Cities of Crimea: the largest, ancient, beautiful and popular

In the Republic of Crimea many cities, large and small. The creation of some settlements is lost in the depths of centuries, others are relatively young. They are all different, each is unique in its own way, and each of them has a different story.

There are no cities with a million inhabitants in Crimea, but there are several rather large centers that attract everyone’s attention. We list the largest of them.

City of federal significance, known throughout the world. The base of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia, an international trade port. It is also an important economic center of the region.. This is the largest in area and number of inhabitants of the settlement of Crimea - Currently, it is home to just over 400 thousand people.

The city was founded in 1783, when the Russian Empire created a new naval unit on the Black Sea - the Black Sea Fleet.

The main administrative center, the second largest city, the capital of the Republic of Crimea. The population is about 335 thousand people. Located in the southwestern part of the peninsula, has no access to the sea. There is an international airport in Simferopol, with all other cities it is connected by rail and road.

The city also has a rich history. Numerous exhibits are presented in the Central Museum of Taurida, the Crimean ethnographic and Simferopol art museums.

It ranks third in terms of population - 150 thousand people.

During its long history, the city in different years belonged to various state formations, such as the Byzantine Empire, the Khazar Kaganate, the Genoese Republic, the Ottoman Empire. Since 1774 it is attached to Russia.

This resort town on the west coast of Crimea is famous for its magnificent beaches and mild, pleasant climate. During the tourist season the number of visitors is 2-3 times higher than the number of local residents, whose number is slightly more than 106 thousand people.

Quiet provincial life in a small town changed dramatically in the second half of the XIX century. Since 1860, the royal family arrives in Livadia, a neighborhood of Yalta. Rest in these places is becoming fashionable among the high society and Russian aristocrats, the construction of beautiful palaces, estates, villas and mansions in a variety of architectural styles begins.

And also very popular with holidaymakers enjoys beautiful promenade, where many cafes, restaurants and various attractions. Here is the famous hotel (and earlier hotel) "Tavrida". If you count along with the suburbs, about 79,000 people live here permanently.

Relatively small town with a population of about 70,000.

In Feodosia lived the famous artist I.K. Aivazovsky. The city’s art gallery is named after him. The famous romantic writer Alexander Green also lived here, described in the exposition of the literary-memorial museum.

Just as in Yalta, by the end of the XIX century in these places they begin to build summer houses and mansions, Alushta becomes attractive for recreation.

In the 50s of the 20th century, after the city was rebuilt after the war, a large number of sanatoriums and rest houses opened in it. Many tourists come to Alushta to this day every year. There are few permanent residents, about 30,000 people.

On the territory of the Crimea there are many monuments with a rich history. Among the most ancient settlements that have come down to us are several famous ancient Greek cities.

• Panticapaeum, Kerch. Located on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula, Kerch can be proud of its very solid age. The Greek polis appeared on this place more than 2.5 thousand years ago. The historical center is Mount Mithridates. Around 479 BC, the city became the capital of the kingdom of Bosporus. And also there are the ruins of several more ancient settlements. During the archaeological excavations a large number of household items, jewelry, coins, fragments of ceramics, dishes and many other evidence of history were found. All this is exposed for review in the Kerch Museum of Antiquities.

• Evpatoria. In place of modern Evpatoria several cities alternately changed. First, from the V century BC. e. here was the Greek port city of Kerkinitida. At the very end of the second century, Scythian tribes who came to the peninsula ruined it. A long period at this place no one lived. And only in the Middle Ages, after the formation of the Crimean Khanate, Kezlev appeared. Evpatoria was called when the Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire. On the picturesque narrow streets of the Old Town there are many old buildings and architectural monuments.

• Theodosius. The name of the city was given by Greek settlers in the VI century BC. e., and it has survived to the present time, it means - "God-given." However, the buildings of antiquity are almost gone. Much of the buildings belong to the Middle Ages - Christian churches and temples, a mosque and some other buildings.

• Yalta Approximately in the 5th-6th centuries BC, the ships of the Greek navigators landed on the southern coast of the Crimea. In the place of the current Yalta, they founded the settlement of Yalos (translated from Greek means “coast”). Like the rest of the peninsula, it repeatedly changed owners: the Greeks, Venetians, Genoese, Byzantines, Ottoman Turks. After the Russian-Turkish war, it became part of the Russian Empire.

• Aluston, Alushta. This fortified coastal city was built by the Byzantines during the reign of Emperor Justinian the First in the 6th century. After the fall of Byzantium, the fortress belonged to the Khazar Kaganate, was part of the principality of Theodoro, and then was destroyed by the Turks. In place of the city remains a small fishing village. And only in the second half of the XIX century begins the revival.

• Tauric Chersonesos (on the territory of modern Sevastopol). The open-air museum, located in the northwestern part of Quarantine Bay, is an ancient polis, built in 422-421 BC. e. After a thousand years, the big city falls under the rule of the Byzantines, and from the middle of the XIV century, the Genoese became the masters in it. In 1399, hordes of nomads completely destroyed the settlement and fortress. Starting from the 80s of the 20th century, excavations of the ancient settlement are ongoing.

• Simferopol. It is also built on the site of one of the ancient fortresses of the Crimean peninsula. Here was the Scythian Naples, the capital of the Scythian Kingdom. Its ruins can be seen near the city.

The nature of these places can be admired all year round. Beautiful landscapes - the sea with sandy beaches, caves and grottoes, forests, steppes - fascinate with their beauty:

• the picturesque waterfall Jur-Jur near the city of Alushta is the largest on the peninsula, its height is 15 meters;
• Cape Chameleon in Koktebel, changing its color during the day;
• The valley of ghosts in the vicinity of Alushta, where the outlines of weathered rocks resemble the figures of people and animals;
• the famous peak of Ai-Petri - the pearl of the mountainous Crimea;
• Balaklava Bay - the decoration of Sevastopol.

And many more other natural beauties.

In addition to natural landscapes, there are also many man-made monuments in Crimea.

• In 1912, the German baron P. Steinheil, a wealthy oilman, built the Swallow's Nest castle on the very edge of a steep cliff of Aurora's rock. It still amazes tourists.
• On the territory of the city of Simferopol there are many beautiful old parks that were founded in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Of these, Vorontsov Park is especially famous.
• Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which contains the best plants from around the world.
• Karadag Nature Reserve.
• Luxurious palaces and cottages, built on the coast in the XVIII-XIX and early XX century.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Crimea survived a heavy occupation, fierce battles were fought for its ports. For courage, heroism and unprecedented feats of defenders, the honorary title of hero city was given to several localities.

• Heroic Sevastopol rightfully bears this title. The expositions of museums - the Defense of Sevastopol, the Storm of Sapun Mountain, the Mikhailovsky Battery, the Naval Complex "Balaklava", Malakhov Kurgan, the 35th Coastal Battery.
• Kerch The front line passed through the city four times. In memory of these events, a memorial was built on Mount Mithridates, to which 423 steps lead - the Obelisk of Glory to Immortal Heroes and the Eternal Flame is burning.
• Theodosius. Deservedly bears the title of the City of Military Glory. More information about the experiences during the war can be found in the local museum.

The tourist route must be chosen depending on the purpose of the trip. For example, lovers of beach holidays should consider a list of cities and towns located near the sea.

For those who want to explore the history of the peninsula there are interesting places of excavation of ancient settlements, the ruins of fortresses, as well as museum exhibits.

Fans of the kingdom of nature can find the most visited parks, gardens and reserves.

For information on which cities in Crimea are the most beautiful, see the following video.