Photo Gallery

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

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 bottom view of a chandelier (Greek: panikadilo) hanging from cupola (dome) of the Church of Christ's Resurrection in Foros. The beautiful cupola and vaults of the church decorated with Byzantine ornamentation.

Photo #708 taken on May 05, 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 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

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

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”.

My picture in the background of Gurzuf bay, the pier “Dacha Chekhova” (Chekhov’s Dacha) and rocks where it is located the summer house (dacha) of the famous Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. In 1900 Chekhov purchased here a small tatar saklya (house) with a small piece of the shore where he wrote his famous plays “Three Sisters” and “Cherry Orchard”.

Photo #164 taken on September 10, 2013 from a restaurant terrace of restaurant “Salambo” where opens a panoramic view over the entire bay of Gurzuf.

View on the “Bolshoy House” (Big House) of Golitsyn’s family in Novy Svet from the entrance doors into the grand winery cellar of the famous Russian winemaker. A wooden column balustrade above the cellar is located on the high level in front of the main entrance into the one story 200 square meter house constructed by project of Lev Golitsyn in 1880. Due to the difference in relief at the Mount Koba-Kaya (Orel / Eagle Mountain), the building stands on such a high basement.

Photo #208 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.

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

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

Eastern facade of Massandra Palace in a cloudy Autumn day. Resembling a French chateau, the palace of Emperor Alexander III 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 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 #045 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.

Sculpture of a 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 #226 taken on May 02, 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.

Angle view of the interior of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty in Massandra Palace made by the tradition of classicism. Molded elements with gilding are successfully implemented in the strict ceiling design (master M. A. Zhilkin). The useful area of the cabinet was increased due to a niche at the northern facade of the palace. Niche, doors, panels are made of walnut, in harmony with the fireplace, lined with gray marble (at the right). Items of furniture and arts and crafts are typical for palace interiors at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.

A sculpture of the horse of the German master Slodenbek (Berlin, beginning of the XX century) is placed on a round table with a carved table stand (the work of Russian masters of the late XIX century) in the middle of the cabinet. Armchairs around the table by Russian masters of the first third of the 19th century in the Empire style are ornamented with gilded woodcarvings in the form of laurel wreaths, garlands, stylized military armor. In the depths of the niche is a marble bust of Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881), the sovereign reformer, made by an unknown sculptor in the early 60s of XIX century.

Photo #084 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”.

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

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

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

The Silver Arbor framed by trees on the way from Yalta to the top of Ai-Petri mountain by car. It 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.

In the winter the arbor becomes covered with light hoarfrost, creating an illusion of transfusion in the sunshine a thin layer of silver. From this, the name “Silver Arbor” appeared. From a rotunda of the arbor opens the scenic views on the Yalta amphitheater, Nikitskaya Yayla, Mount Au-Dag, the oak and juniper woods of the cape Martyan and the amazing coast of the Black Sea.

Photo #032 taken on May 04, 2017

Interior view from the entrance of the Christian Orthodox Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Livadia with bright blue and red colors of the paintings on its vaults and attractively carved marble iconostasis with icons decorated with fresh flowers in the spring season. The church was constructed in 1864-66 by the project of Russian architect Ippolit Monighetti and connected with Livadia Palace, the former residence of Russian Tsars. It became a home church of Romanov family.

Photo #104 taken on May 05, 2017

The round table at which at 5 p.m. on February 4, 1945 met the Big Three, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill in the Great White Hall (former Parade Dining room) of the Livadia Palace. It was the first meeting of the Crimean (Yalta) conference that was held on February 4-11, 1945 between the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition, delegations of the USSR, USA and Great Britain.
The decisions adopted at the Livadia Palace at the round table of negotiations showed the possibility of fruitful cooperation between states with various social systems.

In the photo, on the left is the chair of the head of the USA, Franklin Roosevelt, on the right is the chair of the head of the USSR, Joseph Stalin, and the chair of the head of Great Britain, Winston Churchill, is located on the opposite side of the table in the center.

Currently, the round table as a museum exhibit is located in the parade lobby of the palace.

Photo #206 taken on May 05, 2017

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

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

View from a tourist path of Golitsyn on the Sokol (Falcon) Mountain framed by a pine tree and a rock at the bottom of Oryol (Eagle) Mountain at Novy Svet (New World) settlement after sunset, before it was get dark. The popular village-resort is located on the coast of the Zelenaya Buhta (Green Bay) between these mountains.

Photo #388 taken on April 30, 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

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

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.

Looking up through the branches of a Sequoiadendron giganteum in Massandra park. Its branches resembling mammoth tusks, that is why this type of sequoias called Mammoth tree. This giant tree was planted at 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 sequoiadendron is about nine meters, and the height is about forty meters.

Photo #172 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”.

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

View from Livadia park on the home church of Romanov’s family with a small old style belfry at the side of their palace, the royal summer residence in Crimea, framed by trees in a foggy spring day. The Christian Orthodox Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was constructed in 1864-66 by the project of Russian architect Ippolit Monighetti and connected with Livadia Palace.

Photo #084 taken on May 05, 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.

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

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

Beautiful view on the church-lighthouse of St. Nicholas of Myra at Malorechenskoye village at sunset. The unique project located few kilometers from Alushta became a part of the Memorial Complex "In Memory of the Dead on the Waters" opened on May 7, 2009. A patron and sponsor of the project became the Russian businessmen Alexander Lebedev, who took a decision and invested funds in constructing here the new Crimean Wonder in 2004.

Photo #215 taken on May 01, 2017

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

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

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.

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

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”)