UKRAINEYALTA

Bordered by beautiful beaches and mountains, dotted with fig

and almond trees and filled with historic architecture, Yalta is a modern resort town with a great legacy of political and cultural significance. Just south of the Crimean Mountains, Yalta is located at the tip of the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. Rich in cultural diversity, Yalta is the coastal gateway to exploring the Ukraine and the neighboring countries of Georgia and Russia.

Joined to the mainland by a thin strip of land, the Crimean Peninsula has flourished independently from the rest of the Ukraine for much of its history. Old buildings and historic sites remind visitors that the city has witnessed several centuries of imperial conquest and cultural change. From the Greeks to the Soviets, the region has been hotly con-tested for its strategic location, picturesque landscapes, and rich deposits of coal and iron. Crimea’s legacy has made Yalta a crucible for both cultural integration and ten-sion.

A resort for Russian aristocrats and Ukrainian elite, Yalta gained international fame as a refuge from daily life on the mainland for its restorative qualities and the cool breeze coming off the Black Sea. Russian author Anton Chekov spent the last years of his life in Crimea, writing several stories, including The Cherry Orchard, The Lady with the Lap Dog, and The Three Sisters.

In the twentieth century, Yalta’s Livadia Palace played a significant role in European political affairs. Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor, lived at the palace with his fam-ily during the summer. During the Second World War the palace was the site of the February 1945 Crimea/Yalta Conference.

The subtropical climate allows for vineyards and lush veg-etation to grow on the peninsula. There are many fine wines produced in the Yalta region. Massandra is among the most popular. With the wonderful climate, the beauti-ful sea and of course the great wines, it is no wonder that the Crimea has been a refuge for aristocrats and artists alike for hundreds of years.

HISTORY

Today’s Yalta is a relic of centuries of imperial conquest and cultural change for the Crimea’s many ethnic and political groups. Though contemporary Crimea is part of the Ukraine, the peninsula has a distinct ethnic and political history that divides it from the rest of the country.

The only permanent characteristic of the Crimean peninsula is change. The region’s dominant inhabitants and political control changed every few cen-turies. Throughout its history, Crimea experienced conquest after conquest by groups including the Goths, Huns, Bulgars, the Khazars, the Byzantine Empire, Kipchaks, the Mongols, and the Genoese. Each of these groups made their mark on the region architecturally and culturally.

While various invaders went into Crimea, the Kievan Rus, a state estab-lished at Kyiv in 882 AD, ruled the Ukrainian region. Under the Kievan Rus, Christianity became the official religion of what would become the Russian Empire. It left a permanent imprint upon the Ukrainian cultural landscape.

The Kievan Rus fell to the Mongols (Tatars) with an invasion in the 1200s. It established Mongol rule until 1480 when the Russia’s Ivan the Great over-threw the Mongols for control of Ukraine. The Crimean Tatars, a Turkish group that were relatives of the Mongols, established the Crimean Khanate in 1475. The Khanate paid tribute to the Ottoman Empire, providing a strate-gic base for Ottoman attacks on Russia for the next three centuries.

Throughout the sixteenth century Crimean Tatars, with the help of the Ot-toman Turks, attacked Russian territory. This series of battles grew into a final Russo-Turkish War in 1792. The Crimean Khanate fell to the Russians. Catherine the Great annexed Crimea to her empire and forced a mass mi-gration of Crimean Tatars from the peninsula.

Under Russian control, Crimea became a refuge for Russians wanting to escape urban life in the 1800s. Yalta was an attractive destination for the nearby fertile wine region and its subtropical climate. The Russian imperial family and aristocracy built villas and churches throughout the region. The Romanov family showed particular interest in Yalta. Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II spent many summers in the area.

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YALTA POINTS OF INTEREST

1 Lower Embankment – Starting at Lenin Square and extending along the waterfront, this is the heart of Yalta. The promenade

has many nice restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops.

2 Anton Chekhov’s Memorial House – The Russian writer An-ton Chekhov built this home, known as “White Dacha,” where

he lived for the last years of his life. It was here that he wrote many of his famous works. Now a museum, exhibits includes Chekhov’s belongings and documents.

3 The Nikitsky Botanical Garden was founded in 1812. This is one of

the oldest botanical gardens and scientif-ic research centers in Europe. It is home to over 50,000 species of plants.

Beyond Yalta

4 The Massandra Winery is located to the east of Yalta. This complex was built in 1894 and holds one of the world’s largest

and oldest wine collections. There are many astounding stories and legends about the winery. It was originally owned by the Russian tsars and was later used as a wine reserve for the Soviet elite.

5 The Massandra Palace originally belonged to Tsar Alexander III. The

palace was designed by a French archi-tect and is located in Upper Massandra. It became a favorite residence for the Rus-sian imperial family as well as the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

6 The Livadia Palace was bought by the Romanov family in 1861. When the royal family moved in, investment in the Yalta

region increased greatly. A new white palace was constructed in on the site in 1911 as the summer residence for Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The Great White Hall was the site of the February 1945 Crimean Conference during World War II.

In 1922, after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and World War I, Ukraine became an official part of the Soviet Union. Yalta’s popu-larity surged, as Soviet leaders, including Joseph Stalin, and the proletariat alike flocked to Crimea to restore their health.

During World War II, Crimea witnessed its fair share of battles, as the Siege of Sevastopol rocked the peninsula in 1941-1942. Yalta gained international diplomatic fame during the Crimean Confer-ence at the Livadia Palace in February 1945. Franklin D. Roosevelt,

Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin devised their final plans to de-feat the Axis powers and shape the fate of Europe.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Yalta has retained its sta-tus as a seaside resort for Ukrainians and Russians. Its isolated location, beautiful beaches, and charming wine country makes the Crimean coast an ideal destination for tourists seeking a respite from overcrowded sites in the rest of Europe.

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SHORE ExCURSIONS

To make the most of your visit to Yalta and surrounding areas we suggest you take one of the organized Shore Excursions. For Information concerning tour content and pricing, consult azamaraclubcruises.com or contact the onboard Shore Excursion Desk. When going ashore, guests are advised to take with them only the items they need and to secure any valuables.

LOCAL CUSTOMS

Bargaining: Prices are usually set. Some smaller vendors may bargain.

Tipping: 10% is the custom.

LOCAL CUISINE ANd dRINK SPECIALTIES

Ukrainian cuisine has been influenced by the many neighbors and conquerors that have populated the area. The Crimean coast offers large fish like sturgeon and beluga that can be cooked in a variety of ways. Salo, is brined under-skin pork fat (like bacon but without any meat to it) that is often eaten raw with bread, garlic, and vodka. It is also a key ingredient in borscht soup, and some restaurants even serve it covered in chocolate as dessert. Shashlyk, Grilled meat kebabs made with lamb, pork, or sturgeon. It is usually served with rice and onions. Holubtsi, Cabbage rolls filled with rice and meat (usually beef, pork, or lamb) and served with a tomato sauce.

Vodka – Thanks to its history as part of the Russian Empire, vodka is the drink of choice in Ukraine. Especially popular is peppered vodka with a healthy serv-ing of salo. Uzvar – A refreshing compote drink made of dried fruits simmered in syrup and water.

SHOPPING

The main shopping area is on Naberezhnaya Street.

Perhaps Ukraine’s most famous product is pysanka, brightly painted Easter eggs rich in tradition and symbolism in Ukrainian culture. Another popular sou-venir is the famous matryoshka dolls where one of smaller size is placed inside another.

Please note that the government prohibits the export of art or antiques pro-duced before 1945. U.S. Dollars are not generally accepted. Most stores do not accept credit cards.

Value Added Tax (VAT), is added to most purchases. Visitors who spend over a certain amount may be entitled to re-claim some or all of the tax paid, however, regulations and conditions governing the refund of VAT are subject to change and RCCL cannot guarantee the cooperation of local authorities.

LOCAL CURRENCY

The Ukrainian national currency is the Hryvnya (UAH). There are 100 Kopecks to every Hryvnya.

Money can be exchanged at banks, hotels, some shops or licensed exchange booths. Major credit cards are accepted in major hotels and restaurants.

POST OFFICE ANd TELEPHONE FACILITIES

The Post Office is located at Naberezhnaya Street on Lenin Square in front of the Lenin Memorial.

International calls can be placed from the Telephone and Telegraph Office often located with the Post Offices and from most hotels. You can also place a call with your personal calling card using the following access codes:

AT&T: 8 (wait for 2nd dial tone) 100.11MCI: 8 (wait for 2nd dial tone) 100.13

TRANSPORTATION

Taxis are widely available. All street signs are in Ukrainian or Russian.

7 The Swallow’s Nest Castle is perched on Aurora’s Cliff to the west of Yalta. This palace was built in

1912 and sits near the ruins of a first century AD Roman fortress. The structure is considered by many to be the symbol of Crimean architecture.

8 The Alupka Palace is located in the south-

ern town of Alupka. Count Vorontsov, the son of a former Russian ambassador to Eng-land, commissioned the Brit-ish architect Edward Blore to design and build the palace. Blore combined Moorish, Russian and British styles. Edward Blore also designed Buckingham Palace in London.

9 Mount Ai-Petri is one of the highest points in the Crimean Mountains. Visitors can take a cable car

or bus to the peak and look out over the Yalta coast. Meaning “Saint Peter”, this mountain is made from white limestone and stands out against the green valleys and vineyards of the area.

10 Bakhchisaray is a town to the northwest of Yalta. It was the capital of the Crimean Khanate

from the 15th to the 17th centuries. Ruins of the Khan’s Palace, the only one left in Crimea, are in the city itself. Outside the city are sites like the Chufut-Kale (a fortress held by the Crimean Karaim, a Jewish group) and the Dor-mition Cave Monastery, evi-dence of early Byzantine influ-ence in the area.

11 Sevastopol was formally a naval base for the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. It is now a home-port for

the Ukrainian Navy. During the Crimean War Sevastopol was the site of an ill-fated siege by the British and French in 1854-55. During World War II another battle occurred here when German forces bombed and invaded the area as they tried to gain control of the Soviet naval base.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Most large hotels provide information services, although there may be a fee.

USEFUL WORdS ANd PHRASES

Though the official language is Ukrainian, Russian is more com-monly spoken in Yalta. Here are some useful Russian phrases:

Hello - Zdravstvyite Good bye - Do Svidaniya Thank you - SpasiboHow much is this? - Skol’ko eto stoit?

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This information has been compiled for the convenience of our guests and is intended solely for that purpose. While we work to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, we cannot accept responsibility for any changes that may have taken place since printing.

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