"Crimea in the life of the Romanov family"

Apollinaria Vasnetsov Crimea, 1890.

Apollinariy Vasnetsov, Bowl of the Sea

  “There was life in Crimea, service in St. Petersburg,” - this is exactly how one of the tsar’s daughters described her family being in Crimea. Holidays in a summer residence on the southern coast of Crimea in the wonderful Livadia was a pleasant tradition of several generations of the Romanov dynasty.

Having once visited these truly magical royal surroundings of Yalta, where the sparkling radiant sea, then the gentle, then almighty, blue sky, warm air, filled with the aroma of lush-blooming Crimean vegetation and a garland of mountain ranges, captivates the human mind and creates an irresistible desire to enjoy not yet times the beauty of this heavenly unearthly corner of the Earth.

Apollinaris Vasnetsov, View from the Swallow's Nest. Crimea, 1924.

It is not surprising that the area where Livadia is located was inhabited by humans for a very long time. The remains of the settlements of the copper era (ІІІ millennium BC) confirm that this picturesque place, open to the sea, then attracted people. In the distant past, on the site of modern Livadia, large fields alternated with dense forest land. From here came the melodic name Livadia from the Greek. livadion - meadow, lawn

House of L.S. Pototsky

Purchase of a property that once belonged to Count L.S. Pototsky, who came from that branch of the old Polish aristocratic family, which had long been sympathetic to Russia, took place in 1860. Livadia Potocki was like a small antique museum; the park and greenhouses were the subject of special care and pride of the owner of the estate. So, a new Romanov era began in the life of the estate. Many joyful and sad events of the imperial family are associated with this place. The walls of the Livadia Palace keep secrets and true facts of their glorious life.

The Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich first arrived in Livadia - the estate of his mother - Empress Maria Fedorovna, already being in the role of heir to the throne, in the autumn of 1871. From that time, until 1877, the imperial family came to the Crimea annually, Livadia for Alexander Alexandrovich became not only a favorite vacation spot, but also a kind of school for him to master the most difficult issues of European politics.

At the very beginning of the arrival of the august family in Yalta in 1886, an event occurred that laid the foundation for the formation of the city as a convenient modern Black Sea port. When the cruiser Orel, on which Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna arrived with their children and retinue, approached Yalta, such a strong storm broke out in the sea that boats for transporting people could not come to the ship. All night the cruiser chatted in the sea, and only in the morning it died down and finally managed to go ashore. After this incident, the emperor’s personal instruction followed about the construction of a pier in Yalta.

Then, in Yalta, a sewage system of the latest construction was built, most of the Yalta houses already had water supply, the main streets were lit with gas, and from 1896 with electric lights. In the city, male and female gymnasiums, schools and colleges, numerous hotels, apartment buildings, sanatoriums and bathhouses, churches, a theater, shops, etc., were built, that is, the entire infrastructure of the resort city was created. And in the mid-90s, Yalta has confidently become one of the best resorts in Europe.

In September 1886, the estate manager, Colonel Plets, worried about cracks in the walls of the Small Palace, sent a report to the Department of Departments asking him to send an architect to Livadia to determine how serious the damage to the palace and the Turkish arbor caused by the landslide was.

Professor D.I. Grimm, who arrived soon, conducted a thorough inspection of the building and came to the conclusion that it is in emergency condition: through cracks go from the foundation to the eaves.

Alexander III, having received a report from the Minister of the Imperial Court, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, agreed with the proposal of D. I. Grimm and A. I. Rezanov to completely disassemble the building and build a new one, but ordered to restore it in the form it was built by I. Monighetti.

The architect V.A. Schroeder, who was entrusted with the design of the new building of the Small Palace, fulfilled the wish of the imperial family: everything in it, down to the smallest detail, repeated the appearance of the sovereign of our House. At the end of March 1887, the palace was dismantled, in May the fortified foundation was overlooked, and by the summer of next year it was ready to receive the hosts.

The highest arrival in Livadia in 1891 was marked by its many relatives and close friends and was dedicated to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the wedding of the royal couple.

  “October 28, everyone gathered at the festive table” —Tsesarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich wrote then in his diary - “Monday. The joyful day of the 25th wedding anniversary of the dear Papa and Mama; God forbid that they celebrate such anniversaries many more times.”

Last family photo. From left to right: Tsarevich Nikolai, Grand Duke George, Empress Maria Fedorovna, Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duke Michael, Grand Duchess Xenia and Emperor Alexander III. Livadia, Crimea. May 1893

The next time the imperial family arrived in Crimea in August 1894. The wonderful weather seemed to cheer up the emperor who had been feeling very ill from the beginning of the year. Suddenly, on October 5, there was a sharp deterioration. But, despite the overwhelming efforts of the best doctors on October 20, 1894, 49-year-old Alexander III quietly died in the armchair of his bedroom.

As you know, Nicholas II became the heir to Alexander III. He, like his father and grandfather, combined vacations in Livadia with active state activities: he worked on business papers and petitions, receiving ministers, various delegations and private individuals, and foreign diplomats. A significant event in the history of world diplomacy - the first Hague Peace Conference - was largely connected with the emperor's stay in Livadia in 1898 - its foundations were developed here - a prototype of the UN.

Judging by the private receptions of the embassies of the Mediterranean and other distant countries, this has become a tradition in the south coast estate.

In the entire history, only once did the Romanovs celebrate Christmas and New Year in Livadia in the winter of 1900/1901. There is something symbolic in how the 20th century began for the royal family: the circumstances that forced them to stay in Livadia, the very atmosphere of the meeting of the first year of the new century seemed to predict the tragic events of subsequent years ... Christmas came and then the celebration of the New, 1901- of the year. But there was no music and fun in the Livadia Palace: on the occasion of the death of his distant relative, the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, Nicholas II ordered that mourning be held at the Supreme Court for two weeks. Adherence to traditional etiquette was stronger than the awareness of the country's entry into the new century ...

Arrival in Crimea in the fall of 1902 began with festivities in Sevastopol on the launching of the cruiser "Ochakov" and this Greatest visit ended with an important event in the life of Yalta: on December 5, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was solemnly lit. The construction of this beautiful building began at the direction of Alexander III in memory of the heroically deceased tsar - the liberator.

With the beginning of the new century, signs of the process of destruction began to manifest themselves clearly in the Livadia Palace. The building required major repairs, or the construction of a new one.

But for the tsar's family, the troubled years of the Russo-Japanese War and the first Russian Revolution came, in which they did not consider it possible to leave to rest in Crimea so far from the capital.

The decision to build a new, more comfortable and spacious palace was nevertheless made during the next Highest Arrival in 1909. The construction was entrusted to the architect N.P. Krasnov. And on April 23, 1910, the first foundation stone of the new Livadia Palace was laid. The total construction time of the palace is 17 months. The deadline is amazing, isn't it? But when you get acquainted with the true history of construction and many unforeseen complications, there is no end to surprise and admiration! The first difficulties were associated with the geological structure of the area - the builders had to drain the entire area under the palace building.

Nikolay Muravsky. Architect of the Supreme Court, academician, Krasnov Nikolai Petrovich.

These works delayed the laying of the foundation for almost a month. The next stumbling block was the human factor: a cholera epidemic broke out in Crimea. A strange ailment caused serious danger for Livadia, where a large number of people were daily. Decisive sanitary measures contributed to the fact that not a single case of the disease occurred in Livadia.

In January 1911, the palace was prepared for interior decoration. But unusual for the South coast, a harsh snowy winter markedly slowed down the progress of construction. Thanks to the resourcefulness and responsibility of the architect N.P. Krasnova and his assistants, managed to prepare the palace for the set time for delivery.

One can only imagine the admiration and joy of the royal family for the new Livadia complex, which corresponded to all their imperial wishes.

It is sad to say that the short-lived summer residence pleased its owners. The royal family came to him only four times - in the autumn of 1911 and 1913 and in the spring of 1912 and 1914. On June 12, 1914, they left Livadia, not suspecting that they had said goodbye to her forever. On the first of August the First World War began.

Visiting the modern Livadia Palace, he admires the number of photos of the royal family, which forever captured the moments of life of its members. And these photos have their own story.

As soon as the company Kodak organized the release of cameras for amateur photography, his passion for him swept the whole world. With pleasure engaged in photography and the Romanovs. Each of them necessarily had albums, where in the evenings, in the family circle, they glued new photographs taken with their own hands, or liked the pictures of famous masters.

For Nicholas II, the company produced a special camera that allowed him to take panoramic pictures. Many of them are of great historical value now. It must be said that Nikolai Aleksandrovich showed great interest in general to technical innovations and, in particular, to new inventions.

And another interesting event of Russian cultural life happened then in Livadia: in the building of the Musical Barracks, converted into a cinema hall, in the presence of the imperial family, all the attendants, soldiers and security officers, the full-length film Defense of Sevastopol was first shown. It was created by a large Russian businessman and film maker A. A. Khanzhonkov, who later founded a film studio in Yalta.

Images from the film “Defense of Sevastopol” (1911)

So, thanks to the royal family, the southern coast of Crimea was famous for its technological development and modernization. So, for example, the enthusiasm of Nicholas II for horseback riding and trips along the South Coast greatly contributed to the expansion of the highway network and their improvement. In the late 90s, two roads were laid from Yalta - to Bakhchisarai through Ai - Petrinskaya Yayla and "Romanovskoye Shosse" - to Alushta via Karabi - Yayla and further to the royal Beshuy hunting cottage. In the years 1912-13. they were newly repaired and adapted for car driving.

Many schools, colleges, hospitals, sanatoriums and shelters were built thanks to large donations from the Romanovs and other noble and wealthy people who settled on the South Coast. Charity in Russia for the upper strata of society was then not a fashion, but a spiritual need. In the spirit of helping the poor and afflicted, members of the imperial family raised their children. The names of each of them were called numerous charitable institutions and educational institutions, which provided the latter with constant material support for people with the authority of real power.

The celebration of the White Flower holiday has become a good tradition in Russia at that time, it was particularly successful in Yalta, which was called the All-Russian Hospital for the treatment of patients with tuberculosis. On this day, the main flower was chamomile. Smart women carry flower garlands around the city. Everyone is willing to buy white flowers from the saleswomen, which have become a symbol of human responsiveness.

The proceeds made it possible to support the Yalta department of the All-Russian League for the Fight against Tuberculosis.

An interesting episode, which is a vivid confirmation of the affection of Nicholas II to the southern coastal estate, could not help but attract my attention: His Majesty, admiring the view of Yalta, said that he would never want to leave these surroundings and that the idea of \u200b\u200bmoving the capital more than once flashed in his head, and that if Yalta was the capital he would have probably stopped loving her.

Not surprisingly, after his abdication, Nicholas II asked the Provisional Government to give him the opportunity to settle with his family in Livadia, where he would lead the life of a private individual. What a pity that the sovereign never received this permission ...

Why did the royal family of the Romanovs choose Crimea as their summer residences?

It is almost impossible to answer a very complex and very controversial question about the reasons for the placement of the first summer residences of the Tsarist Romanov dynasty on the southern coast of Crimea without mentioning many small historical details. When telling the reader about the ambiguous choice of the leaders of the party and government of the RSFSR in the early spring of 1921, the location of their first summer residences on the territory of the Crimean peninsula, one cannot but notice one extremely important circumstance that is of key importance in my story. The fact is that the Crimean Peninsula, in contrast to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, by 1917 had almost half a century of history of using it as a place of recreation and residence of the royal family, as well as an extensive group of the most influential entrepreneurs of Russia. Here it is necessary to make an important reservation regarding the location of one of the summer residences of Emperor Alexander III in New Athos (Abkhazia), on the territory of the current New Athos monastery, which, unlike the Crimean estates of the king, did not become a cult and widely known. In this case, it would be appropriate to categorically state that until 1917 the imperial house of the Romanovs considered two state dachas in Crimea, located almost nearby - in Livadia and Lower Oreanda, to be their official summer residence. It is also possible to boldly attach to these historical objects the name “state transfer”, which began to be included in the dictionary of bureaucratic slang only after March 1946 in the USSR. However, these two estates - Livadia and Lower Oreanda - really were on the balance of the state, were elevated by decree of Emperor Alexander II to the status of summer residences and specially protected objects with a strictly established staff of security guards.

In 1783, the Crimean peninsula after the abdication of the last Crimean Khan Shahin-Girey was annexed to Russia. Joining was almost bloodless. On April 19, 1783, Empress Catherine II signed the “Manifesto on the Adoption of the Crimean Peninsula, Taman Island and the All Kuban Side to the Russian Power”, which “owes the responsibility of the previous care of the goodness and greatness of the Fatherland” and “believing it to permanently postpone unpleasant reasons disturbing eternal peace between the empires of the All-Russian and Ottoman. " On December 28, 1783, Russia and Turkey signed the “Act on the annexation of the Crimea, Taman and Kuban to the Russian Empire”, which repealed article (article) 3 of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhsky peace treaty on the independence of the Crimean Khanate. In turn, Russia with this act confirmed the Turkish belonging of the fortresses Ochakov and Sudzhuk-Kale. After a long turmoil, peace came to Crimea. In a short time, new cities grew: Evpatoria, Sevastopol and others. The peninsula began to quickly turn into the most important cultural and commercial region of the Black Sea region for Russia, and in Sevastopol the creation of the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet began. In 1784, Crimea became part of the Tauride region with a center in the city of Simferopol. According to the decree "On the compilation of the Tauride region from seven counties and on the opening of public places in the cities thereof", the region was composed of seven counties: Simferopol, Levkopol, Yevpatoriya, Perekopsky, Dnieper, Melitopol and Fanagoria.

After the Russo-Turkish war of 1787–1791, the Russian affiliation of the Crimea was reaffirmed by the Yassky peace treaty, which secured for Russia the entire Northern Black Sea coast.

By decree of Emperor Paul I of December 12, 1796, the Tauride Region was abolished, the territory divided into two counties - Akmechet and Perekop, was annexed to the Novorossiysk province. In 1802, the Tauride province was formed, which lasted until the Civil War in Russia. From the end of the 18th century, a gradual economic development and improvement of the Crimean peninsula began, according to personal preferences and strategic guidelines of the then Russian aristocracy. In August 1860, the estate of Livadia was taken into the Administration of the inheritance of the imperial court from the heirs of Count Lev Severinovich Pototsky. In modern terms, the Tsarist Romanov dynasty in the person of Emperor Alexander II bought for a private budget from a private person a huge estate he liked with a well-kept palace and park complex.

Estate Livadia. Small palace. Built by I.A. Monighetti in 1866. In November 1941, was set ablaze by a special group of the NKVD before the occupation of Yalta. 1910 photo

Count L.S. Potocki owned the estate in Livadia in the autumn of 1834 and invested a lot of time and effort into its development and prosperity. By the end of the 50s of the XIX century, the estate of Livadia Count L.S. Pototsky was a beautifully furnished estate with Bolshoi and Malyi two-story residential buildings. The conservatory was decorated with a fountain of white Carrara marble. Almost immediately after the death of Count L.S. Pototsky (died March 10, 1860) in May 1860, his daughter and heiress Leonilla Lantskoronskaya and Anna Mnishek received an advantageous offer from the manager of the Department of Departments of the Ministry of the Imperial Court Yu.I. Stebnok about buying Livadia for the royal family. As you know, the "proposal" of such a property from the head of the Russian Empire is rarely meaningless and little thought out, rather the opposite. In this case, the sisters did not want to sell the family estate to anyone at all, but the monarch’s anger, albeit not entirely fair, at that time could end very sadly for young people who did not want to spend the rest of their lives in Siberia or even further. The heirs reluctantly agreed to part with their beloved estate forever, only given the fact that this is an unambiguous personal desire of Alexander II and, according to the rules of the game, this refusal would be perceived by the monarch as a challenge. According to Countess A. Mnishek, "the fact that Livadia is now for sale is due solely to making the Emperor pleased." In late November 1860, Emperor Alexander II arrived to inspect his future personal residence in Yalta. The estate, after a thorough inspection, at first liked Alexander II only because of its location, and after some thought, the emperor ordered the reconstruction of this building, according to the status of the government residence and the wishes of the royal couple. As the author of the future project for the reconstruction of the Livadia estate, Alexander II proposed to Yu.I. Stebnok candidacy of the chief architect of the imperial royal palace I.A. Monighetti.

Ippolit Antonovich Monighetti - an outstanding Russian architect and watercolorist, a representative of architectural eclecticism, who worked a lot on orders of the royal family and the highest aristocracy. In fact, I.A. Monighetti became the first officially known court architect in Russia, who purposefully engaged in the design and construction of the residences of the Romanov Imperial House, which later, in the era of the USSR, would be called the strange word "government grants", and for their construction they would establish the design bureau of the MGB of the MGB in 1946. In some modern historical sources it is called the first "court" architect M.I. Merzhanov, which, of course, is not far from the truth, but at a discount for the Soviet period, because the author of the constructed government residences in Volynsky, Bocharov Ruchey and Matsesta created in the era of the reign of I.V. Stalin, and I.A. Monighetti under Alexander II. It turns out, whatever one may say, the superiority in the development of the architectural style, layout and selection of building materials for the first government residences in Russia belongs to I.A. Monighetti.

Outstanding Russian architect and creator of government residences I.A. Monighetti was born into the family of an emigrant from Switzerland, virtuoso mason Antonio Monigeti, who was born in Biasca (Ticino canton), who settled and found a well-paid job in Moscow. Having finished brilliantly the course of the Moscow Stroganov School of Technical Drawing, in 1834 Monighetti entered the pupils of the Imperial Academy of Arts, in which Professor A.P. was his main mentor in architecture. Bryullov. In 1839, for the project of the theater school I.A. Monighetti was awarded the Small Gold Medal, but due to illness he did not participate in the competition for the Big Gold Medal and, leaving the Academy with the title of artist of the XIV class, went to Italy to improve his health. After spending quite a long time in Italy and after visiting Greece and the Middle East, Monighetti diligently studied architectural monuments in these countries, recorded their details on paper and thus composed a rich collection of interesting drawings that served as the basis for his return to St. Petersburg in 1847 to award him the title of academician.

Design and construction activities I.A. Upon arrival in Russia, Monighetti began with his appointment as the chief architect of the imperial royal palaces, as well as the construction of a graceful bath in the form of a Turkish mosque on a large pond, the decoration of palace flower greenhouses, the construction of two bridges in Tsarskoye Selo Park and the construction of several lordly summer houses in this suburban the residence of Alexander II. Then he designed and built houses in St. Petersburg for Count Novosiltsev, Countess Apraksina, Prince Vorontsov (on the Moika), Count P.S. Stroganova. In 1858, I.A. Monighetti, having received a professorship as an artist who has already earned honorary fame, began to erect, according to his personal projects, various buildings at the summer imperial dacha in Livadia on the southern coast of Crimea, according to the classic Italian architectural style of the 19th century. I.A. Monighetti hoped to finish work by the fall of 1864, but orders from the royal family followed one after another, and the construction of the summer residence was completed only in June 1866. Shortly before the first visit of Alexander II with his family to Livadia, the Departments Department received an emperor’s decree: “The estate of Livadia, bought in Crimea, with all the buildings and accessories, giving my dear Empress Maria Alexandrovna my beloved wife’s gift, I command the Departments to enlist this estate in her imperial property Majesties. " Thus, Empress Maria Alexandrovna became the first of the Romanov dynasty to own Livadia - one of the largest estates on the southern coast of Crimea - by 1868 its area was 300 dessiatins (the main dominant Russian measure of the area, equal to 2400 square fathoms, or 1.09 ha , the so-called breech. In the XVIII - early XIX century, tithing was used, equal to 3200 square fathoms, or 1.45 ha).

Interesting fact: the area of \u200b\u200bthe former residence of M.S. Gorbachev, and later B.N. Yeltsin’s state delivery Barvikha-4 (located on the 5th kilometer of Rublevo-Uspensky highway, near the village of Razdory) was “only” 66 hectares, which, of course, is certainly less than the area of \u200b\u200bthe Livadia estate in Crimea.

The first highest visit to Livadia by Emperor Alexander II took place on August 22, 1866. As expected, the royal couple of the Romanovs was indescribably delighted with their new acquisition - the summer residence of Livadia.

Magnificent palaces and mansions in Crimea, erected for members of the imperial family, surrounded by magnificent gardens, are still unique monuments of palace and park architecture of world significance. Russian emperors and grand dukes loved to rest in Crimea until 1917, surrounded by enchanting nature from the bustle of the capital and important state affairs. In addition to the royal family, freshly baked Russian nouveau riche and noble families from noble families with an as yet unspent fortune were massively pulled to Crimea from the mid 70s of the 19th century. Moreover, rest in Crimea for the nobility of St. Petersburg and Moscow became extremely prestigious, and for this reason, after 1866, a massive purchase of empty land and the construction of luxurious mansions on the peninsula began. Meanwhile, there were many reasons for the summer residence of the imperial house to be located on the Crimean peninsula. I will list them below, since for ignorant people who do not know the specifics of placing and protecting government residences, it is sometimes difficult to understand the true motives that prompted the Romanovs to settle in the Livadia estate on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.

So, the reasons that prompted the Romanov couple and Alexander II personally to place their first summer residence in Crimea:

1. F.Ya. Karell, a doctor who is a life doctor under the emperors Nicholas I (since 1849) and Alexander II (since 1855), who enjoys unquestioned authority, has repeatedly advised the Romanovs to build an estate on the territory of the Crimean peninsula for summer vacations in order to prevent the occurrence of colds , as well as the early stages of tuberculosis, characteristic of the northwestern part of the Russian Empire. It is F.Ya. Carrel was the first doctor who voiced the option of summer holidays in the Crimea, namely in the territory of the South Coast, comparing it with the climate of Liguria (the administrative region of Italy, located on the northern coast of the Ligurian Sea).

2. One of the main propagandists and theorists of a preventive stay in the Crimea in the summer for the Romanovs became a Russian general practitioner S. P. Botkin, since 1870 he was appointed to the honorary and extremely responsible position of a life doctor with the imperial family. Of course, Alexander II and before S.P. Botkin every year, starting in 1866, rested on the estate of Livadia, paying more attention to his own person and the health of his new passion. However, the state of health of his wife - Empress Maria Alexandrovna - forced him to agree with the arguments of S.P. Botkin and engage in systematic treatment of his wife, so that her well-being is significantly improved. According to contemporaries of Alexander II, the emperor was extremely skeptical about the advice of doctors, and especially the advice of life doctors, carefully listening to the latter and doing the opposite. For this reason, it is argued that Alexander II decided to locate a summer residence in Crimea only on the basis of exhortations and certain “recommendations” of S.P. Botkin, completely unfounded. Alexander II, like any man, first of all believed that it was necessary to solve the problem radically, and for this reason he solved it in accordance with his worldview. Therefore, when the emperor was asked an edge about the treatment of his wife and the methods of eliminating the disease were clearly defined, Alexander II, not really thinking about the consequences, simply “shoved” the tired Maria Aleksandrovna to Livadia, and subsequently he was “inspired” by his favorite with ideas S.P. Botkin on the healing nature of the Crimean climate.

Russian physician and public figure Sergei Petrovich Botkin

I note that the wife of Emperor Alexander II - Maria Alexandrovna gave birth to the king of seven children. The Empress’s childbirth and penchant for colds did their job, and in the second half of the 60s she was a sick, psychologically broken woman by the death of her eldest son, whose husband devoted more time to the favorites than to his wife’s health. November 22, 1870, by the highest decree of Alexander II, doctor S.P. Botkin is appointed an honorary life doctor, and Empress Maria Alexandrovna becomes the main object of his cares and treatment. On March 14, 1872, the empress was escorted by her doctor to the Crimea. Minister of State Property of the Russian Empire P.A. Valuev notes this day in his diary as follows: “It is difficult to have an exact concept about the property and degree of the disease with many conflicting interpretations. It seems, however, that the lungs are indeed affected and that Dr. Hartmann did not notice the evil in a timely manner and launched it. Dr. Botkin identified the disease, and a trip to the Crimea was undertaken at his personal insistence. "

Meanwhile, S.P. Botkin writes April 11, 1872 to the Minister of the Imperial Court A.V. Adlerberg: “The Empress’s health is improving markedly every day; the cough is getting weaker and weaker, there are less wheezing in the chest, and finally there were so few, and breathing was free ... of course, wheezing is still audible, but maybe ten times less, comparing with the amount that was at the beginning of our move to Crimea, the night passes now without coughing, and during the day Her Majesty can speak and even laugh, without paying for each time a cough, as it was before ... a walk without support by the arm was somewhat difficult, now the empress is walking without help quite free. "

3. The chief of the Third Division of his own e. And. in. Chancellery - Prince Vasily Andreevich Dolgorukov, under Alexander II and the chief of the gendarmes corps (from 1855 to 1866), who had a very strong influence on the emperor, throughout his entire leadership of the state security service, he was an ardent and uncompromising opponent of placing the Romanov’s summer residences on the Black Sea coast Of the Caucasus. There was only one reason - the recently noisy Caucasian war, or rather, its last phase, the conquest of Circassia (September 1859 - May 21, 1864). Almost the entire territory of the modern Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Abkhazia at that time was a solid partisan region, where they could kill anyone and anyone, despite the fact that on May 21, 1864 in the mountain village of Kbaade, in the camp of the united Russian columns, in the presence of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, a thanksgiving service was served on the occasion of the victory in the Caucasian War. The probability of an attack on the Romanov couple, their murder or capture on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, when placing a summer residence there, was very high.

4. An extremely great danger to the royal couple was malaria. As you know, malaria is an infectious disease transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. The humidity of the climate of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the abundance of wetlands created ideal conditions for the life of mosquitoes, as a result of which in the XIX and early XX centuries malaria was the main scourge of these places. Several times more Russian soldiers died from malaria in the Caucasus than from clashes with the highlanders. The systematic fight against malaria began in the region of Sochi only in the 1920s, on the initiative of the doctor Sergei Yuryevich Sokolov. This fight was carried out in two directions - the treatment of patients and prevention, namely the extermination of the peddler - an Anopheles mosquito. Anti-malarial measures were carried out very diverse: drainage of wetlands, pollination and oil reservoirs. On the territory of Crimea, unlike the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, the epidemiological prerequisites for the emergence of foci of malaria in the 19th century were much lower, since this region did not have a large number of mountain rivers, large freshwater bodies of water with swampy areas and a favorable subtropical climate for breeding mosquitoes. The microregion (actually a mountain-climatic resort), in which the Livadia estate was located, was distinguished by a special climate and the presence of a large number of secular pines, creating a phytocenosis useful for human lungs. Also, in the nearby territories, no rivers flowed and there were no other freshwater reservoirs where the larvae of malaria mosquitoes could breed. I note that at that time the Crimean Peninsula was considered a safe territory for living from the point of view of the presence of foci of dangerous diseases and the life doctor F.Ya. Karell.

5. Of particular importance in choosing a place for his summer residence on the territory of Crimea, namely in Livadia, Alexander II attached to his fervent love affair with his favorite - Princess E. M. Dolgoruky (Yuryevskaya), who then turned into an organanatical marriage. After the death of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, in the girlhood of Princess Maximiliana-Wilhelmina-Augusta-Sophia-Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt, from tuberculosis, the emperor was able to move to the Livadia estate without hiding with his beloved and spend the summer months at sea in his personal residence. According to the memoirs of the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers P.A. Valuev, who left numerous diaries after his death: “... The Tsar since the summer of 1866 was more concerned with finding a suitable house for Princess Dolgoruky in Livadia than with the condition of Maria Alexandrovna, who after the death of Nikolasha began to suffer from frequent migraines and depression ...”

Emperor Alexander II with his second wife Catherine Dolgorukui children

6. The presence of aggressive or neutral indigenous ethnic groups on the Crimean peninsula, among which the so-called Crimean Tatars, Greek Turkophons, Urumis and Karaites predominated, was extremely important geopolitical in terms of the location of the summer residence. Crimean Tatars as an independent ethnic group were formed in Crimea in the XIII – XVII centuries. The historical core of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group is the Turkic tribes from the Kipchak-Oguz group, who settled in Crimea, who mixed with the local descendants of the Huns, Khazars, Pechenegs, as well as representatives of the Crimean Doturk population. After the end of the Crimean War (1853-25.02.1856), a mass exodus of Crimean Tatars (about 198 thousand people) to Turkey and forced eviction by the Russian military administration of Pontic Greeks-Hellenes and Urumians to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov began. The “liberated” place under the Crimean sun, at the request of the Russian tsarist administration, should have been taken by Orthodox Bulgarians invited to live permanently from Turkey, as specialists in the agricultural sector for growing grapes, melons and fruits. Nevertheless, by the end of the 70s of the XIX century in the Crimea, the main population nevertheless was precisely the Crimean Tatars, about 127 thousand people.

Despite the active settlement of Crimea after 1958 by Ukrainians from Little Russia and Russians from the southern regions of the Russian Empire, the Kipchak-Oguz ethnic group actively resisted assimilation and generally remained hostile to the tsarist government until the early 80s of the XIX century. Despite the small armed uprisings and the active opposition of the tsarist administration in all areas of life, the Crimean Tatars did not try to reverse history and cut out all the Russians, led by the emperor, who is in Livadia, for one simple reason. The Russian army and further administrative bodies of the Russian Empire, which became the only competent in the territory of Crimea since 1856, did not try to destroy the Tatars' way of life, and even had absolutely no claim to their Muslim faith. And the Tatars greatly appreciated this indisputable fact of a tolerant attitude towards the presence of mosques in the land of Crimea, not having made a single armed attack on the royal couple from 1856 to 1917, although they could have done it many times.

As you know, later the main enemy of Alexander II became the terrorist organizations "Land and Freedom" and "Narodnaya Volya", and not the "terrible and bloodthirsty Crimean Tatars" from Bakhchisarai. It is noteworthy that the Crimean Tatars in the period from 1917 to 1941 received extremely broad rights from the USSR for elections to local self-government bodies, they built schools with teaching in their native language and much more. However, when German troops arrived in November 1941 on the Crimean peninsula and subsequent occupation, most of the Crimean Tatar population supported the aggressor due to the massive opening of mosques and permission to perform religious rites.

Hypothetically, it can now be assumed that if the tsarist administration had actively fought against Islam in the Crimea since 1856, it would have received a “large-scale guerilla war” on the way out, where the Livadia estate did not last long. Tsarist administration, personally to Alexander II and the head of the Third Branch V.I. Dolgorukov, and after P.A. Shuvalov was smart enough not to demolish mosques and not convert Crimean Tatars to Orthodoxy. Moreover, starting in September 1862, the Crimean Tatar squadron was established in the Imperial convoy to guard the Romanovs and personally Alexander II. In May 1863, after the abolition of the Crimean Tatar squadron, the command of the Crimean Tatars' Life Guards became part of the convoy. I note that in December 1891, this formation from the Crimean Tatars was quietly and without further publicity disbanded.

7. Of particular importance in protecting the royal couple in Crimea, after the purchase of a summer residence in Livadia, the Russian fleet, based in the bays of Sevastopol, began to have. In 1857, the Russian government approved the first shipbuilding program after the Crimean War for a period of twenty years. According to this program, the construction was planned: for the Baltic Sea - 153 screw ships (18 battleships, 12 frigates, 14 corvettes, 100 gunboats and 9 wheeled steamers); for the Black Sea (subject to the restrictions stipulated by the Paris Treaty) - 15 screw ships (6 corvettes and 9 transports) and 4 wheeled steamers; for the Pacific Ocean - 20 screw ships (6 corvettes, 6 clippers, 5 steamers, 2 transports and a schooner). In fact, in addition to the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula, the Black Sea Fleet was obliged during the days of the tsar’s stay on vacation in Livadia to be guarded and on duty around the clock on the Yalta road, for which three screw steamers, two gunboats and the imperial yacht “stood out from the Sevastopol squadron” Tiger".

The royal yacht "Tiger" on the roads of Sevastopol. 1869 year

In connection with the ban on Russia having a navy on the Black Sea, according to the Paris world, it was "commanded by the highest order ... not to put artillery on the Tiger steamer and cover the cannon ports with skins, consider it an imperial yacht and display it under the yacht flag for sailing along the Black Sea." It is interesting that, although the Tiger yacht was listed in the Black Sea Fleet for 14 years (until 1872), there was almost no information about the sailings of the tsar’s family, except for the mention of the transfer in August 1861 of Alexander II with his family from Sevastopol to his new estate of Livadia. Artist A.P. Bogolyubov wrote: "... it was time for His Highness to leave Livadia, and therefore, having said goodbye, we got on the Tiger military steamer, a very bad tsarist yacht, and left for Sevastopol."

8. The construction of port facilities in Yalta became strategically important and extremely necessary for the safe location of the royal residence in Livadia, since Emperor Alexander II and his family, starting in 1866, could be delivered to the resting place either by horse-drawn transport or by ship on the Black Sea. I note that after

The Crimean War began to appear various projects for the construction of a railway that could connect the peninsula with the mainland. However, it was possible to realize the plan only in 1875, when the Moscow merchant and industrialist Pyotr Gubonin built a section of the railway from Lozova station (modern Kharkov region) to Sevastopol. A road of 665 km was built in 4 years. Until 1875, the emperor and his family traveled from St. Petersburg to Livadia in two ways. The first suggested a rather “short” way from the capital of the empire to Moscow by train (opened in 1855), then by carriage to Taganrog, and from this port on the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov through the Kerch Strait on a ship to Yalta. The second path, longer, provided as an intermediate point the port city of Nikolaev. Traveling to Crimea for the poor health of Empress Maria Alexandrovna was very tiring. For her, they tried to plan the most “calm” route so that most of it passed by rail and by water. So, in 1866, Maria Alexandrovna left Crimea from Tsarskoye Selo on September 11. The route went as follows: on horseback from Tsarskoye Selo to the Sablino station and further by rail to Moscow. Then on horseback to the port city of Nikolaev, through Tula, Oryol and Poltava. From Nikolaev on the Black Sea on a ship to Yalta. From her along the dirt road to the estate of Livadia. The entire route of 2,328 versts took seven days.

37 years before the arrival of the royal couple in Livadia, in 1829, on the initiative of the Governor General of the Novorossiysk Territory and the Bessarabian Province, Count M.S. Vorontsov in Yalta begins the construction of a stone pier to protect the bay from storm waves. On August 1 (August 14, according to the new style), 1833, in a ceremonial setting, the first stone block was laid in the "root of the future stone pier". This day is considered the birthday of the Yalta port. The construction of the first phase of port facilities ends in 1837. At the same time, the rapid growth of the village around the port begins, which is mainly settled by immigrants from Little Russia. By decree of Emperor Nicholas I of March 23 (April 4), Yalta is assigned the status of a county town. Twice, autumn-winter storms destroyed the built jetty and part of the port facilities in Yalta, until in 1887 they began the construction of a major stone pier and embankment under the general supervision of a retired major general engineer, hydro-engineer, a wonderful local historian, a resident of Yalta, Alexander L. Bertieux Delagard. Construction continued until 1890. Subsequently, again under the guidance of A.L. Bertier-Delagard, the pier and the embankment of the city were lengthened, the number of berths increased, the port and the city take on a familiar look. In 1866, due to the lack of normal berthing facilities, and in subsequent years, Alexander II and his family were forced to moor first on the ship to the double-deck landing stage, from which they reached the shore by steam raid boat.

It should be reminded to the reader that the first study tour, the so-called "Tauride voyage", to the Crimean peninsula was undertaken by Empress Catherine II, which lasted from January 2 to July 11, 1787. It was an unprecedented in scale, number of participants, cost and travel time of Catherine II and her court, which lasted more than six months. And in 1837, the family of Emperor Nicholas I first left for the Crimea. It was then that Empress Alexandra Fedorovna received Oreanda’s estate as a gift from Nicholas I “with one condition that the Pope would not take care of him at all and that she would build herself such a house there as she want to. " I note, meanwhile, that not far from this royal estate, in the so-called Lower Oreanda, on the slope of Mount Mogabi, in 1956, the object of the Ninth Directorate of the KGB of the USSR was built - the government residence for the first persons of the USSR, which has long been used by the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee L.I. Brezhnev. However, in more detail about this, undoubtedly, historical building and many other state buildings in Crimea I will tell below. Subsequently, the architect A.I. The Shtackenschneider built a palace in Oreanda, which, after the death of Alexandra Fedorovna, became the property of her second son, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich.

9. Returning to the topic of placing the Romanovs on the Livadia estate, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that on May 2, 1866, a special Security Team of the Third Branch of their own estate was established. in. Chancellery, designed exclusively to protect the royal couple on vacation, traveling around the country and abroad, as well as carry out operational-intelligence work to prevent terrorist acts. It can be argued that the creation of such a state security structure did not coincide with the establishment of the summer residence of Emperor Alexander II in Livadia.

Currently, the successor to this structure is the Federal Security Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation and the Presidential Security Service, which is part of the first organization, the activities of which are regulated by Federal Law of May 27, 1996 No. 57-FZ “On State Protection” (as amended). Immediately make a reservation that the SBP (the head of September 2013, Major General O. Klimentyev) and ULO are two completely different units of the FSO of the Russian Federation. Yes, they have a common goal - to ensure the safety and security of the president and top officials of the state. But they are completely different in structure, internal tasks and the way they are performed. By and large, SBP is one of the most streamlined, along with the SVR and the FSB, the subject of operational-search activity. But unlike its “brothers,” the SBP is oriented toward a completely different “target audience.” Its activities affect processes both within the country and outside of Russia. And the main task is to prevent the violent overthrow of power, attempts to change the constitutional system, etc.

However, of course, the “closest to the body” is the Directorate of Personal Security, which inherited the affairs of the 18th Division of the 1st Division of the Ninth Directorate of Security of the KGB of the USSR. His tasks include not only the protection of the head of state, but also his inner circle, relatives, people holding the highest posts in the country, and of course they protect the first persons of foreign powers who are visiting Russia. The immediate reason for the formation on May 2, 1866 of a special "protective" (unspoken) team of the Third Division of their own e. And. in. chancellery was the first attempt on the emperor Alexander II, committed on April 4, 1866.

This event showed that, despite the efforts of numerous departments, the effectiveness of the existing units of the state guard was actually low. Of course, the very fact of the assassination attempt on the emperor influenced the personnel of law enforcement agencies related to the organization of the protection of Alexander II. Chief of gendarmes V.A. Dolgorukov resigned on April 8, 1866. In his personal memoirs it is mentioned that he stated: “Let all of Russia know that I have been fired for the inability to protect my sovereign.” As we see, the head of state security of the Russian Empire had abundant self-criticism, but the talent to organize a well-functioning system for protecting the first person of the state was not enough, for the most part due to cleanliness and ignorance of the methods of operational-intelligence work among the population.

After the resignation of V.A. Dolgorukova to the leadership of the Third Department came very pragmatic and illegible in achieving the objectives P.A. Shuvalov. He headed the political police of the Russian Empire for eight years. According to contemporaries, he was a tough and intelligent nobleman, who had considerable influence at the court and was able to make him respect him and his decisions. He had experience of routine police work, and his “calm and self-control gave him something that we so rarely have to meet in our state people, the ability to listen and ask questions, and this as the chief of the gendarmes, obviously, was the main thing”, - stated in his memoirs P.A. Valuev.

Pyotr Andreevich Shuvalov - Adjutant General, Cavalry General, Member of the State Council, Chief of the Gendarmes and Head of the Third Division. For his great influence on Alexander II and his strong temper, he received the characteristic nickname of Peter IV

On May 2, 1866, Alexander II approved the project and the staff of the new government guard unit. Already on May 4, 1866 P.A. Shuvalov reported to the tsar about the creation of the backbone of the "security team" and its possible methods of operational intelligence and combat work. The first commander of this special unit of the government guard was the court adviser N.E. Shlyakhtin, who had previously served in Moscow as a police bailiff and was distinguished by an extensive staff of recruited informants. The captain of the gendarmerie N.M. was appointed his assistants. Prussak, who previously served as the head of the gendarmerie team in Revel (now Tallinn), and Lieutenant A.I. Polyakova, who previously served in the Warsaw police. Attracting full-time secret agents to the service, who could be trusted and not afraid of their re-enrollment, was fundamentally important. They were appointed tradesman I. Kozhukhov (agent of the Third Division since 1857), a retired provincial secretary A. Novitsky and a Riga citizen I. Kilvain. The lower ranks were first recruited by 20 people, but by the end of May the security team of the Third Division was fully staffed with "lower ranks" ... P.A. Valuev in this case mentioned that already in the summer of 1866, during the Tsar’s vacation in the Ilyinsky estate near Moscow, Alexander II was seriously angry that he first saw “the dressed agents of the Shuvalov’s guards wherever the Emperor walked ... But Count Shuvalov, taking up his work seriously, I was not embarrassed by the Tsar’s impression and brought in a really smart police capable of guarding everywhere, both in St. Petersburg and in Livadia. ”

The mayor of St. Petersburg F.F. Trepov personally drafted the "Regulation on the Guard" and instructions for her ranks. In a draft instruction developed by mid-May 1866 with bureaucratic meticulousness in thirty paragraphs, the order of the security service and the rules of conduct for guards in organizing outdoor surveillance were regulated. The instructions even determined the form of exemplary answers to questions about the imperial family, right down to "a particularly polite but adamant attitude towards the ladies if they wanted to approach the emperor." This document indicated that the security guard “stays constantly where the emperor or members of the imperial family deign to be present”. So, “in the gardens where the most august persons are allowed to walk,” the guards are obliged to inspect in advance “the alleys and places that a walk usually takes” and “pay attention to whether someone is hiding in flower beds, bushes or behind trees and buildings ". "In the absence of the public," it was supposed to "stay at a considerable distance so as not to draw attention to oneself," and in the event of the "appearance of the public", it is necessary to detain persons who, "making their way through the crowd, try to approach the highest persons with suspicious intentions," as well as “Persons noticeably dressed in a peasant or other dress, inconsistent with their appearance and, obviously, dressed for some prejudicial purpose.” In May 1866, all security guards were given numbered official certificates, printed on watermarked paper, stating that “this bearer is in Division III”. Employees of the government secret service guarded the king in a state dress for which special funds were allocated, and only "in special cases" a small part of the guard could be "dressed up" in uniform. The instructions emphasized that the guards "must behave in such a way that they are not paid public attention." They should not tell anyone about their responsibilities, "when they need the assistance of the external police, they will only present their special tickets, which by no means will they pass to anyone under pain of the strictest responsibility."

Of particular importance in the protection of the person of Alexander II in the Winter Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, while traveling around the country, as well as on vacation in Livadia, was the so-called Imperial Majesty’s own convoy (hereinafter referred to as SEIVK), a military unit consisting of two squadrons (in squadron 100 -120 people). At the sovereign’s office were only a non-commissioned officer and two Cossacks. And only during receptions and balls to guard the king were appointed from the convoy "to take off their coats" seven lower ranks. At one time, the adjutant wing Colonel Pyotr Romanovich Bagration commanded the convoy, and in 1858–1864, Lieutenant General Dmitry Ivanovich Skobelev, father of the White General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev.

The main ethnic core of the convoy was the Cossacks from the Terek and Kuban Cossack troops. The convoy also served Circassians, Nogais, other highland Muslims of the Caucasus, Azerbaijanis (a Muslim team, since 1857 the fourth platoon of the Life Guards of the Caucasian Squadron), Georgians, Crimean Tatars, and other ethnic groups of the Russian Empire. The official date of foundation of the convoy is considered to be May 18, 1811. On April 30, 1917, by decision and decree of the Provisional Government, the SEIVK was disbanded and sent home, and some officers of this formation made up the backbone of the Caucasian cavalry native division (the so-called Caucasian native cavalry corps), or the Wild Division, which participated in the Civil War on the side A. Denikin and A. Kolchak.

During the rest of Alexander II and other monarchs in Crimea, the main responsibilities of SEIVK were as follows:

1. Protection of the outer perimeter of the Livadia residence.

2. Protection of the internal perimeter of the Livadia residence on the territory of the forest zone and in the palace together with the security team of the Third Division.

3. Cleaning the track from unauthorized persons and horse-drawn carriages before and during the escort of Alexander II.

4. The device of mobile ambushes along the route of an escort to block persons with a terrorist orientation and the prevention of tracking potential informants following the routes of the royal couple.

5. Blocking of aggressive crowds of people, analysis of rubble and tying up counter-terrorist groups from the organizations "Narodnaya Volya" and "Land and Freedom".

6. The evacuation of Emperor Alexander II when attempting terrorist attacks from the place of attack, as well as the replacement of horses in a carriage if they died during an explosion or shooting.

Often, ignorant people have a completely legitimate question: how often the monarchs of the Russian Empire were on vacation in the estate of Livadia? Since I began the narrative with the founder of state loans in Crimea, namely with Alexander II, this question can be answered as follows. Again, that is, after the summer of 1866, the august family arrived only two years later, in July 1869. The Romanovs traveled first by train to Odessa, then along the Black Sea to Sevastopol, and already from it to Yalta. I’ll draw the attention of readers to the fact that it was only in 1863 that they decided to carry out from Odessa to Balta (a city of regional significance in the Odessa region of Ukraine, the administrative center of the Balti district), a strategically important railway with state funds. One of the main goals of building this railway, in addition to delivering troops to the southern regions of the empire, was to shorten the route of Alexander II with his family from St. Petersburg to the Livadia estate.

Life Guard Caucasian Cossack Squadron SEIV convoy. Chief Officer in ordinary uniform. Livadia, 1864

To manage construction work they sent Baron R.F. von Ungern-Sternberg, entrusting the general management of the project to the regional governor - Adjutant General P.E. Kotzebue. The ceremonial laying of the Odessa-Parkan railway took place on May 4, 1863, and then the construction of a wide gauge line from Razdelnaya to Balta began. In December 1864, on the basis of the highest decree of Alexander II, the Odessa-Baltic Railway will begin to be laid along a new route - through Kremenchug to Kharkov. In 1869, the summer residence of Livadia was visited by the heir to the Romanov dynasty - Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich (future emperor Alexander III, father of Nicholas II) with his wife Maria Fedorovna.

The heir settled in a palace specially built for him, which he really liked and for many years became a favorite vacation spot. Here the royal family could relax from the endless official events and the strict ceremonial of the Northern capital. The last time Alexander II was in Livadia in the summer of 1880, only six months remained before his tragic death in March 1881. In 1891, the territory of the royal residence in Yalta increased due to Oreanda, acquired from the heirs of Grand Duke Constantine, and reached 380 hectares. All of the above acquisitions were drawn up on the balance sheet of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and the inheritance and were officially registered as state property, or rather, the property of the Romanov dynasty. Here I will clarify and make a short footnote on the topic, explaining to the reader what kind of organizations in the 19th century were supervised by the state tsarist residences in the Russian Empire and what exactly they were called.

The ministry of the imperial court and inheritance was formed by the highest decree of Nicholas I of August 22, 1826 by combining a number of different purposeful institutions that existed earlier and served the head of state and the Romanov couple. Currently, the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, headed by A.S., is a complete analogue of the pre-existing government structure. Kolpakov. The minister of the imperial court and appanages was directly subordinate to the emperor, he was at the same time the minister of appanages, who headed the Department of appanages, as well as the manager of the cabinet e. And. in.

As is clear from the above text, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and the inheritance, which was in charge of all the movable and immovable property of the four Romanovs in the territory of the Russian Empire, included the Departments Department, which actually played the role of the Household Administration at the court of f. And. in.

In the days of the USSR, the successor of the traditions of this organization was the All-Russian Central Executive Committee / CEC / SNK / Council of Ministers, which, according to its staffing, structure and tasks, was completely copied from the Tsar’s Department of Deputies by the Secretary of the Presidium of the CEC, A.S. Yenukidze.

The true decoration of the South Coast, the pearls of the coast of Big Yalta, were the beautiful mansions of the Russian aristocracy, built here in the late XIX - early XX centuries.

Villa "Haraks".

It was built in 1908 according to the project of architect N.P. Krasnova, the author. The project is made in the Scottish style of an alpine castle, with sharp roofs covered with red tiles. The mansion belonged to Prince G. M. Romanov, was expropriated after 1917, and in 1922 the Kharaks sanatorium was opened here, later renamed the Dnieper.

Now it is a departmental sanatorium of the Federal Tax Service of Russia.
  Address: Gaspra, Alupkinskoye highway 13

It is executed in modern Scottish taste from local limestone.

Castle "Romantic Alexandria".
  The castle is in the Gothic style, somewhat gloomy, but attractive with its austere beauty. Two battlements and lancet loophole windows give the impression of an old knight's castle. The palace was built for Prince A.N. Golitsyn in 1836. After the death of the prince in 1844, the palace is sold, and it passes to different owners. The new mistress of the castle, Countess S.V. Panina, organized a literary circle here. At her invitation, in 1901 Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy settled here and lived for almost a year. Here he wrote his story "Hadji Murad", here he received Chekhov, Gorky, Chaliapin. And in 1917, the Nabokov family lived here for some time.
  Since 1921, the castle houses the administrative building of the sanatorium "Yasnaya Polyana", where the museum of L.N. Tolstoy
  Address: Yalta, Gaspra, st. Sevastopol highway, 52.

  The palace is surrounded by a chic park with relic trees.

Ai-Todor Palace.
  Not far from Yasnaya Polyana there is another Romanov estate, this is Ai-Todor estate, now it is a children's sanatorium named after Rosa Luxemburg. The estate was built in 1860 for the brother of Emperor Alexander II, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich Romanov. Later, the estate passed to his son Alexander Mikhailovich.
  Here the prince lived with his family after the February coup of 1917 and from here in 1918 he emigrated to France. It is noteworthy that most of the Romanovs currently living are direct descendants of Alexander Mikhailovich.
  Of the many buildings of the estate, some have survived to this day. This is the Small Palace (now bedroom building No. 1), the Small Palace for children (bedroom building No. 2) and the dining room.
  Address: Yalta, village of Gaspra, st. Sevastopol highway 8

Of all the buildings of the Ai-Todor estate, this palace has survived to our time.

The estate of the princes Yusupov.
The palace in Koreiz is inextricably linked with many famous historical figures. Its history begins in 1824, when Princess Golitsyna acquired these lands, who built the Pink House mansion here and set up a park. In the middle of the century the estate was divided into parts. One of them was acquired by Ivan Goncharov, sibling of Natalia Goncharova, Pushkin’s wife, and the second by Timofei Morozov, a representative of the famous merchant family.
  In 1867, the mansion became the property of the family of the Yusupov princes. The richest dynasty, descending from the khans of the Golden Horde and owning many palaces in Moscow and St. Petersburg, becomes the full owner of this small estate.
  The last representative of the dynasty, Felix Feliksovich Yusupov, is famous for his participation in the murder of Rasputin. He was the last to leave his name in 1919, sailing off the coast of Crimea in an English warship.

The palace was transferred to the office of the Cheka and twice F.E. Dzerzhinsky. And in February 1945, during the Yalta conference of the anti-Hitler coalition, the Soviet delegation headed by V.M. Molotov and I.V. Stalin. On February 8, 1945, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt attended the official dinner in the palace.
  Now the Palace is transferred to the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.
  On the territory of the palace, excursions and apartments for accommodation are provided. Everyone has the opportunity to walk through the halls and the park, where many famous people liked to walk. These walls were seen by the Imperial persons and Presidents, philanthropists and writers. Touch and you to the History and feel its close breath in the interiors of exquisite architecture.
  Address: Bolshaya Yalta, the village of Koreiz-1, Park Descent, 26

  This is the most mysterious palace and park complex of Crimea.

Palace "Kichkine".
  The Baby Palace, a tiny building erected on the edge of a steep cliff in 1912 for Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich Romanov.
  This is the last estate built for the Romanovs in Crimea, the finishing touch in the magnificent galaxy of palaces and estates of the South Bank.
  The palace was built in the Moorish style, with Arabic script on the walls, turrets and a minaret. A little fairy tale of the East on Russian soil, a certain answer to the famous.
  Now in the park of the palace is located the hotel "Kichkine".
  Address: Yalta, Gaspra village, Alupkinskoe highway 1

  Kichkine is surrounded by thickets of juniper, cedar and cypress.

Palace "Dulber".
Another palace built in the Moorish style, fashionable in the middle and end of the XIX century. The villa was built by the architect and the Yusupov Palace Nikolai Krasnov according to the sketches of its owner, Prince Peter Nikolayevich Romanov.
  The palace became the last refuge, salvation and fortress for the Romanovs in Crimea. After February 1917, some members of the Imperial House were expelled from St. Petersburg to their Crimean estates.
  By the decision of the Yalta Council, they were sentenced to death, but the Romanov guards, consisting of the revolutionary sailors of the Black Sea Fleet, decided not to obey this order. The Romanovs were housed in the Dulber Palace, and machine guns and armed sentries appeared on the battlements of the castle.

Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Romanov, the owner of the Ai-Todor Palace, later writes in his Book of Memoirs:
  “I never thought that the beautiful villa of Pyotr Nikolayevich has so many advantages from a purely military point of view. When he began to build it, we laughed at the excessive height of its walls and suggested that he was probably going to begin the life of the Blue Beard. But our ridicule did not change his decision. He said that you can never know what the distant future holds for us.
  Thanks to his foresight, the Sevastopol Council had a well-fortified fortress. ”
  Sailors held the defense until the advent of the Entente fleet in Crimea. In April 1919, the Romanovs left the peninsula in a British warship. That would never return to Russia.

Among the Romanov family in "Dulber" was the Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna, mother of Emperor Nicholas II. Her sister, Alexandra of Denmark, was the wife of British King Edward VII. Perhaps this explains the steadfastness and dedication with which the revolutionary sailors defended the members of the Imperial family before the approach of the British cruiser.

The name of the palace is translated from Arabic as "beautiful", "magnificent."

At present, the Dyulber medical sanatorium is located in the palace, which everyone can visit.
  Address: Yalta, town. Koreiz, st. Alupkinskoye highway, 19

You can always pre-book excursions in the vicinity of Yalta with the best local guides by clicking on.

Crimea in the life of the Romanovs occupied a special place.

Generosity, mercy, compassion distinguished many of the Romanov dynasty, most of them women: empresses, grand duchesses, and princesses.

In the summer, when the Tsar’s family went to the Crimea, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna was always with people, living their worries and sorrows. She unexpectedly visited many tuberculosis patients who came to be treated in Crimea, and did this delicately. When she couldn’t walk herself, she sent daughters, who had grown up by this time. The Tsarina was often told that girls should not be put in danger — they could become infected by the patient’s bed, but She did not take this into account, and the Grand Duchesses visited many of the most seriously ill patients. “They must see in life not only beauty, but also sadness,” said the empress.

Sanatoria in the Crimea were of the old type. Having examined them all in Yalta, the empress decided to immediately build at her own expense in their estates sanatoriums with all the improvements, which was done.

Spring fairy tale of love ... "White Flower" holiday

For the first time in Yalta in the spring of 1911 was the day of the "White Flower". This holiday came to Russia from Sweden, where the League for the fight against tuberculosis was founded. In our country, this holiday was held with special compassion for the afflicted.

The royal family participated in the holy cause of helping the afflicted. More than 110 ladies and young ladies made with their own hands a small white flower - chamomile. Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, with Tsarevich Alexei and her daughters, personally participated in the sale of a white flower. Each, having bought a flower, made his contribution to the fight against tuberculosis. A white daisy adorned the ladies' elegant toilets, was on the modest clothes of a simple working people. “This little flower combined such a mean, so calculating city. It was he who created the spring tale of love, love for a sick person, love for a person who needs to be saved. ” So a modest daisy did its good.

In the years 1911-1914, the empress organized four large bazaars in favor of patients with tuberculosis, and they brought a lot of money. She herself worked, drew and embroidered for the bazaar and stood all day at her kiosk, surrounded by a huge crowd of people.

Imperial family in the beginningXX   centuries owned several estates on the southern coast of Crimea. The main and favorite was Livadia, located three miles southwest of Yalta.

The greatest passion of Emperor NicholasII   there was a passion for history, which the sovereign considered the source of Russia's greatness. He studied ancient manuscripts, read historical books and documents. He instilled in his children a love of the history of the state, read ancient epics to them and talked about the acts of Russian heroes.

Nikolai inherited his love for historical sciences from his father, Emperor AlexanderIII, which paid great attention to archaeological excavations, archaeological expeditions and the acquisition of antiquities. Under him, archaeological excavations in Chersonesus were resumed. AlexanderIII   was very eloquent: “It is necessary to do this so as not to pass for barbarians. Talk about this matter with whom you should and provide me with a conclusion and as soon as possible in order to save everything that can be saved. ”

Favorite and frequent place to visit on the southern coast of Crimea for NikolaiII   there were excavations of the Kharaks fortress (Harax   (Dr. Greek Χάραξ, lat.Charax ) - Roman military camp at Cape Ai-Todor, the largest known Roman fortress inCrimea ).

NikolayII   fascinated by the rich history of Crimea, he actively visited excavation sites, carefully examined archaeological finds in museums, and participated with great interest in the life of historical and archaeological commissions.

In Livadia, a number of modern technical and service buildings were built, including the theater. A stage and a “cute theater” were installed on the stage, as Nikolai called itII.

In 1911, the first in the history of Russian cinema historical film “Defense of Sevastopol” was presented at the emperor’s court in Crimea at the Livadia Theater.

The Livadia Theater also hosted screenings of "paintings in natural colors." During the session, colorful landscapes of Russia appeared on the screen. The slides changed, and before the eyes of the audience, pictures of the life of a huge country, its sights, monuments of ancient architecture, famous architectural ensembles were presented. The author of these paintings was Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1948) - the founder of Russian color photography, a wonderful photo master, a scientist and chemist.

Many people, following the example of the empress of the royal family, helped the suffering, donated money to the weakest - women, children, patients.

In honor of the heir to Tsarevich Alexei, the clinic was built at the expense of donations from the Emir of Bukhara in Yalta. This building was supposed to adorn the city and delight the townspeople, as well as bring undeniable benefits to the Yalta population.

On the ground floor of the dispensary there are two medical rooms, a dressing room, a pharmacy and a large bright waiting room. On the second floor were laboratories and a medical bureau.

The honorary citizen of Yalta, Pyotr Fedorovich Sobolev, donated a place and two beautiful buildings in Yalta with the condition of opening a public school in them (many children had the opportunity to get primary education). Pyotr Fedorovich took care of hot breakfasts for students and contributed funds for them.

After some time, Sobolev allocated funds to create a female craft school. The craftswomen of this school donated their handicrafts to charity bazaars organized by Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.

In the spring of 1911, Yalta received from Sobolev a new large monetary gift for the construction of a city hospital - a maternity shelter. By the fall of 1912, the building was built and the inscription “City Maternity Hospital” was made over the main entrance.

At the expense of the townspeople, a pet clinic was built in Yalta. The office of veterinarians, a pharmacy and rooms for treating small animals and birds, and an operating table are located on the ground floor of the constructed building. In the courtyard there is a forge and a barn for large animals.

The need to do good, to help the poor, the sick, the afflicted has become the life of many people.

Two so dissimilar and such magnificent palaces are the Massandra Palace of Emperor Alexander III and the Livadia Palace of Emperor Nicholas II. The first is the crown of romance, mysterious, reminiscent of the times of Louis XIV and the musketeers. The second is a snow-white handsome man in the style of the Palazzo of the Renaissance. Both palaces are not just architectural masterpieces, but also interesting historical objects. It is with these pages of the stay of representatives of the Romanov surname in Crimea that our tour acquaints tourists.

EXCURSION ROUTE:

Protection of the Mother of God; Livadia:   a snow-white palace (a real pearl of the South Coast) (optional), the Italian Courtyard, an elegant park, the Tsar's Trail, the Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Cross (Tsar's house church); Yalta:   rest, beach; Massandra:   the palace of Emperor Alexander III (the magic of stone sculptures decorating the palace - the famous Sphinxes, Satyr, Chimera), as well as a park in the forest

DESCRIPTION:

• Tour Duration: 9-10 hours
• The length of the route:   180 km round trip
• Type of excursion:   bus and pedestrian

Our journey runs along the Sevastopol-Yalta highway, through the Balaklava and Chokraksky valleys, through the Laspinsky pass to the Southern Coast of Crimea. On the Laspin Pass - first stop (15min.). You will climb to the observation deck, where you will see a magnificent panorama of Laspin Bay and Mount Ilyas Kaya. Further along the way, you will be able to admire from the windows of the bus such popular landscape monuments as Dragon Mountains, Cat, the Devil's Stair Pass. The road is very picturesque: on the right - sea landscapes, on the left - freakish mountains and rocks.

The theme of the tour is the history of the stay of representatives of the Romanov dynasty in Crimea. The first object is Lower Oreanda. Here is a unique temple - Temple   Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God. Emperor Nicholas II was very fond of this small, but very cozy and unusually bright and cleanly energetic church, built by architect Avdeev in the Georgian-Byzantine style. Together with his family, he often came here from Livadia on Royal (Solar) trail. You can walk along the king’s favorite path.

Next - getting to know Livadia Palace   - summer residence of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II.   The snow-white handsome palace built by the renowned architect Krasnov in the style of Italian Renaissance palazzos is a real decoration not only of Yalta, but of the entire South Coast. The architectural ensemble of the Livadia residence also includes the Palace of the Minister of the Court, Baron Fredericks, the Svitsky building and the Romanov family house church - Holy Cross Exaltation Church. The tiny church at the palace is unique in that it was in it that Empress Alexandra Fedorovna was baptized and became Orthodox, and Emperor Nicholas II took the oath of allegiance to the Russian state! The Livadia Palace forever went down in history thanks to another significant event: here in February 1945 the famous Yalta Conference, at which the leaders of the three powers of the anti-Hitler coalition - I. Stalin, F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill - resolved issues of peace after the war. Having got acquainted with the palace, you will go for a walk through the wonderful park surrounding the Livadia architectural ensemble - a monument of landscape gardening art. Numerous marble benches, arbors, fountains, exotic plants and trees, the very spirit of subtle grace and at the same time simplicity of grandeur, steadily present in the cozy alleys of the park, will leave you with the best impressions of visiting Livadia.

The next stage of the route is rest in Yalta, which will take an hour and a half. During your stay in the “uncrowned capital of Crimea” you can dine in any cafe, dining room or restaurant - to choose from. You can also take a walk along the famous promenade or look at the beach - municipal city, near the berth of regular boats and motor ships, or the Seaside beach - near the Oreanda hotel.

After your stay in Yalta, you will go to Massandra to inspect the Palace emperor Alexander III.   It was also built as the summer residence of the emperor. A beautiful elegant building reminiscent of a castle from Charles Perrault's fairy tales evokes genuine admiration for everyone who sees it. No wonder in Soviet times, it was the Massandra Palace that was the state building of the general secretaries of the Communist Party of the country. The palace is also famous for its "Stone Guardians" - the surrounding sphinxes, satyrs and chimeras. These mysterious sculptures give Massandra Palace an aura of mysticism and mystery.

The unusual palace itself is located in a large beautiful park, smoothly turning into a forest. One of the notable parts of the palace and park ensemble is the two old giant sequoias - both the “keepers” and the “visiting cards” of Massandra. On our tour you can get acquainted with the Massandra Palace both externally - visually, and having visited the chambers of the palace and examined the internal museum exposition - of your choice.
  Upon completion of acquaintance with the Romanovskiy palaces - return to Sevastopol.

Cost:

• RUB 1,500 (Adult)
• 1400 rub. (Children)