Swallow's Nest is a Gothic Crimean castle with a complicated and dramatic history. Crimea swallow's nest history of creation Construction and restoration drawings of the Crimean swallow's nest

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

A high resolution

Full photo comparison:


A high resolution

Alas, the original shooting point was lower, but now there is a closed territory of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, which I was too lazy to penetrate)) Therefore, I shot from a footbridge thrown over for tourists to access the sights.

According to Wikipedia, the first wooden building 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 physician, who served in the Livadia Palace, A. K. Tobin. There is also very little information about him. After his death, the house was owned by a widow for some time, 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".

We probably see it in the picture of Prokudin-Gorsky, although the building he captured gives the impression of stone, not wood:

The Swallow's Nest got its present form thanks to the Russian oilman P. L. Shteingel (nephew of the famous builder of Russian railways Baron Rudolf Steingel), who liked to relax in the Crimea. Steingel bought a summer cottage on the Aurora Rock and decided to build a romantic castle there, which resembles medieval buildings on the banks of the Rhine. The project of a new house in 1911 was commissioned by the engineer and sculptor Leonid Sherwood, the son of architect Vladimir Sherwood.

The old wooden building was demolished and already in 1912, on the cramped platform of the spur of the Monastyr-Burun, there was an original Gothic castle. The stepped composition conceived by the architect proceeded from 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" volumes corresponded to the internal arrangement: the entrance hall, living room, steps and two bedrooms were sequentially located in a two-story tower that rose above the rock. There was a garden next to the building.

Here you can see the platform from which Prokudin-Gorsky shot:

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

Colorized version of the pre-revolutionary postcard:

Now every piece of land is built up there, but 100 years ago it was just expanse:

In 1927, a strong earthquake occurred in the 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 platform hung over the abyss.

Despite serious damage, the building as a whole survived.

Vacationers at the Swallow's Nest, 1928:

In the 1930s, there was a reading room of the local Zhemchuzhina Rest House, but soon the building was recognized as emergency and closed.

Such a "shortened form" of the decorative castle acquired after the earthquake (photo from the 1930s):

And this view persisted for several decades.

1934:

Fortunately, military destruction bypassed the southern coast of Crimea.

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

The earliest known color photograph in close to the "Prokudin" perspective was taken only 54 years after Prokudin-Gorsky himself, in 1958:

Meanwhile, the territory at the foot of the cliff began to gradually develop and build up.
1960s:

Photo by Israel Ozersky in 1966:

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

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.

Here is the progress of restoration work in 1968:

The swallow nest. Skladnov A. A., 1968-1970.

Swallow's Nest in Crimea

Cape Ai-Todor

The rocky cape, named after the medieval monastery of St. Theodore, which has not survived, is formed by three spurs. Excursion ships moor to the shore in a miniature bay of the eastern spur, whose name Limen-Burun naturally translates from Tatar as “cape of the harbor”. The narrow strip of the coast is reliably protected from sea winds even during a storm, when the parking lots closest to Ai-Todor are closed. There are simply no other sites suitable for mooring ships and swimming on Ai-Todor - there are boulders and rocks all around.

On patches of Limen-Burun soil miraculously preserved from weathering, juniper grows, enriching the air of the resort; it is no coincidence that patients with pneumonia and bronchitis are treated here. At the top of the cliff there is a real juniper grove, fenced with railings. Vacationers walk along it and enjoy sea ​​views. The observation deck is located at a height of 82 m, directly above the sculpture of an eagle ready to take off. Opposite the spur, in the sea, the Parus rock is visible. Previously, it was connected to the Limen-Burun isthmus, but during the earthquake of 1927, the natural bridge was destroyed.

Military Camp Harax

The western spur, actually Ai-Todor, in ancient times, when the peninsula was Greek, was called Criumetopon, or Lamb's forehead. Here in the I-III centuries. the Roman military colony of Charax was equipped - the largest settlement of this kind in the Crimea. After the Romans, the Goths lived on the territory of the fortress, and then - peaceful fishermen. In accordance with the tasks of the camp, the builders did without frills, placing only the most necessary things on the seashore: barracks, thermal baths, a sanctuary, an aqueduct, a necropolis. Full-fledged archaeological research of the ruins began at the end of the 19th century, but they have not been completed to this day.

In 1835, on the foundation of a Roman lighthouse at an altitude of 87 m above sea level, by order of the famous navigator M.P. Lazarev, a new lighthouse was laid. Outwardly resembling a squat white cylinder, surrounded by a large-mesh network and relict oaks and junipers, it still functions. The work of the lighthouse was interrupted only during the world wars and battles on the territory of the Crimean peninsula.

The palace of Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich, located 15 minutes walk west of the Swallow's Nest, was named after Charax. The ensemble is famous for its park with 200 species of cultivated plants. The building of gray limestone with red tiles is designed in the tradition of Scottish architecture, quite unexpected among the lush subtropical vegetation.

Palace Kharaks of Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich

Aurora Rock

The middle part of the cape in the Middle Ages served as a haven for monks hiding from the bustle of the world. The Tatars, who assigned the name Burun Monastery to the spur, did not disturb them. By the 19th century, when there was no trace left of the monastery, the rock received a poetic name in honor of the ancient Greek goddess of the dawn, Aurora.

Panorama of the castle and surroundings

The history of the Swallow's Nest complex

It was on Aurora Rock in the 70s of the twentieth century that the first “Swallow's Nest” appeared - an unremarkable wooden building on the edge of the cliff. At that time, the cape was built up with cottages for the sick, and a doctor and his family settled near the cliff. After his death, the widow organized a major overhaul, gave the building a presentable appearance and sold it as a dacha. Baron Steingel became the new owner of the snow-white house. Soon he initiated the construction of another building to replace the cracked old one.

Construction and reconstruction of the "Swallow's Nest"

The author of the project was Leonid Sherwood, a representative of the famous creative dynasty, who until that time had shown himself only as a sculptor. In accordance with the wishes of the site owner, it was decided to use the experience of European architecture and create a building in the neo-Gothic style, with its characteristic narrow graceful spiers and towers directed to the sky. The emphasis was placed on the exterior of the house, the interiors remained unfinished. The next owner of the house built in 1912, Rokhmanova, equipped the interior in the Old Russian style, which was discordant with the exterior. However, after a few years there was no trace of an unsuccessful design decision: during the Civil War, the territory passed to the Bolsheviks, but before that it was almost completely plundered by marauders.

During the NEP period, the building was patched up and a restaurant was set up in it. The earthquake of 1927 destroyed part of the balcony and the garden - they just fell into the sea, while miraculously there were no casualties. The young state did not have money for the complete restoration of the complex, so until the 60s the building simply stood fenced off from careless visitors. Gradually turning into ruins, the Swallow's Nest still remained an excellent backdrop for photographs. During the reconstruction of the late 60s, the building was literally dismantled stone by stone, an earthquake-resistant foundation was installed, then assembled in the reverse order, retaining the original appearance. All materials were brought in by hand, since heavy equipment could not drive up to the Aurora Rock, the crack in which was also closed up. Since 1971, the facility has been open to tourists. Exhibitions were held inside the house, a restaurant operated, until engineering surveys confirmed a new danger of collapse in 2016.

Dacha "White Swallow"

Some sources claim that the owner of the "Swallow's Nest" was the merchant Shelaputin, and it was he who came up with the idea to create a neo-Gothic attraction in the Crimea. Historians are sure that there was a confusion: just 30 meters from the original "nest" is the two-story dacha "White Swallow", built by order of Shelaputin in 1888. Part of the Zhemchuzhina sanatorium, it was reconstructed in 2002 and is now rented out to tourists for living. The object is absolutely safe, since it is far from the edge of the cliff, but its terrace offers an excellent view of the "Swallow's Nest" and the sea.

Architectural features of the castle "Swallow's Nest"

Sherwood was often reproached for lack of taste, pointing out an excessive number of tiers and towers per unit area. In fact, such a density of development was forced: a plot of land suitable for work occupied only 10 by 20 m, and it was supposed to live in the house. Initially, the Swallow's Nest complex included a residential building, a summer kitchen with amenities, and a caretaker's house. The owners were housed in a 12-meter two-story tower, in tiny bedrooms, a more substantial living room was laid away from the cliff. What the author can really be reproached for is the thoughtlessness of additional protection for the foundation. In an earthquake-prone area, it could be stated with absolute certainty that conventional measures are not enough and the building will partially or completely end up in the sea. What happened just 15 years after the end of construction.

Active recreation in the surroundings

Under the Aurora rock, below the water level, there is a network of grottoes up to 10 m deep. The narrow entrance to it is at a depth of 8 meters, so solo diving without an experienced instructor and lights is strictly prohibited. The grottoes are called the Ichthyander Caves in memory of the film "Amphibian Man", which was filmed in these places.

Another option for extreme recreation is available only to professional athletes. From time to time, competitions in acrobatic jumps are held on Aurora Rock. At a height of 27 m, a repulsion platform is installed. Without this device, a daredevil, rushing down from the height of an urban high-rise building, is guaranteed to break on the rocks.

The house received such a romantic and unusual name from the owner of this site at the beginning of the 20th century. And the first wooden building on the rock, which offers a wonderful view of the sea surface, belonged to a certain general, a participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.

Construction history

The well-known small castle on top of a rock in the village of Gaspra, not far from Yalta, was built in 1911 by architect A. Sherwood by order of Baron F. Steingel. The famous oilman wanted to give his dacha the image of a knight's castle and even gave the name "Generalif", which means "castle of love". However, this name did not stick. The architect built a dacha-castle in the Gothic style, adding arched friezes, decorative turrets, and crenellated walls to the decoration of the facade.

The size of the building is not at all large: a width of 10 meters, a length of 20 meters, and a height of 12 meters. What makes the building so majestic is, of course, its location, because the height of the cliff on which it is located is more than 40 meters. Inside the house there is an entrance hall, a living room with large windows, a staircase leading to the tower, and two bedrooms.

Earthquake in Crimea

Baron V. Steingel sold the house in 1914 and left Russia. The new owner opened a restaurant in the Swallow's Nest, which worked successfully.

A threat hung over the building during the earthquake of 1927, when part of the rock collapsed. Fortunately, the building survived, but the tower was partially destroyed and the observation deck was damaged. In subsequent years, it housed the red corner of the holiday home, a reading room, and then a dining room, until the building was empty due to disrepair.

Reconstruction began in 1968 and lasted three years; a monolithic reinforced concrete pipe was laid under the foundation of the Swallow's Nest, and the architectural elements of the exterior decor were restored.

"Swallow's Nest" in cinema

In 1960, a fragment of the Soviet film "Amphibian Man" directed by Vladimir Chebotarev and Gennady Kazansky was filmed on the cape. And 15 years later, thanks to the director Stanislav Govorukhin, many learned what the interiors of the Swallow's Nest look like: the film Ten Little Indians was filmed here. In 2009, filmmakers again turned to the mysterious castle on the rock: director Yuri Kara filmed the film Hamlet. XXI Century".

"Swallow's Nest" today

In 2002, the reconstruction was carried out again, and the Swallow's Nest was opened to the public as a restaurant. Traditionally, you can buy various Crimean souvenirs near the walls of the palace. In July 2011, the monument of architecture and history of national importance was transferred to municipal ownership, with the support of the Simferopol Art Museum, an exhibition “The Magical World of Arkhip Kuindzhi” was opened in it, where the famous painting “Moonlight Night on the Dnieper” was exhibited. Various exhibitions were held every 1.5–2 months until 2013, when cracks were found in the foundation slab and access to the dacha-castle was suspended for design work on reconstruction - strengthening the rock.

It is likely that no one will dispute the fact that Swallow's Nest is the hallmark of Greater Yalta, and the entire Crimean peninsula. Even those who have never been to Crimea will recognize it in photographs and paintings - this place is so famous! And there is a Swallow's Nest in the resort village of Gaspra, on the edge of a sheer forty-meter Aurora cliff, which is the extreme point of Cape Ai-Todor. The name of Cape Ai-todor is translated as "Saint Fedor" from Greek.

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

The experience of such construction on the mountain cliffs of the Crimea has already been. Twenty years before the emergence of the Swallow's Nest, in Foros, on the edge of the Red Rock, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built 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 the sheer cliff of Aurora. The castle is made in a neo-Gothic style - it looks like a scenery for a cartoon with wizards and fairy-tale castles. As soon as the Russian Empire conquered the Crimean peninsula, the lands of the southern coast began to be built up with castles and parks. Wealthy people actively bought land, which they 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 who (or what) this building was erected in honor of, 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 oilman Baron von Stengel, who started building a new Swallow's Nest, which has survived to this day.

The construction took place under the leadership of A.V. Sherwood - the son of a Moscow architect, whose most famous work is the Historical Museum on Red Square. Sherwood saw this castle as small, with lancet windows and spiers. In general, the castle corresponded to the Gothic architectural direction. Inside, the Swallow's Nest also looked miniature: a two-story tower contained a living room, an entrance hall and two bedrooms. There was a small garden in the courtyard. In 1914, a restaurant operated in the building of the Swallow's Nest, 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.

For a while 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 almost 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 letting visitors in at all, since at any moment the castle could collapse. But there were always brave tourists who, despite all the prohibitions, made their way to the castle to take a photo as a keepsake.

Needed a major overhaul. Various proposals were put forward regarding its design and organization. One of the proposed solutions was to completely dismantle the building in order to recreate it in a safer location. 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. For forty years after the earthquake, no one dared to restore the Swallow's Nest, and only at the end of the 60s was an architect, I.G. Tatiev, who took responsibility for the repair. Enormous and dangerous work was carried out to repair the crack. And to strengthen the entire structure, a reinforced concrete slab was installed under the rock.

At the very beginning of the 2000s, the Swallow's Nest again becomes available to visitors. Within its walls, an Italian restaurant was again organized, and merchants of Crimean souvenirs settled 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 palace-castle. Many exhibitions were held in its halls, and the expositions changed every two months.

This continued until 2013, when cracks were discovered in the retaining slab. The Swallow's Nest was once again closed for renovations. 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 a par with and is an unspoken symbol of Crimea.

Swallow's Nest on the map of Crimea The history of the castle on the rock. The swallow nest. Crimea.

Brightly illuminated against the backdrop of the sea and sky is the famous Gothic castle over the cliff - "Swallow's Nest". Inconspicuously, almost secretly, 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 mysterious romance of the Middle Ages is fanned by a gray stone castle with elegant Gothic turrets, located on the very edge of a steep cliff. Every year it attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists who seek to see closely the miniature pearl of architectural genius, which is today a symbol of the southern coast of Crimea. Today, the Swallow's Nest serves as a spectacular decoration and landmark of the Crimean peninsula.

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

Aurora by the ancient Romans goddess of dawn. Most likely, people who came and came here at dawn to meet the sunrise could call the rock after her. They were peaceful guests on this earth and continued the endless tradition of searching for beauty, like the universe itself. We are their heirs.

The first known building on the Aurora rock is considered to be wooden cottage "Generalif" ("Castle of Love"). Her 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 the 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 refuge was built on a hard-to-reach rock. Who was next to the owner on starry nights, who woke up, who was comforted by the goddess of the morning dawn?

Now it remains only to guess what exactly inspired the romantic general to make such an unexpected decision. Perhaps it was not only the charming Crimean landscape that prompted him to build a small wooden dacha, but also the stories of old-timers about the sanctuary of the goddess Virgin, who was worshiped by local aborigines - the Taurians, once located on this site. 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 the stone monolith, punching a hole for itself equal to the diameter of the trunk. Who knows, or maybe the reason was one of the now forgotten Crimean legends about the goddess of the morning 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 his every requirement was exactly fulfilled. And soon the rock was crowned with a small but cozy one-story cottage, which received its first name - Generalif.

The "Castle of Love" on a hard-to-reach rock attracted attention; it was depicted on their canvases by marine painters I.K. Aivazovsky (1817-1900), L.F. Lagorio (1827-1905), A.P. Bogolyubov (1824-1896). Could they sing this divine landscape without stirring up the imagination, 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, mounted, accelerated and jumped from a cliff into the sea, flying all forty meters through the air! He managed to remain unharmed, swim ashore, bow to the audience, casually accept the award. Then I bought a new horse and prepared for the next jump.

After the death of the mysterious general, his heirs sold the dacha to Albert Tobin, a member of the city government of Yalta, who served as the court physician in the Livadia Palace, a favorite vacation spot for the royal family. It is known that the Tobin couple managed to somewhat modify the wooden house. At this time, the name appeared and was fixed for the house on the rock. "The swallow nest". 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 today on postcards from the early 20th century. But, apparently, by 1911, Rakhmanova lost interest in her nest

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

Like the previous owners, the oilman 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, knew him personally and listened to his advice. Possessing good taste, Sherwood appreciated the location of his next masterpiece and soon provided 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 proceeded from 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" volumes corresponded to the internal arrangement: the entrance hall, living room, steps and two bedrooms were sequentially located in a two-story tower that rose above the rock. There was a garden next to the building. It collapsed into the sea as a result of an earthquake.

The Baron was delighted with the project and did not spare money for the construction work. The old house was completely demolished, and in its place in 1914 a real Gothic castle grew in miniature from gray Crimean limestone and yellow Yevpatoria stone. But he did not please his owner for long: on July 28, 1914, the First World War began, and the German oilman 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 unsuccessfully; the combination of two cubes and a flat prism visually puts pressure on the tower's cylinder, not balancing the composition, but "trying to push it into the abyss." Contrary to architectural norms, the volumes do not come 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 attracting, but pushing each other. Some elements, such as a tower with a sagging balcony, clearly lack visual heaviness. From the outside, the entire palace complex seems like a shaky structure, ready to collapse into the abyss of the sea at any moment.

Perhaps constructive instability was conceived from the beginning. Sherwood could have planned such a building at the request of the customer. However, it is impossible to find explanations for other architectural inconsistencies. 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 element of the building rises above the previous one. Special attention is not paid to any of the parts; they all look equally corpulent, resembling a group of dignitaries of the same rank, lined up in height.

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

To the architectural shortcomings of the building, one can add the discrepancy between the sizes of window and door openings, as well as the extreme laconism of the interior decoration. The decorations of the main hall are a massive fireplace, bronze sconces, antique inlay, carved details of the ceiling with convex images of dragons. The atmosphere of bygone eras is created by 11 medieval coats of arms. Yet the fabulous image is broken by dark wooden beams with overly prominent fastening details.

If architecturally, the Swallow's Nest is by no means a masterpiece, then its artistic image is admirable. The touching loneliness of the palace, staunchly resisting the elements of the sea, comes from the spectacular location. The idea of ​​building a castle on the very edge of a steep cliff, of course, is not the merit of the architect. The picturesque place was chosen by the first owner, who unwittingly perpetuated his dreams and presented to his descendants 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 was already seriously ill by that time. He managed to make a sale and purchase deal with Baron von Steingel and after that he 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 difficult times came: first the First World War broke out, then the Civil War, and after the revolution. The estate was taken 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 passed into 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 waves of the Black Sea exactly until September 12, 1927 ...

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

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

Glasses popped out with a clang, and an umbrella with the inscription "I want Podkolesin", picked up by a whirlwind, flew out the window to the sea. Ostap was lying on the floor, lightly crushed by plywood shields.

It was twelve o'clock and fourteen minutes. This was the first impact 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, near the coast of Yalta. There were two aftershocks in the middle of the night. The first - weak, as if warning, forced people to leave their homes. Therefore, during many destructions there were relatively few victims. 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 a lot of trouble and destruction. Stone blocks fell off the rocks and flew down, destroying everything in their path. Even Mount Ayu-Dag slipped into the sea from such a powerful push. The castle on the Aurora rock did not bypass the trouble. Here is how this event is described in A. Nikonov's book "The Crimean earthquake of 1927": The audience dispersed only 10 minutes before the main shock, from which the tower of this intricate dacha collapsed. Stones that fell on the balcony smashed tables and chairs, broke the railing and threw some of this furniture into the sea, where visitors would have followed if they had lingered 10 minutes later. In the tower, built of yellow Evpatoria stone, 2 gaps formed, as if a huge core had pierced it. Part of the Aurora rock collapsed, the observation terrace in front of the building hung over the abyss. And at the end of this catastrophe, a deep spit right under the castle cracked in the rock.

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 evidence that in the 1930s life here 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 spread 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 “seep” into the castle grounds in order to admire the marvelous view that opened from the observation deck.

There were many proposals for an unprecedented and absolutely necessary repair technique. There was even a radical idea - to dismantle the castle, number the stones and slabs and put them in the same order in a new, safe place. No, that would no longer be the Swallow's Nest!

In the 1930s, the castle housed reading room of the local rest home.

Postcards 1928-33

Only in 1967-1968, forty years after the earthquake, workers "Yaltaspetsstroy" completed this semi-fantastic renovation without dismantling the walls. Managed the operation architect I.G. Tatiev . First of all, it was necessary to bring a crane and other rather heavy construction equipment to the object. And this is on roads that were intended mainly for cars and rare food trucks! 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. She demanded skill, ingenuity, and great courage from the builders.

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

The tower, increased in height, acquired a decorative effect thanks to four spiers. The correct architectural technique broke the dull increase in volumes, 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 used to spending their "working days" over the abyss, then for the masons of "Yaltaspetsstroy" this was a novelty. Volunteers were found and saved the case. Working in a suspended cradle, they filled the crack with stones and filled it with 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 zone”, the updated Swallow's Nest has found, to the delight of everyone who loved and loves Crimea, a second life.

AT modern times near the Gothic walls, a spontaneous souvenir market has grown. What you will not see here: thousands of small crafts made of ceramics, juniper and all kinds of plastics, corals and shells of tropical seas, color photographs, paintings. Most of the views of the Swallow's Nest itself: on canvas, on whatman paper, on metal and plastic trays, on "amphoras" made of noble ceramics. Hot item for 24/7 local trade!

Rock "Sail"

Rock "Golden Gate"

And now many young men are drawn to feats: to surprise the public or a lady of the heart, test their abilities, look fear in the face by jumping down from a great height ... into the surging Black Sea ... Yes, there were desperate guys who decided on such jumps. Not everyone, unfortunately, was lucky. Rare lucky ones remained unharmed, only resting for a few days. But there were daredevils ready to repeat the jump and even earn money! It is also true that their clothes were torn, as if cut with a razor ...

One fantastic case is recounted here in different ways. A young Yalta resident, a resident of one of the old quarters of Derekoy, after a heavy quarrel with his wife, went to the Swallow's Nest, climbed a forbidden cliff, climbed over the parapet and, in desperation, and perhaps with some showiness counting on the audience, rushed down. The doomed heart could stop even in flight, but a long-term skill worked: having grown up by the sea, a person jumped from rocks and solariums many times. He did not succumb to mortal horror - he straightened up, spread his arms with wings, flew vertically down, correcting the trajectory in the air stream, which suddenly turned out to be his assistant, entered exactly with his head, breaking the surface, like a fake ceiling, with his hands outstretched forward. When he surfaced and reached the shore, vacationers with cameras rushed to him. The “hero” was praised, encouraged, asked to repeat the jump, and even collected money. The unfortunate (or, on the contrary, too lucky?) suicide refused: a step, fatal in design, brought him back to life ...

From the side of the sea 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 a meeting with those who dived there earlier and are already sailing back is not at all excluded, especially during the day, at the height of the beach season. Don't scare each other!

The mooring in a cozy bay allows local motor ships to moor even in a storm of magnitude four, when the neighboring port points "Golden Beach" and "Miskhor" are closed. Sea and land excursions to the "original building" - the castle "Swallow's Nest" are going from all over the Crimea. Almost everyone who comes to the Crimea strives to go up 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 dealers, so many inquisitive people gather in the summer that thoughts about the fertile off-season involuntarily come when at least early in the morning one or two manage to be here.

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

Tourists will be allowed into the exhibition hall on the territory of the castle. The castle hosts the exhibition "The Magical World of Arkhip Ivanovich Kuindzhi", which presents paintings from the funds of the Simferopol Art Museum, incl. his legendary painting "Moonlight 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 directed beam of light. It is also planned to hold chamber music concerts, historical and literary evenings, theatrical performances, presentations, etc. in the palace and on the territory adjacent to it.

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

The Ministry of Culture of Crimea and the Republican Committee of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for the Protection of Cultural Heritage have developed a concept for the use of an architectural monument: chamber music concerts, historical and literary evenings, theatrical performances, presentations and much more will be held in the castle and on the adjacent territory. An art salon will open 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, balls for young people will be held on the territory of the castle accompanied by exquisite live music. So, perhaps, we will soon become witnesses and participants in the first ball for the girls of Yalta.