Crimea swallow's nest history of creation. Swallow's Nest - a Gothic Crimean castle with a complex and dramatic history Drawing building plan dimensions Swallow's Nest

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Famous places of Yalta – “Swallow’s Nest”

In Crimea great amount various places that deserve the close attention of tourists. The main castle is considered to be with beautiful name"Bird home". It is located almost in the suburbs of Yalta. And it is to him that I decided to dedicate this post.

A little history

There are many legends about the main attraction of Crimea - the Swallow's Nest, but the history of the castle is no less exciting and interesting. And it began back in the 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 land, plant gardens and build castles.

It was at this time that the tradition of vacationing in Crimea arose. Around the same time, the rock on which the “Swallow’s Nest” was built received its name – “Aurora”. And most likely it was given by the people who came here at sunrise. The very first building on Aurorina Mountain was a dacha with the 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 such interesting name own possession is unknown, but the fact remains a fact. Even then, a one-story building on the edge of a cliff aroused delight and a desire to paint among today’s famous artists such as Aivazovsky and Lagorio, as well as A.P. Bogolyubova.

After his death, the general’s heirs decided to sell the house to A. Tobin, the court physician from the Livadia Palace. He did not maintain the building in its 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 owner naturally began to make her own changes, but these were drastic ones. The wooden structure was completely demolished, and in its place stone mansions were erected, depicted on postcards issued at the beginning of the 20th century.

True, this lady was not the owner for long; in 1911, she sold it to the German Baron Stengel. And now it was he, or rather on his orders, who erected the building that we have the opportunity to admire today. Getting to know . In 1914, a small castle in the Gothic style appeared on the Aurorina rock.

The son of a very famous architect, Leonid Sherwood, was in charge of it. It was he who conceived the composition of steps. This decision was made in view of the limited territory, and at the same time he even managed to break up 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 landmark of Yalta. Since the war began at the end of July 1914, the baron quickly had to leave his possessions. And the castle became the property (was purchased) of the noble merchant P. Shelaputin. The castle remained unchanged until the Yalta earthquake (1927). The building survived, but received the status of “emergency” and the authorities began to overhaul it only in the late sixties of the last century.

The Yalatspetsstroy employees did a truly fantastic job. Their merit is that the castle remained hanging over the rock. The walls were not dismantled, the foundation was strengthened. The appearance of the façade and some interior spaces was slightly changed. During this work, anti-seismic belts were also installed. Already in this form the building received the status of “Architectural Monument”.

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

What's special

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

The spectacle is amazing, especially considering that the structure literally hangs from 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, you need to overcome another 1200 steps. But don't let this number scare you.

The climb is not difficult, but there are still fewer steps than stated. I thought, but I won’t say for sure, maybe I was wrong. , of course, are not limited to one “nest”. 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, on the way to the castle there is another amazing place- “The Garden of Living Tropical Butterflies.” They even sell them there, so you can make an interesting purchase if you wish.

Near the building there is another platform, which offers an equally stunning view. It is she who protrudes over the edge of the cliff. Approaching the “Swallow’s Nest” you understand that it is not exactly the same as in the pictures and calendars. This does not mean the general appearance, but the size of the building. Honestly, I expected to see a lot more of the building.

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. The impressions are super. Read more about Ai-Petri.

Prices 2019, official website

Where is it, how to get there

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

To get there by car, your own, or by taxi famous place of course the most convenient. If you are traveling by car, follow the H19 highway (Yuzhnoberezhnoe highway), go to T2709, from there you need to turn onto Alupkinskoye highway and follow to the corresponding sign. In principle, experienced autotourists will always find the right path. The exact location on the map and GPS coordinates are at the end of the article.

Excursions

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

Looking for where to stay in Crimea?

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Holidaymakers who have no idea where the Swallow's Nest castle is located on the Crimean peninsula have most likely never been here in their lives. The palace on a cliff overlooking the Black Sea, full of grandeur and having undergone a lot over the course of a century, has become a symbol and, in some way, a “calling card” of the Crimean kingdom since time immemorial. Over the course of its century, the building has been subject to reconstruction more than once, but its charming, attractive power and pristine splendor have always remained unchanged.

This historical and architectural monument extends on the South Coast Crimean peninsula, in the resort locality called Gaspra, a short distance from the Kharaks Palace (20 km from Yalta). A cultural and historical object was constructed on a cliff of rock formation, as if hanging over a water area.

Who built it and why? History of the castle

The Swallow's Nest was built by an officer who retired immediately after the end of hostilities with Turkey in 1877. Such a brave decision could only be conceived and implemented by a man of no timid nature.

In those days, the Castle was a compact wooden one-story house, operated by the owner as a summer cottage.

After some time, the house came into the possession of the doctor Alexander III, who served at court. After his death, his relatives sold the building to the famous Moscow samovar maker Rachmanina. She demolished this building and erected it in its place wooden palace on two floors, which was called the Swallow's Nest.

After the samovar, the palace came into the possession of Rudolf von Stengel, a German merchant who loved to visit the Crimean peninsula. Together with the famous engineer and animal painter Leonid Sherwood, he created a true palace of stone, which everyone can admire today. Due to the deterioration of German-Russian relations, Stengel had no choice but to return back to Germany.

In 1914, the building went to the merchant Shelaputin Pavel. He opened his own restaurant there. But unfortunately, the business activity was unprofitable, and the restaurant ceased to exist. Strong tremors in 1927 left the castle dilapidated.

In 1967, a team of professionals, whose “power” was the Yalta architect Tatiev, strengthened the front façade and the base of the rock formation, carried out restoration.

In 2011, the castle was awarded the title of architectural and historical monument.

How many steps do you need to climb to climb the mountain?

A real work of art, the Swallow's Nest, located on the Aurora Rock, occupies an altitude of forty meters. To climb to this beautiful castle, you need to climb 1,200 steps with a large number of souvenir shops. But don't be scared! The climb is not difficult, and as for the steps, there are significantly fewer of them than declared.

Picturesque views from the observation deck

The vast majority of travelers come to the Swallow's Nest sometimes in order to admire the breathtaking Crimean landscape paintings from the observation deck. They have the ability to bewitch. From the observation deck, a maddening view will open before you panoramic view surrounding rocks. The Ayu-Dag mountain, as well as the Yalta Bay, are perfectly visible - a stunning sight.

On a note: in the immediate vicinity of the castle there is a popular cultural and historical site called the Tree of Wishes. According to existing myths, if you attach a ribbon to any branch, no matter what the circumstances, you will return here again.

View from the observation deck

Legends and secrets of the past

The legends about this unique historical object, like many other tales, are romantic. They are told with pleasure by the indigenous people and guides. Resort guests listen to the legends with great delight.

One of the legends about the Swallow's Nest says that at a time when the gods very often visited the earthly world, the wonderful Aurora (goddess of the dawn) came to the rock at dawn to meet the dawn. If she did not appear, the birds stopped singing and the gods stopped having fun. All the inhabitants of the earthly world were fascinated by her beauty. But soon Poseidon noticed Aurora meeting the dawn and was pierced by an arrow from Cupid. But Aurora could not reciprocate.

From that time on, the god of the sea (Poseidon) was unable to find inner peace. Terrible storms began and a huge number of fishermen did not return home. Poseidon decided to take extreme measures - to bewitch the goddess of the dawn through his magical diadem, persuading Aeolus (the lord of the winds) to cover the morning firmament with dark clouds.

As usual, Aurora went out to greet the dawn, suspecting nothing. In anticipation of meeting the first rays, she fell asleep. The god of the sea approached her and cast a spell. But suddenly the goddess woke up and the magical diadem fell from Poseidon’s hands, hit the ground and lost its magical power.

Another legend tells of a valiant young man who was rejected by his chosen one. And in order to win the heart of his charmer, he climbed onto his horse, picked up speed and jumped off the cliff into the abyss of the sea. But at the same time, he remained safe and sound every time, thanks to the magical power of the castle and his immeasurable love.

What is inside?

If you study the entire background of this architectural historical monument and look through everything from the inside, it will appear: no curious epochal decorations have survived here. To some extent this is the fault of the original owners.

Inside the building

Based on some historical materials, the first owner Shteingel simply did not have time to equip his Gothic castle, and the last owner organized the decoration in the Old Russian style, which was not at all in harmony with the Gothic architectural style. Later, for a long time, a restaurant was located here. But to make it interesting for visitors, exhibitions of various kinds are organized here on a regular basis, and always varied. In general, there is something to see.

Restaurant in the castle

How to get there on your own from Simferopol, Yalta and Sevastopol

The starting point is Yalta, because from this resort town It’s easier to get to the Swallow’s Nest. If you are in Simferopol, get to Yalta by any means convenient for you - it will be smarter.

If you eat on your own, come to the Yalta bus station and take minibus No. 102 or No. 27. The bus makes a stop on the highway, right on the opposite side of the observation deck. You can also take bus number 132 if it is inconvenient to get to the bus station. Its starting point is the city center.

To get to the site by car, take the southern coastal highway connecting Yalta and Sevastopol. On the road you will see a sign “PGT.Gaspra”. Here you turn towards the sea. Drive down to the Sevastopol highway (down the highway). Then you will see a sign for Swallow's Nest.

Find on the map

Route from Sevastopol

Find on the map

Excursions to the palace

Excursion trips to the Swallow's Nest will bring you a lot of unforgettable impressions. In addition to the main cultural and historical site, you can admire other attractions. Here are some of them:

Auto-pedestrian-sea. On the route to the architectural and historical monument you will see the Livadia Palace, as well as the palace of Count M.S. Vorontsova.
Ai-Petri. You will be given a unique opportunity to admire the Church of the Archangel Michael, climb cable car on mountain peak Ai-Petri, and also visit Miskhorsky Park.
Palace of Count M.S. Vorontsova. You will be pleasantly surprised by the interior and interior decoration.

Choose any excursion, and you are guaranteed an unforgettable experience.

Boat trips to the palace

Particularly popular Boat trip to the Swallow's Nest Palace. On a boat you will travel along the coast of Crimea, and an experienced guide will accompany you all the way, telling you about the local beauties.

Swallow's Nest: view from the sea

Tourist Information

Entrance to the surrounding area of the local celebrity is absolutely free, but to get inside the palace you must purchase a ticket. For an adult, the ticket price in 2019 is 200 rubles. Per child – 100 rubles.
The local attraction is located at the address: Russia, Crimea, Yalta, Gaspra, Cape Ai-Todor, Alupkinskoe highway, 9a.
Opening hours: May – October from 10:00 to 19:00; November – April from 10:00 to 16:00 (closed on Monday).
All information of interest can be viewed on the official website: http://lasto4kinognezdo.ru/.

It is likely that no one will dispute the fact that Swallow's Nest is business card Big Yalta , and indeed the entire Crimean peninsula. Even those who have never been to Crimea recognize it in photographs and paintings - this place is so famous! And the Swallow's Nest is located in resort village Gaspra, on the edge of the sheer forty-meter Aurorina rock, which is extreme point Cape Ai-Todor. The name of Cape Ai-Todor is translated as “Saint Fedor” from Greek.

Geographic coordinates of Swallow's Nest on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.430722 E 34.12825

There has already been experience of similar construction on the mountain cliffs of Crimea. Twenty years before the emergence of the Swallow's Nest, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built in Foros on the edge of the Red Rock at an altitude of 412 meters above sea level. This temple became, in a way, the inspiration for the construction of a new castle. But, unfortunately, the fate of this building was less successful than that of the Foros Church.

Castle height - Swallow's Nest is 12 meters, length 20 meters, width 10 meters. The castle is located on sheer cliff Aurora. The castle is made in a neo-Gothic style - it looks like a set for a cartoon with wizards and fairy-tale castles. As soon as the Crimean Peninsula was conquered by the Russian Empire, the lands south coast began to be built up with castles and parks. Rich people actively bought land, which were subsequently equipped for summer holidays. The first house on Aurora Rock was wooden, and its owner was a retired general. This house was very romantically called the “Castle of Love.”

Unfortunately, it is not known exactly in honor of whom (or what) this building was erected, but it is obvious that only warm feelings could serve as an incentive to create such beauty. By the way, the “Castle of Love” can be seen in the paintings of Aivazovsky, Bogolyubov and Lagorio. Later, the Swallow's Nest began to belong to the court physician of the Livadia Palace A.K. Tobin, and after his death to his wife. Later it was bought by the Moscow merchant Rakhmanina, who gave the name to this house - “Swallow’s Nest”. And already in 1911, these places were bought by the German oil industrialist Baron von Stengel, who began building a new Swallow’s Nest, which has survived to this day.

Construction took place under the leadership of A.V. Sherwood - the son of a Moscow architect, whose most famous work is Historical Museum on the Red Square. Sherwood saw this castle as small, with lancet windows and spiers. In general, the castle corresponded to the Gothic architectural style. Inside, the Swallow's Nest also looked miniature: the two-story tower housed a living room, hallway and two bedrooms. There was a small garden in the courtyard. In 1914, a restaurant operated in the Swallow's Nest building, owned by the merchant Shelaputin, who bought it from the previous owner. But hostilities forced Shelaputin to leave the country. He emigrated to Germany, where he died. After his death, the Swallow's Nest restaurant had to be closed.

Some time Swallow's Nest was empty, and in 1927 it was partially destroyed. The reason was the earthquake of 1927, as a result of which the garden collapsed into the sea, and a huge crack formed in the rock under the castle. The castle itself remained practically untouched, but dangerous. In the thirties of the 20th century, the Swallow's Nest became a reading room, which belonged to one of the local rest houses. And later they stopped allowing visitors there altogether, since the castle could collapse at any moment. But there were always brave tourists who, despite all prohibitions, made their way to the castle to take a photo as a souvenir.

It needed the most complicated repairs. Various proposals were put forward regarding its design and organization. One of the proposed solutions was the complete dismantling of the building with the aim of recreating it in a more safe place. Each brick and piece was supposed to be numbered so that the new lock would be identical to the original. But this idea did not find support at the top of the Soviet government. Forty years after the earthquake, no one dared to restore the Swallow's Nest, and only in the late 60s an architect was found - I.G. Tatiev, who took responsibility for carrying out the repairs. Enormous and dangerous work was carried out to eliminate the crack. And to strengthen the entire structure, a reinforced concrete slab was installed under the rock.

At the very beginning of the 2000s, Swallow's Nest again became accessible to visitors. A restaurant of Italian cuisine was again organized within its walls, and traders of Crimean souvenirs were located around the castle. In 2011, the restaurant was closed, and the Swallow's Nest received the status of an architectural and historical monument of national importance and became known as a castle palace. Many exhibitions took place in its halls, and the exhibitions changed every two months.

This continued until 2013, when cracks were discovered in the retaining slab. Swallow's Nest is closed again for renovation work. But despite all the obstacles, this architectural monument is still the most famous and visited on the southern coast of Crimea, the Swallow's Nest is recognizable on par with and is an unspoken symbol of Crimea.

Swallow's Nest on the map of Crimea

This elegant structure, unusual and beautiful, miraculously perched on the steep 40-meter Aurora rock near the village of Gaspra, has long been considered a symbol of both the Southern Coast and the Crimean peninsula itself. Swallow's Nest is a historical and architectural monument at the federal level.

Photos from Swallow's Nest from users:

Short story

The first house on the cliff appeared in the last decades of the 19th century. The wooden dacha of the general who fought in the Russian-Turkish campaign of 1877-78, whose name has not been preserved, did not have any special architectural merits, but was depicted in several paintings by I. Aivazovsky, A. Bogolyubov, L. Lagorio and in photographs.

Not much information remains about the next owner of the house. It is only known that he was the court physician of Alexander III and his name was A.K. Tobin.
After the death of the owner, the widow soon sold the plot.

It was purchased by a merchant from Moscow, Rakhmanina. She demolished the previous house and instead built a castle made of wood and called it “Swallow’s Nest.”

The history of the attraction is modern, beginning in the twentieth century. The next owner is the wealthy oil industrialist P.L. Steingel (nephew of Baron R. Steingel, who built railways in Russia), planned to build a real romantic German castle in the neo-Gothic style.
Construction was entrusted to the son of the famous architect V. Sherwood, Leonid, who combined the talents of both a sculptor and an engineer.

Interesting:
L. Sherwood was in demand Soviet Russia. He received the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR. Together with a group of sculptors, he implemented the “Monumental Propaganda” plan developed by V. Lenin. He taught at the Academy of Arts in Petrograd.

The complexity of the task was very small size plot. Foundation area 10x20 m². The architect created a stepped composition and managed to place inside the palace (its height is only 12 m):

small hallway
living room
2 bedrooms in a two-story tower

There was even a garden near the building.

In 1912 the work was completed, and in 1914 the owner changed again. Now "Swallow's Nest" has been converted into a restaurant. It was owned by a merchant from Moscow P.G. Shelaputin.
After the death of I.P. Shelaputin redecorated the interior of the Gothic castle in the Old Russian style.

And this is what Swallow's Nest looks like today.

Difficult times in the life of the castle

The little castle went through difficult times along with the entire Crimean peninsula:

- during civil war it was forgotten and abandoned;
- in the 1920s, like other private properties, it belonged to the Administration of Crimean State Farms;
— in 1927, during the famous Yalta earthquake, a plot with a garden collapsed into the sea due to a crack in the rock. Fortunately, the palace itself was not damaged;
- in the 1930s For some time, the reading room of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium was located here.

Then the building was closed to the public as an emergency.

Only in the 1960s did the reconstruction of the attraction begin. As a result, the foundation was strengthened and the castle was surrounded by anti-seismic belts. The tower itself has changed slightly, increasing in height and acquiring 4 decorative spiers. All these innovations only improved the appearance of the palace.

Another photo from history.

Recent history of the swallow's nest

The complete restoration of the castle and the surrounding area was completed only in 2002, and in 2005 an Italian restaurant opened in the building, with a market for local souvenirs located around it.

In 2011, the monument was given the status of architectural and historical national significance. Various art, local history and historical exhibitions began to open here, replacing each other.

Photo from an art exhibition.

Since 2015 this is an object cultural heritage already at the federal level.

Another reconstruction took place in 2017.

Those who visit the amazing castle get a unique opportunity
— test yourself by climbing the 1,200 steps leading to the attraction from the highway;
- admire the amazing view of Yalta Bay, Ayu-Dag and the surrounding rocks;
— examine the building itself and visit the museum,
- take great photos.

Good to know:
— since 2007, the castle is officially considered one of the seven wonders of Crimea;
— coins with the image of the palace were issued in silver and gold (Ukraine 2008);
— in 2014, a coin worth 10 rubles was minted. in Russia;
— in 2012, a coin with a Swallow’s Nest was minted in Poland for the island of Niue;
— since 2016, this symbol of Crimea adorns one of the versions of the 100-ruble banknote.

Modern look swallow's nest.

And here is the view inside the castle.

Filmmakers couldn’t help but notice the beautiful place. Filming took place here for films such as
- "Blue bird";
- “Mio, my Mio”;
- “Ten Little Indians”;
— “The Journey of Pan Blobs”;
— Jackie Chan himself starred here in a scene from the film “Police Story 4.”

Video review of the castle and its surroundings

Castle legend

Crimeans love to surround the most beautiful and interesting places of the peninsula with legends. Of course, this palace also has its own.

A very romantic story about the love of the sea god Poseidon for the beautiful goddess of the dawn Aurora. Unfortunately, the love was not mutual. To attract the beauty, Poseidon prepared a luxurious diadem for her, but asking the wind god Aeolus to catch up with the clouds (he wanted to sneak up on Aurora unnoticed and put the jewelry on her head), he missed in the dark and dropped the gift into a rock crevice.
And when the clouds cleared, a ray of sunlight penetrated the gorge, illuminated the crown, and it turned into a wonderful castle. Like this!

What services does the castle offer?

Visiting exhibitions

The Swallow's Nest began operating as a cultural and exhibition complex at the beginning of the 20th century. Art, local history and archaeological exhibitions changed there every 1.5-2 months.

Evening at the castle

From June to the end of August, the open area at the Swallow's Nest hosts concerts by artists of various genres, vernissages and performances by masters of various arts. Here you can see performances, performances by symphony orchestras and artist master classes. All these events were called “Evening at the Castle”.

Wedding ceremonies

Newlyweds from the surrounding areas of Gaspra prefer to have their wedding ceremony in the castle. There are many romantic legends associated with this place, so Crimeans consider it the most successful option for getting married.

Wish tree

Next to the castle there is a tree that, according to local legend, brings good luck. Tourists tie them to its “wishing ribbon” branches. This tradition is more than a century old.

Swallow mail

The Swallow's Nest is open especially for tourists Mailbox. With its help you can send a letter or postcard from a cult place in Crimea.

Excursions to the Swallow's Nest castle

You can visit the palace on your own, but it is better to do it with a tour. You can get to it not only by land, but also by sea. Tourists are offered excursions: sightseeing and thematic. You can order them as part of a group or individually. On the route bus excursions includes visits to other attractions of Crimea.

The most popular among tourists sightseeing tour on the boat "Yalta - Swallow's Nest - Yalta". It includes a tour of the coast from the sea and a visit to the Swallow's Nest. Length walking route“Yalta – Livadia – Ai-Todor – Swallow’s Nest – Yalta” is 15 km. The duration of the excursion is 2 hours.

Walk this way for a short time difficult even for a physically strong person, so tourists drive 13-14 km of the walking route on excursion bus. Those who decide to visit the castle alone get there by minibus to the Parus stop.

To climb to the Swallow's Nest, you will have to overcome 1200 steps. Doing this in the summer heat is not as easy as it might seem at the beginning of the journey. Along the road leading to the castle there are benches where you can rest while climbing. “Swallow’s Nest” rises 40 m above the sea.

Museum information

IN summer period(from May to October) the palace is open seven days a week from 9:00 to 19:00.
From November to April from 9:00 to 16:00, and there is a day off - Monday.

Ticket prices for Swallow's Nest in 2019

Before the start of restoration work, art exhibitions were held inside the castle palace. Ticket prices were set separately for halls No. 1 and No. 2. Free access to the halls was open to children under 16 years of age, war veterans and disabled people. Certified guides had the same right. Ticket price for adults:

Hall No. 1 – 200 rubles;
hall No. 2 – 50 rub.

Ticket prices for pensioners and students:

Hall No. 1 – 100 rubles;
hall No. 2 – 25 rubles.

How to get there

Castle address: village. Gaspra, Alupkinskoe highway, 9A.

The most convenient way to visit here is as part of a group on a tour bus.

By bus

From the Yalta bus station you can get to the castle by minibus No. 102. She stops opposite observation deck"Swallow's Nest".
- from pl. Lenin auto. No. 132 (every 20 minutes);
- from the embankment. Lenin in the summer on a pleasure boat;

On the boat

There is a pier next to the castle. Motor ships and boats moor there. During holiday season they run from early morning until late evening. Boats to the Swallow's Nest depart from the embankment in Yalta. Ticket offices are located near the chapel. One way fare is:

for adults -300 rub.;
for children – 240 rub.

When purchasing round trip tickets, the price for the boat is:

for adults – 500 rubles;
for children – 400 rub.

How to get to Swallow's Nest

GPS Coordinates: 44.430524, 34.128379 Latitude/Longitude

The famous Swallow's Nest in Crimea, a real architectural symbol of the sunny peninsula.
Prokudin-Gorsky rented this villa on a cliff presumably in 1904, and then it had a completely different appearance than we all know well.
This is a comparison of 2016 with a fragment of a Prokudinsky photograph:

A high resolution

Full photo comparison:

A high resolution

Alas, the original shooting point was located lower, but now there is a closed territory of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, which I was too lazy to enter)) Therefore, I filmed from a pedestrian bridge, thrown over for tourists to access the attraction.

According to Wikipedia, the first wooden structure on this site was erected for a retired Russian general after the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878; it can be seen on the canvases of famous marine painters: I.K. Aivazovsky, L.F. Lagorio, A.P. . Bogolyubov, as well as in photographs of that time.

The second owner of this amazing dacha was the court doctor who served in the Livadia Palace, A.K. Tobin. There is also very little information left about him. After his death, the house was owned for some time by a widow, who sold the plot to the Moscow merchant Rakhmanina. She demolished the old building, and soon a wooden castle appeared, which she called “Swallow’s Nest.”

This is probably what we see in Prokudin-Gorsky’s photograph, although the building he captured gives the impression of being made of stone, not wood:

“Swallow’s Nest” received its current appearance thanks to the Russian oil industrialist P. L. Shteingel (nephew of the famous builder of Russian railways Baron Rudolf Steingel), who loved to vacation in Crimea. Steingel purchased a summer cottage on Aurora Rock and decided to build a romantic castle there, which is reminiscent of medieval buildings on the banks of the Rhine. The design of the new house in 1911 was commissioned from the engineer and sculptor Leonid Sherwood, the son of the architect Vladimir Sherwood.

The old wooden building was demolished and already in 1912 the original Gothic castle stood on the cramped area of the Monastyr-Burun spur. The stepped composition conceived by the architect was based on the small size of the site. The 12-meter-high building was located on a foundation 10 meters wide and 20 meters long. The “birdlike” volumes corresponded to the internal structure: the entrance hall, living room, steps and two bedrooms were successively located in a two-story tower that rose above the rock. A garden was laid out next to the building.

Here you can see the site from which Prokudin-Gorsky filmed:

In those years there was no sanatorium at the foot of the cliff:

Colorized version of a pre-revolutionary postcard:

Now every piece of land is built up there, but 100 years ago there was simply freedom:

In 1927, a strong earthquake occurred in Crimea. A deep oblique crack formed in the rock under the castle, part of it, along with the garden, collapsed into the sea, and the observation deck hung over the abyss.

Despite serious damage, the building generally survived.

Vacationers at the Swallow's Nest, 1928:

In the 1930s, there was a reading room here for the local Zhemchuzhina holiday home, but the building was soon declared unsafe and closed.

The decorative castle acquired this “shortened appearance” after the earthquake (photo from the 1930s):

And this look persisted for several decades.

1934:

Fortunately, the military avoided destruction South coast Crimea side.

Swallow's Nest in 1955 (personal archive of P.A. Sokolov):

The earliest known color photograph from a perspective close to the “Prokudin” one was taken only 54 years after Prokudin-Gorsky himself, in 1958:

Meanwhile, the area at the foot of the cliff began to gradually be developed and built up.
1960s:

Photo of Israel Ozersky 1966:

One of the last pre-restoration photographs of the Swallow's Nest was taken in 1967, almost exactly from the Prokudin perspective:

Restoration began in the late 1960s. The rock was strengthened, a reinforced concrete slab was placed under the base of the castle, and the rotunda tower was again decorated with high battlements and spiers.

The progress of restoration work in 1968 is captured here:

Bird home. Skladnov A. A., 1968-1970.

It might be useful to read: