ornament. Here is the design of the wall fountain "Maria".

Modern history gave the territory of the Livadia Palace their signs. Today you can see monuments dedicated to different eras and historical figures. So, in the park is located monument to Alexander III, and at the main entrance there is a stone bronzed bust of Emperor Nicholas II. Also in the palace and park ensemble harmoniously joined and the monument to Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill by sculptor Tsareteli.

Holy Cross Church - a magnificent building with white walls, which was built in the traditional Byzantine style. But the original appearance was not fully preserved. During the Soviet period the building was used as a warehouse, a club, it was part of the sanatorium buildings. The historic marble facing and luxurious altar section disappeared without a trace. However, after the restoration, the church is incredibly popular among the parishioners.

The territory of the complex with the beginning of its territory - "Sun Path", after visiting palace interiors, it allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the magnificent nature of the Crimean coast. Here are oak-hornbeam groves, there are observation platforms and places for recreation.

The unique palace and park complex of Livadia owes its appearance to the success of Lev Pototsky, who managed to get land at his disposal on the slope of Mogabi mountain with a unique view of the sea. It was from his heirs in 1861 that the estate was bought by representatives of the imperial court by decree of Alexander II. The estate was purchased for Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who suffered from lung disease, who needed healing sea air, walks through coniferous forests and mountain paths.

For the royal family, the former landlord's house was rebuilt, the resulting building was called the Great Palace. Nearby the same architect - Hippolyt Monighetti, built another building in the pronounced Arabic style. So arose Small Palace - the residence of the heir to the imperial family.

But one of the works of the architect Monigetti still retained its recognizable features. This is the Holy Cross Church, a miniature building which became the funeral site of Alexander III. Interesting facts about it deserve special attention:

• the building was erected in 1863 and has only one dome;
• inside the square walls there was a luxurious white marble iconostasis, the image of saints with large panels, cast gates with a bronze chandelier and real relics - holy relics from Georgia, Palestine and other countries;
• the temple served as a prayer for three generations of the imperial family, from Alexander II to Nicholas II;
• Alexander III died in Livadia, and here his successor assumed the Russian throne;
• a prayer service for another emperor who had departed to the world served in the home church of John of Kronstadt, now canonized;
• the church has a corridor connecting it with the emperor's apartments;
• the restored building was opened to parishioners in 1991.

After the floods in Livadia, the imperial family needed a renewed summer residence. On this occasion, the local architect Krasnov created a project inspired by the views of Turin and Florence, approved by the customer without complaints in 1909. The white palace of natural stone was named Livadia and was founded in April 1910. Builders did it in record time set by the customer - the building grew on the territory of the park complex in a record 17 months.

A significant milestone in the history of the Livadia Palace after the Revolution was the Yalta Conference, during which the heads of the three Allied powers - Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill, discussed the further course of action in Europe and signed a number of important historical documents. The meetings of the event were partially held here. Representatives of the US delegation were accommodated in Livadia, in addition, the most important and significant meetings were held here, joint photographs of the participants of this event were taken, and the White Hall turned into a place for the negotiating table at the time of the Yalta Conference.

The location of the legendary Livadia Palace is the Republic of Crimea. It is located at a distance of 3 km from the city of Yalta, in the urban-type settlement of Livadia. It is easy to find on the map by landmarks, known not only to the local population. It is located on the same street as the famous Organ Hall, in the village there is also Kichkine Palace, and there is a glade of fairy tales and the Uchan-Su waterfall nearby. The address of the museum complex itself: st. Baturin, 44a.

The easiest way to get to your destination is to go to it from Yalta from the local bus station. Shuttle public transport provides an opportunity to get to the museum-palace in a short time. Take advantage of the bus number 11, 108, 100. It is necessary to remain in the cabin until the end of the route - the “Livadia” stop. Go to this stop and taxis №32, 27, 11, 5.

Once on the territory adjacent to the palace, it is enough to turn into the alleys of the park and move on foot. It takes about 5 minutes of unhurried walking to get to the main entrance. If you are to leave Simferopol, you can take a bus or trolleybus, which runs from the train station in the direction of the Yalta bus station.

Interesting facts connected with the life of the imperial family, exhibitions of excursions inside and outside the Livadia Palace take place during the high holiday season throughout almost the entire daylight hours - from 10 to 18 hours. In the period from November to March, the ticket office is open from 10 to 16 hours. Among the permanent routes.

• Sightseeing main tour. Allows you to visit both the outer area - a park complex, and part of the palace halls open to tourists.
• Thematic exhibition on the Yalta Conference. It has been operating since 1974, since 1993 the entire ground floor is open to the public. Within the framework of the exhibition you can see a billiard room, an Arab courtyard, a study, the White Hall and the lobby.
• Exposition dedicated to the life of the Romanovs in Livadia. It is located on the second floor of the museum complex and includes 5 rooms belonging to the private chambers of the imperial family - a bedroom, four Romanov classrooms, a classroom for their daughters.
• A visit to the Royal solarium. One of the newest excursion programs of the Livadia Palace. It includes a visit to the roof of a magnificent building, previously inaccessible to tourists. The rise is carried out on a spiral staircase.

When planning a trip to the Livadia Palace, it is worth considering that there is a weekend in the museum complex. They are set on Monday and Wednesday. For those who like hiking, it is recommended to visit the Tsar's walking path - the Terrencour, which will allow you to enjoy magnificent views of the local nature for 7 km. Once this route was preferred by representatives of the imperial family.

Visiting the sightseeing tour route through the territory of the Livadia Palace costs 400 rubles to its guests.For privileged categories of citizens, there is a discount of 150 rubles - you can only confirm the right to it if you have the relevant document. The participants of the Second World War, preschool children and schoolchildren under the age of 16 will not have to pay for visiting excursion routes.

An adult ticket to a permanent exhibition related to the 300th anniversary of the imperial house will cost 200 rubles. The second main exposition is most closely associated with hunting preferences. Her visit will not have to pay extra after the purchase of an entrance ticket.

While visiting the palace, you must follow a number of rules. The use of mobile phones, photo / video shooting without the consent of the administration is excluded. A baby carriage, bulky luggage and favorite pets will also have to be left at home or in a hotel. But for mobile groups of visitors in the halls an accessible environment is created, there are ramps.

Despite the popularity of the Livadia Palace, the reviews about it are quite contradictory. Guests celebrated a great experience of guides, attentive attitude to questions arising from visitors. But not everything is perfect. The building itself is not in the best condition and needs restoration of the facade. In addition, an excess of advertising often promises more than tourists actually receive.

Nevertheless, the general impression about the Livadia Palace and the surrounding park is rather positive. In the summer season, its territory is fragrant with scents of roses and flowering shrubs, and the splendor of the inner rooms amazes even the most sophisticated tourists.

In the next video you will find more information about the Livadia Palace.