Cottage Kichkine

Cottage (Palace) Kichkine  - A building on the territory of Miskhor, Crimea, Ukraine.

History

Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich acquired in March 1912 a plot of land on the southern coast of Crimea for the construction of a small palace on the very shore of the sea. He instructed his manager, A. V. Korochentsev, to purchase from the Yalta branch of the Society of Russian Doctors a small cottage, “Ai-Nikola,” located on the edge of a steep cliff. Previously, it belonged to the famous artist of the Imperial Theaters N. F. Sazonov, and then it was bought by the Society to expand the “Climate Colony for Weak and Sick Children”. To this tiny estate, only 2 1/4 tithes, Dmitry Konstantinovich gave the Tatar name “Kichkine” - “small”, “baby”.

With the order for the arrangement of the estate, the Grand Duke turned to the firm of N. G., V. G. and A. G. Tarasovs, residents of Yalta, who had at that time a representative office in St. Petersburg. All three brothers who graduated from the Petersburg Institute of Railway Engineers mainly specialized in the construction of railway structures, and Nikolay Georgievich from 1900 to 1912 was a Yalta city architect.

In 1913, Dmitry Konstantinovich’s niece Tatyana and her husband, the Georgian prince Konstantin Alexandrovich Bagration-Mukhransky and his little son Teymuraz, had already settled in Kichkin.

It is known that, together with Princess Tatyana Bagration-Mukhranskaya and her two children, Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich spent December and January 1917 there, returning to Petrograd just before the February Revolution.

In 1986, a picturesque staircase with numerous arbors and grottoes was cut in the rock on which the palace stands, its steps lead to its own beach.

Currently, the palace was given for restoration to the investor who created the Kichkine Hotel in this place. In 2011, a heated seawater pool was made on site.

Palace construction

By the end of March 1912, N. G. Tarasov had drafted an oriental-style palace and an estimate for the construction and equipment of all the buildings on the estate for a total of 125.8 thousand rubles.

Vasily Georgievich Tarasov took charge of the construction work in Kichkin. Under an agreement with the Office of the Grand Duke on May 5, 1912, he pledged to build a house for the owner of the estate by October, and finish the rest of the work by October 1913 (palace, transition to Dmitry Konstantinovich's house, kitchen and garage with services, retaining walls, roads, fences, gates, water supply, central water heating and sewage).

The third of the Tarasovs, Alexander Georgievich, joined the work already at the stage of decoration of the palace premises. In the interior design motives of several historical styles were used: “Arabic” in the lobby, large and small dining rooms, Louis XVI in the reception room, Empire style in the large living room. These halls were distinguished by rich molding with skillful ornamentation, and the walls of the rooms of the Grand Duke were decorated with carved wooden panels.

Since by the time agreed with the Tarasovs, much of the planned was unfinished, the Grand Duke’s Department of Management invited the famous Yalta architect L.N. Shapovalov (the author of the project and the builder of Belaya Dacha A.P. Chekhov) to complete the work in Kichkin Upper Lutke). In particular, he was credited with arranging a convenient and beautifully designed marble staircase-descent to the sea, and together with the Feodosia sculptor L.V. Korzhinovsky, the architect completed all the work on decorating the main entrance and the facades of the palace with stucco ornaments in oriental taste.

By the end of 1914, a small park and a garden with flower beds finally surrounded the palace. The estate’s gardeners, A. Aul and P. Palitsyn, worked under the guidance of F. Kalalaida, a renowned specialist in subtropical cultures, invited from the Imperial Nikitsky Botanical Garden. Based on his recommendations, paths were laid in the park, playgrounds and flower beds were arranged, and trees and beautifully flowering plants were selected.

Photo gallery

Notes

References

Kichkine Palace is a small palace built on one of the slopes of Cape Ai-Todor, which is not far from the village of Gaspra. Address Alupkinskoye highway between the villages of Kurpaty and Gaspra in the hotel Kichkine. Telephone for inquiries to the Kichkine Palace +7 3654 248 422.

The geographical coordinates of the Kichkine Palace on the map of Crimea GPS - N 44.4374 E 34.1306

The palace was so unusually named because of its very small forms. If you translate from the Crimean Tatar language, you get a "baby." It is miniature, but very luxurious, forms inherent in this architectural creation. The main part of the palaces of the Crimean peninsula was built in the period late 19th - early 20th century. The Kichkine Palace, which was built in 1913, is no exception. And the customer of this construction was Romanov Dmitry Konstantinovich, who was the grandson of Nicholas I.

The order for the design and construction of the palace was given to N.G. Tarasov - the chief Yalta architect. The Moorish-style palace project was approved, and construction began. But Romanov D.K. set certain deadlines for the work. No matter how hard N.G. Tarasov, along with his two brothers (also architects), but failed to complete the construction on time. Therefore, the owner of the palace under construction invited another eminent architect of Yalta - L.N. Shapovalova. His work includes a marble staircase leading to the sea, and facades "Kichkine", made in the eastern style by the Theodosian sculptor L.V. Korzhinovsky. Along the stairs were built summer arbors, made in the form of grottoes.

By joint efforts, by the end of 1913 the construction of the Kichkine Palace was completed. Its first inhabitants were the niece of Romanova D.K. and her family. By the way, her husband was a Georgian prince by the name of Bagration-Mukhransky. They already had a son, Teimuraz, and later a second child was born.
  Romanov lived on this estate for only two months, celebrating the New Year of 1917 with his relatives. He himself was a convinced bachelor.
In addition to the palace itself, the park, laid out around it, is very attractive. An employee, G. Claudy, was involved in the creation of this park. He very skillfully planned the layout of the paths and vegetation. Oaks, strawberries, turpentine trees, and, of course, various species of cypresses and palm trees were planted here.

The next owner of the estate was Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr., who was a famous military figure before the October Revolution. Currently, the building of the Kichkine Palace is divided into two parts. In one of them is the hotel of the same name, in the territory of which there is a seawater pool. The second part is at the disposal of the museum, which is called "Summer Residence of Prince Romanov." Kichkine Palace is one of the most beautiful, although Kichkine is not included in, but it would rightfully fall into 10 palaces of the southern coast of the peninsula.

Cottage Kichkine (or Kichkine) in the Crimea is a monument of history and culture of the early twentieth century. It is located on the southern coast of Crimea between the villages of Gaspra and Kurpaty. This is the last building of the summer residence of the royal family of the Romanovs was created for the Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich, who conceived the project under the impression of visiting a nearby estate - the Swallow's Nest. Therefore, he chose a place for the construction of the cottage on a high slope of the cliff, from where a magnificent sea view opened.

The prince did not have his own family, so he did not need a large palace and numerous outbuildings. The main requirements for the project were a small building for themselves and a larger one for receiving guests, mainly for the children of their brother Konstantin; maximum comfort, including water supply, sewerage, central heating. This modesty of the structure was reflected in the affectionate name “Baby”, which is translated into the Tatar language as “Kichkine”.

The project was entrusted to the local family architectural company of the Tarasov brothers, who made a commitment to fulfill the order in a short time. The snow-white elegant building was created in 1913 in a pseudo-Moorish style, which was expressed in arched windows, stucco moldings were abundant, a “minaret” was present, including inlays, mosaics, Arabic scripts and carvings in the decor. Separate buildings were connected by covered walkways, and also communicated with the kitchen and garage.

Kichkine was surrounded by a fence with a gate, a road was laid here, unreliable sections were strengthened by retaining walls. By 1915, an important problem had been resolved to divert water flows that had devastatingly devastated from the elevated mountainous areas during heavy rains - a complex system of diversion channels was developed and built. Designers in the construction of the palace competently took into account the complex nature of the rocky terrain.

Walls 0.7 m thick were made of brick and fastened with a special mortar, the bearing ceilings of the ceiling and floor were made of reinforced concrete, the base under the foundation was also flooded with a thick layer of concrete. Due to the violation of agreements on the contract and deadlines, the Tarasova project was completed by another Yalta architect - L.N. Shapovalov, who performed a number of works on decorating the facade, as well as on the construction of a marble staircase to go down to the beach.

In the interiors of the palace, the Arabic style was used in the design of the lobby and dining rooms, other rooms were made in the styles of empire (Large living room) and neoclassicism (Reception). For decorative finishes, skillfully created stucco was used, as well as carved wooden panels. For furnishing, luxurious rosewood sets, bronze chandeliers and mirrors were specially borrowed from the Oreanda Palace.

An amazing background for the tiny palace was created by the surrounding landscape - mountains covered with wonderful forests, vineyard plantations and flowering gardens. But to the beautiful frame on the south-west side was added a small palace park, the planning of which was worked by an employee of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden - F. Kalayda. Picturesque paths were laid, flower beds arranged that were well visible from the windows, trees and flowering shrubs were planted.

The revolutionary events did not have the best effect on Kichkin, not to mention the fate of its first owner. Prince Dmitry, who left on the eve of the coup in Petrograd, was arrested and shot in 1919 on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the Soviet period, a cozy cottage was used as a comfortable tourist base. During the fascist occupation, Hitler presented this miniature palace to Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, who had owned Kichkine for two years, for this special service to the Reich.

Currently, the Kichkine summer house has been reconstructed, on its basis there is a museum dedicated to the Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov and a hotel, which adjoins a large swimming pool with heated sea water.

Cottage Kichkine in the photo

Address:  Republic of Crimea, pos. Kurpaty, Alupkinskoye highway (at the entrance to the Kurpaty from the Gaspra side)

One of the most original structures; a miniature palace built at the beginning of the 20th century on the southern coast of the peninsula on the orders of the grandson of Nicholas I - Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich Romanov. The prince himself was an inveterate bachelor and had no children of his own, but his nephews, whom he loved very much, often rested in Kichkin.

The summer residence received such a sonorous name from the Turkic word meaning “baby”. And, indeed, Kichkine is relatively small. Although this drawback is compensated by the original design in the style of Scheherazade's fairy tales, a beautiful park of perennial cypress trees and grotto arbors that adorn the area around the cottage.

Still, Kichkine is a small but very cozy residence. After some restoration work, a historical museum was opened on its base, dedicated to Prince D.K. Romanov. In addition, you can stay in Kichkin as a hotel. Indeed, today it has all the amenities for guests and even a heated pool.

By the way, the cottage is located near Miskhor on Cape Ai-Todor near the Black Sea coast. She is like a snow-white sailboat against the background of boundless blue open spaces. You can get to the sea via an original staircase in a rock niche. The Kichkine architectural plan was developed by the famous Tarasov brothers from Yalta.

Crimea is famous for its own, each of which is a real work of art and architecture. Some of them can be visited with a guided tour, for example, a khan, and in some they even stop and live, for example, in, where today one of the most popular sanatoriums of Crimea is located. Kichkine Palace was built as a summer residence for the grandson of Nicholas I - Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich. The building is unique in its architecture and, of course, is included in the list of the most striking sights of Mishor, but in addition to being an interesting place to visit, it is also a hotel where anyone can live, just book a room. So, today’s article about Kichkin’s cottage: its history, legends and, of course, complete information about the hotel and its service.

The history of the palace-cottage Kichkine

Translated from the Tatar, “Kichkine” means “small” or “baby” - this is the kind of cottage that Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich wanted, the grandson of Emperor Nicholas I. In the spring of 1912, on his orders, a small piece of land was bought on the southern coast of Crimea, on him and it was decided to build a small house. To design the palace for Kichkine, the prince chose three brothers who constantly lived in Yalta, but who have significant authority in St. Petersburg. The Tarasov brothers were well known for projects in the field of railway structures, but Dmitry Konstantinovich chose them not for the excellent stations and platforms, but because at that time one of the brothers Nikolai Georgievich Tarasov was the city architect of Yalta. It was he who built the building of the city theater, the palace of the Emir of Bukhara, several residential mansions, in general, as they would say now, had a rich portfolio for the construction of summer houses and villas.

Kichkina cottage in Crimea © Igor Chudo

The Tarasovs got down to work without hesitation, and within a few weeks submitted to court the first draft of the Kichkine dacha. The Tarasovs promised that by October 1912 a house would be built for the owner of the estate, and in a year the rest of the work would be completed: roads, fences, a kitchen, and more. But the promised, as they say, is waiting for three years, and by the indicated deadline half of the work was not completed. To make the process go faster, another Yalta architect and engineer L. N. Shapovalov, the one who once built the famous “White Cottage” for A. P. Chekhov, who helped complete the job, was invited. The construction was completed only by the end of 1914, at the same time a park appeared around the small Kichkine palace.

Kichkine Palace © Spider death

Despite the fact that construction work was still underway in the summer of 1913, the niece of the Grand Duke and his family settled in Kichkin. The Grand Duke himself was not often here, it is documented that he definitely spent here December 1916 and January 1917. The famous staircase with numerous pavilions and grottoes, carved from the dacha to the sea, appeared here in Soviet times, in 1986, but very harmoniously fit into the general ensemble of the Kichkine Palace.

View of the Kichkine Palace © Sergey Kovalyov

Nowadays, in the territory of the former imperial dacha, the hotel of the same name is located, in which you can stay for any tourist who has arrived in the Crimea.

Kichkine Hotel - how much and how to book

Hotel Kichkine is located 8 km from Yalta directly on the territory of the estate of the Grand Duke; several buildings with a height of 5 to 9 floors were built specifically for the hotel. Rooms for tourists are mostly double with all amenities, but there are also two-room suites for a particularly demanding audience.

Hotel Kichkine © Frank

The hotel has 114 rooms, two outdoor pools, one of which is with sea water. It has its own parking, conference room, summer cinema, internet club. On the beach you can rent jet skis and other water sports.

Hotel Kichkin © hotel-kiсhkinе.ru

In general, today Kichkine is an excellent hotel with good service, where in addition to the beautiful territory there is also its own attraction, which can be visited without an excursion. Price per day from 5500 rubles and above. Unfortunately, while booking a hotel is possible only from the official website of the hotel or by calling +7 495 2041062 (multi-channel) and +7 978 0400061, it is not available in popular online booking systems.