Photo Gallery

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

Mind-blowing icon of Our Lady of Kazan from the church of St. Nicholas of Wonderworker of Myra in Malorechenskoye village (near Alushta) created by talented artist Vladimir Denshchikov using his own technique of “netting-macramé-collage”. Only linen is used in the process and each painstaking handwork takes for almost six months (and some even longer). Just imagine, the thickness of this is no more than 2 mm, and all the narrow parts are without tools and machines. Each of many great works of the master of the new type of iconography consists of more than 8 million knots.

View from a second floor of the Massandra Palace on a part of the curved retaining wall with fountains decorated with colums and arches at the parade entrance gate into the Royal estate. The wall, columns and fountains were built when the estate belonged to Prince Vorontsov, the Governer of Novorossiya. The entrance gate was "guarded" by lions - sculptural castings (made in the workshops of the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg) from the work of the famous French animal sculptor A.L. Bari (1796-1875). The entire retaining wall was decorated with majolica plates, red irrigation tiles. Six fountains with satyr and naiad macarons were mounted in it (these masks were replaced with masks of lions in Stalin times). By its architectural and artistic decision, this retaining wall organically entered the general palace and park ensemble.

Photo #120 taken on August 13, 2019 during the tour of 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”.

Bust of Russian Emperor Alexander III (years of life 1845-1894) at the Massandra Palace in Crimea. During Alexander’s reign (1881-1894) the country was not involved in major wars, so that is why he was called by all people of Russia "The Peacemaker". He was a man of amazing fortitude, beauty, and harmony, courage and devotion to his Fatherland.

The grand opening ceremonial and consecration of the bust took place on the grounds of the former estate of Alexander III in Massandra on June 1st, 2017. The event was timed to such anniversaries as 175 years since the birth of the palace architect Maximilian Mesmacher, 135 years since the founding of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society and 25 years since the beginning of the work of the Massandra Palace as a museum.

Photo #027 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”.

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 top of Aurora Cape on the Neo-Gothic castle “Swallow's Nest” (Russian: “Lastochkino Gnezdo”) under a blue sky with fluffy white clouds in the background of the water of the Black Sea and the bay of Yalta city in Autumn season. The castle is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Crimea, becoming the symbol of the Crimea's southern coastline. It was constructed by the design of the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood between 1911 and 1912 on the money of Baron von Steingel.

Photo #068 taken on September 12, 2013

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

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”.

Crimean seascape with a nice seagull flying over Gurzuf Bay (town settlement near Yalta) under impressive white clouds over the Black sea.

Photo #103 taken on September 15, 2013

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

Overlooking the beach of settlement Novy Svet (New World) from Sokol Mountain at the height about 350 meters. The settlement is located about 6 km West from Sudak at picturesque Zelenaya Buhta (Green Bay). This tranquil bay with its crystal clear water is protected from wind on both sides by imposing mountains.

Photo #253 taken on August 31, 2015

The view details of the architecture of a neo-gothic castle "Swallow's Nest" (Russian: Lastochkino Gnezdo) in Gaspra from a back side. It looks like the decorative castle is sailing to the Black sea.

Swallow's Nest is the symbol of the south coast of Crimea located between Yalta and Alupka. The beautiful castle was constructed on a rock 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 #032 taken on September 12, 2013

Behind-the-Scenes: My Dear clients from Hong Kong, Ricky and Esther, taking memory pictures at the curved stonewall with fountains at the eastern facade of Massandra Palace.

Photo #041 taken on August 13, 2019 in Massandra park on the 3rd day of the adventure trip “Discovering Crimea in 6 Days”.

Beautiful colorful red and yellow tulips in a flowerbed of a fountain area at Livadia Palace in the springtime.

Photo #063 taken on May 05, 2017

View of Gurzuf bay framed by trees from an observation deck at the top of a hill on Gurzufskoye highway. The edge of Mount Au-Dag (Bear Mountain), twin-rocks Adalary, Skalny (Rocky) Hotel on the Genoese Rock with a peer of Chekhov’s Dacha at the bottom, old and modern buildings of Gurzuf you can see on this picture. Gurzuf is the popular resort-town (urban-type settlement) located in 11 km East from Yalta city.

Photo #021 taken on August 19, 2019

Front view of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros under the moonlight in spring twilight. The church was commissioned by Moscow merchant Alexander Kuznetsov, a Russian "tea king", in memory of the miraculous rescue of Emperor Alexander III and his family in 1888 train crash. It was built in 1892 in Rastrelliesque Baroque, Russian Revival, and Byzantine Revival styles by the project of Nikolai Chagin in on abrupt 400-meter (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) near Baidarsky Pass with a spectacular view of the Black Sea.

Photo #800 taken on May 05, 2017

Beautiful landscape at the peak of Mount Ai-Petri (St. Peter) with the view of the Figured Teeth, the 60-80 m high ridges formed during the weathering of heterogeneous reef limestones, and the coast of Black sea where located resort settlements Koreiz (down at the left) and Alupka (down at the right).

Vorontsov Palace and Park, one of the oldest and largest palaces in Crimea, situated in Alupka, at the foot of Ai-Petri Mountain.

Photo #070 taken on May 04, 2017

Large yellow cable car cabin moving down from a station at the top of Ai-Petri (St. Peter) Mountain. Buildings at the edge of Yalta city are visible don’t the mountain (1200 meters above sea level) in the background of the picture.

Photo #038 taken on May 04, 2017

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

Overview mountains and large vineyards at the southern shore of Crimean Peninsula near a village Uskut, Alushta district.

Photo #087 taken on August 09, 2019

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

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”)

Beautiful view at the beginning of hiking tour to the peak of Sokol mount on the Green Bay, Koba-Kaya Mountain (Mount Orel, Eagle), and resort settlement Novy Svet (New World).

Photo #083 taken on August 31, 2015

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”.

Front view of a small secret house of Anton Chekhov framed by trees and plants. It is the former Tatar sakli, that the famous Russian writer purchased in 1899 in Gurzuf on the Black Sea coast to escape from the annoying attention of friends and fans.

Photo #044 taken on September 10, 2013

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

Angle view on the monument to Alexander III, emperor of Russia from 1881 to 1894, the Russian Tsar who strove to maintain peace in Europe, which earned him the moniker of "Peacemaker", in the park of the Livadia Palace, outskirts of Yalta, Crimea. President of Russia Vladimir participated in the unveiling ceremony for the monument on November 18, 2017. The impressive four-meter-tall bronze monument was designed by sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk, head of the Artists’ Union, People’s Artist of Russia, and created at a plant in the Urals. Alexander III is presented as sitting on a tree stump, dressed in military uniform and resting on his sword, with a stele behind him topped with a double-headed eagle. An inscription at the bottom of the monument repeats his alleged saying “Russia has only two allies: the Army and the Navy.”

Photo #021 taken on August 14, 2019

Under the huge branches of Sequoiadendron giganteum, evergreen coniferous tree of gigantic size in Massandra park. With branches resembling mammoth tusks, these sequoias also called Mammoth trees. The two giant trees were planted on the western facade of the Massandra Palace 130 years ago during the reconstruction of the residence of Emperor Alexander III according to the project of the famous architect Messmacher in the 1890s. In the present time, the trunk girth of the giant sequoias is about nine meters, and the height is about forty meters.

The first seeds of Sequoiadendron giganteum Nikitsky Botanical Garden (located in few kilometers from Massandra) received in 1840 from the former Russian colony Ross in California. Later, the giant sequoia dedron came to Europe from the South of Crimean peninsula.

Photo #005 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”.

View from a hill on a pleasure boat returning back to a peer in the Gurzuf bay and seagulls flying over the Black sea.

Photo #304 taken on September 14, 2013

View at the peak of Sokol (Falcon) Mountain, 474 meters above the level of Black Sea, peaceful “Zelenaya Buhta" (Green Bay) and the settlement of Novy Svet (New World), down the mountain at sunset.

Photo #254 taken on August 31, 2015

Evening view from the observation platform at Staroye Svestopolskoye Shosse (Old Sevastopol Highway) on the Church of Christ's Resurrection rising on the high Red Cliff over covered with low clouds (fog) the Black Sea in the twilight. A car light trail on the curved mountain road to the church gives an additional touch to this landscape composition.

Photo #802 taken on May 05, 2017

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

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 #058 taken on September 12, 2013

View from the observation platform at Baidarsky Pass on the Church of Christ's Resurrection rising on the abrupt 400-meter (1312 ft) Red Cliff (Krasnaya Skala) above Black sea and Foros settlement covered with fog in spring twilight. The church was built by the design of Russian architect Nikolai Chagin in 1892.

Photo #788 taken on May 05, 2017

Amazing view from a parking area at Alupkinskoye highway on the decorative castle “Swallow Nest” rising on the Aurora Cliff above the blue waters of the Black Sea in early summer morning. 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 #005 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.

Interior of Enoteca of Novy Svet Winery, the repository of elite sparkling wines, in one of the old tunnels cut in the monolith of Koba-Kaya Mountain (Mount Orel, Eagle) at the end of 19th – beginning of 20th century. In the tunnel is hanging the yellow banner with the words Vir, Est, Vis (“It was. It is. It will be.”) from the coat of arms of Golitsyn family. Several tunnels were constructed below the sea level, so it helps to maintain permanent temperature of 8-12 degrees necessary for aging. The old tunnel cellars are in perfect condition, and most of them are used by the Novy Svet Winery even today.

Photo #278 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.

Direct bottom view of the light and airy crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling of the Bedroom of Their Imperial Majesties in Livadia Palace.
Work on the decoration of the bedroom was performed by the Moscow furniture factory of K.V. Siebrecht.

Photo #203 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 view of the Christian Orthodox Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Home Church of Romanovs in Livadia. The church constructed in 1864-66 by the project of Russian architect Ippolit Monighetti and connected with Livadia Palace is decorated with elegant marble pillars and beautiful vaults painted in bright blue and gold colors with icons.

Photo #110 taken on May 05, 2017

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

Angle view of white-stone Livadia Palace decorated with colorful bright red, white, vinous and yellow tulips at fountain areas in the springtime. The palace is a beautiful pearl and architectural monument of the Southern coast of Crimea located not far from Yalta city. It was the summer home of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, built in 1911 by Russian architect N.P. Krasnov. In Livadia Palace held Yalta Conference of “Bif Three” in February 1945.
Location: Suburb of Yalta, Crimea, Russia

Photo #065 taken on May 05, 2017