Service wing of the Vorontsov Palace. The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is a luxurious creation of 19th-century architecture that has survived to this day. Interesting facts about Vorontsov Palace
In 1823, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov, became governor-general of the Novorossiysk region, which at that time included Crimea. The development of Crimea owes a lot to this strong-willed and energetic person. Under his leadership, a highway is being built on the southern coast of Crimea, the agricultural and especially wine industries are rapidly developing, and the number of industrial enterprises is rapidly growing. The history of the Black Sea shipping company began in 1828. During these same years, the count was actively buying land from the local Tatar population and dreaming of creating his own palace.
Construction of the palace lasted for 20 years.
After the death of Thomas Harisson in 1829 in 1831, Count Vorontsov suddenly ordered to stop the construction of the palace and radically change the neoclassical style of the palace. The Count invites one of the most talented architects of that time, Edward Blore. According to the architect's idea, the palace is being built in the English Gothic style. In the same year, construction of the main building begins. Construction material For the construction of the walls, diabase was used - a rock of volcanic origin, which is several times stronger than granite. Deposits of this stone are found nearby in abundance. Diabase is very difficult to process, but this does not stop Count Vorontsov, because he was the richest man in the country and more than 60,000 serfs worked under his leadership. Even a sapper battalion took part in the excavation work, whose soldiers worked on the construction of terraces on the southern side of the facade. 
Interesting fact: the architect Blore never visited a construction site. He got his entire idea of the terrain from numerous drawings and engravings.
In 1948, construction of the palace came to an end. Vorontsov Palace consists of five buildings decorated with towers, which are connected by various passages, stairs and courtyards. The architect managed to organically fit the buildings, elongated from west to east, into the mountainous landscape of the area. Externally, the palace very much resembles a family feudal castle in England.
Palace interiors
The interiors of the Vorontsov Palace are in no way inferior to the Livadia Palace in the luxury of its decoration. The decoration of the rooms has been almost completely preserved. Each room, and there are about 150 of them, is designed in a personal style. The materials that were used in the decoration are reflected in the names of the rooms. The Chinese cabinet is decorated with the finest rice straw, decorative elements are embroidered with beads and silk. The decoration of the Chintz room is skillfully made from this fabric. The brightest room of the Vorontsov Palace is the Blue Living Room, the highlight of which is the stucco ornament in the form of petals and leaves. There are about three thousand of them in total and each of them is different from the other. The fireplaces of the palace are a separate masterpiece of architectural art. In each room they are unique and made of different materials.
Alupka Park
The Vorontsov Palace is located on the territory of Alupka Park, which is a pearl of landscape design. This masterpiece was created by the Chief Gardener of the Southern Coast of Crimea, Karl Antonovich Kebakh, over the course of 25 years. The park spreads over an area of 40 hectares. More than two hundred species of plants grow here, which were brought from the regions of Northern and South America, Mediterranean. It is geographically divided into Upper and Lower parks. The park is designed in such a way that it complements local nature. Three reservoirs have been artificially created on the territory of the park.
Interesting fact: To decorate the bottom of Swan Lake, Count Vorontsov ordered 20 bags of semi-precious stones, which were delivered by ship. In sunny weather they created an indescribably beautiful play of light.
The attraction of the park is the piles of stones from frozen magma, thrown out by the volcano back in the time immemorial, called “Big Chaos” and “Little Chaos”. Also built in the park a large number of fountains. 
clearing in the park
Interesting facts about Vorontsov Palace
The palace was owned by three generations of the Vorontsov family. The cost of laying out the park is twice as high as the construction of the palace itself. In 1910, up to 36,000 rubles were spent on maintaining the park, a huge amount at that time. The Vorontsov Palace is one of the first buildings in Russia where sewerage and water supply were built for comfortable living. Since 1921, a museum has been operating in the palace complex. Only after the Great Patriotic War, for about 10 years, the territory of the Vorontsov Palace was secret object and here was a dacha for the party leadership. During the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the British delegation led by William Churchill lived in the Vorontsov Palace. There is an interesting story connected with it that happened during a walk in Churchill and Stalin Park. The fact is that the staircase on the side of the facade, which faces the sea, is decorated with sculptures of guarding lions. Churchill, who really liked the sculpture of the sleeping lion, said that it looked like himself and offered Stalin to buy it. Stalin refused this proposal, but suggested to Churchill that if he answered his question correctly, Stalin would give him a sleeping lion. “Which finger on your hand is the main one?” - that was Stalin’s question. Churchill replied, “Of course the index finger.” “Wrong,” Stalin answered and twisted a figure from his fingers, which is popularly called a fig. 
If you choose Alupka for a holiday in Crimea in 2020, you will definitely see the Vorontsov Palace on photographs, postcards, paintings, and signs throughout the city. The most majestic in Crimea, it has become a real decoration of this seaside town and one of the main attractions of the South Coast, which millions of tourists come to see every year. The magnificent architecture of the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka, luxury park, stunning views of the slopes Crimean mountains and the Black Sea will not leave anyone indifferent.
Where is located: Alupka, Dvortsovoye Highway, 10.
What is the most convenient way to get there?: The easiest way to come to Alupka is from Yalta: minibuses No. 102, 115, 107 go here. From Simferopol and Sevastopol you can get to the Vorontsov Palace from the bus station.
What is the best time of year to visit?: at any time of the year in good weather.
The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka was built as the residence of the Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count M.S. Vorontsov. It must be said that the very choice of Crimea for the construction of this majestic structure should have flattered our peninsula: in those days, Novorossiya included a huge territory from Odessa to the Don.
The palace was built according to the design of the English architect Edward Blore, who “had a hand” in the construction Buckingham Palace in London and Walter Scott's Castle in Scotland. There is still debate as to whether the architect was personally in Crimea or created his masterpiece, guided solely by stories about the surrounding landscapes. The first is more credible, because the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka fits perfectly into the landscape: its sharp turrets seem to repeat the peaks of the Crimean Mountains, and the combination of several architectural styles, including oriental ones, perfectly reflects the fate of Crimea.
The palace was built in 1828-1848 under the leadership of another English architect, William Gunt. In parallel with the building, work was carried out on the creation of a park: Karl Kebach, a gardener, to whom Crimea owes the appearance of the magnificent gardens and parks of Foros, Gaspra, Oreanda, Massandra, Miskhor, was responsible for them.
Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov did not have to own the palace for long: he died in Odessa in 1856. After him, the estate passed to his son, and then to his relatives, the rich noblemen Vorontsov-Dashkov. In 1917, the Vorontsov Palace was nationalized. It was much luckier than other cultural sites in Crimea: since 1921, a historical and everyday life museum has been built here, and since 1956, an art museum. In 1990, the Vorontsov Palace became the Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve.
Architectural masterpiece
The first thing you notice when you see a photo of the Vorontsov Palace is the unusual color of the stone from which it was built. All other estates of Russian aristocrats in Crimea delight with light, white facades, while the residence of Count Vorontsov looks like a gray block, lost in dense greenery. The building was constructed from diorite, a grayish-greenish stone of volcanic origin. It was mined here, in Alupka, and each block was processed by hand.
The Vorontsov Palace welcomes tourists on Shuvalovsky Proezd. Walking along a cobblestone street surrounded by high walls, it seems that you are now in the present medieval castle. However, one glance at the frivolous turrets is enough to understand: the Vorontsov Palace is not so simple.
Blore combined neo-Gothic and neo-Moorish styles in the palace project. In England, such a mixture would be called romanticism, but in Russia - eclecticism. The northern façade of the Vorontsov Palace with its strict lines is reminiscent of the residences of English aristocrats. But the southern one, facing the sea, is decorated in oriental style: Experts say Blore was inspired by the Alhambra Palace, the residence of Spain's Arab rulers in Grenada. The Lion Terrace leads to the park - a staircase decorated with marble figures of lions - analogues of sculptures from the tomb of Pope Clement XII in Rome.
The interior decoration, as can be easily understood from the photo of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea, has remained virtually unchanged since the 19th century. Each room has its own individual design - for example, the Chinese Cabinet, the Winter Garden, the Blue Living Room, the Chintz Room. The formal dining room at the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is decorated in a very original way: it resembles the hall of a medieval palace. The halls are decorated with sculptures and works of famous painters - Italian, French, English and, of course, Russian masters. In total, there are about 150 rooms in the Vorontsov Palace, including utility rooms, but, of course, only a part is open to the public.
Vorontsov Palace - movie star
If, when looking at a photo of the Vorontsov Palace, you get the feeling that it is familiar to you, this means you are a connoisseur of the classics of Soviet cinema. It’s unlikely that there is another one who would “shine up” in so many films! The Vorontsov Palace in Crimea depicted the royal residence in “An Ordinary Miracle” and “Hamlet”, “The Three Musketeers” and “Sky Swallows”. Filmed here Scarlet Sails", "Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro" and "Sappho". There is a high probability of encountering a film crew in the summer of 2020: the halls and landscapes of the palace museum are constantly used when filming feature films and documentaries.
Expositions of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea
In 2020 at the Vorontsov Palace you will be able to visit the following exhibitions:
- "The State Rooms of the Main Building of the Vorontsov Palace."
- Southern terraces.
- "Butler's Apartment" in the Utility Building.
- "The House of Count Shuvalov."
- "Vorontsov Kitchen"
- Interior exhibitions “Cabinet of Count I.I. Vorontsov-Dashkov" and "Office of the Commandant of the State. Dachas."
- “Paris Archives” (paintings and photographic materials - a gift from the Comstadius family).
- “The gift of Professor V.N. Golubev" (paintings by artists of the 20th century).
Ticket price to Vorontsov Palace
Most of the Vorontsov Palace exhibitions are open seven days a week. You can come and enjoy the luxurious park any day of the week. Please note that in day excursions, which can be bought at almost any resort town Crimea, usually does not include visiting the halls, so if you want to enjoy the interior of the Vorontsov Palace, you will have to think about this point in advance. However, an inspection of the exterior of this stunning building and the huge park (its area is more than 40 hectares!) will leave unforgettable experience! In general, visiting this attraction, as well as Nikitsky botanical garden in Crimea, it’s worth setting aside at least 3-4 hours, and if you want to listen to the excursion and walk through all the exhibitions, and then also swim on the Alupka beach, then plan a trip for the whole day!
The first Tuesday of every month is organized for schoolchildren and students free excursions. You can take a photo in the Vorontsov Palace by paying an additional 30 rubles. By the way, the museum has its own price list for on-site registration and professional photography, so if you wish, you can arrange a real photo shoot against the backdrop of the magnificent palace!
Someone having a huge fortune always raises questions. But still there were and will be people who make a lot of money ( in different ways received) are able to spend not only on pleasing themselves, irreplaceable. Yes, representatives of the richest Russian noble families were serf owners. But they were also patrons of the arts and sciences, and left their descendants with architectural masterpieces paid for by their millions. Such as the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea.
Where is the Vorontsov Palace on the map
Looking at the map of Crimea, it becomes clear that the palace and park ensemble is located on the territory Big Yalta, in the small but colorful village of Alupka, which is why the palace is often called Alupkinsky. Its territorial location is the center of a resort village, on the Black Sea coast.
History of Alupka Palace
Crimea and England
The family of Counts Vorontsov is known in Russian history. Its representatives occupied the most important government posts. The family was also one of the richest in the country and could afford to realize any of their most incredible fantasies.
A representative of this genus, M.S. Vorontsov was a brave officer who took part in the War of 1812. He was also the nephew of the famous Ekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova, which already meant that he had a good upbringing and education. More than others, the count liked the English tradition - people like him were called Anglomaniacs in the 19th century.
In the mid-20s of the 19th century, this nobleman was appointed to Crimea as governor of New Russia and Bessarabia. Having taken office, the governor looked for a good estate not far from the small Tatar village of Alupka. In 1828, they began to build a residence there according to his order - a real palace on a grand scale.
As an Anglomaniac, Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov wanted to see features of English architecture in his home. Therefore, he rejected the original design of E. Boffo and T. Harrison in the classical style and turned to E. Blore, the architect of Walter Scott and the British royal family. Of course, the master who brought Buckingham Palace to fruition was also suitable for a Russian count.
Blore has never been to Crimea. But he received from the customer comprehensive data on the area, as well as materials from his predecessors. And he performed a miracle - he designed a masterpiece building, which naturally combined several eras of English history with oriental flavor.
Incredible construction
Then everything became even more wonderful. The main building stone for the implementation of the idea of the great Englishman was the Crimean diabase - the rock is even too strong. It is very difficult to process. Under the conditions of the Russian Empire in 1830 (just when direct construction work began) the mechanization of labor was not envisaged.
The main labor force for construction was quit-rent peasants from the owner's numerous estates (mainly from near Moscow and Vladimir). Vorontsov’s people tried to select for the work the maximum number of people with specialties - stonemasons and stone cutters. We were guided by the fact that candidates participated in the construction and decoration of rich stone churches. These craftsmen worked in Crimea with super-hard material with virtually bare hands - they processed the stone with axes and chisels! It is not surprising that construction took a lot of time.
However, Blore's project had one advantage - the palace was like a complex of buildings of different styles. So they built it in parts, and not all at once. In 1830-1831 a dining building was erected. In 1831-1837 a central building was added to it. In 1838-1844. They built all the towers, the eastern wings, the guest wing, and decorated the front yard. At the same time, in 1841-1842. A billiard room was being built next to the dining room. The library was completed the last time - in 1846.
At the same time, individual elements of the building demonstrated different stages of the development of English architecture. The “time line” ran from west to east: the further west the element was located, the more ancient the style it represented.
Then the governor began to develop a park near the palace, reprehensibly using soldiers for excavation work. In 1848, the palace ensemble was supplemented with a terrace and staircase, decorated with sculptures of lions. But this M.S. Vorontsov was no longer seen - in 1844 he was assigned to serve in the Caucasus.
Noble Nest
Then the whole business almost died, and all because the eldest son M.S. Vorontsov did not bother to provide him with grandchildren. CM. Vorontsov, the son of the governor, lived in the palace with his wife and little by little worked on completing the construction and decorating his property. However, he died without having any heirs. But his widow did not want to live in Crimea and went abroad, taking with her many artistic treasures from the Crimean estate.
Because of this, the palace almost fell into disrepair, because no one lived in it for a long time. But then the estate went to the governor’s relatives through the Vorontsov-Dashkov and Shuvalov lines. These nobles turned out to be enterprising people - they set up dachas on the territory of the estate for rent. This happened in 1904. But in 1917 a revolution broke out, ruining the ancient nests of the nobility.
With the establishment of Soviet power in Crimea, the estate was nationalized. And already on February 22, 1921, the telegraph transmitted Lenin’s personal order to the peninsula: to take all possible measures to preserve the valuables from the palaces of the Crimean nobility. And the order was carried out. Already in the middle of 1921, the palace was open to the public as a museum.
Saved value
It should be noted that the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea has been perfectly preserved, and looks today almost the same as during the time of its last owners, the counts. But it was not easy for him.
After the invasion of Crimea in 1941, the Nazis shamelessly plundered the locals. They took to Germany everything that was not nailed down, and what was there they broke and took away too. Evacuate the majority Crimean museums The Soviet command did not have time, and the Vorontsov Palace was one of them. The conquerors took away a lot of valuable things from there and threatened to destroy the building.
But the palace survived, and a significant part of its collections also survived. This became possible thanks to the dedication of researcher S.G. Shchekoldina. The Nazis appointed him director of the museum, which meant that he had to give them the most valuable exhibits. But Shchekoldin hid part of the collections, supplied the occupiers with unreliable information, and also prevented the explosion of the building during the retreat of the Nazis.
It was Stepan Grigorievich who compiled a complete inventory of the exported exhibits for a completely wild sum at that time of 5 million rubles (thanks to which some of them were later found and returned).
The worst detail of this whole story is that the defender of the museum collections later also served several years “for collaboration.” True, Shchekoldin was lucky - he left prison relatively quickly, relatively healthy, and then for a long time did what he loved, looking for valuables that had disappeared from the museum (he died in 2002, at the age of 98).
In 1945, the Vorontsov Palace was in such good condition that it was used to accommodate participants. English architecture predetermined the choice of the guest for the estate - British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
The first meeting of the leaders of the Anti-Hitler Coalition within the framework of the conference took place here (further, for the sake of convenience, all events were moved to). For several years, the castle was used as a departmental dacha for NKVD employees, and in 1955 it again became a museum, which it is to this day.
Architecture and decoration of the palace
Mixing styles and peoples
As already mentioned, in general, the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace represents the English style. Moreover, this is like the history of Foggy Albion in miniature, since the structure combines features of different eras - from William the Conqueror to the Tudor dynasty.
But in the century in England (and in other European countries too) in connection with the expansion of colonial expansion, a fashion for the East arose. Pseudo-Indian and pseudo-Egyptian elements appeared in literature, clothing, and interior design; architecture did not escape them either. And in the building of the Vorontsov Palace, E. Blore inexplicably managed to harmoniously combine contemporary ideas about the East with the traditions of medieval England.
The western façade of the palace is real castle a medieval robber baron (apparently, working for W. Scott affected the royal architect!). This is an excellent example of the skillful use of neo-Gothic style. Almost the same era is represented by the so-called Shuvalovsky passage - an access path that rather resembles a fortress gallery. The courtyard is decorated with uneven “ragged” stone, which also brings to mind the Middle Ages.
The northern façade demonstrates a completely different style and a different time period. It's early modern, Tudor 16th century - straight lines, big tall windows and chimneys.
The southern façade manages to form a harmonious whole with the other parts of the palace and at the same time represent the Moorish style - with the pomp befitting the East. Particularly interesting is the arch, in which the architect somehow managed to combine the motifs of the Tudor rose and the oriental lotus, and also added a saying from the Koran, without fear of harming the English idea of the entire structure. E. Blore managed to add Moorish notes and old England– thus, the purely English appearance of the northern façade is crowned with tent-shaped roofing elements, and long pipes are made to look like eastern minarets.
Although the palace actually consists of 5 buildings, they are all successfully linked into the ensemble and are perceived as a single whole. Moreover, the architect, who had never seen Crimea, managed to successfully fit his creation into the landscape. He took into account not only the technically important features of the area, but also its aesthetics (based on the sketches given to him). As a result, the silhouette of the palace seems to repeat the outline of the plateau against which it is located.
Cottage with comfort
In the minds of Governor Vorontsov and his heirs, the palace in Crimea was not official residence, where formal social hospitality should be demonstrated, but something like a dacha. The family was supposed to spend the summer here, as well as relatives and close friends visiting the owners. Nevertheless, the count poured 9 million rubles into the construction (wild money by the standards of the 19th century!), and his heirs also invested additionally in furnishing the interior.
The inside of the palace has been preserved very well, so you can be sure that even at the dacha, representatives of the Vorontsov family preferred to live both beautifully and comfortably. Total in this " summer house» 150 rooms arranged with English austerity - door to door. Another English detail is that every room has a fireplace (although in Crimea it is not as necessary as in England).
Each room in the palace is decorated in its own style and has its own name. There is a Blue Living Room, a Calico Room, a Chinese Study and similar themed rooms. The large palace living room seems to copy the main hall of the feudal castle - dark colors, solid oak and family paintings reign there.
The blue living room is not only designed in this color, but also decorated with unusual stucco molding depicting 3 thousand embossed flowers, each of which is different from the others. In the time of Count Vorontsov, chintz was considered a fashionable and quite expensive material, and even now it is successfully used in interiors. And the walls of the Chinese cabinet are decorated with inlays made of rice straws (and they are well preserved).
There is also a greenhouse in the palace, called a winter garden in the traditions of that time. By analogy with summer garden Petersburg, it is decorated with beautiful statues.
The owner-counts cared not only about the beauty, but also about the practicality of their home. In the Vorontsov Palace, one of the first internal water pipes was installed (with an uninterrupted supply of hot water!) and a sewage system that was normal according to modern standards was installed. In 1914, they switched to electric lighting.
All work was carried out efficiently, and this is not last reason excellent preservation of the interiors. The artistic parquet floors and wall panels remained the same as during the time of the Novorossiysk governor. A lot of antique furniture, utensils, and decorative trinkets have been preserved. The art collection suffered the most, as the Nazis took more than 500 paintings from Germany to Germany. And only a small part of the stolen property was found and returned.
Photo inside the Vorontsov Palace
Screen Star
Due to its excellent preservation and noticeable “appearance”, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka enjoys constant popularity among camera masters. His photos adorn all kinds of calendars and advertising posters, and interior spaces and the adjacent park area became the filming locations for many audience favorites.
The most famous film filmed here was from 1961. In this popular film, the Vorontsov Palace “played” the rich mansion of the Gray family. 30 years later, it was “reclassified” as the interior of an American millionaire’s estate during filming (the exterior view of Francis Morgan’s estate was filmed).
The complex also appears in “Heavenly Swallows”, “Hamlet”, “Ten Little Indians”, “An Ordinary Miracle” (not the most famous version from M. Zakharov, but an earlier one, from E. Garin). Among the more “innovative” films, the palace had to take part in the creation of “Assa” and the Ukrainian film “Sappho” (not an acquired taste, but in its time the movie made a splash).
It is quite difficult to list the entire filmography of the Vorontsov Palace - filmmakers used it often. The reason, among other things, lies in its architectural diversity - by choosing the right angle, you could shoot literally anything here.
Vorontsov Palace – visits and excursions
Despite the exclusively museum status of the complex, it cannot be said that visiting the Vorontsov Palace is so easy. The reason is not the desire to hide something from tourists, but the need to comply with a fairly strict security regime.
You can explore the palace for free and completely independently only from the outside. Admission is free. In Alupka, many vacationers go through it, combining two amenities at once. Reviews from many tourists claim that an external inspection is enough to get a strong impression.
The interior is visited for money and with a guide. But there is a difficulty here: the Vorontsov Palace is actually not one museum, but several. It constantly organizes temporary exhibitions of a wide variety of content. Accordingly, there are many excursion programs, and the work schedule of different departments may vary.
Experienced tourists recommend that before going on an excursion, you should call by phone about the work schedule (it may change for permanent exhibitions, especially depending on the season), the availability of temporary exhibitions and current benefits.
You can also get information on official websites. It’s even easier to sign up for a tour through a bureau (Vorontsov Palace is an obligatory element of the “Parks and” route, one of the most popular in travel bureaus throughout the peninsula), where everyone is aware of the operating features of the visited objects.
Data on the cost of an excursion in the palace takes up more than one page, because a tourist can choose to visit only one particular exhibition, several of them, or sightseeing tour throughout the complex. The price range can vary significantly.
Speaking of prices, they cannot be called low, but the costs of maintaining such a large and expensive complex in proper condition are high. In addition, the Vorontsov Palace has a complex system of payment benefits and rights to free visit(in particular, young people under 16 years of age).
But beneficiaries must remember that they will receive their discount or free ticket only if they have an original document confirming their status (for example, a birth certificate or award certificate). Some categories of beneficiaries are required to pay a fee for excursion services, but it cannot be called high.
The exhibition is based on several main palace halls, a visit to which allows you to get acquainted with the history of the Russian nobility, and specifically the Vorontsov family and its outstanding representatives. Many original items that belonged to the owners of the estate and their relatives are also displayed there.
A separate exhibition in one of the wings tells about the relatives of the Vorontsovs - the family of Counts Shuvalov. In the museum you can also get information about people who are not as influential as multimillionaire counts. In particular, in the Utility Wing there are premises of the palace kitchen (with original tableware and all the chef's equipment) and the apartment of the count's butler.
Among permanent exhibitions There is also a collection of avant-garde painting, a collection of artistic porcelain and earthenware (Russian and foreign production), and artistic works depicting flowers. Temporary exhibitions replace each other, as a result of which unexpected things appear in the palace, such as a collection of fans.
The museum is technically advanced. Technical innovations such as audio guides in different languages and virtual exhibitions are widely used here.
It’s not worth bringing preschool-aged children here - a long visit may seem tiresome and boring to them (although such visits are not prohibited, and you don’t have to pay for preschoolers at all). But for middle-aged schoolchildren, a visit to the palace is even highly recommended - both the taste will be better and the level of knowledge of history will increase.
Address: Russia, Republic of Crimea, Alupka, sh. Dvortsovoye, 18
Date of construction: 1840
Architect: Furasov P.I.
Coordinates: 57°19"07.5"N 43°06"40.4"E
Short story
The luxurious palace, named Vorontsovsky in honor of Count Vorontsov M.S., is a unique building that became the embodiment of the Romanticism era. It is located on the Crimean peninsula in the city of Alupka.
The beginning of its construction dates back to 1828, when Governor-General Vorontsov, responsible for the Novorossiysk region, chose the site for the construction of the future main building and drove pegs into it. However, the palace did not appear quickly - its construction took 20 years.
Initially, the project of the future Vorontsov Palace was developed in the style of strict classics, and the famous Italian architect named Francesco Boffo and his colleague from England Thomas Harrison worked on it.
The year 1829 was the beginning of the implementation of their joint project, and as all the preparatory work was completed, the foundation was immediately laid and the first masonry was made. However, an unpleasant surprise soon occurred - in the midst of preparing working drawings, architect Harrison died.
To keep the construction going, Boffo needed a new partner. It was Edward Blore, a young architect working in the romantic direction of English architecture.
Stone staircase with white marble lion sculptures
Why did Count Vorontsov choose him and decide to make changes to the project of the future palace in the Crimean Alupka? The fact is that in those years he was in England, and he was impressed by the local architecture and new fashion trends in the construction of buildings. Therefore, the count revised the already developed project and entrusted the new architect with adjusting it so that the result of the work would be a real castle, combining the rigor of English architecture and the luxury inherent in Indian palaces.
And since 1832, construction work on the construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea has already been carried out according to an updated project, but without distorting the previously completed stages. The execution of all work was entrusted to the best craftsmen - stonemasons, modelers, stone and wood carvers, artists, furniture makers and other workers, who approached the orders entrusted to them with all responsibility. As a result, the construction of the palace cost Vorontsov 9 million rubles.
From left to right: formal dining room, winter garden
Layout of the Vorontsov Palace
All palace complex, erected by order of Vorontsov, is represented by several solid buildings, designated as:
- central;
- dining room;
- guest;
- library;
- economic.
The building intended for receiving guests was later called Shuvalovsky, since on the right side there was the room of Vorontsov’s daughter, who became Countess Shuvalova after her marriage.
Northern façade of the main building
Oddly enough, the construction of the palace began with the construction of the dining building, and this work took 4 years (from 1830 to 1834). The construction of the central building took 6 years - 1831 - 1837. From 1841 to 1842, work was carried out on the construction of a billiard room, which complemented the building with a dining room. The construction of the guest building, all the towers, outbuildings, outbuildings and the design of the Front Court also took a lot of time (these were 1838 - 1844). And finally, the library building, built from 1842 to 1846, joined the palace complex.
The decoration of the central staircase were sculptures of lions, the production of which was entrusted to the Italian master Giovanni Bonnani. And the entire luxurious palace ensemble ended with a lion terrace, that is, many figures of lions.
Right - Clock Tower
Features of the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace
The Vorontsov Palace, which became the decoration of Alupka in Crimea in the mid-19th century, was a kind of innovation that violated some architectural and construction principles. In those days, it was customary to place the buildings of palace ensembles in a strict geometric grouping, but the architect Blore deviated from this rule and distributed all the buildings that were part of the Vorontsov Palace on the ground so that they stood in the direction from west to east, as if in accordance with the movement of the mountains. This approach allowed all the buildings to fit harmoniously into the local landscape - the Vorontsov palace complex found its place in the Crimean expanses.
Moving from building to building, you can clearly trace the stages of development of medieval architecture, starting from its earliest forms and ending with the traditions of the 16th century.
Shuvalovsky building
However, when developing projects for all buildings, the emphasis was still placed on the English style. Why is Vorontsov Castle in Crimea so attractive? Its feature is appearance, reminiscent of a castle-fortress from the ancient VIII - XI centuries. When you find yourself in the courtyard of the utility buildings, you involuntarily stumble upon blank walls and find yourself in confined spaces, and when you try to get to the central building, you find yourself surrounded by round watchtowers. Further general impression The inaccessibility is complemented by narrow loophole windows and high walls of rough masonry. But suddenly an openwork suspension bridge made of cast iron appears and adds a festive touch to this harsh composition. And so, as you move away from the arch of the western entrance, signs of the architecture of the following eras become more and more apparent.
West Entrance Towers
Having crossed the openwork bridge and getting rid of the feeling of enclosure, you can find yourself in the Front Courtyard, which offers a view of Mount Ai-Petri. But this is not just a view - it is a unique picture, because the landscape is, as it were, limited by an architectural frame represented by a clock tower, an eastern wing and a retaining wall with a fountain.
The architecture of the main building of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is also interesting. Its walls are extended out of the plane at different levels, as required by the English Tudor style. The central part is decorated with a main entrance and decorated with bay window projections and side projections. The roofs of the towers are onion domes. The northern facade of the building is decorated with narrow polyhedral semi-columns, the crowns of which are pinnacles (decorative tops).
Chapel
Graceful pinnacles and battlements, domes and chimneys, decorated with flower-shaped finials, smooth out the roughness of the stone texture of the walls and their massive luggage.
Considering the carved stone decorations that decorate the Vorontsov Palace, it is worth noting their pronounced similarity with some elements of Western and Eastern architecture. Thus, true architecture connoisseurs will immediately notice the Gothic chimneys and minarets of the mosque, and it is precisely this compatible incompatibility that makes the palace complex special. This similarity is especially acute as you move to the southern facade of the building, called the main one. In the rays of the sun, its outlines seem unusual and bizarre.
From left to right: formal dining room, winter garden, main building
But the main motive for the design of the palace are arches of the most varied shapes - they are gentle, keel-shaped, horseshoe-shaped, and pointed. And you can see them everywhere, from the balustrade of the balconies to the decoration of the portal of the southern entrance to the Vorontsov Palace. Besides, architectural ensemble, erected by order of the Governor-General, also has its own “zest” - these are 6 identical lines in Arabic, indicating that the winner is only Allah. You can see the inscription in a niche decorated with a Tudor flower and an Indian lotus.
Description of the park surrounding the Vorontsov Palace
During the construction of the palace, work was also carried out to lay out the adjacent park. But if the construction of the Vorontsov Palace took two decades, work on creating the park does not stop to this day. On an area of 40 hectares, a wide variety of plants brought from all over the world coexist harmoniously.
Shuvalovsky passage with a view of the openwork bridge
In general, the palace park is divided into Upper and Lower. The upper park is decorated with several glades – Kashtanovaya, Contrastnaya, Solnechnaya. And each of them is notable for its trees (Italian pine, oriental plane tree, yew berry, Himalayan cedar, Chilean araucaria, or monkey tree, etc.). In addition, on the territory of the Upper Park there is Swan Lake, where these beautiful birds, Upper and Mirror Lake and a waterfall.
In the Lower Park, surrounded by the most beautiful and rare representatives of the flora, there is a small tea house, which at one time was used by the Vorontsov family to spend holidays on the seashore. Then this place was often illuminated with fireworks and fireworks.
Shuvalovsky passage with a view of the western gate
Being here, you can really feel the holiday atmosphere, because it was not without reason that the architect chose the place to build the house here. Surrounded by many unique plants, it creates the feeling of being in a fairy tale, since the entire territory of the Lower Park is conducive to creating an enchanting mood. And the lower part of Vorontsovsky Park in Crimea is designed in the Italian style of a regular park.
Use of the Vorontsov Palace complex in different years
Since 1990, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka has become a palace and park museum-reserve. Several interesting exhibitions are located in nine state rooms. Thanks to their content, everyone can get acquainted with the way of life of the count’s family, who lived in the palace before the October Revolution, and the character of the palace’s interiors.
Exit from the yard
But in 1990, the opening of the Vorontsov Palace as a museum was secondary - its building was first used as a museum in 1921.
But with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941, valuable museum exhibits could not be saved, and the building itself was repeatedly threatened with destruction. However, thanks to the efforts of one of the museum employees S.G. Shchekoldin. The Vorontsov Palace Museum still survived. Of course, many artistic treasures were lost during the war, but after it ended, some paintings were still found and returned to the museum.
Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is a stunningly beautiful palace, surrounded by a charming park, located at the foot of Mount Ai Petri. On the southern coast of Crimea great amount attractions, but Alupka is always full tourist groups. There is something special and attractive about this place. The English castle of Count Vorontsov in Crimea, immersed in greenery, leaves no one indifferent, and makes you return there again and again.
The palace in Alupka is a former dacha, the summer residence of a prominent political figure of the 19th century, the former governor of Novorossiya, Mikhail Vorontsov. The Russian politician’s love for everything English was understandable - Count Vorontsov’s father was the Ambassador of the Russian Empire to England, so Mikhail spent his entire childhood in London. After nationalization, the former residence became a museum.
I went on excursions to the Crimean Vorontsov Palace twice: the first time in April, the second time in August. At every time of the year, the palace and the territory adjacent to it looked amazing. It is best to choose April or September to visit the palace; during the high season it is not crowded.
In order to approach the main entrance to the palace, you need to walk along a narrow corridor of the palace walls (Shuvalovsky Proezd). In summer it is quite cool here, as there is almost always shade here. When you come here for the first time, you don’t expect to see a real English castle in Crimea. Walking along a narrow, harsh passage, your heart skips a beat in anticipation of something unusual. And very soon curiosity will be more than rewarded.
After the path through the corridor of powerful walls has been passed, tourists find themselves on small area in front of the palace. What appears before your eyes is a castle built in the English style, by the same architect Edward Blair, who was the author of Buckingham Palace in London.
The first thing you notice is the unusual material of the castle walls and walls. Later, from the words of the guide, we learned that this is a very hard and rare stone of volcanic origin - diabase. The palace was built by more than 6 thousand Vorontsov serfs, as well as skilled masons specially brought from Moscow and Vladimir regions. To create an unusual surface, each stone was processed by hand! The work must be said skillfully and very painstakingly. Vorontsov built this castle with his own money, for himself, in good faith.
In the courtyard we waited for the excursion group to form and, looking up, we saw the teeth of Ai-Petri, illuminated by the sun's rays - peculiar pointed rocks located at the very top of the mountain. This is one of the best landscapes Crimea!
You can go on excursions to the Vorontsov Palace freely; they are held daily. Each group is accompanied by a guide; the tour is conducted in Russian. It was very interesting to listen to the guide; from her lips we heard a lot of interesting information about the history of the palace.
A few minutes later we crossed the threshold and felt as if we were in an old English castle. The palace has many architectural features: on one side (northern) the building resembles an English castle, and on the southern facade - a Moorish mosque. In addition, the castle is so skillfully integrated into the mountain landscape that it seems as if nature itself created and placed it here.
The castle has more than 150 rooms, but about 9 state rooms are open for tours.
This palace belonged to three generations of Vorontsovs, so the interior elements changed a little, because each owner wanted to bring something of his own, modern.
At the beginning we found ourselves in the formal dining room. Particular attention was drawn to a small bowl that somewhat resembled a miniature fountain. As it turned out, this bowl served to cool drinks.
Each room of the Vorontsov Palace has its own unique style and flavor. It was very pleasant to be in the blue room; I liked it the most. Here the walls are blue, there are molded flowers and golden furniture on them.
The dining room, decorated in English style, is very interesting.
In the office
After visiting several other rooms, we went out into the winter garden, where we saw a variety of tropical plant species and elegant figurines.
Winter Garden
From winter garden leads out to a terrace overlooking the sea. When we arrived there, we saw a beautiful sunset, which looked very romantic against the backdrop of the sea horizon.
View of the sea from the terrace of the Alupka Palace
On the way to the sea there is a staircase, on both sides of which there are sculptures of lions made of Carrara marble by an Italian master. There are also features here. At the very top of the terrace there are waking lions, at the very bottom of the terrace there are figures of sleeping lions.
Lions, terrace of the Palace in Alupka
Sleeping lions, Alupka
The Vorontsov Palace is surrounded by a magnificent park with many unusual plants from the subtropics and beyond. Walk along it in summer time the year when everything blooms and pleases the eye is a pleasure.
Alupka Park is divided into two parts: Upper and Lower. The upper part of the park is more "wild", while the lower part is a well-kept classic park in the English style.
In the park you can see a copy of the Bakhchisarai fountain.
Replica of the Bakhchisarai fountain
Numerous waterfalls, lakes, swan, and unusually shaped trees are hidden in the “wild” part of the park.
Alupka Park also has its own attractions, for example “Big” and “Small Chaos”. - a huge pile of diabase rocks.
Big chaos
Swan Lake in Alupka Park.
I recommend taking a walk around this garden after the excursion, relaxing in the shade from the summer heat and, of course, doing a lot beautiful photos. This park is also called Alupka Park; in it you can see about 200 species of a wide variety of plants: exotic plants, various shrubs, acclimatized plants from other continents.
View from Vorontsovsky Park
Vorontsovsky Park
The landscape of the park is presented in the form of an amphitheater, at the bottom of which there is an exhibition park pavilion "Tea House". We were not able to visit it because it was closed for restoration.
Prices for visiting the Palace
The cost of an adult ticket is 70 hryvnia ($8.75), for children - 35 hryvnia ($4.38), photo shooting - 10 hryvnia ($1.25).
How to get to Vorontsov Palace
You can visit the Vorontsov Palace by getting to Alupka at the following address: st. Dvortsovoye Highway, 10. By car you can get here along the South Coast Highway, this route runs along the sea through the entire South coast Crimea. If you drive along this highway to the Vorontsov Palace from the direction of Sevastopol, you will turn right to Alupka, and if from the direction of Yalta, then turn left.
You can get from Yalta from the bus station as follows: bus routes: 27, 26, 107, 42.
There are passing buses from Sevastopol: "Sevastopol - Miskhor", "Sevastopol - Yalta".
From Simforopol: buses "Simferopol - Simeiz", "Simferopol - Kastropol".
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