Vorontsovsky yard. Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is a luxurious castle surrounded by a park. Mixing styles and peoples

The Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve, also known as the Vorontsov Palace, was built in the period 1828-1848. designed by the English architect Edward Blore as the Crimean residence of Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov. The local landscape was used in its creation, and the main feature of the palace is a mixture of several diametrically opposed architectural styles.

The entrance to the palace is more reminiscent of a castle from the European Middle Ages.

The palace was built from especially hard dolerite stone, natural reserves of which were located at the site of the future building. This is solidified magma, which was previously called diabase. Dolerite is characterized by high hardness of 6-7 units on the Mohs scale. This means that this material is so hard that it is used for paving roads, and can only be processed with diamond.

It sounds even more surprising when you find out that the palace was built by quitrent serfs from the Vladimir and Moscow provinces, working by hand with the most primitive tools.

This narrow corridor between two fortress-like walls is called Shuvalovsky Proezd. Counts Shuvalov were relatives of the Vorontsovs. And somewhere here were the apartments of Sophia, the daughter of Mikhail Semenovich.

Through the passage we find ourselves in the courtyard. Here the textured treatment of the walls with “torn” stone is used. We did not examine the museum exhibitions, limiting ourselves to an external inspection.

Northern façade of the palace. Here you can already see the features not of a medieval fortress, but of a country English palace of the 16th century, for which large window openings and high chimneys are typical.

The western part of the palace is made in the neo-Gothic style.

At the Vorontsov Palace there is a park, founded about 200 years ago, which contains more than 200 species of trees and shrubs from different countries of the world. The famous German gardener-architect Karl Kebach was specially invited to create it.

Particularly interesting and rare specimens have plaques with the name, homeland and approximate age. For example, this is an oriental sycamore from the western Mediterranean, 190 years old.

The park ensemble consists of upper and lower parks. The upper park consists of massifs of natural diabase; it is also called “Alupka chaos”. Paths are harmoniously laid through all these stones and plants.

Through the park we approach the eastern facade.

On the southern terrace, a wide staircase made of the same diorite leads to the façade, flanked by sculptures of lions made in the workshop of the Italian sculptor Bonanni. The southern facade itself is made in the Arabic style and with oriental pomp. Exactly this a nice place palace

Horseshoe arch, two-tier vault, plaster carving in the niche where the Tudor flower design and lotus motif are intertwined. On the fresco of the niche there is an inscription repeated six times with a saying from the Koran: “And there is no god but Allah.”

The palace is located right at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri, we will also climb it, but a little later.

And what a view of the sea from the southern façade...

The area in the Alupka area is rich in water, which made it possible to create more than a dozen different fountains in Vorontsovsky Park. Most of them were designed by V. Gunt.

The lower park is also varied and begins with gentle terrain. It borders the Vorontsov Palace and is decorated in a classic park style.

And on the right there is a large rose garden.

The Vorontsov Palace was nationalized after the revolution, the remaining property was supplemented with collections from other southern coastal palaces, and in 1921 a historical and household museum was opened here.

During the Patriotic War, Crimea was occupied by German fascists. During the retreat, the Germans wanted to blow up the palace, but the explosion could not be carried out; museum workers prevented this.

In February 1945, during the Crimean Conference, the Alupka Palace was provided to the British delegation led by W. Churchill, who even wanted to buy it.

From 1945 to 1955 there was a state dacha here, referred to in documents as “special object No. 3”.

As a museum, the palace was reopened to visitors in 1956.

Vorontsov Palace is located in Alupka (Crimea) at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri.

Constructed from diabase, which was mined nearby. Currently, the palace houses a museum. At the Vorontsov Palace there is a park - a monument to landscape art. From December 1824 to April 1851, Vorontsov Park in Alupka was created by the talented German gardener-botanist, chief gardener of the Southern Coast of Crimea - Karl Antonovich Kebakh.

Palace architecture

The Vorontsov Palace was built according to new (compared to classicism) architectural and construction principles. Important architectural feature The location of the palace was in accordance with the topography of the mountains, thanks to which the palace blended very organically into the surrounding landscape and acquired its original artistic and expressive image.

The palace was built in the spirit of English architecture, and the construction contains elements of various eras, from early forms to the 16th century. The arrangement of elements starts from the western gate - the further from the gate, the later the style of construction.

The English style is organically combined with the neo-Moorish style. For example, Gothic chimneys resemble mosque minarets. The southern entrance is decorated with oriental splendor. A horseshoe-shaped arch, a two-tiered vault, plaster carvings in a niche where a Tudor flower pattern and a lotus motif are intertwined, culminate in the Arabic inscription repeated six times across the frieze: “And there is no victor except Allah.”

History of construction

The palace was built from 1828 to 1848 as the summer residence of a prominent Russian statesman, Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count M. S. Vorontsov.

The palace was built according to the design of the English architect Edward Blore. The architect did not come to Alupka, but he was well aware of the terrain. In addition, the foundations and the first masonry of the deep portal niche of the central building were already ready (the palace began to be built according to another project - by architects Francesco Boffo and Thomas Harrison).

In the construction of the palace, the labor of quitrent serfs from the Vladimir and Moscow provinces was mainly used. Hereditary masons and stone cutters who had experience in the construction and relief decoration of white stone cathedrals were involved in the construction. All work was done by hand, using primitive tools.

The construction of the palace began with the dining building (1830-1834). The central building was erected in 1831-1837. In 1841-1842, a billiard room was added to the dining room. In 1838-1844, the guest building, the eastern wings, all the towers of the palace, the pentagon of utility buildings were built, and the Main Courtyard was designed. The last building to be built was the library building (1842 - 1846).

The largest volume of earthworks was carried out from 1840 to 1848 with the help of soldiers of the sapper battalion, who built the terraces of the park in front of the southern facade of the palace.

In the summer of 1848, sculptural figures of lions were installed on the central staircase leading to the main entrance, made in the workshop of the Italian sculptor Giovanni Bonnani. The Lion's Terrace completed the construction and decoration of the palace and park ensemble.

History of the palace after construction

Before the October Revolution, the Vorontsov Palace belonged to three generations of the Vorontsov family.

After the advent of Soviet power, the Vorontsov Palace was nationalized.

In mid-1921, the Vorontsov Palace opened as a museum.

In 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. There was no time to evacuate the museum exhibits from Alupka, as well as from many other museums in Crimea. Twice the museum was threatened with destruction, and both times it was saved by the museum’s senior researcher S.G. Shchekoldin. The occupiers took away many artistic values, including 537 works of painting and graphics, and only a small part of the paintings were found after the war and returned to the palace. This is written in detail in the book written based on Shchekoldin’s memoirs, “What Lions Are Silent About.”

From 4 to 11 February 1945, during the Yalta Conference, the Vorontsov Palace became the residence of the British delegation led by Winston Churchill.

From 1945 to 1955 it was used as a state summer house.

In 1956, by decision of the government, a museum began to function in the palace again.

Since 1990 - Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve.

Palace interiors

The ceremonial interiors of the palace have almost completely retained their original decoration. Each of the rooms is individual, has its own unique flavor, reflected in the names: Chinese Cabinet, Calico Room, Winter Garden, Blue living room. The decoration of the State Dining Room is reminiscent of the decoration of the knights' halls in medieval castles. It is decorated with rich wood carvings and four monumental panels by the famous French artist Hubert Robert (1733-1808).

Alupka Park

A masterpiece of landscape art - Alupka Park. Its creator, gardener-botanist Karl Antonovich Kebach (1799-1851), was involved in planning and planting plants in the park for more than a quarter of a century. The park, being a park-monument of national importance, is included in the exhibition part of the museum territory, which totals 361,913 m².

Museum expositions

Currently, in the Alupka Museum there are several permanent exhibitions. Nine state rooms introduce you to the life of the first owners of the palace and the character of the palace interiors of the 30-40s of the 19th century. In the former guest building there is a permanent exhibition “Vorontsov Family Gallery”. “The Gift of Professor V.N.” is exhibited in separate rooms. Golubev" (Russian and Soviet avant-garde), painting by Ya. A. Basov "Poetry of Landscape", art exhibitions "Ukrainian Painting", "Inhaling the Scent of Roses" (flowers in painting). In the park pavilion “Tea House” there are exhibitions “Maps Crimean peninsula", "Vorontsov and Russian admirals", "Sea battles" of the 18th-19th centuries.

In 2007, a new museum exhibition “The House of Count A.P. Shuvalov” was opened in the Shuvalov wing. It is based on previously unexhibited furnishings and personal belongings of the Vorontsovs, Shuvalovs, Vorontsovs-Dashkovs. The interiors of the house display works of art that reflect the stylistic features of the residential premises of palaces of the mid-18th century.

The collection of the Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve consists of almost 27 thousand exhibits of the main fund, and the memorial library of M. S. Vorontsov contains more than 10 thousand books.

One of the museum’s paintings, “Portrait of Prince Grigory Potemkin” by Levitsky, was donated to him by Baron Falz-Fein.

Vorontsov Palace in cinema

The territory of the palace and the adjacent park is often used for filming. Among the most famous works:

1961 - " Scarlet Sails»
1964 - “An Ordinary Miracle”
1964 - “Hamlet”
1972 - “Stoves and benches”
1976 - “Heavenly Swallows”
1986 - “The Journey of Pan Blobs”
2003 - “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro”
2008 - “Sappho”
2009 - “Hamlet. XXI Century"
2014 - “Belovodye. The Secret of the Lost Country”
2015 - “Belovodye. Source of knowledge"

Vorontsov palaces in other cities

Vorontsov Palace in Odessa
Vorontsov Palace in St. Petersburg
Vorontsov Palace in Tiflis
Vorontsov Palace in Simferopol

The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is one of the most visited Yalta palaces and the only one that I visited, and even then by accident. It’s not that I didn’t want to see it, but I really didn’t want to do it in the summer, it’s too crowded at that time.
The palace was built in the English style, and the construction contains elements of various eras, from early forms to the 16th century. The further from the western gate, the later the style of construction. The English style is combined with the neo-Moorish style. For example, Gothic chimneys resemble mosque minarets. The palace was built from 1828 to 1848 as the summer residence of the Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count Vorontsov. It is interesting that the Vorontsov Palace is one of the first buildings in Russia where sewerage and water supply were built for comfortable living.

Main facade of the Vorontsov Palace

The palace was owned by three generations of the Vorontsov family. Since 1921, a museum has functioned in the palace complex. 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. Now it is again a museum.

The Vorontsov Palace is located on the territory of the Alupka Park, which was created by the famous botanist and gardener Karl Antonovich Kebakh for 25 years. He designed clearings and placed trees, taking into account their size. This was a matter of principle, because according to Karl’s plan, the trees should not block the magnificent view of the top of Mount Ai-Petri.

The park spreads over an area of 40 hectares. It is geographically divided into Upper and Lower parks. The park is designed in such a way that it complements local nature. More than two hundred species of plants grow here, which were brought from the regions of Northern and South America, Mediterranean. The cost of setting up the park is twice as high as building the palace itself. In 1910, up to 36,000 rubles were spent on maintaining the park - a huge amount at that time.

Map of Vorontsovsky Park

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”. These chaos were carefully included in the layout of the park, a dozen paths were laid through the piles of stones, forming almost a labyrinth, benches were placed, and viewing platforms were arranged. Individual blocks are entwined with ivy and wild grapes. Sometimes it is very difficult to believe that you are in a park, and not an abandoned one.

Built in the park a large number of fountains. Most of them were built according to designs by V. Gunt.
In general, Crimea has long had a tradition of respectful attitude towards water. The construction of a fountain, both in Muslim Crimea and in Russia, was considered a worthy and even godly deed. Where there was at least some trickle flowing, they installed a fountain, decorated it with a saying from the Koran or the emblem of the engineering department, and sometimes stamped the date. Along the old roads, in the old Crimean settlements, many of these ancient fountains have been preserved, many are still functioning.

Three ponds have also been artificially created in the park: Verkhniy, Zerkalny and Swan. Maple, ash and dogwood trees grow around the ponds.

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 owner drives the ducks away from his property

A couple more interesting facts about the park, according to the guides. Vorontsovsky Park literally grew on blood, because the soil under the trees was abundantly fertilized with the blood of freshly killed animals. Each tree was assigned a separate gardener, who did not sleep, did not eat, but watched over his ward, groomed, and cherished.

Araucaria Chilean owes its name to the Araucanians - Indians living in Chile, for whom the fruits of this tree form the basis of their diet. This specimen is over 130 years old. It develops poorly in our conditions. In its homeland, it grows up to 50 meters in height and has a trunk with a diameter of up to one meter. There are only 5 such trees in Crimea. The branches of Araucaria are covered with sharp thorns, so neither monkeys nor birds sit on them.

Chilean Araucaria

Crimean pine

Pistachio obtufolia

Lower Park

The “Maria” fountain is based on the famous Bakhchisarai fountain, glorified by Pushkin. The fountain is made of white and colored marble and decorated with shells and rosettes. Water falls in small drops from one bowl to another, forming a quiet, even rhythm of drops - “tears”.

Fountain "Maria" (Fountain of Tears)

On the sea side there is the famous lion terrace.

The southern entrance is decorated with oriental splendor. The Arabic inscription translates as: “And there is no winner except Allah.”

coral tree

Bakhchisarai Fountain

I didn’t go inside the palace; I really don’t like running smoothly through the crowd. Maybe I'll visit some other time.

Winter garden of the palace

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. 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?” - this 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.

Sleeping lion

Fountain "Sink"

Southern facade of the Vorontsov Palace and Lion's Terrace

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

Content:

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 real castle, combining the rigor of English architecture and the luxury inherent in Indian palaces.

And since 1832 construction works The construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is already underway 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 Main Courtyard 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 whole luxurious palace ensemble lion terrace, that is, many figures of lions.

Right - Clock Tower

Features of the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace

Vorontsov Palace, standing in the middle XIX century decoration of Alupka in Crimea, 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 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, Contrast, 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.

Alupka – resort town as part of Big Yalta, located at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri, 17 km southwest of the city of Yalta in Crimea.

Vorontsov Palace and its park complex – "highlight" Alupka landscape and the main attraction of the seaside town.

Holidays on the Black Sea in Alupka attract tourists with a mild climate without sharp seasonal fluctuations, healing sea and pine air, in which you can breathe easily and freely, as well as picturesque view on the outskirts of a Russian seaside town on South Coast Crimea.

A particularly mesmerizing view of Alupka opens from the sea: in the center of the panorama on the hill stands the magnificent Alupka Palace (Vorontsovsky); the buildings of coastal sanatoriums stretch out in a chain along the sea and are buried in the greenery of parks, and the battlements dominate over them majestic mountain Ai-Petri.

Ai-Petrinsky mountain range- one of the highest in Crimea. Like a shield it covers Alupka from the cold northern winds, and the largest number of sunny days a year (compared to Black Sea resorts Caucasus) make this town on the Black Sea coast a wonderful resort - the second after Yalta on the southern coast of Crimea.

History of Alupka.

The history of Alupka begins in the 6th-5th centuries BC, when the first Tauri settlement was founded on these blessed lands. Archaeologists found the remains of fortifications and a large burial ground on Mount Krestovaya. In the 10th century, Alupka belonged to the Khazars, in the 14th century it passed into the possession of the Genoese, who built a port and fortifications here, and later became a Tatar village. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, these lands saw new owners: aristocrats and royal nobles. In the 20s of the 19th century, Alupka became the estate of the Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov, who decided to build a palace here. Until the 80s of the 19th century, Alupka was still a small village. Local population He was mainly engaged in gardening and viticulture.

IN late XIX century, Alupka begins to rapidly develop as a resort thanks to the fact that Russian “luminaries of medicine” recognize the healing properties of the local climate for the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases and the healing of the whole body. In Alupka, dachas of aristocrats, shops, boarding houses, hotels, a post office and a telegraph appeared, and roads were built. In 1902, back in Tsarist Russia in Alupka, the first sanatorium for children began operating on voluntary donations.

During the years of Soviet power in Alupka, the construction of sanatoriums proceeded at a rapid pace, of which there were already more than twenty by 1940.

Alupka received city status in 1938.

is a narrow strip of large and small pebbles, 4 km long along coastline. There are a total of 6 beaches and 23 beaches at sanatoriums. The main beach is a free city beach, which is located under Vorontsovsky Park. To the beach " Cote d'Azur", which is located near the bus station, you can drive up by car (there is paid parking).

Mild climate, dry air of Alupka with the aroma of pine, the Black Sea - the best place for the treatment of lung diseases. Here is the first children's sanatorium in Europe for the treatment of bone tuberculosis (founder Professor A.A. Bobrov). In 1982, a wine tasting room with 240 seats, Massandra, opened in Alupka.

Vorontsov Palace in Alupka.

Vorontsov Palace(Alupka) - this is the former summer Crimean residence Governor General of the Novorossiysk Territory Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov. Today is Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve. It fits perfectly into the amazing landscape with a mountain range, evergreen vegetation and several narrow streets of the town, rising uphill from the sea coast. It is built from diabase, a material that is twice as strong as granite and is mined on the Crimean Peninsula. The gray-green color of the stone creates a unified architectural composition of the Vorontsov Palace with nature.

Photos of the Vorontsov Palace.

The palace was designed by the English architect Edward Blore. Construction took place from 1828 to 1848. The finishing process lasted until 1852. The architecture of the palace is unique. It consists of a combination of different styles:

The North Front is late English Gothic;
The Western Facade is European medieval castle, fortress 8-12 centuries;
Southern - elements of India and the East. Huge dome of the South facade with Arabic inscriptions, open towards the Black Sea, has a romantic appearance. The “Lion Terrace” with gradually wary “kings” of animals adorns the magnificent staircase leading to the entrance to the castle from the park. Three pairs of lions made of Carrara white marble were made in the workshop of the Florentine sculptor Bonnani, but the most famous (lower) is “Sleeping Lion”.

The palace ensemble consists of 5 buildings, open and closed courtyards, terraces. The Vorontsov Palace looks both stern and elegant, stable and romantic. The western part of the palace (the so-called Shuvalovsky passage) appears to tourists in the form of a stone-paved street medieval city with old fortress walls with powerful towers and narrow loophole windows. The southern facade is famous for its high portal with a deep niche, on the frieze of which the saying “There is no winner but Allah” is inscribed in Arabic script.

Eastern and Western architecture are united by the palace's carved stone decorations, battlements and Gothic chimneys, as well as soaring domes in the form of mosque minarets and thin turrets on the sides. All this splendor is complemented by the natural pattern of Mount Ai-Petri.

Each of the 150 rooms included in the palace ensemble is unique: “The Calico Room”, “The Blue Living Room”, “The State Dining Room”, “The Winter Garden”, “The Chinese Study”, “The Billiard Room”, “The Entrance Hall”. The luxury and love of the owners for their home is visible everywhere. The special pride of the Alupka Palace is its luxurious fireplaces in the Gothic style, made of marbled limestone and polished diabase stone.
"Great Dining Room"- the most majestic hall of the Vorontsov Palace. Its interior is made in the style of knight's castles. Tourists are impressed by: a decorative marble fountain with a balcony for musicians rising above it; walls decorated with wood carvings; candelabra made of Ural malachite. High ceilings, stained oak doors, simple furniture and oak panels add solemnity to the hall.
"Blue Living Room"- This is a bright, elegant room with a stucco openwork pattern of leaves and flowers covering the walls and ceiling with blue bliss. It has Turkish furnishings and luxurious fabrics.
"Winter Garden"– a combination of marble sculpture with rare evergreens. Copies of antique sculptures and portraits of the Vorontsov family, made in marble, make up the main interior of the Winter Garden.

Winter garden in the Vorontsov Palace Photo.

5 terraces of the Vorontsov Palace park- These are stylized five stages of medieval gardens with flower beds and trimmed plants. IN Upper terrace there are many marble vases, fountains, benches among the rose gardens, and the Lower one is distinguished by an abundance of wall fountains.

In 1921, the Vorontsov Palace became a museum. Since 1990, it has been the Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve. Excursions and exhibitions are held here, including the Vorontsov Family Gallery. In 2007, a new exhibition “The House of Count A.P.” was opened here. Shuvalov."