10 interesting facts about Crimea – a peninsula with a rich history and culture

The Black Sea, hot weather, pebbles and red wine – this is all about the Crimean peninsula in the words of all the inhabitants of Russia. The peninsula has changed little over the past decades, so residents of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods can easily describe it. There are famous objects that tourists from all over the world come to see.

But the main attraction of Crimea is its nature. The territory of the peninsula is small, but rich and diverse. Here in one day you can visit a cave, a forest and a lake.

Affordable prices and treatment at well-known resorts attract residents of all countries. Families with small children, noisy youth and the elderly come here.

In the article you will learn interesting facts about Crimea that will make you postpone your trip to Turkey and go to study the Crimean nature and drink delicious red wine.

10 Originally called Tavrida

Taurica or Taurida – the oldest name of the Crimea. Officially, this was the name of the fertile Crimean lands adjacent to the north. Probably, they received such a name from the population, which they called the Taurians.

The history of this place is connected with many legends. The first king of the ancient people of the Taurians, according to Herodotus, was Thoas, who lived 1250 BC.

But a more modern version says that this territory got its name because of the ancient name of the Taurus constellation – Taurus. In the modern world, this name is very popular, it was the name of an asteroid discovered in 1916.

9. Three natural and climatic zones on the territory

The landscapes of Crimea are incredibly beautiful and this is not surprising, because there are different natural and climatic territories. They create a real natural treasure from the peninsula. Tourists can immediately visit the steppes, mountains and dense forests.

More than half of the peninsula is occupied by steppes, it was here that people settled. The indigenous inhabitants of Crimea are proud of their fertile lands. But, unfortunately, there are very few wild forests here, and unique animals were placed in reserves due to a sharp decline in the population. The climate here is surprisingly hot, so this place is called the best resort in our country.

8. Archaeologists find footprints of Neanderthals in Kiik-Koba cave

According to the official version, a man first came to the Crimean lands from 100 to 300 thousand years ago. But a recent fact has forced many scientists to study this issue more deeply. An incredible discovery was made on the South Shore and science was baffled.

In the caves they found tools that are at least 800 thousand years old. These finds could only belong to Pithecanthropes, so there is practically no doubt that the island was inhabited long before the date indicated in all textbooks.

In the Kiik-Koba cave, archaeologists have found a real factory of ancient tools. Therefore, it is believed that the first people who came to the peninsula were Neanderthals.

7. The largest bay in the European part of the former USSR is located

This bay is located along the city of Sevastopol, which is why it got its name – Sevastopol. It is the largest bay not only in the Crimea, but also in the entire European part of the former USSR.

The total length is almost 8 kilometers, starting from the entrance capes to the mouth of the Chernaya River. The maximum width is only 1,4 kilometers. This is the most convenient place to build a port. It never freezes and is one of the most convenient in terms of navigation and location.

6. The longest trolleybus route in the world passes through the peninsula

The length of the longest trolleybus route is 86 kilometers. It passes through large cities – Simferopol and Yalta. This object was built and commissioned in just 11 months, this period turned out to be a record one. At first, conductors worked on the route, who simultaneously acted as guides.

5. The tallest tower in the CIS is located

Many tourists visit the peninsula to look at the highest tower in the CIS. The Evpatoria lighthouse tower is really the highest in the CIS – 52 meters. The range of the main light reaches 20 miles.

4. Pushkin rested in the Crimea and wrote several works here

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is a great Russian poet who has become a real treasure of our country, national and world culture. It was Pushkin who gave the Russian language many new words, and the poet himself spoke about a dozen languages. It is not surprising, because his home library consisted of more than three and a half thousand books.

More than one generation of children grew up on his poems, and monuments to him stand far beyond the borders of Russia, for example, in China and Ethiopia. Alexander Sergeevich took ideas for inspiration from various sources – nature, history, close people, folklore and, of course, women, in whose society he was seen many times.

Pushkin once visited the Crimean peninsula for the purpose of rest and health improvement. He was so inspired by the beauty of this area that he wrote several works, and many scenes from Onegin reflect his personal feelings from the trip.

3. Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator was hiding from enemies in Kerch

The Pontic ruler Mithridates VI Eupator was born in 132 BC and was a magnificent, talented and highly educated ruler. He managed to create a very powerful army and take possession of many lands, and his fleet consisted of more than 400 ships. At that time, these were very impressive numbers.

But his accession was preceded by a series of bloody events arranged by his enemies. One of them was his own mother Mithridates and brothers. Murder was at that time an effective and popular method of getting rid of competitors, so the future emperor was hunted.

But he was smarter than his enemies, prepared for this literally from childhood. When the situation escalated especially strongly, Mithridates VI Eupator hid from enemy mercenaries and his own relatives on the territory of modern Kerch.

2. Prince Vladimir was baptized in Chersonese

Prince Vladimir, who converted to Christianity and planted it in Rus’, was baptized in the Crimea. It happened back in 988 and this event was preceded by the siege of the city of Chersonesos, which at that time belonged to the Byzantine Empire.

In order to establish strong diplomatic ties with Byzantium, he decided to intermarry with Emperor Basil, demanding his own sister, whose name was Anna, as his wife. Vasily promised to give it away only in exchange for Vladimir’s adoption of Christianity, which was the state religion of the empire.

After baptism and marriage in Kherson, Vladimir returned to Kyiv and began to spread Christianity throughout his lands, destroying the previously built pagan temples.

1. Sevastopol is a city with a huge number of historical monuments

A very beautiful city of Sevastopol is located on the Black Sea coast. In addition to its importance for the Russian Navy, Sevastopol is an important element of the historical and cultural heritage of our country. This city, located on the Crimean peninsula, keeps a huge number of monuments..

It is worth noting that, according to the records, Grand Duke Vladimir was baptized here. In Sevastopol there is an ancient aqueduct, several historical panoramas, reminiscent of the military glory of the city. In addition to the usual monuments and memorials, in the sunniest city of Russia there is one of the ancient cemeteries.