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The castle adorns all guidebooks. This is the most recognizable landmark of the southern coast of Crimea. Ukraine issued commemorative coins of 10 and 50 hryvnia, which depicts a cultural monument, and in Russia there is a souvenir hundred-ruble bill with it. National Geographic included it in its annual list of the top twenty travel destinations everyone should visit in 2013.

Swallow's nest in Crimea: what is it and where is it

This is the symbol of Big Yalta. Even if you have never been to the Black Sea coast of the peninsula, you will certainly see the snow-white castle. Someone from their acquaintances must bring a postcard or a magnet with his image from their summer vacation. This place is memorable. Against the backdrop of a majestic cliff and endless sea surface, the palace looks like a toy, dollhouse. Fairy tales are immediately remembered, and it seems that if there are real princesses somewhere waiting for their beloved in high towers, it is here. Director Vladimir Grammatikov chose this location for filming episodes of the fairy tale "Mio, my Mio" based on the story by Astrid Lindgren. In his opinion, this is how the house of the king of the magical land of the Far should look like.

The cultural monument is located 20 km from Yalta. The Livadia Palace is 5 times closer, but tourists still consider the Swallow's Nest as the symbol of the capital of the district. It is located in the village of Gaspra, on Cape Ai-Todor. The rock on which the landmark stands is called Aurora. Scientists believe that it got its name from the ancient Romans. They began to develop the southern lands of Taurida in the 1st century BC. NS. Aurora is the Roman goddess of the morning dawn. The choice of the name will not surprise those who have seen the sunrise from the summit.

History of the castle Swallow's Nest in Yalta Crimea

The first architectural structure was built in 1895. This fact was mentioned by Grigory Moskvich, a traveler and compiler of travel guides, in a tourist guide dedicated to Crimea: "The dacha was built extremely boldly, on a steep cliff." We do not know the name of the person who came up with this. Written sources have preserved fragmentary information that informs us of his position and some details of his biography. It is known that he was a retired military man who rose to the rank of general. He took part in the Russian-Turkish war, was seriously wounded and dismissed.

We know what it looked like thanks to old postcards and photographs. In those days, it was a one-story wooden building, more like a dacha than a palace.

On a postcard from 1901, taken from a painting by L.F. Lagorio, the house on the cliff looks unpresentable. Small, dilapidated, it seems gloomy, and is completely unlike the snow-white palace we are familiar with.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the territory on which the general's dacha was located was given to the court physician A.K. Torbin. He gave it to his wife. Having changed several owners, the house fell into the hands of Baron Steingel. He was a wealthy and romantic person who loved the Crimean peninsula. He decided to build a Gothic palace similar to those he had seen in Germany.

The development and implementation of the project was entrusted to Leonid Sherwood in 1911. He was the son of the famous architect Vladimir Sherwood, the creator of the Historical Museum in Moscow. He chose yellow Evpatoria stone and gray limestone as material. The construction proceeded quickly. The creator took as a basis the architectural principles that were successfully tested earlier, during the construction of the Foros Church. It was also built on a coastal rock.

The work was completed in 1912. The building, made in the neo-Gothic style with Art Nouveau elements, turned out to be so spectacular that it immediately became a tourist attraction. From Yalta, sea transport began to run regularly, sitting on which you could listen to an excursion, walk around the village of Gaspra and see a new architectural masterpiece. His fame quickly spread throughout Russia. Many famous personalities came to admire it. Among them were famous Russian landscape painters. Many of them captured the Swallow's Nest in their paintings.

The Baron gave the building the name Generalif - "Castle of Love". The guides claim that he built it in honor of his beloved wife, who gave birth to three children.

The Gothic Steingel Castle was very different from the medieval buildings on the banks of the Rhine. There is not much space on the rock, so the structure turned out to be miniature. The stepped composition went up 12 meters. It is located on an area of ​​200 m². For comparison, the dining room in the Vorontsov Palace is 150 m².

In 1914, the First World War began, and Baron Steingel was forced to return to his homeland. He sells the Generalif to the Moscow merchant Maria Rakhmanova. She brings to Crimea a large amount of furniture, personal belongings, equips rooms to her liking. The new owner planned to set up a summer cottage here. But over the 7 years of owning the Swallow's Nest, Rakhmanova visited it several times. In 1921, Soviet power came to the peninsula. Yalta was renamed Krasnoarmeysk. Noble estates were nationalized. The things from the Swallow's Nest were taken out in an unknown direction. No photographs of the pre-revolutionary interior decoration have survived.

The palace has been empty for several years. In 1925, a Muscovite Pavel Shebutin opened a restaurant there, which did not last long. On the night of September 13, 1927, a strong earthquake begins in the Crimea. A push of 8.5 on the Richter scale. On the southern coast, 800 buildings were damaged, including the Swallow's Nest.

The rock of Aurora was partially destroyed during the catastrophe: a deep crack formed in it, part of the mountain range went under water. The foundation of the building, balconies, arches and viewing platforms were damaged. The upper tower collapsed. The garden that was planted around has not survived. The part of the promontory on which it grew fell off and fell into the sea.

The entrance to the castle was closed for 40 years. It was dangerous to be inside. He could have collapsed into the water at any moment. The historical and cultural monument was located on the territory of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium. Sources say that after the war, the administration of the health resort carried out minor restoration work. For some time the reading room of the holiday home was located inside.

In 1967, the Soviet government gave the order to strengthen the base of the Swallow's Nest. The second stage of restoration begins. The Yalta architect Irakli Tatiev and the designer Vladimir Timofeev take over the business.

Recovery is slow. The workers were lowered from the cliff in hanging cradles. First, it was necessary to lay a crack in the rock, make a foundation, and only then proceed with the restoration of the Swallow's Nest.

The upper tower was restored, slightly modifying it: expanded, changed in volume, extended the spire. Balconies were repaired, observation platforms were equipped.

The work was successful. Now the structure stands on a solid reinforced concrete slab and is surrounded by anti-seismic belts. In 1971, it was reopened to tourists.

Here they filmed "10 Little Indians" based on a detective story by Agatha Christie and "First Impact" with Jackie Chan. The actor was amazed at the beauty of this place.

Until 2011, there was a restaurant in the building. During the Soviet era, the institution was public, everyone could visit it. There were long queues of tourists and local people. Since 1991 the restaurant has been turned into an Italian restaurant. Tables were booked by prior special order. There were only five of them. Downstairs, in the living room, there was a large banquet hall for 12 people, in the adjacent room there were several more seats for 3-4 people. In the tower, in a room with an area of ​​4 m², a VIP room was made with access to a terrace, from which a panoramic view of the southern coast of Crimea opens. There was a table in it for four.

Since 2011, the castle houses a state museum. Now it works as an architectural and exhibition complex. Exhibitions are held regularly. Most often they consist of paintings by Crimean artists. When planning to visit this place, take a look at the site of the cultural monument and find out which exhibition you can see.

Why the Swallow's Nest Palace in Yalta is so called: photo of the interior of the historical monument of Crimea

Swallows have nothing to do with it. You may have heard the second name of the Yalta castle: the Bird's Nest in the Crimea. It's all about the miniature, "bird" size. The tower has 2 small bedrooms and a living room downstairs, but in the entire history of the building, no one has ever lived in it. It was built for beauty. Baron Steingel used it as a "tea house". On the open terrace, his guests rested and drank tea.

On the territory of the cultural monument, you will find the Wish Tree. Tourists tie ribbons to it in order to return to these lands again. For the same purpose, they throw coins into a pirate chest that stands under a tree. On its lid you can read the quatrain: "You will put coins in the chest, you will win over the planets, and in a year, healthy and cheerful, you will be in this place again."

If you want a photo with a castle in the background, but have not brought equipment with you, you can buy a keepsake magnet. It costs 200 rubles. In 2 minutes you will be photographed and made an exclusive memorable souvenir.

To better navigate the terrain, we suggest you look at the map and figure out exactly where on the Crimean peninsula is the Swallow's Nest castle, and in which direction from the city of Yalta you should move to visit the main attraction of the southern coast.

Most residents of the CIS countries will recognize and say for sure that this is a castle hanging over the Black Sea in Crimea. He was seen in pictures in books, magazines, TV programs, the Internet, but this is nothing compared to reality. A huge mass of tourists witnessed this Crimean heritage with their own eyes.

The history of the emergence of the Swallow's Nest in Crimea begins at the end of the 19th century. According to legend, the first owner of the building was a Russian general, but there is no documented confirmation of this. And the first mention dates back to 1895 in a reference book on the Crimea. The dacha was made of wood and was called "Generalif".

There were many owners of the dacha since the end of the 19th century:

• Court doctor Tobin Adalberg Karlovich, and after his wife. At this place, a boarding house was arranged, small, but considered the best in the South Coast. The doctor's house was located on a steep cliff. In 1903, renovation work took place: painting of the main building, an extension and a veranda were built. The new building can be seen in a painting by the artist Lagorio.
• Between 1898 and 1905 (exact time unknown) Tobin's widow sold the dacha to Baron Steingel. It was by his order that the house was transformed into the castle that we can now recognize on postcards. The architect was L. Sherwood.
• Around the period from 1912 to 1914, it is not known who owned the castle and whether it was intended for life at all.
• Since 1914, the dacha belonged to Mrs. Rokhmanova.
• In 1921, in the act of acceptance of the former estate "Swallow's Nest", it was documented that the building was abandoned and repeatedly looted.
• During the NEP period, the building was restored and a restaurant was opened here. But already on September 12, 1927, there was an earthquake here, which severely damaged the building.
• In the period from 1927 to 1939, some renovation work was still carried out, but the building was mostly neglected and belonged to the Zhemchuzhina rest house.
• in 1967 - 1970, a major overhaul of the Swallow's Nest was carried out by employees of Giprograd. The architect was I. Tatiev, the engineer V. Timofeev. Both the building and the rock were strengthened, which was also surrounded by anti-seismic belts, the architecture was slightly changed, decorative turrets and spiers were added. In 1971 the castle was opened to the public.
• Until 2011, a restaurant operated in the castle.
• And in July 2011, the building was recognized as the Swallow's Nest castle palace.

Castle height and interior layout

In fact, the castle is very compact. The height of the Swallow's Nest is only 12 meters, and the area is 10x12 meters. Well, the height of the Aurora rock is 40 meters.

Inside the Swallow's Nest there is an entrance hall and a living room, a staircase to the second floor and two bedrooms located one above the other.

Museum: exhibitions, excursions and concerts

Now Swallow's Nest is an architectural and exhibition complex with a panoramic terrace and an adjacent small park. Approximately every one and a half to two months, art, archaeological and local history exhibitions are held here, replacing one another. You can check the schedule on the official website.

Throughout the summer, in the evenings in the open air on the terrace near the palace, various performances, concerts, vernissages and master classes are held. If possible, be sure to visit!
And of course, in the museum, you can order a sightseeing tour of the history of the castle and Cape Ai-Todor. If you want to send that famous postcard with the image of the Swallow's Nest - there is a small post office here.

The Legend of the Swallow's Nest

Almost every significant corner in Crimea has its own fairy tale story. So the legend about the Swallow's Nest castle tells about the failed love of the god of the sea Poseidon and the goddess of the morning dawn Aurora.

In short, Aurora loved to meet the dawn on a rock, and one day Poseidon saw her, who really liked her. But the goddess rejected his love. Poseidon went for a trick, decided to charm Aurora with a witch's diadem, asked the lord of the winds Aeolus to hide the sun with clouds. While she waited for the sun, Aurora dozed off. Poseidon crept up and almost bewitched the goddess, but she woke up and escaped. The diadem fell and hit the rock, part of the diamond from the crown fell into the crevice. When the clouds cleared away, a ray of sun hit the shard, which turned into a castle.

Information for visitors

Where is the Swallow's Nest

The castle is located on the Aurora rock of the Ai-Todoy cape in Gespr, South Coast. So if you are wondering "what is the Swallow's Nest built on, 5 letters", we answer - a rock!

How to get there

The most convenient way to get to the Swallow's Nest is from Yalta:

• Route 102 from the bus station to the stop "Swallow's Nest".
• Route 132 from the Veschevoy market to the stop "Swallow's Nest".
• By motor ship (only in summer) from the Lenin embankment, which comes directly to the foot of the Avrorina rock.

It is also very convenient to come here as part of excursions to the Swallow's Nest.The prices for them are not very expensive, but there are a lot of impressions, and they give free time for independent sightseeing. Tourists are usually brought by bus and picked up by motor ship.

Address: Yalta, town Gaspra, Alupkinskoe sh., 9a
Coordinates: 44.430474, 34.128382

Prices

Visiting the area around the castle is free. And tickets to the Swallow's Nest Museum can be purchased at the following price:

• 200 rubles - adult ticket;
• 100 rubles - for children.

Museum opening hours

• 10:00 - 16:00 - from November to May, Mon - closed;
• 10:00 - 19:00 - from May to October, seven days a week.

Official site: http://lasto4kinognezdo.ru/
Web cameras: http://lg.yapic.net/
Exhibition Schedule: http://lasto4kinognezdo.ru/vystavki

Address on the map

In addition to architectural, Yalta is rich in other attractions. For example, the Massandra winery, which produces wine that has become famous far beyond the borders of the country.

Most residents of the CIS countries will recognize and say for sure that this is a castle hanging over the Black Sea in Crimea. He was seen in pictures in books, magazines, TV programs, the Internet, but this is nothing compared to reality. A huge mass of tourists witnessed this Crimean heritage with their own eyes.

Swallow's nest: history and description

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In the village of Gaspra, on the southern coast of Crimea, on the edge of a cliff, there is a tiny, dazzling white castle. This unique architectural monument is a symbol of the South Bank.

Castle history

In 1887, a retired officer chose a picturesque place on a rock; he lived here in a small wooden house as an ordinary summer resident. Later, the house would be sold to the merchant Rachmanina, the woman demolished a wooden building, in its place she built a large two-story castle made of wood and gave the name - Swallow's Nest. After Rachmanina, the castle became the property of an industrialist from Germany, who loved to relax in the Crimea. The German, with the support of the famous sculptor Leonid Sherwood, in 1912 turned a wooden castle into a stone one, which has survived to this day. Later, the German was forced to leave the Swallow's Nest, after which the castle had other owners. For many years it stood abandoned. In 1967, the Crimean architect Tatiev and his team strengthened the facade of the castle and carried out work on its restoration.

The swallow's nest these days

In the last 15-20 years, the castle has been used for various purposes. The palace housed a restaurant of Italian cuisine, they opened thematic exhibitions with paintings and engravings that tell about the history of the South Bank.

Today the Swallow's Nest is one of the most popular tourist destinations. People come from different countries to appreciate the splendor of the castle. Anyone can buy an entrance ticket and get inside. The castle is often reconstructed, so you need to be prepared that the balcony over the sea will be closed. But do not be upset, because even from afar you can admire the fabulous stone palace. No postcard will convey this special charm, which, together with all the other impressions of Crimea, has this effect on every visitor.

Interesting facts about the castle

• Aurora Rock, on which the Swallow's Nest stands, is a favorite place for extreme lovers from all over the world. So, in Gaspra, the final of the cliff jumping competition was held. Cliff diving is one of the most spectacular sports. From a height of 27 meters, athletes jumped into the water, and the spectators were breathtaking from such a spectacle.
• After tremors in 1927, the castle was in a dilapidated state. The spiers fell and large cracks and depressions formed. Sculptors and city planners have even suggested dismantling the castle and rebuilding it elsewhere. But then the concept of the building would have changed, and they decided to leave it as it is until 1968. Not all tourists know that under the rock there is a system of underwater caves. The main entrance to the cave is at a depth of eight meters to the left of the castle.
• The famous Soviet film "Ten Little Indians" was filmed on the territory of the Swallow's Nest. Also, shots of the castle were in the films "Mio, my Mio", "Pan Klyaksa Academy". Naturally, the cinema has never ignored this unique Crimean rock. In the 1990s, the famous actor Jackie Chan starred against the backdrop of the Swallow's Nest.

Photos of the Swallow's Nest and its species have been on all the covers of travel magazines. Not a single Crimean calendar is complete without the image of this building. There are no swallows in the castle, but there is a huge number of tourists, which absolutely does not prevent you from coming to Crimea and seeing all the beauty of the palace with your own eyes.

The riches of Crimea

ETNOMIR, Kaluga region, Borovsky district, Petrovo village

The unique gallery "Journey through Russia", located along the northern facade of the 7th pavilion of the World Street "Around the World", acquaints with each region of a beautiful, multifaceted, immense country - Russia. All 85 subjects of the federation are presented in an informative and colorful way.

Not all the sights of the peninsula are displayed on the information board "Republic of Crimea", the nature of Crimea is the richest, history keeps many sharp turns.

Come to ETNOMIR for a walk, broaden your horizons, fill in the gaps in your knowledge of your own and other countries!

A tiny medieval castle with turrets and spiers, soaring above the Black Sea waves, is a symbol of the Crimean peninsula Swallow's Nest, firmly entrenched on the outermost span of the Aurora rock of Cape Ai-Todor near Yalta.

An unusual building, covered with legends and stories, arose from the whim of a retired Russian general, who was granted by Tsarina Catherine a piece of the Crimean coast in the village of Gaspra for military services in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. The romantic veteran ordered to cut down a wooden manor house on the very edge of a 40-meter cliff and lay a garden nearby. The dacha was bought several times, in the possession of the Moscow merchant Rachmanina it received its current name Swallow's Nest, or the Shelter of Love. By 1912, the house was bought by a Baku oil industrialist, German by origin, Baron von Steingel, who loved to relax in the Crimea. The wooden building was completely dismantled, and in its place a miracle palace arose in the style of the knightly castles of the baron's homeland, designed by L. Sherwood. The building turned out to be in its modern overhanging state after the earthquake of 1927, when a piece broke off from the Aurora rock from under the lower balcony along with the garden and went under the water, and a huge crack appeared in the rock itself, due to which the architectural masterpiece was considered emergency for almost 40 years object.

But, despite the danger of destruction, the Swallow's Nest has always aroused increased interest and curiosity of tourists trying to get closer to the castle, inspect it, take pictures. After a major reconstruction aimed at eliminating the cracks and strengthening the foundation of the building, excursions were allowed near the palace.

Now this unique building has been declared an architectural monument and is available for inspection by all those who come to Crimea. A museum is located in small rooms, exhibits of which tell about the history of the amazing castle, as well as exhibitions of painting.

Attractions Swallow's Nest

One of the most interesting expositions of recent years, presented in the palace-castle, was the exhibition of underwater painting "Raphael of the Sea", which presented works written by artists in the depths of the Black and Red Seas, including pictures of the underwater world next to Aurora Rock. Few know that under the Swallow's Nest there is a cave of the same name - a system of underwater grottoes connected by narrow passages. The vaults of one of the grottoes are heavily smoked, and scientists suggest that in antiquity the sea level was lower and, possibly, the cave was the abode of primitive man.

By the way, the main character of the famous film "Amphibian Man" returns to his house precisely through the underwater grottoes of the Swallow's Nest.

At the eastern outlines of Cape Ai-Todor, a lonely stone Sail rises - a rock that emerged directly from the sea surface, and above it, at an 80-meter height on the edge of the abyss, there is an observation deck "Captain's Bridge" from which unusually stunning views of the sea, sky and miniature Castle of Love.

Behind the palace, the Ai-Todor lighthouse rushed upward, behind which in a shady park are located the modern buildings of the Parus and Zhemchuzhina sanatoriums. From the observation deck of the Swallow's Nest, spectacular views of the Ayu-Dag Mountain, Yalta Bay and Yalta itself open up.

Places of interest nearby Swallow's Nest

For a curious tourist sight in Gaspra, architectural and natural objects are attractive, filling the surrounding landscapes with extraordinary spectacular highlights or associated with the names of prominent personalities.

A striking example of the English Gothic style is the Yasnaya Polyana mansion, in which Leo Tolstoy lived for a long time, was treated and was engaged in creativity. The park around the estate with rich vegetation adjoins the garden around the former royal estate "Ai-Todor", built for the Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov and connected with the Livadia Palace by a specially equipped royal path.

The Kharax mansion, surrounded by the Kharak Park, is a place of settlement of the ancient Romans, who built a fortress here in the 1st century AD.

The miniature Moorish palace Kichkine was built for the imperial grandson Dmitry Romanov.

The main attractions of the southern coast of Crimea are pebble beaches located in the vicinity of the Swallow's Nest, which belong to the Parus, Marat, Yasnaya Polyana sanatoriums; there is also a municipal beach with a length of more than 400 m.

The tourist infrastructure of Crimea, which has been developing for decades, has excellent conditions for recreation, entertainment and recreation, and the warm mild climate of the coast allows sunbathing and sea lovers to enjoy from mid-May to late October.

Where to stay in Gaspra

In addition to the aforementioned resort complexes, Gaspra has a fairly well developed network of hotels and hotels offering tourists comfortable accommodation and decent service: the Sosnovaya Roscha resort hotel, the Marat park hotel, Erpan Hotel and Voronin Guest House mini-hotels with price ranges from 490 to 1560 rub. per day. Excursions to the Swallow's Nest are included in the recreation programs of many tourist institutions of the Crimean coast, including, first of all, the tourist complexes of Yalta and Alupka.

How to get there

Russia, Crimea, Big Yalta, Gaspra village, Cape Ai-Todor, Alupkinskoe highway

The village of Gaspra is located 20 km from Yalta. It is easy to drive your car along the Yuzhnoberezhnoe Highway, guided by the signs, through the territory of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium. Route taxis No. 27 and 32 leave from the Yalta bus station every hour, you need to go to the stop "Parus Sanatorium", but not everyone is pleased to overcome almost 700 steps on the way to the castle. That is why many tourists choose the sea route, which takes more time, but allows them to enjoy the trip on a regular motor ship, departing from the Yalta seaport and arriving directly at the “Swallow's Nest” pier.

The nearest airport and railway station from Yalta is in Simferopol - 80 km. The flight from Moscow to Simferopol is 2.5 hours, the cost is from 6 to 13 thousand rubles, and about an hour by minibus to Yalta, a little less to Alupka. Trolleybuses also run along the Crimean coast, the journey takes 2 times longer, although about the same amount is cheaper.

Through the Kerch Strait, they get to Crimea by rail to Anapa or Krasnodar. The fare by bus from Anapa to Yalta will be 350 rubles, from Krasnodar to Yalta - 750 rubles. The Crimean Peninsula has a bus connection with many cities in southern Russia thanks to the Port-Kavkaz - Kerch ferry crossing.

Cape Ai-Todor

The rocky promontory, named after the extinct medieval monastery of St. Fyodor, is formed by three spurs. Sightseeing ships dock to the shore in a miniature bay of the eastern spur, whose name Limen-Burun naturally translates from Tatar as “the cape of the harbor”. A narrow strip of the coast is reliably protected from sea winds even during a storm, when the parking lots closest to Ay-Todor are closed. There are simply no other areas suitable for mooring ships and swimming on Ai-Todor - there are boulders and rocks all around.

On the miraculously preserved from the weathering patches of soil in Limen-Burun, juniper grows, enriching the air of the resort, it is no coincidence that patients with pneumonia and bronchitis are treated here. At the top of the cliff there is a real juniper grove, fenced with a railing. Vacationers walk along it and enjoy the sea views. The observation deck is located at a height of 82 m, right above the sculpture of an eagle ready to take off. Opposite the spur, in the sea, the Parus rock is visible. Previously, it was connected to the Limen-Burun isthmus, but during the earthquake in 1927 the natural bridge was destroyed.

Military Camp Charax

The western spur, actually Ai-Todor, in ancient times, when the peninsula was Greek, was called Kriumetopon, or Sheep's forehead. Here in the I-III centuries. the Roman military colony Charax was established - the largest settlement of this kind in the Crimea. After the Romans, the Goths lived on the territory of the fortress, and then - peaceful fishermen. In accordance with the tasks of the camp, the builders did without frills, placing only the most necessary things on the seashore: barracks, baths, a sanctuary, an aqueduct, a necropolis. Full-fledged archaeological research of the ruins began at the end of the 19th century, but they have not been completed to this day.

In 1835, on the foundations of a Roman lighthouse at an altitude of 87 m above sea level, by order of the famous navigator M.P. Lazarev, a new lighthouse was laid. Outwardly resembling a squat white cylinder, surrounded by a coarse mesh and relict oaks and junipers, it still functions. The work of the lighthouse was interrupted only during the world wars and battles on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.

The palace of the Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich was named in honor of Kharax, located 15 minutes walk west of the Swallow's Nest. The ensemble is famous for its park with 200 species of cultivated plants. The gray limestone building with red tiles follows the tradition of Scottish architecture, quite unexpected among the lush subtropical vegetation.

Avrorina Skala

The middle part of the cape in the Middle Ages served as a haven for monks hiding from the bustle of the world. The Tatars, who assigned the name Monastyr-Burun to the spur, did not bother them. By the 19th century, when not a trace remained of the monastery, the rock received a poetic name in honor of the ancient Greek goddess of the morning dawn Aurora.

Panorama of the castle and surroundings

The history of the Swallow's Nest complex

It was on Aurora Rock in the 70s of the twentieth century that the first "Swallow's Nest" appeared - an unremarkable wooden building on the edge of the cliff. At that time, the cape was built up with cottages for patients, and a doctor and his family settled near the cliff. After his death, the widow organized a major overhaul, gave the building a presentable look and sold it as a country house. Baron Steingel became the new owner of the snow-white house. Soon he initiated the construction of another building to replace the cracked old one.

Construction and reconstruction of the "Swallow's Nest"

The author of the project was Leonid Sherwood, a representative of the famous creative dynasty, who until that time had shown himself only as a sculptor. In accordance with the wishes of the owner of the site, it was decided to take advantage of the experience of European architecture and create a building in the neo-Gothic style, with its characteristic narrow graceful spiers and towers directed into the sky. The emphasis was placed on the exterior of the house, the interiors remained unworked. The next owner of the house built in 1912, Rokhmanova, arranged the interior in the Old Russian style, discordant with the exterior. However, after a few years, not a trace remained of the unsuccessful design decision: during the Civil War, the territory passed to the Bolsheviks, but before that it was almost completely plundered by looters.

During the NEP period, the building was repaired and a restaurant was set up in it. The earthquake of 1927 destroyed part of the balcony and the garden - they simply fell into the sea, while miraculously there were no casualties. The young state did not have money for the complete restoration of the complex, therefore, until the 60s, the building stood simply fenced off from unwary visitors. Gradually turning into ruins, "Swallow's Nest" still remained an excellent background for photographs. During the reconstruction of the late 60s, the building was literally dismantled by stones, an earthquake-resistant base was installed, and then assembled in the reverse order, keeping the original appearance. All materials were brought by hand, since heavy equipment could not drive up to the Aurora rock, in which the crack was also repaired. Since 1971, the facility has been open to tourists. Exhibitions were held inside the house, and a restaurant was open until, in 2016, engineering surveys confirmed a new collapse hazard.

Dacha "White Swallow"

Some sources claim that the merchant Shelaputin was the owner of the Swallow's Nest, and it was he who came up with the idea to create a neo-Gothic landmark in Crimea. Historians are sure that there was confusion: just 30 meters from the real "nest" there is a two-storey cottage "White Swallow", built by order of Shelaputin in 1888. Part of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, in 2002 it was reconstructed and is now rented to tourists for living. The object is absolutely safe, since it is far from the edge of the cliff, but from its terrace there is an excellent view of the Swallow's Nest and the sea.

Architectural features of the Swallow's Nest castle

Sherwood was often criticized for lack of taste, pointing to an excessive number of tiers and towers per unit area. In fact, such a building density was forced: a plot of land suitable for work occupied only 10 by 20 m, and it was supposed to live in the house. Initially, the Swallow's Nest complex included a residential building, a summer kitchen with amenities and a watchman's house. The owners were housed in a 12-meter, two-story tower, in tiny bedrooms, a more substantial living room was laid out further from the cliff. What the author can really be blamed for is the ill-conceivedness of additional protection for the foundation. In an earthquake-prone area, it was possible to say with absolute certainty that conventional measures were not enough and the building would be partially or completely in the sea. This is exactly what happened just 15 years after the end of construction.

Active recreation in the surroundings

Under Avrorina rock, below the water level, there is a network of grottoes up to 10 m deep. The narrow entrance to it is located at a depth of 8 meters, therefore, single diving without an experienced instructor and flashlights is strictly prohibited. The grottoes are called the Ichthyander Caves in memory of the movie "Amphibian Man", which was filmed in these places.

Another option for extreme recreation is available only to professional athletes. From time to time, acrobatic jumping competitions are held on Aurora Rock. A push-off platform is installed at a height of 27 m. Without this device, a daredevil throwing himself down from the height of a city high-rise building is guaranteed to crash against the rocks.