Overview of the sights of Balaklava in Crimea and their description

Balaklava had city status until 1957, then it became the regional center of Sevastopol. In Soviet times, Balaklava with underground military bases was considered a closed place for visiting. Traces of the presence of the imperial Russian army remained on its territory. Since the XIV century, there was a Genoese fortress, which took the blows of enemies. Balaklava is located in a strategic place in the Crimea, for many centuries there have been military clashes between different nations.

An amazingly beautiful place in Crimea - the sea, mountainous landscape, hidden bay, water bodies and various vegetation. The first mention of this land is found in Homer's Odyssey. Since that time, different peoples have lived here - the Romans, Greeks, Turks, Tatars, the British and Germans fought for these expanses. In 2004, the town celebrated its 2500th anniversary. Balaklava received a resort direction back in the 19th century, many Russians came here to improve their health.

These places were visited by Alexander Kuprin and Lesya Ukrainka. Balaklava is located five kilometers south-west of Sevastopol, until 1941 a tram ran between the cities. This place is rich in events and natural landscapes, even in the holiday season Balaklava does not lose the charm of a quiet, calm place.

Few know Balaklava, as a resort in Crimea, since a long stay in the status of a closed town has made this place little known. But the settlement has something to be proud of and something to show. For those who want to visit it, we provide descriptions of attractions.

A unique natural bay formed in the course of tectonic shear and fault. From the sea, it goes deep into one and a half kilometers, then expanding, then narrowing to 50 meters in width. Due to this configuration, it is virtually invisible from the side of the Black Sea, therefore the bay is also called "Secret". In the past, captains hid their ships in it from prying eyes.

The Genoese fortress city of Chembalo was built on the Fortress Hill at the entrance to the bay in the XIV century. For seven centuries, the fortress walls have gone through a lot, their ruins can be seen today. The fortress was captured by the Mongols. In the 15th century, the Turks took possession of it, they used the city to exile unwanted khans. During the Crimean War, the Greeks were in Chembalo, they defended themselves from the soldiers of the British army.

Initially, timber was used for the construction of the embankment. It was built by the British during the Russian-Turkish war. In the 19th century, wood was replaced with stone. Today on the embankment. Nazukin, you can find a cinema, a museum, a diving center, a yacht club, restaurants, berths from which all pleasure and excursion boats depart. From the embankment you can see the ruins of the Chembalo fortress and the Balaklava bay, and along it - the buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The museum is located on the famous Nazukin embankment, it contains historical documents concerning the life of the city of Balaklava at different periods of time. The building can accommodate a group of up to 50 people. The museums organize excursions that highlight the history of the city, with a visit to the bay and the Chembalo fortress, with tasting local cuisine and going out to the open sea.

The author of the monument is the sculptor S. A. Chizh. He installed a sculptural image of the writer in 2009. The location was chosen on the city embankment, not far from the Grand Hotel, where, according to documented information, Kuprin lived with his wife during a visit to Balaklava. Here he wrote his essay "In Memory of Chekhov". The time of his life in Balaklava (1904-1906) coincided with the events of the first Russian revolution.

It was staged in the town square in 2004. It was originally planned to sculpt a bust, but the sculptor got carried away and completed a half-figure. It was installed on a high pedestal-column. Lesya Ukrainka visited Balaklava twice - with her parents in her youth and with her husband in more mature years.

The secret underground facility "100" was built in the fifties of the last century. It was called the "Cliff" complex. Soviet anti-missile systems were supposed to withstand NATO assault forces. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the facility was closed and dismantled. Today lovers of stone labyrinths visit it with pleasure. There was a message about the possible restoration of the complex by the military.

Not in every city you will find a base for anchorage of submarines, object 825GTS was such. It was used to store ammunition and repair nuclear submarines. The base was closed in 1993 and left for ten long years. In the difficult nineties, local residents removed the non-ferrous metal that no one needed from the structures. In the 2000s, the city authorities on the territory of the former military base founded an underground museum complex of the naval history of Balaklava. Today it is one of the most visited places in the city.

The construction of the battery began under Nicholas II, in 1914, and finished already under Soviet rule. From here the enemy ships were to be fired upon. Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War, the battery failed to defend Sevastopol from the onslaught of the fascist army. This military facility ended its existence in 1991.

The forts were built at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, with the participation of the British from the end of the 19th century until 1915. They were supposed to guard the approaches to Sevastopol. This is a whole engineering system of concrete structures, ammunition depots, roads and ditches, designed for the presence of the military. Before World War II, the forts were reconstructed.

This facility was built during the construction of the South Fort. It looked very unusual, in the form of an iron barrel, supported by a concrete base and hovering over an abyss. It was supposed to become an observation point, since the sea was clearly visible from this place. Locals call it a barrel of death, because during the revolution, Red Army soldiers were shot in it and thrown into the sea, and during the Great Patriotic War, the Germans did the same with our soldiers. The barrel still contains traces of bullets.

A very beautiful, unearthly sight. Previously, limestone was mined here, so the descent down is made stepwise. The quarry looks like a crater of an extinct volcano with an amazing blue lake at the bottom. It is located 14 meters below sea level. Vegetation has just begun to inhabit this place. The lake has become home to many birds - cormorants, gulls, wild ducks. You can go down to it along the serpentine road, which is unsafe due to frequent collapses.

For the first time on this site, the temple was built in 1357 by the Genoese. But he could not survive to this day. What we see today is a 1794 structure. After the Crimean War, the temple underwent reconstruction in 1875. The structure is built of limestone and, if you look at it from above, you can see the shape of a cross.

The monastery was founded in 891 by Greek sailors. Legend has it that the ship was caught in a storm and was on the verge of destruction. The sailors prayed to St. George for salvation. On the rock, they saw the image of the saint and thanks to his help they were able to get to the shore. In gratitude for the saved lives, they knocked out a church in a steep mountain and dedicated it to St. George. The sailors brought to the temple the image of the saint that appeared on the rock. Over time, a monastery was formed around the church. It survived many wars, but remained active until Soviet power. It was reopened in 1994.

In the 19th century, a water pipeline was built to supply Sevastopol with water. The aqueduct bridge was part of it. It is built of Inkerman stone (limestone), which was used in ancient Rome. The architecture of the bridge is made in antique style. The water and the abundance of greenery make this place incredibly beautiful. The water supply system was destroyed during the Crimean War and did not begin to be restored; the Chorgunsky bridge has survived to this day, as the most preserved part of it.

The St. George Monastery is located here. Once it was a beautiful secluded place, now it has entered the city limits of Sevastopol, has acquired chaotic buildings and has lost the feeling of wild nature. The cape was formed 150 million years ago during a volcanic eruption. On both sides of the rock, you can still observe places of tuff lava layering.

This fabulous place is located in a nature reserve with plants and animals listed in the Red Book. The local climate repeats the Mediterranean one.Only in this place can you find a grandiose funnel with multi-colored boulders, as well as grottoes with azure reservoirs.

In the vicinity of Balaklava, more than 30 beaches are open for visitors, 3 of them are among the twenty best in Crimea. Almost all of them are pebble. Balaklava as a place for recreation is suitable for a wide range of people. It can provide a quiet and relaxing pastime for families with small children on the beautiful resort beaches.

About what attractions are in Balaklava, see the next video.