"Swallow's Nest" is the same toy castle on a steep cliff that adorns almost all the covers of tourist publications about the southern coast of Crimea. It's no joke, even on the cover of National Geographic, this castle managed to visit. And this despite the fact that this building cannot be called a real castle.

The "Swallow's Nest" is purely decorative, and even crumbles, it is being restored all the time ... This Crimean landmark has always aroused controversial feelings for me. Some kind of a mixture of wonder and disappointment.

But being near Yalta and not visiting the well-known "pearl" is also not the case. You just need to do it right ...

History

So where did the Swallow's Nest castle come from? Unfortunately, I won't tell any romantic stories. A place on a cliff with a beautiful view of the sea was first chosen by some general and built a dacha for himself. This happened in 1880, the building was made of wood. Then the plot with the house passed from one owner to another, along the way it got its beautiful name - Swallow's Nest. And in 1901, Baron Steingel bought the site and decided to build a romantic castle, just like in his native Germany. This is how the castle appeared in the form we know it now.

But the change of owners did not stop there. "Swallow's Nest" passed from hand to hand, and at one time it was completely abandoned - survived the largest earthquake in the Crimea. And so, after the establishment of Soviet power on the peninsula, the castle became accessible to everyone. By the way, already in 1968 it was necessary to strengthen the foundation of the castle so that it ... would not fall into the sea.

Castle "Swallow's Nest" in Crimea: today

And a little uninteresting modern history... "Swallow's Nest" is constantly used for different purposes. For a long time there was an Italian restaurant with dubious cuisine and exorbitant prices. Then there were exhibitions of artists, and now they show us interior of the castle... At one time, the entrance to the territory was paid, but it was illegal.

Now again reconstruction and we must be prepared for the fact that it is forbidden to go to the "balcony" over the sea. We'll have to be content with views of the back of the castle. But! It still takes your breath away when you look at this 40-meter rock, crowned with stone palace with turrets. Anyway, this fairytale castle bears the status of an object cultural heritage federal significance. So you have to go to look, but it is better to go or swim to this fragile beauty.

"Swallow's Nest": where it is and how best to get there

Castle address: Russia, Crimea, Bolshaya, Gaspra village, Alupkinskoe highway 9a. Exact coordinates for online maps: 44.430662 N, 34.128532 E. For GPS navigators: 44 ° 25.839 ", 34 ° 7.119.

And now in an understandable tourist language. "Swallow's Nest" is located 20 km from Yalta and the main flow of tourists comes from Yalta. Near the "Swallow's Nest" itself there are villages that are part of Big Yalta: Gaspra and Kurpaty. There are three ways to get to the castle. And be sure that the perception of the attraction itself depends on your choice. So, you can get there:

If you got to the castle from the Livadia Palace or by minibus / car, then you will find yourself at the "Swallow's Nest" stop. Here you can start taking the first shots with observation platforms, but to the palace you still need to walk 800 meters along the stairs past the sanatoriums.

And here it is - a fairy-tale castle - rises on a cliff and just begs for the sight of the camera. You can enjoy its aesthetic benefits and take good photos.

"Swallow's Nest": the best locations for photos

I will share my favorite and most advantageous sites for photographing the "Swallow's Nest" and myself against its background:

What to do at the "Swallow's Nest"

By the way, some important practical information: from November to May, the palace-castle is open from 10:00 to 16:00 (Monday is a day off), and from June to October - from 10:00 to 19:00 (seven days a week). The entrance is free. There is a free toilet at the entrance. Everything is clear with photographs - this is one of the main entertainments here. There are a few more options for your pastime, for an amateur.

Where to eat near the "Swallow's Nest"

The Swallow's Nest in Crimea was built by a retired officer immediately after the end of the war with Turkey in 1877. A bold decision could be thought up and implemented only by a brave person.

Then it was a small wooden house on one floor, which was used by the owner as a summer residence.

Why was the Swallow's Nest named?

Later, the house became the property of the court doctor of Alexander III, Tobin. After his death, relatives sold the building to the famous Moscow merchant Rachmanina. It is to her that the castle owes its name. Rachmanin broke the old building. And in its place a two-story wooden castle appeared, which the merchant gave the name - Swallow's Nest.

Swallow's nest history briefly

After the merchant's wife, Swallow's Nest went to Rudolf von Stengel, a German industrialist who often liked to spend time in the Crimea. The German, with the help of the famous engineer and sculpture Leonid Sherwood, created a real stone castle, which we can admire to this day. In connection with the aggravation of Russian-German relations, Stengel was forced to return to Germany.

In 1914, the castle passed into the possession of the merchant Pavel Shelaputin. A restaurant was opened in the castle. The business did not bring the expected result and was declared unprofitable, the restaurant was closed. And the castle, after changing several owners, is abandoned.

After the 1917 revolution, a canteen for party workers worked in the Swallow's Nest. But a strong earthquake in 1927 left the castle in disrepair, the building was closed and for several decades fell into disrepair. The castle was in this form until 1967. A team of specialists led by the Yalta architect Tatiev strengthened the facade of the castle and the foundation of the rock; restoration work was carried out in the castle.

In 2011, the Swallow's Nest castle received the status of an architectural and historical monument.

Today Swallow's Nest is included in the 100 most popular places Russia, takes 38th place. At the moment, in 2017, Swallow's Nest is open to tourists. Themed exhibitions are held in the castle premises. Anyone can buy a ticket and get inside the castle. You can see only two halls on the first floor of the building.

In one of the recent news, it was announced that next year restoration work will begin, which will allow the castle to be fully opened for visiting in the future, including the second floor and the balcony. Will wait.

Brightly illuminated against the background of the sea and sky, the famous gothic castle above the cliff - "Swallow's Nest". Discreetly, almost hidden, like everything truly valuable, the southwestern spur of Cape Ai-Todor darkens behind it. There are many legends about the Swallow's Nest, but its real history is also interesting.

The castle of gray stone with graceful Gothic turrets, located on the very edge of a steep cliff, is fanned by the mysterious romance of the Middle Ages. Every year it attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists who want to see up close a miniature pearl of an architectural genius, which is today a symbol of the South Coast of Crimea. Today the Swallow's Nest serves as a spectacular decoration and attraction of the Crimean peninsula.

Since the end of the 18th century, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia (1783), wealthy people began to buy from South Bank land, build palaces, lay parks. It has become a tradition to come to Crimea on vacation. Newcomers, whether they were the owners of estates with their families and guests or poorer people who needed Crimea for treatment, admired the coast and in each name they involuntarily put the attitude of the discoverers of what had been discovered long ago.

Aurora the ancient Romans - goddess of the morning dawn... Most likely, the people who came and came here at dawn to meet the sunrise could have named the rock after her. They were peaceful guests on this earth and continued the endless, like the universe itself, tradition of seeking beauty. You and I are their heirs.

The first known structure on the Aurora rock is considered wooden dacha "Generalif" ("Castle of Love"). Its owner was unknown general, a participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, and, apparently, a romantic. After all, being already at the age of a general, he gave his dacha a name "Castle of Love"! What reasons inspired such a romantic name: the beauty of the surrounding nature, enthusiastic dreams or an earthly feeling of love for a woman - we do not know. One can only fantasize about the history of a late, sad and sinful feeling, for the sake of which this haven was built on a hard-to-reach rock. Who was next to the owner on starry nights, who was awakened, who was consoled by the goddess of the dawn?

Now we can only assume what exactly inspired the romantic general to make such an unexpected decision. Perhaps, not only the charming Crimean landscape, but also the stories of old-timers about the sanctuary of the Virgin goddess, who was worshiped by the local aborigines - Taurus, which was once located on this place. It is also possible that a special tree led him to this idea. According to legend, it grew in the place where the castle is now located, right from a stone monolith, having punching a hole for itself equal to the diameter of the trunk. Who knows, maybe the reason was one of the now forgotten Crimean legends about the goddess of the dawn - Aurora, after whom the rock was named.

Be that as it may, the picturesque area impressed the experienced warrior and inspired him to build. Every day, the general climbed the rock where the work was carried out, and made sure that every requirement was met exactly. And soon the rock was crowned with a small but cozy one-story dacha, which received its first name - Generalif.

The "Castle of Love" on a rock, which is difficult to access, attracted attention; it was depicted on their canvases by the marine painters I.K. Aivazovsky (1817-1900), L.F. Lagorio (1827-1905), A.P. Bogolyubov (1824-1896). Could they have been able to glorify this divine landscape, not stirring up fantasy, without turning to the gods themselves?

Old-timers tell a half-forgotten story about a cruel and brave horseman who, for the amusement of the public, blindfolded a doomed horse, sat astride, accelerated and jumped from a cliff into the sea, flying through the air all forty meters! He managed to stay unscathed, swim ashore, bow to the audience, and casually accept the award. Then he bought a new horse and prepared for the next jump.

After the death of the mysterious general, his heirs sold the dacha to a member of the city council of Yalta, Albert Tobin, who served as court doctor in the Livadia Palace, a favorite resting place of the royal family. It is known that the Tobins couple managed to somewhat modify the wooden house. At this time, the name arose and was fixed for the house on the rock "Bird home". But for unknown reasons, Madame Tobina chose to sell her estate to the influential Moscow merchant Anna Rakhmanova, the owner of several tenement houses in Moscow.

For the new mistress of the Swallow's Nest, a wealthy and educated lady, this acquisition was just another whim. Rakhmanova enthusiastically set about rebuilding the Crimean estate. She demolished a wooden building and erected a stone house, which can still be seen on postcards from the beginning of the 20th century. But, apparently, by 1911 Rakhmanova lost interest in her nest.

In 1911, a large German oil industrialist acquired the estate from a Moscow merchant's wife Baron von Stengel . While developing the Baku oil fields and, obviously, missing his native Germany, the baron wished to leave the memory of knightly castles the middle ages. In 1912, a miniature castle in the Gothic style, with turrets and lancet windows, was built for him on the Aurora rock. It is thanks to him that we admire today a beautiful castle, reminiscent of the medieval Gothic-style fortresses that can often be seen in the Baron's homeland, Germany.

Like the previous owners, the oil industrialist decided to change the design of his acquisition. To do this, he invited the Moscow modernist architect Leonid Sherwood, the youngest son of the famous architect Vladimir Sherwood, who at one time designed the building of the Historical Museum on Red Square in Moscow. Leonid Sherwood graduated from the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, and then continued his studies in Paris. He was fond of the work of the talented French sculptor Auguste Rodin, was personally acquainted with him and listened to his advice. Possessing good taste, Sherwood appreciated the location of his next masterpiece and soon presented the project to the customer.

The author of the project was a talented hereditary Moscow architect A.V. Sherwood, son of the famous architect V.O. Sherwood, designer of the building of the Historical Museum in Moscow. The stepped composition conceived by the architect was based on the small size of the site. The building, 12 meters high, was located on a foundation 10 meters wide and 20 meters long. The "bird's" volumes were matched by the internal structure: an entrance hall, a living room, steps and two bedrooms were sequentially located in a two-story tower, which rose above the rock. A garden was laid out next to the building. He fell into the sea as a result of an earthquake.

The Baron was delighted with the project and did not spare money for construction work. The old house was completely demolished, and in its place in 1914 a real Gothic castle in miniature from gray Crimean limestone and yellow Evpatoria stone arose. But it did not please its owner for long: on July 28, 1914, the First World War began, and the German oil industrialist had to leave the Russian Empire. The swallow's nest was sold to a wealthy merchant and philanthropist Pavel Shelaputin.

In the opinion of a specialist, the wrong proportions are connected just as badly; the combination of two cubes and a flat prism visually presses on the cylinder of the tower, not balancing the composition, but "trying to push it into the abyss." Contrary to architectural norms, the volumes do not emanate from one another and therefore do not look like a single whole. Parts of the building are coupled mechanically, but with a polar load, that is, not pulling, but pushing each other. Some elements, such as a tower with a sagging balcony, clearly lack visual weight. From the outside, the entire palace complex seems to be a shaky structure, ready to collapse into the sea abyss at any moment.

Perhaps the constructive instability was originally conceived. Sherwood could have planned such a construction at the request of the customer. However, no explanation can be found for other architectural inconsistencies. The volumes increase in accordance with the height of the dull ladder, heading towards the cliff with its high end. Drawing an analogy with an arithmetic progression, each subsequent building element rises above the previous one. Not much attention has been paid to any of the parts; they all look equally solid, resembling a group of dignitaries of the same rank, lined up in height.

At the same time, some significance is conveyed by the details. The ring gear increases as the block height decreases. In the middle of the ensemble there is a living room, highlighted by wide windows, balconies and high pointed cone-shaped spiers connected to a series of small arches. The rusticity of the basement is expressed in the facing of this part with stones with a roughly hewn, protruding front surface.

To the architectural flaws of the building, one can add the discrepancy between the sizes of window and door openings, as well as the extreme laconicism of the interior decoration. The grand hall is decorated with a massive fireplace, bronze sconces, antique inlay, carved ceiling details with convex images of dragons. The atmosphere of bygone eras is created by 11 medieval arms. Yet the fabulous image is disturbed by dark timber beams with overly prominent fastening details.

If in architectural terms the Swallow's Nest is by no means a masterpiece, then its artistic image is admirable. The touching loneliness of the palace, steadfastly confronting the elements of the sea, comes from a spectacular location. The idea of ​​constructing a castle on the very edge of a steep cliff is certainly not the merit of the architect. The picturesque place was chosen by the first owner, who involuntarily immortalized his dreams and presented the descendants with a fairy tale in stone.

Today, many attribute to Pavel Shelaputin such an act as the opening of a restaurant in the Swallow's Nest castle. However, this is not true. The fact is that Shelaputin by that time was already seriously ill. He managed to complete a sale and purchase deal with Baron von Steingel and after that immediately left for treatment in the Swiss city of Friborg, where he died in the same 1914. The swallow's nest was inherited by his minor grandchildren.

And yet, how did this castle become a restaurant? The fact is that while the heirs were growing up, the manager of the Crimean estates of the Shelaputins decided to open a profitable place in this building - a restaurant. But he did not bring much income, since hard times came: first, the First World War broke out, then the Civil War, and then the Revolution. The estate was taken away by the new government, and the restaurant was closed, but not for long.

The time of the New Economic Policy (NEP) has come in the country, which has made significant changes in the life of the Swallow's Nest. This time it was transferred to the department of the Yalta cooperative. An open terrace was completed in the castle, where the restaurant was restored. Enterprising cooperators of those years feasted here to the sound of the Black Sea waves exactly until September 12, 1927 ...

“A match flashed, and, strange to say, the chair jumped to the side by itself and suddenly, in front of the astonished concessionaires, fell through the floor.

- Mama! - shouted Ippolit Matveyevich, flying off to the wall, although he had not the slightest desire to do so.

Glasses popped out with a clink, and an umbrella with the inscription "I want a Podkolesin", caught in a whirlwind, flew out the window towards the sea. Ostap was lying on the floor, lightly crushed by plywood boards.

It was twelve o'clock and fourteen minutes. This was the first blow of the great Crimean earthquake of 1927. A blow of nine points, which caused incalculable disasters throughout the peninsula, snatched the treasure from the hands of the concessionaires. "

I. Ilf and E. Petrov,

"12 chairs"

In 1927, a strong earthquake occurred in the Crimea with its epicenter in the sea, off the coast of Yalta. There were two shocks in the middle of the night. The first - weak, as if warning, forced people to leave their homes. That is why there were comparatively few casualties in the course of many destructions. The second push hit a full nine points.

A powerful earthquake, which went down in the history of the peninsula as Yalta, or Crimean, brought many troubles and destruction. Boulders of stone fell off the rocks and flew downward, destroying everything in their path. Even the Ayu-Dag mountain slid into the sea from such a powerful push. The trouble did not pass by the side and the castle on the Aurora rock. This is how this event is described in A. Nikonov's book “The Crimean Earthquake of 1927”: “... On the balcony, which hung over the sea, quite a few visitors from the neighboring holiday house“ Kharaxa ”were having supper. The audience dispersed only 10 minutes before the main shock, from which the tower of this intricate dacha collapsed. The stones that fell on the balcony smashed tables and chairs, broke the railings and threw some of this furniture into the sea, where visitors would have followed if they had stayed 10 minutes later. In the tower, built of yellow Yevpatoria stone, 2 gaps formed, as if a huge core had pierced it. " Part of Aurora's rock collapsed, the observation terrace in front of the building loomed over the abyss. And at the end of this catastrophe, a crack in the rock was deeply scythe right under the castle.

The swallow's nest survived, but for many years it became an emergency building, and for forty years it turned into romantic ruins. True, there is information that in the 30s life here nevertheless resumed for a short time. The castle was converted into a library for vacationers of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, which was located nearby. Apparently, the local authorities did not take seriously the consequences of the earthquake. And only when the cracks in the building began to creep menacingly, the operation of the Swallow's Nest was banned. Of course, later it was not without extreme tourists, who, in search of adventure, were looking for any opportunity to "leak" into the territory of the castle in order to admire the marvelous view that opened from observation deck.

There have been many proposals for an unprecedented and absolutely necessary repair technique. Even a radical idea arose - to disassemble the castle, number the stones and slabs and put them in the same order in a new, safe place. No, it wouldn't be Swallow's Nest anymore!

In the 1930s, the castle was reading room of the local recreation center.

Postcards 1928-33

Only in 1967-1968, forty years after the earthquake, workers "Yaltaspetsstroy" performed this semi-fantastic renovation without dismantling the walls. Supervised the operation architect I.G. Tatiev ... First of all, it was required to bring to the object crane and other fairly heavy construction equipment. And this is on the roads, which were intended mainly for cars and rare vans with food! With great difficulty and risk, it was possible to complete all the preparations. The rock turned out to be overloaded, and the work, meanwhile, was planned for a long time. It demanded skill, ingenuity, and great courage from the builders.

The restoration work, which began in 1968, concerned the strengthening of the foundation, partial modification of the facade and internal premises. The author of the restoration project, Yalta designer V.N. Timofeev planted the outermost block of the building on a cantilever reinforced concrete slab, brought under the central volume. Thus, the extreme part of the house was securely fastened, which remained hanging over the collapsed rock. In addition to the monolithic slab, the entire building was surrounded by anti-seismic belts.

The tower, increased in height, gained decorativeness thanks to the four spiers. The correct architectural technique broke the dull increase in volume, focusing on the outer part of the palace. Today, the restored castle is officially recognized as an architectural monument of the last century.

If climbers are accustomed to spending their "working days" over an abyss, then for the masons of Yaltaspetsstroy it was a novelty. Volunteers were found and saved the case. Working in a suspended cradle, they filled the crack with stones and poured concrete. A reinforced concrete slab was brought under the base of the castle, the seams were covered with a lead sheath. Then, without heroism and without haste, the workers carried out the restoration of the building. In such an "anti-seismic belt" the renewed Swallow's Nest has found, to the delight of all who loved and loves Crimea, a second life.

In recent times, a spontaneous souvenir market has grown near the Gothic walls. What you will not see here: thousands of small handicrafts made of ceramics, juniper and all kinds of plastics, corals and shells of tropical seas, color photographs, paintings. Most of the species of the Swallow's Nest itself: on canvases, on whatman paper, on metal and plastic trays, on "amphoras" made of noble ceramics. A hot commodity for 24/7 local trade!

Rock "Sail"

Rock "Golden Gate"

And now many young men are drawn to feats: to surprise the audience or a lady of the heart, to test their abilities, to look shit in the face, jumping from a great height down ... into the turbulent Black Sea ... Yes, there were desperate guys who decided on such jumps. Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky. The few lucky ones remained unharmed, only lay in bed for several days. But there were daredevils who were ready to repeat the jump and even make money! It is also true that clothes were torn on them, as if cut by a razor ...

Here one is retelling in different ways fantastic case... A young Yalta resident, a resident of one of the old quarters of Derekoy, after a hard quarrel with his wife, went to the Swallow's Nest, climbed the forbidden cliff, climbed over the parapet and, in despair, and perhaps with a certain show in view of the audience, rushed down. The doomed heart could have stopped even in flight, but a long-term skill worked: a man who grew up by the sea jumped many times from rocks and tanning salons. He did not succumb to mortal horror - he straightened up, spread his arms with his wings, flew straight downward, correcting the trajectory in the air stream, which suddenly turned out to be his assistant, entered as if with his head, breaking the surface, like a fake ceiling, with his arms outstretched. When he emerged and reached the shore, vacationers with cameras rushed to him. "Hero" was praised, encouraged, asked to repeat the jump, even collected money. The unlucky (or, on the contrary, too lucky?) Suicide refused: a deadly step by design brought him back to life ...

From the sea side, at the foot of the cliff, you can find several underwater caves and even dive into each of them, illuminating the path with a waterproof lantern. Hunters for the unique, you will not be disappointed! Just be on the lookout: the underwater grotto is not the best place for meetings, and meeting with those who dived there earlier and are already swimming back is not at all excluded, especially during the day, at the height of the beach season. Don't scare each other!

The berth in a cozy bay allows local motor ships to moor even in a four-point storm, when the neighboring port points "Golden Beach" and "Mishor" are closed. From all parts of the Crimea, sea and land excursions are going to the "original structure" - the castle "Swallow's Nest". Almost everyone who comes to Crimea strives to climb to the "Swallow's Nest" at least once. True, on the site in front of the castle, where it has already become crowded with souvenir sellers, so many curious people gather in the summer that thoughts of a blessed off-season involuntarily come, when at least early in the morning you can be here alone or together.

Since July 2011, Swallow's Nest is no longer a restaurant. The renovated palace-castle is now open to all guests and residents of the Crimean peninsula. The entrance to the castle will now always be free.

Tourists will be allowed into the exhibition hall on the territory of the castle. The castle hosts an exhibition “ Magic world Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi ", which presents paintings from the funds of Simferopol art museum, incl. his legendary painting "Moonlit Night on the Dnieper".

The uniqueness of the exhibition lies in the fact that it is framed according to the same principle used by the artist himself. The paintings are presented in absolute darkness, illuminated by a directional beam of light. Also, in the palace and on the adjacent territory, it is planned to hold chamber music concerts, historical and literary evenings, theatrical performances, presentations, etc.

It is planned to create an exhibition pavilion, in which an art salon will be opened for organizing trade in paintings, photographs, decorative and applied products, souvenirs, and local history literature. The plan is to reconstruct the monument and bring the adjacent territory into proper form: in particular, it is planned to equip two observation platforms, to repair access roads. "Swallow's Nest" is an architectural and historical monument located on the 40-meter-high Aurora cliff of Cape Ai-Todor in the Yalta village of Gaspra.

The Crimean Ministry of Culture and the ARC Republican Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage have developed a concept for the use of the architectural monument: chamber music concerts, historical and literary evenings, theatrical performances, presentations and much more will be held in the castle and in the adjacent territory. An art salon will be opened in the exhibition pavilion. Thanks to this, trade in paintings, photographs, souvenirs, local history literature, etc. will be organized.

The architectural monument "Swallow's Nest" will be a favorite place for tourists and people who love art. Exhibitions and wonderful concerts will certainly find their regular audience.

In the near future - holding balls for young people on the territory of the castle, accompanied by exquisite live music. So, perhaps, we will soon become witnesses and participants of the first ball for the girls of Yalta.

In this post:

Famous places of Yalta - "Swallow's Nest"

There are a lot of different places in Crimea that deserve close attention of tourists. The castle is considered the main one with nice name"Bird home". It is located practically in the suburbs of Yalta. And it was to him that I decided to devote this post.

A bit of history

There are many legends about the main attraction of Crimea - "Swallow's Nest", but the history of the castle is no less exciting and interesting. And it began in the distant 18th century, namely in 1783, when the Crimean peninsula officially joined Russia. At this time, in the south of the peninsula, rich people began to actively buy up land, lay out gardens and build castles.

It was at this time that the tradition of having a rest in Crimea was born. Around the same time, the rock on which the "Swallow's Nest" was erected received its name - "Aurora". And most likely it was given by the people who came here at sunrise. The very first building on Avrorina Gora was a dacha with an interesting name “Generalif”, its second name at that time was “Castle of Love”.

The dacha was built by an unknown general who took part in the Russian-Turkish war (1877 - 1878). What prompted him to give this interesting name its ownership is unknown, but the fact remains. Even then, a one-story building on the edge of a cliff evoked delight and a desire to paint among such famous artists today as Aivazovsky and Lagorio, as well as A.P. Bogolyubov.

The heirs of the general after his death decided to sell the house to A. Tobin, the court doctor from the Livadia Palace. He did not support the structure in original form and made certain changes to its appearance. However, the name was not left the same, but the building was renamed "Swallow's Nest".

No one knows the reason, but at a certain moment Tobin's wife decided to sell their estate to one influential lady at that time - A. Rakhmanova. The new mistress naturally began to make her own changes, but already cardinal ones. The wooden structure was completely demolished, and in its place were erected stone mansions, captured on postcards issued at the beginning of the 20th century.

True, this lady was not a mistress for long, in 1911 she sold it to the German Baron Stengel. And now it was he, or rather by his order, who erected the building, which we are with you today and have the opportunity to admire. Getting to know with. In 1914, a small castle in the Gothic style appeared on the Avrorina rock.

The son of a very famous architect, Leonid Sherwood, was engaged in it. It was he who conceived the composition of the steps. This decision was made in view of the limited territory, and at the same time he managed to even break a small beautiful garden... The total height of the building was twelve meters. With a foundation width of 10 and a length of 20 meters.

True, this owner did not stay long in the modern sight of Yalta. Since the war began at the end of July 1914, the baron quickly had to leave his possessions. And the castle passed into the ownership (was bought) of the noble merchant P. Shelaputin. The castle lasted unchanged until the Yalta earthquake (1927). The building survived, but received the status of "emergency" and the authorities began to overhaul it only at the end of the sixties of the last century.

The employees of Yalatspetsstroy have done a truly fantastic job. Their merit is that the castle remained hanging over the cliff. The walls were not dismantled, the foundation was strengthened. Slightly changed the appearance of the facade and some of the interior. In the course of these works, anti-seismic belts were also equipped. Already in this form, the building received the status of "Architectural Monuments".

Here is such an interesting and exciting history of the Swallow's Nest castle - the main attraction of the Crimean peninsula. Reading it, I just want to go to Yalta once again to enjoy this greatness and beauty again. And in addition to learn a few legends, of which there are many about this place.

What is special

Yalta is rich in various beautiful and interesting places, perhaps that is why a huge number of tourists tend to come here. The "nest" is located in the village of Gaspra, about 14 kilometers from the center of the resort. This place has several features. And the first one is placement. The castle was built on a steep rock Aurora. The rock itself is included in the composition.

The sight is amazing, especially considering that the structure in literally the word hangs off the cliff, that is, it goes over the edge. It is worth mentioning that the height of the Aurora rock is forty meters. On the way to the castle there is an observation deck, from where the castle looks especially majestic. By the way, from this point to the Swallow's Nest itself, it is necessary to overcome another 1200 steps. But don't let this figure scare you.

The ascent is not difficult, but there are still fewer steps than stated. I thought, but I will not say for sure, maybe I was mistaken. are certainly not limited to one "socket". And at the same time, it is this place that is worth paying attention to, since you have already arrived on the peninsula. By the way, there is another one on the way to the castle. amazing place- "Garden of living tropical butterflies." They are even sold there, so you can make an interesting purchase if you want.

There is another platform near the building, from which an equally mesmerizing view opens up. It is she who protrudes beyond the edge of the cliff. Approaching the "Swallow's Nest" you realize that it is not quite the same as in pictures, calendars. This does not mean the general appearance, but the dimensions of the structure. Honestly, I expected to see the building much larger.

In general, there are many attractions in Yalta. And one of them can be seen directly from the observation deck "Swallow's Nest" - Mount Ai-Petri. With its famous cable car. By the way, we did just that, looked at the castle, walked around the territory, ate at the restaurant of the same name and went to the “cable car”. Impressions are great. More about Ai-Petri.

Prices 2019, official website

Where is, how to get

It all depends on which city you are planning a trip from. It can be not only Yalta, from which buses run to the castle. But Alupka, however, like any other city of Crimea. If you are coming from Yalta, take a bus with a sign “Swallow's Nest”. But first ask the driver where he is going and which bus will go first.

By car, your own or, as well as by taxi to get to this famous place of course the most convenient. If you drive your car, follow the H19 highway (Yuzhnoberezhnoe highway), go to T2709, from it you need to turn off onto Alupkinskoe highway and follow the corresponding sign. In principle, experienced autotourists will always find the right path. Exact location on the map and GPS coordinates at the end of the article.

Excursions

Another option to get to the main attraction of Crimea is excursions. First, it's convenient. And secondly, learn more interesting information about these places. By the way, from Yalta the majority excursion programs pass through the sea. And this is another reason to choose this route to a local celebrity.

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