Photo Gallery

The working fountain in a beautiful park in front of Massandra Palace on a nice sunny morning.

The Palace in Massandra resembling a French chateau was built in 1881-1900 for Tsar Alexander III, but after his death in 1894, it was finished in 1900 by his son and the last Russian Tsar, Nicolas II. The castle is located on elevated and cliffy cape. It was used by Romanovs only as a hunting lodge and the royal family never stayed for a night here, but during the Soviet times, Joseph Stalin decided to use it as his dacha in Crimea.

Photo #174 taken on August 13, 2019 during visiting Massandra Palace with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky on the 3rd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

The decorative Neo-Gothic castle "Swallow's Nest" (Russian: Lastochkino Gnezdo) is the symbol of the south coast of Crimea located between Yalta and Alupka. The beautiful castle was constructed by design of the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood between 1911 and 1912 on money commissioned from the owner of this land, Baron von Steingel, a Baltic German noble who had made a fortune extracting oil in Baku, acquired the timber cottage and within a year had it replaced with the current building almost within a year.

In 2011, after 3 months of restoration work estimated to cost $150,000 USD, it was opened as museum. The Swallow's Nest is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Crimea, becoming the symbol of the Crimea's southern coastline.

Photo #055 taken on September 12, 2013

A small waterfall in the Grand Canyon filling the deep natural bath Kara-gol formed by Auzun-Uzen river (stream). The river flows at the bottom of the Canyon with multitude of blocks and boulders, forms over hundred of 2-3 meter deep erosive cauldrons and gullies that look like porcelain sinks. These are so called baths. Kara-gol is the largest natural font, located on the road from Yalta to the peak of Ai-Petri. Even in extreme heat, the water temperature in the font nicknamed “Bath of Youth” does not exceed 11-12 degrees. Kara-gol has an average diameter of about 5 meters, or rather, the bath is almost rectangular, 3 by 6 meters and a depth of 6 meters. From a ledge, 3 meters high, jets of a very pretty waterfall flow into it. The parameters of the "bath" completely allow those who wish to dive from a towering stone ledge without fear of injury. But the waterfall is just the appearance of filling the font. In fact, water enters the small mountain lake from a spring that does not dry during the hottest time, and is 150 meters higher from the ground.

Photo #693 taken on May 04, 2017

A small yacht is sailing the Black Sea before the storm on in bay of Gurzuf, south coast of Crimea.

Photo #086 taken on September 15, 2013 from a terrace of a local restaurant “Salambo” located on the beach about 16 m (52 ft) above sea level.

View of a bird flying over the famous figured teeth at the peak the highest point of Ai-Petri mountain, the peak in the Crimean Mountains. The teeth of Ai-Petri consist of four large (60-80 m high) and a number of small ridges on the crest formed during the weathering of heterogeneous reef limestones at 1200 meters above sea level. Beautiful relict pine trees can be seen on the top and between the ridges that growing all around in the Crimean mountains.

Photo #193 taken on May 04, 2017

The view on the edge of the ancient coral reef of the Jurassic period, the mount Karaul-Oba (Tatar: Qaravul Oba, Russian: Karaulnaya), from Cape Kapchik, located a few kilometers westwards from Novy Svet (New World) settlement, on the tourist path of Golitsyn. The Karaul-Oba massif with its mystic rocky ledges is the state complex natural monument. Almost from the very sea, sharp teeth of the cliffs are jutting out, that is a distinctive feature of the mountain. ‘Karaul-Oba’ means ‘Watch Mountain’ or ‘Guard Peak’ in Crimean Tatar. It is reckoned among many unique natural wonders of Sudak’s surroundings.

Photo #079 taken on May 01, 2017

Light and airy crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling of the Bedroom of Their Imperial Majesties.

Work on the decoration of the bedroom was performed by the Moscow furniture factory of K.V. Siebrecht.

Photo #200 taken on August 14, 2019 during tour of Livadia Palace and Park with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky on the 4th day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

Interior of work cabinet of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov in his summer residence in Gurzuf. Here, in a very small secluded house at the beautiful South Coast of Crimea near Yalta city, he created his masterpieces “Three Sisters” and “ Cherry Orchard”. Bronze chandelier, wooden cabinet, table and chairs, and over items of the interior of the room are the real objects preserved in the house-museum “Dacha Chekhova”.

Photo #060 taken on September 10, 2013

Crimean landscape on the road between Koktebel and Shebetovka in the background of the mountains of Karadag Nature Reserve.

Photo #304 taken on September 14, 2013

Old wooden worktable, shelf with books, family pictures and the portrait of Lev Golitsyn hanging on the wall, in the living room of the house-museum of the famous Russian winemaker in Novy Svet.

Photo #232 taken on August 12, 2019 on the 2nd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within 6 Days”) with my Dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky.

View from Yuzhnoberezhnoye Shosse (South Coast Highway) near Gurzuf on the white clouds hovering over the Black Sea.

Photo #251 taken on September 14, 2013

The view from a third-story window of Consular Castle of Genoese of fortification walls stretching along a mountain on the Black Sea coast. This 14th-century castle is located in the eastern part of the citadel of Genoese Soldaia, the former name of Sudak fortress given by the Venetians in the 13th century. The fortress was ceded to Genoese control by the Venetians in 1365. The Genoese Fortress and Consular Castle in Sudak (Soldaia) in the eastern part of Crimea (Crimean Peninsula) is a splendid example of Italian architecture.

Photo #314 taken on August 27, 2015 in Sudak Fortress, Travelling around Crimea.

Beautiful view from Baidarsky Pass on the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros, a settlement founded and named by medieval Greek merchants. Located almost in the middle between Yalta and Sevastopol, Foros was rediscovered in the late 19th century by Alexander Kuznetsov, Moscow merchant, a Russian "tea king" who had his palace built on the sea shore. Kuznetsov commissioned Nikolai Chagin, a celebrated architect from Wilno, to built the church of Christ's Resurrection in memory of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III and his family in 1888 train crash in the Borki, on the way to St. Petersburg.

The magnificent church that combines Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles was built by design of Nikolai Chagin in 1892 on abrupt 400-metre (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) near Baidarsky Pass with spectacular view of the Black Sea. The temple is notable for its luxurious exterior and picturesque interior. The murals created by famous artists Makovsky and Korzukhin, mosaic work performed by Italian studio of Antonio Salvatti. In 1924, after Soviet revolution, Foros church was closed, crosses thrown down, murals painted over, a priest sent to Siberia. Until 1969 it was used as restaurant for tourists who were going to Baidarsky Pass. In Soviet times Foros settlement located on the southern point of Crimea, Ukraine, became popular place for dachas of Soviet generals and leaders (nearby located famous summer residence of Mikhail Gorbachev). The Resurrection cathedral overlooking the village of Foros is a popular tourist attraction and architectural monument of 19th century. It was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1990s after crash of USSR. It went through four restoration campaigns under the auspices of Leonid Kuchma, ex-president of Ukraine. In present days, the church became also a popular wedding location.

Photo #335 taken on September 10, 2013

Overview Yalta Bay, Yalta city and its surroundings on the shore of Black Sea from Silver Arbor, the amazing observation spot located on the way to the peak of Mount Ai-Petri. Below the arbor is a waterfall Uchan-Su and magnificent centuries-old pine forest at the foot of the hill Pendikyul. The locks of love left by just married couples on the small fence protecting this observation deck. The Silver Arbor is an ecological and educational object located the Pendikul mountain at the height of 848 meters above sea level. The arbor was established in 1894 in honor of builders of the road Yalta - Ai-Petri - Bakhchisarai.

Photo #035 taken on May 04, 2017

View from hotel Romantik on the ancient walls and towers built between 1371 and 1469 by Genoese as a stronghold of Soldayya (Sudak) colony. A silver dome of the Temple with Arcade can be seen behind the fortress walls.

Photo #113 taken on August 11, 2019 during hiking tour on the peak of Sokol mountain with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky (1st day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within 6 Days”)

Sculpture of a woman-sphinx with a ball at the facade of Massandra Palace located on the Southern coast of Crimea
Front angle view of a sculpture of the woman-sphinx with a ball at Southern facade of Massandra Palace near Yalta, Crimea. The palace was built at the end of 19th century in the style of Louis XIII of France (French chateaux of the Renaissance) and belonged to Russian Emperor Alexander III.

Photo #060 taken on May 02, 2017

Beautiful Crimean landscape at sunset with a lonely standing tree on the mountain plateau of Burunchak near the Maryam-Dere (St. Maria) gully (not far from the Holy Dormition Cave Monastery) in Bakhchisaray.

Photo #925 taken on May 04, 2017

Decorative castle Swallow's Nest (Lastochkino Gnezdo) castle on a rock over the Black Sea in spring twilight. The small castle resembling a medieval knight's castle situated on the steep 40-metre (130 ft) high Aurora Cliff of Ai-Todor Cape in Gaspra near Great Yalta. The beautiful castle was constructed by design of the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood in Neo-Gothic style between 1911 and 1912. It became one of the most popular visitor attractions in Crimea and the symbol of Crimea's southern coastline.

Photo #731 taken on May 02, 2017

Quick stop on a serpentine road in mountains to overview a valley near the famous Crimean Mountain Demerdzhi in Alushta covered with clouds and fog.

Photo #406 taken on May 06, 2017

ountain in background of production buildings with sign 1965 on the main square of the champagne factory “Novy Svet”.

Photo #284 taken on August 12, 2019 during Champaigne Factory tour in Novy Svet on the 2nd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days” with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky.
©2019 GuideToCrimea.Ru by Arthur Lookyanov

Breathtaking view from the peak of Sokol (Falcon) Mountain, which lies 474 metres above the peaceful “Zelenaya Buhta" (Green Bay) and the settlement of Novy Svet (New World), Crimea. This tranquil bay with its crystal clear water is protected on both sides by imposing mountains.

Photo #426 taken on September 31, 2015

View from a terrace of Dacha Chekhova (Chekhov's summer residence) on the picturesque bay (very often called Bay of Quietness) framed by trees. The small secret dacha of the famous Russian writer is located in Gurzuf, the resort in Southern part of Crimea near Yalta city.

The Adalary twin-rocks can be seen from this bay and appear far away in the background of this picture.

Photo #055 taken on September 10, 2013

View from the observation platform at Alupkinskoye highway on the decorative castle “Swallow Nest” rising on the Aurora Cliff in the background of the blue waters of the Black Sea. The small, neo-Gothic decorative castle was built in Gaspra (13 km from Yalta by car) in 1911-1912 closer in style to various German Gothic castle follies, such as Lichtenstein Castle, specifically to catch visitors' attention with its fairy tale appearance. It is the most famous landmark and symbol of Crimea.

Photo #432 taken on August 14, 2019 in Gaspra on the 4th day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days” with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky.

View from the motorway in the southeast of the Crimean peninsula on the mountain landscape with vegetation, trees and vineyards, blue sky with clouds on a beautiful summer sunny day. It is the place between the villages of Morskoye and Privetnoye, not far from the Black Sea coast, between the two large cities of Sudak and Alushta.

Photo #027 taken on August 19, 2019

Beautiful Stankevich pine tree growing on a steep slope of Sokol (Falcon) mountain in background of a valley where located Sudak city. Such pine trees are very rare in nature, but they are endemic to the Sudak district on the southern coast of the Crimea peninsula. First described by the Russian botanist V.N. Stankevich, the pines were named by the academic V. N. Sukachev in 1906 in his honor. They are also known as “Sudak Pines”- after the region in which they are found.

Photo #149 taken on August 11, 2019 during hiking tour on the peak of Sokol mountain with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky (1st day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within 6 Days”)

The relief of the rocky coast of a small bay of Anton Chekhov in Gurzuf against the background of the famous twin rocks “Adalary”. In this bay, the famous Russian writer bought a small Tatar house (saklya) in late 1899, which became the place of his creative solitude. In a letter to his brother at the beginning of 1900, Anton Pavlovich describes his purchase: "A small bay with a beautiful view, its own cliffs, swimming, fishing, etc., etc."

The twin cliffs Adalary is a visiting card of not only Gurzuf resort, the Southern coast of Crimea, but also the whole Crimea. The rocks are located some distance from the sea in front of the Artek International Children's Center (the former famous pioneer camp in the USSR). On one of the cliffs, there is a tricolor, the national flag of Russia.

Photo #288 taken on August 13, 2019 during the tour of Dacha Chekhova in Gurzuf with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky on the 3rd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

Walking along the famous trail Golitsyn to the cape Kapchik near Novy Svet (New World) settlement, the well-known resort in the South-eastern part of the Crimean Peninsula, Black Sea, Russian Federation.

Photo #040 taken on May 01, 2017

Amazing, picturesque mountain landscape of the central part of Crimea at Lake Devichye (Eng: Maiden; locals call it Lake Mangup) with a view of the village of Khoja-Sale located at the foot of Mangup Mountain. The ruins of Mangup-Kale, an ancient cave city, have been preserved not far from this place. The Devichye (Maiden) at the foot of Mount Mangup, surrounded by sheer cliffs, is very young. It was created by man 40 years ago. Mangup lake was formed thanks to the purposeful construction work that was carried out here in 1982-1984. The excavated pit was gradually filled with water coming from the springs that opened during excavation. So there was a reservoir, which began to exist independently and turned into a real natural object.

Photo #123 taken on August 17, 2019

The bronze composition dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the meeting of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition countries, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, weighing about 10 tons, was created by the prominent Russian sculptor and architect Zurab Tsereteli.

The monument was established on February 5, 2015 with the support of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Crimea - Novoselskaya A.V. and the Head of Administration of Yalta - Rostenko A.O.

The "Big Three" - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin Roosevelt and Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Joseph Stalin - met in the royal palace in Livadia from February 4 to 11, 1945 at the Yalta Conference in Crimea. It was the World War II meeting of the allied leaders for the purpose of discussing Europe's postwar reorganization.

Photo #825 taken on May 05, 2017

Flowering standard pink rose-tree at the picturesque antique patio near the eastern facade of Massandra Palace in the background of the curved stonewall with fountains.

Photo #051 taken on August 13, 2019 during tour of Livadia Palace and Park with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky on the 3rd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

The beautiful richly decorated old icon of St. Nicholas, an icon of Our Lady with Child and one other icon framed flowers on the window sill. Interior of the Church of Christ's Resurrection near Baidarsky Pass at Foros settlement. The church was built in 1892 at the most Southern coast of Crimean Peninsula, in the middle between Yalta and Sevastopol.

Photo #716 taken on May 05, 2017

Memory photo of me, Arthur Lookyanov, and my clients and friends from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky, standing on the peak of Sokol (Falcon) Mountain in Novy Svet (New World). The picture was taken on my camera by our local guide in Sudak after 2,5 hours climbing on the mount.

Photo #202 taken on August 11, 2019 during a hiking tour in Novy Svet on the 1st day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

Ancient stone steps to the upper level of the Genoese fortress of Sudak consisting of Consular castle and four neighboring towers connected by walls. The fortress situated on an ancient coral reef – a conical mountain called Kyz-Kulle-Burun was built between 1371 and 1469 by Genoeses as a stronghold of Soldayya (Sudak) colony, about 55 km from ancient Caffa(Feodosiya).

Photo #255 taken on April 30, 2017

The sign in Russian “Livadiysky Dvorets 1911-2019” (Eng: Livadia Palace 1911-2019) made from snow-white pebbles in amazing park with palms in front of the former summer residence of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II Romanov, in Crimea. The palace was built outskirts of Yalta city in 1911 by the project of Russian architect Nikolay Krasnov.

Photo #036 taken on August 14, 2019 during the tour of Livadia Palace and Park with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky on the 4th day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within Six Days”.

Overview Gurzuf bay from Snegiri Guest House at sunset in summer. In the picture: Gurzuf settlement, Gurzuf bay and Adalary twin-rocks, and Mount Au-Dag (Bear Mountain) in the background. Gurzuf is the popular resort-town (urban-type settlement) located 11 km East from Yalta city.

Photo #320 taken on August 12, 2019 during adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within One Week” with my Dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky.

View on the White Marble Fountain surrounded by blooming tulips flowerbed in the park in front of Livadia Palace in the fog. The area of Livadia park is known for its rich history, and the local amazing nature has always inspired artists and poets, writers and composers. Travelers from all over the world come here to admire the beautiful park surrounding the palace, breathe the clean and healing sea air.

Photo #145 taken on May 05, 2017

Crimean landscape with the view of a waving road in the South-West of the plateau leading to the highest point of Ai-Petri, the peak in the Crimean Mountains with the famous figured teeth. The teeth of Ai-Petri consist of four large (60-80 m high) and a number of small ridges on the crest formed during the weathering of heterogeneous reef limestones at 1200 meters above sea level. Ai-Petri is one of the windiest places in Crimea. The wind blows for 125 days a year, reaching a speed of 50 m/s (110 mph).

Photo #061 taken on May 04, 2017

The big Sudak pine on the slope of Sokol Mountain (Falcon Mountain) in Novy Svet in the background of the mountain range in Sudak district. The tree is used by people who climb on the mount as an object of wishes and offerings. This type of trees in Sudak was called Stankevich pine by the name of famous Russian botanist who found and described it in 1906.

Photo #384 taken on August 31, 2015

Overview beautiful sunset over Crimean Mountains from the peak of Sokol (Falcon) mountain (about 470 meters from a sea level) at Novy Svet, few kilometers from Sudak, the Sothern shore of Crimean Peninsula.

Photo #208 taken on August 11, 2019 during hiking tour on the peak of Sokol mountain with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther and Ricky (1st day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea within 6 Days”)

Angle view of the decorative Neo-Gothic castle "Swallow's Nest" (Russian: Lastochkino Gnezdo) at twilight. It is the symbol of the south coast of Crimea located in Gaspra, between Yalta and Alupka. The beautiful castle was constructed by design of the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood between 1911 and 1912 on money commissioned by the owner of this land, Baron von Steingel, a Baltic German noble who had made a fortune extracting oil in Baku, acquired the timber cottage and within a year had it replaced with the current building almost within a year.

In 2011, after 3 months of restoration work estimated to cost $150,000 USD, it was opened as a museum. The Swallow's Nest is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Crimea, becoming the symbol of the Crimea's southern coastline.

Photo #714 taken on May 02, 2017