Photo Gallery

Beautiful view from a top of Aurora Cliff of Ai-Todor Cape in Gaspra on the Neo-Gothic castle situated on the steep 40-metre (130 ft) high rock in background of Black Sea and illuminated Yalta Bay in evening twilight. 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 #728 taken on May 02, 2017

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

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

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”.

My picture on the shore of the Black Sea in urban settlement Kurortnoye (Eng: Resort) near Koktebel in the background of the foot of the mountain massif Kara Dag ("Black Mount"; the nature preserve) at sunset.

Photo #098 taken on August 30, 2015

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”.

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”.

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

View of rocks at the edge of "Limen-Burun", the eastern spur of Cape Ai-Todor and a small rocky island called "Parus" (Sail), standing in front of it in the blue waters of the Black Sea. Limen (Liman) in Greek is a bay, a harbor cape. Here in the bay, there is a berth for pleasure boats and motor ships arriving to the famous castle "Swallow's Nest" in Gaspra. In the photo you can see in the distance the silhouette of the famous Au-Dag Mountain (Mountain Bear), where the Gurzuf resort and the Artek International Children's Camp are located.

Photo #382 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.

Magnificient interior of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros with the view from the middle of the church on the carved oak iconostasis (icon screen) with the gilded the Beautiful Gates (Holy Doors) in the center and shining church chandelier (Greek: Panikadilo) hanging from its cupola (dome). The walls of the church decorated with Byzantine ornamentation.

Photo #692 taken on May 05, 2017

Quick stop on a road between Koktebel and Shebetovka overlooking the beautiful Crimean landscapes near Karadag Nature Reserve.

Photo #030 taken on August 24, 2015

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

Illuminated at nighttime the Church of Christ's Resurrection stands under moonlight on 400-metre (1312 ft) cliff near Baidarsky Pass in Foros settlement, the southernmost resort in the Crimea.

Photo #727 taken on September 12, 2013

Overview white-stone Livadia Palace from the amazing park. 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, constructed in 1911 by the design of Russian architect N.P. Krasnov.

Photo #051 taken on May 05, 2017

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”.

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

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 of the Palace of Russian Emperor Alexander III in Massandra from local garden on a sunny spring day. Resembling a French chateau, the palace is situated 5 km North-East from Yalta in Crimean village Massandra that located on elevated and cliffy cape.

The castle originally built in 1881-1900 for Tsar Alexander III, but after his death in 1894, the palace in Massandra was finished in 1900 by his son and the last Russian Tsar, Nicolas II. This castle was used by Romanovs only as 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 as his dacha in Crimea.

Photo #235 taken on May 02, 2017

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”.

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”.

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

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”)

The family portrait of Romanovs in the White Hall was presented to Livadia Palace by the Crimean Prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya on July 12, 2016. Commissioned by the head of the prosecutor's office of Crimea, the historical portrait of Nicholas II with his wife and kids measuring 1.6 by 2 meters was painted within 2 months by Oksana Kairo, the Crimean artist from Yalta.

Photo #094 taken on August 14, 2019, during a tour of Livadia Palace with my dear clients from Hong Kong, Esther, and Ricky on the 4th 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”.

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

The reception rooms and offices of Their Majesties are located on the second floor of Massandra Palace, as well as their bedchamber and bathrooms. Conventionally, the entire floor of the castle can be divided into two halves - male and female, and each of them has a spiral staircase at the left and right sides of the building.

On the picture is shown decorations of ceiling in reception room of Maria Fedorovna. The finest molding of the ceiling is painted that allows to examine its ornament. Artfully mounted in the ceiling lattices of ventilation system was made by the project of Professor Lukashevich. The interior of reception room supplemented with nice bronze chandelier.

Photo #126 taken on September 14, 2013

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

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

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

Interior decoration of the Billiard room of Massandra Palace with the beautiful chandelier and fragment of stucco ceiling with Gothic forms. Following 19th century interior rules, the Billiard room was finished in the style of the English Renaissance.

Photo #096 taken on May 02, 2017

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

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

View of a boat with tourists entering the Blue Bay (Golubaya Buhta) in Novy Svet (New World), where located the famous Tsar beach in Suzdak district in Crimea. The sharp teeth of the cliffs of the mount Karaul-Oba (Tatar: Qaravul Oba, Russian: Karaulnaya) are in the background of the picture. This ancient 341-meter-high coral reef of the Jurassic period (341 m.) has rather a complicated specific structure: plateau-like area with rock walls, crevices, ridges, stone labyrinths are replaced by deep long saddles. The rocky ledges of Karaul-Oba massif is a State complex natural monument and reckoned among many unique natural wonders of Sudak’s surroundings.

Photo #095 taken on May 01, 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.

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.

Sculpture of the woman-sphinx with a ball at the facade of Massandra Palace, a suburb of 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 #227 taken on May 02, 2017

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

19th century muselet (or muzzler) machine to put wire cage on a bottle of champagne on display in the house-museum of the famous Russian winemaker, Lev Golitsyn, in Novy Svet.

Photo #240 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.

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 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