Where to go and what to see in Feodosia (Crimea)?

Theodosia belongs to the group of the largest resorts of the Crimea, and this is even despite the fact that it is located in the southeast - where the subtropics no longer reach. There are many reasons for this - the ancient history of the city has ancient monuments, and modern, rather large sizes make it possible to intensively build modern infrastructure.

The proximity of the city to the newly built Crimean Bridge is also of some importance, thanks to which it is here that those who come from the continent in private cars prefer to stop. In addition, in the eastern segment of the Crimean Peninsula, it is one of the largest and most interesting city, where vacationers from smaller neighboring resorts come with one-day excursions.

Feodosiya is located on the shores of the Feodosia Bay, in the southeastern part of Crimea, 136 kilometers from Simferopol and 99 kilometers from Kerch, located at the exit from the Crimean bridge. There are no real mountains nearby - their last spurs are located in the south-west and cover the city except partially, although they add some beauty to the urban surroundings.

Due to the lack of reliable protection from the north winds Feodosia no longer refers to the subtropical southern coast of Crimea, which positively affects the prices of basic tourist services here: no palm trees - no extra charges. At the same time, the climatic difference with neighboring Alushta or Yalta is noticeable to a greater degree in winter, but in summer it is also hot and sunny, like at the neighbors, because tourists do not disdain Theodosius.

As befits most major Crimean cities, Theodosius is an ancient city, with a rich centuries-old history. This is evidenced by at least its name, which from the ancient Greek language can be translated as "God-given." Of course, it was not called the Crimean Tatars and Slavs, it is her original name, under which she was once founded by the Hellenes themselves.

The history of God of this city begins 2.5 thousand years ago, when the Greeks arrived from Miletus, located in Asia Minor. On the Crimean peninsula, the arriving Hellenes founded a polis, and two centuries later, in 355 BC, it was incorporated into the large state of this region, the Bosporus kingdom.

The times of the great resettlement of the people were patched up by the Crimean peninsula, and Theodosia was also battered many times during this period. In the IV century AD, it was destroyed by the Huns, in the V century it became the property of Byzantium, in the VI century it was repulsed by the Khazars, and some time later returned to Constantinople. All these peripetias could not affect the appearance of the city. Today we know all this only from the results of excavations and the study of ancient written sources, but visual monuments of architecture of that era are not found here.

Because of this, the city fell into decay and some evidence, for example, of the 9th century, asserts that there was nothing at all on the site of present-day Theodosia.However, most sources say that there was still a small settlement at this place, and in the XIII century it fell under the influence of the Golden Horde. Under the Mongol-Tatar rule, it remained just a matter of decades - in 1266 it was bought by the Genoese, with whom are connected, perhaps, the most striking pages in the history of the city, which now became known as Kafa.

The newcomers from the Apennine Peninsula specialized in maritime trade and highly appreciated the quality of Theodosia Bay as a port bay. For some two centuries, a small fishing village has grown to the capital of the Genoese colonies in the Northern Black Sea region, the number of the local population has practically reached modern indicators, which at that time was a lot. It even built a theater and a mint, whose coins were accepted throughout the region.

During the XIV century, the Golden Horde khans were repeatedly besieged by the Kafa, but the Genoese throughout the time managed to find a peaceful way to resolve conflicts. In 1475, Ottoman Turks came to the peninsula, and the Genoese could not come to an agreement with those - the city passed to new owners.

Under the Turks of Kef (as they called the city in their own way) it remained a major port and commercial center of the region, but it nevertheless gradually decreased. Its main profile remained the sale of slaves, who in their raids on the territory of modern Ukraine were mined by the Crimean Tatars, but the Zaporozhye Cossacks did not like it, and in 1616 they even defeated the city itself. Another previously popular product - wine - was banned from production and consumption by Muslims, and although this was not forbidden to Christians even within the Ottoman Empire, trade volumes, of course, fell.

Meanwhile, the Russian Empire was gaining strength in the north, while the Ottoman Empire in the south was gradually fading away. In 1771, the Russians took Feodosiya for the first time, and after the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1774, they did not take it away, but they demanded to reassign the city to the Crimean Khanate. Only a decade later, all this state, together with Kafa, became part of Russia.

In the nineteenth century, the city was attempted to be developed, but without success: the greatest success for those times was that an outstanding personality lived here - the famous marine painter Ivan Aivazovsky. It was only at the very end of the 19th century that the railroad reached the city, and then the port was opened here, which finally led to industrial development and growth.

In many ways, today's Theodosia rests on the tourism business, and although the city can offer many interesting things in terms of excursions and attractions, the main influx of guests here comes precisely for a beach holiday. For this reason, our We will start the review of interesting places from local beaches and highlight some of them where you should go.

Crimea is famous for the fact that its beaches are mostly pebbly, and in this respect Theodosia is very different for the better, since sand is still dominant here. The fact that the city is not included in the subtropical belt somewhat reduces the popularity of these places, because there is a little more free space here, but a little less investment, so get ready that the beach areas are not always perfectly beautiful and well maintained.

If you definitely want to get to the main city beach, then you can expect a slight disappointment, because it is just composed of the usual Crimean pebbles. Locals call it “Pebbles”. It is good not only for its central location, but also because the infrastructure here is presented in the best possible way throughout the city. Nearby there is a beautiful promenade, which has a huge number of cafes and other establishments for tourists.

On the sides of the “Pebbles”, the beaches are already half of pebbles and sand, but the rest here, frankly, is an amateur. The fact is that the coastline is not well maintained at all - it is constantly interrupted by some fences, breakwaters and concrete blocks. Nobody really watches the state of the coast here, and the water is full of protruding rebar and other unpleasant “surprises”.

Who would like the beach to be at the same time not crowded, clean and spacious, should go beyond Feodosia in the north direction. Here the coast is already built of sand and not every tourist gets here, while the breakwaters that spoil the landscape remain within the city limits. This ten-kilometer strip is called Golden beach. But be prepared that, nevertheless, not all is gold that glitters: of the amenities nearby, except that there is a road, but there is practically no infrastructure for tourists.

The two beaches described above are quite widely known, and most often they will advise you either one or the other. "Pebbles", as we understand, are suitable for those who are in charge of the infrastructure, and the Golden Beach - for lovers of privacy, even to the detriment of minimal amenities.

From the rest of the band, it will be difficult for a visitor to pick out something worthwhile, but we still throw up a few options that pretend to be considered.

• "Cote d'Azur". A relatively small beach, whose length does not exceed 200 meters, is located near Komsomolsky Park. It is made of sand and is distinguished not only by the general well-kept, but also by the availability of all the necessary infrastructure - there is even a cafe where they will wash your vegetables and fruits for a fee, as well as lockers for storage. From the center here is most convenient to get on the bus.

• "Northern Beaches". They are located closer to the border of the city, along the Black Sea Embankment. The well-being of the local sandy beaches is related to the fact that most of them belong to local hotels and sanatoriums, but almost always they can be reached without any restrictions. The farther to the north, the less will be the rest, but the infrastructure will not decrease until you reach the city limits.

• Beach at Cape Chumka. If you want perfect wildness, it makes sense to go here - to the far outskirts, behind the Genoese fortress. To be honest, it is difficult to call this place a full-fledged beach - here it is only 30 meters wide, and a lot of sharp stones both on the shore and in the water. There are practically no people here, respectively, neither here nor anywhere near any infrastructure either. Another thing is that local stones are considered to be compressed volcanic ash - they can be broken without any tools and soaked in water to the state of dirt.

In the resort town there is often no reason to look at the number of local residents - its capabilities are designed for a huge flow of tourists in the peak season, which means that the entire infrastructure looks as if the town is at least three times larger. For this reason, even the local Theodosia parks are of particular interest, especially if you are on holiday with children. Naturally, tours of such places do not lead, but you can get here yourself.

Highlight is worth at least three of Theodosia.

• Komsomol. Perhaps the best solution in the scale of Theodosia, because there is absolutely everything that can be liked by travelers. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Côte d'Azur beach mentioned above, which means that you can visit it before or after swimming and even during breaks. For children, there are not only playgrounds and attractions, but also pony rides, while adults are also not completely offended - the picturesque ruins of an old settlement are located nearby.

• Anniversary. This option is fully claims to be the central in the city - at least in terms of attractions, he clearly leads. Located on Gorky Street, the park is far enough away from the beaches, so you will have to visit it separately, but here you can see purely Theodosian symbols - for example, a fragment of the Genoese fortress, the Fountain of Good Genius or the Alley of Heroes. Naturally, the "children's" infrastructure is also represented - there are playgrounds, and the same horses.

• Sailor. This park has a small size, it is very quiet and cozy - there is not much entertainment, but here you can find solitude. It is located in a place where Lenin and Armenian streets meet. Today, complete peace reigns here, but for many centuries this place was the center of sorrow and suffering in Theodosia, since it was here that the famous slave market of Kafa was located.

Unlike many small resorts of the Crimea, characterized by the famous ugliness of the architectural appearance, Feodosia can be called beautiful - she is well-groomed and has a number of beautiful buildings and just monuments. You can even just walk around the city center to see the main sights.

So, from Gorky Street begins Avenue of Heroes, on which is located monument to the Knights of the deep sea, that is, submariners from Feodosia, who died in the service. At the end of the alley, you can see a stella with a submarine engraved on it. There, on Gorky Street, is located one of towers of the Genoese fortress - Constantine, representing a very interesting exhibit.

Morskaya Street will delight those who walk in the old Armenian fountain built in the middle ages. Even from afar, it looks monumental and much more impressive than most of its modern counterparts, and yet its description will not be complete if you do not mention the subtlest thread that has survived to our time.

Aivazovsky Avenue is most interesting for local sanatoriums, but there is no need to hurry to dismiss disappointedly - at least two buildings here have a good hundred years and are a real masterpiece of architecture. For example, in Eastern Europe you don’t often see the Hispanic-Moorish style, but cottage "Victoria" done exactly in it.

Neighboring her cottage "Milos" owes its name to Venus de Milo. She not only has a copy of the famous statue, but in general is framed in the best ancient traditions. In addition, here is the famous cottage-palace Stamboli, named after the owner of the tobacco factory, who came from Turkey and built a luxurious oriental mansion.

On the street Portovoy must see monument to Afanasy Nikitin. The famous Russian traveler is an idol for those who are still carried away by the alluring road. For example, it is often called the first European to be in India. It is here that the monument to this man is located for a reason: he has been to Feodosia.Imagine - Nikitin saw the city during the times of the Genoese government, just a few years before the Ottomans came here, that is, he found it at the peak of its heyday.

On Tatarskaya street worth seeing the tower of Giovanni di Scafa. At first, this structure can only cause bewilderment, but perhaps you will be filled with great respect if you find out that it has been standing here since 1341. The most interesting thing is that the story has preserved the name of the person in whose honor the tower was named back in Genoese times, but at the same time scientists did not find the answer to the question of who he was.

Often, architectural monuments of antiquity are represented by temples - they have long been constructed from the best materials, so many of them are well preserved. In Feodosia, such a reminder of history is Arkhangelsk Church. Inexperienced tourists from regions with a predominantly Slavic population will probably wonder why the Orthodox Church looks so atypical, but just look at the signpost and see “Armenian Street” there to get closer to the solution.

For those who love more modern buildings with only a touch of antiquity and intellect, there is the current Officers Housewhich is worth admiring in the dark thanks to well-placed lighting. Visually, this building, located on Kuybyshev Street, most of all resembles a typical Soviet theater with references to antiquity in the form of columns. However, the House of Officers was never a theater itself - it’s former synagogue of pre-revolutionary construction.

For its relatively modest size, Theodosius has an impressive array of museums, many of which claim to be really interesting, even for those who are far from history and other typical museum subjects. Need to say that there are similar institutions for every taste, so getting here is necessary not only during bad weather - Do not be lazy to meet the time and such local attractions.

Alexander Green House Museum, It is probably interesting to just a huge number of visitors, since the famous “Scarlet Sails” are known to every our compatriot from school, and for many women this is one of the most romantic and beautiful stories. Naturally, Green was not the author of one book - he had other great works, so for someone he could be an idol, then his house is definitely worth a visit. The great writer lived as long as 5 years in Feodosia, on today's Gallery street, and he considered this period of his life very happy.

Museum of Marina and Anastasia Tsvetaev - Another attraction that allows to reveal the features of the life path of literary geniuses. Of the two sisters, of course, the former was a good poetess, but the museum is named after both of them. Here, lovers of poetic lines will be able to understand the atmosphere in which favorite poems, long learned by heart, were born.

Theodosia Museum of Money no wonder it is located in this city - not everywhere the history of the settlement implies such a multiple change of owners. Among other things, Kafa was also a trading city, and after that it was not surprising that during the excavations here archaeologists found coins of the most diverse peoples and eras.

But there is no local history museum in Feodosiya - more precisely, in fact it is, but you will not find such on the map. Today it is called Theodosia Museum of Antiquities, and, contrary to the name, covers all periods of the existence of the city, including even the relatively recent Soviet. Expositions are divided by the epochs of dominion of a particular civilization.

At the same time, local exhibits do not always strictly relate to the history of Feodosia and its immediate surroundings - you can see some specimens donated by Kerch, Sudak and other Crimean cities.

Hang Gliding Museum - Another institution, the analogue of which, even worldwide, will not be easy to find. The fact is that in the vicinity of Feodosia, namely in the spurs of the Crimean Mountains, there are constant upward air currents.

In Soviet times, such a feature of the region was noticed, and the city began to unwind as a center of paragliding, and neighboring Koktebel was called Planerskoe for several decades. Here are presented not only the visual models of hang gliders, but also some specimens that were actually lifted into the air.

Restoration and Exhibition Center for Underwater Archeology located in the above mentioned cottage Stamboli. Exhibitions of items thrown onto the beach by the sea are also found in other Crimean settlements, but the local exhibits were extracted from the depths of the sea by the efforts of underwater archaeologists.

As a result, being on the coast, we can personally see the remains of the ships that had been lost for a long time, familiarize ourselves with their situation and way of life, as well as with the history of the period when the ship was built and sailed.

Museum of Fish and Fisheries opened relatively recently - in 2015. As befits a seaside town and a lively port, Theodosius boasts thousands of years of tradition in catching the inhabitants of the depths. In different periods of history, the fishing business assumed a completely different organization of the process, especially since the museum contains not only local, but also overseas sights.

Vera Mukhina Museum, in comparison with many of the competitors described above, may not seem so interesting, but everyone who is interested in sculpture, just look here.

The future academician, People's Artist of the USSR and the five-time winner of the Stalin Prize spent childhood and youth in this house. It is known that it was here that little Vera first began to study drawing and modeling, here laid the foundations of her creative profile. The creators of the museum were able to restore the approximate view of the room of little Vera Mukhina and her workshop, where she molded her sculptures.

Theodosia in the minds of most people is a purely beach resort, but at one time there was a real focus of bohemian life, which eventually caused a huge flow of tourists who wanted not only to lie on the beach, but also to touch the life of adored idols.

If all these Greens and Tsvetaevs lived in the city for only a certain part of their lives, then one prominent person managed to be born here, live all his life and even die despite his fame. This is Ivan Aivazovsky - the best marine painter in the Russian pictorial tradition.

Having become a big figure during his lifetime, Ivan Konstantinovich took an active part in the life of the city, because there is simply a huge number of objects that are somehow connected with it. Of these, you can even form a small tour route.

• Picture gallery. Where else to get acquainted with the work of artists, if not in the art gallery - from here we start. The institution consists of two buildings, in the first of which you can find a large collection of marine painting of the author, in whose honor the gallery is named. The second expands the “repertoire” of the collection to some extent - here are presented both the “sea” works of other artists and alternative subjects in the works of Aivazovsky himself, who nevertheless did not limit himself to only the sea.

• Monument. Do not put a statue to his most famous native would be an unforgivable rudeness, and the Theodosians, of course, put it - the monument is located right at the main entrance to the art gallery. The sculptor portrayed the artist, who admires the Feodosia Gulf - just as it must have happened several times during the life of Ivan Konstantinovich.

• Fountain. Aivazovsky is widely known primarily as an artist, and not everyone outside Feodosia knows that this man was also a patron of the arts. He invested in practical, but from that no less remarkable things - it was with the money of Ivan Konstantinovich that the first water supply was built in the city. As for the fountain, it has a twofold function: first, it symbolized the construction of the aqueduct and adorned the city, secondly, it allowed anyone who wanted to have free access to clean drinking water.

• The grave. The famous native of Feodosia rested in his native city, and even contemporaries understood the scale and significance of this figure, because they buried him not at a public cemetery. The burial site was chosen as the church of St. Sergius, to whom Ivan Konstantinovich himself was much obliged - it was here that the baptism, the wedding, and then the funeral of the artist took place. The grave is beautifully decorated with a memorial plate that does not allow to doubt that a truly great person rests beneath it.

In addition, a huge interest in arriving tourists causes Genoese fortress "Kafa". Even if the study of history is not your favorite entertainment, you are unlikely to be able to pass by such monumental structures, because this is one of the largest medieval fortresses throughout Europe.

Of course, until today it has not been preserved in its original form, and it would be more correct to say that today you can observe only the individual towers left from it, but even these remains allow us to judge the past greatness of the fortifications. These towers (among which is the Tower of Constantine, mentioned above) are scattered here and there throughout the city, but if you want to see the maximum of the Middle Ages in one place, go on foot from the train station or take the first bus from the center.

The Genoese fortress is interesting not only for its antiquity, but also for its architectural uniqueness, because the remaining architectural monuments created by the hands of the Apennine guests remained surprisingly small. Since real Italian medieval architecture is not available anywhere else, in this respect the Genoese fortress is a real find.

Despite the fact that Theodosius itself is interesting and can entertain tourists for a long time, it is strongly recommended to leave it and go to the nearest neighborhood for a short time in order to see the Karadag nature reserve. It is formed around the extinct volcano Karadag and is the last refuge for many species of flora and fauna listed in the Red Book.

note that no independent visit to the Karadag Reserve - being on its territory is possible only in the presence of an employee, therefore it should be recorded in advance. Going on a hike, first get to the neighboring resort, which can be reached from Feodosia by bus or minibus.

About where to go and what to see in Fedosia, you will see in the next video.