Taganrog is one of the most attractive cities in the Southern part of Russia. In spite of its location on the Cossack land, the culture of Don Cossacks has never been prevalent here. For decades of the Cold War it enjoyed the status of a ‘closed city’ due to its defense significance. But since the Iron Curtain fell, all its invaluable treasures are easily accessible to the visitors. Taganrog was founded by Peter the Great in 1698 and sometimes is called ‘St. Petersburg of the Don’. Indeed, the tzar intended to establish his new capital on the Sea of Azov. This was not to be, however,... [Read More...]
Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don is the city and the administrative center of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia, located on the Don River, just 46 km from the Sea of Azov. Population: 1,068,267 (2002 Census);1,019,305 (1989 Census) History The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak. (See the article on Azov for detailed information on those settlements.) Rostov-on-Don was in essence established in 1749, as a customs house was... [Read More...]
Batumi
Batumi is an administrative center of Adjara Autonomous Republic. It is situated by the Black Sea, on the lowland of Khakhaberi, 2-3 meters above the sea level and has a form of the half-moon. The territory of the city is 19 sq. km. The seaside part of Adjara is mainly a plain-lowland, characterized with mild subtropical climate. The average annual temperature is +14,5° C, ranging from +25° C in summer to + 6° C in winter. The average annual precipitation is 2 200mm, air humidity- 80%. Batumi, with the population 124 000, is the land and marine gateway to Georgia with its largest sea port,... [Read More...]
Poti
Poti is one of the ancient cities of Georgia. Territory-66 square kilometers. Population-50 thousand. The city is surrounded by lake Paliastomi from the East, the Balck Sea from the West and the river Rioni from the North. The history of the antic city Phazisi (present Poti) dates back to VI century BC. The city is famous for Argonauts voyage to the country of Golden Fleece, the myths of Medea and Jason, Phazisi Academy – of philosophy and rhetoric. Development of agriculture, metallurgy, ceramics and other field turned the antic city Phazisi into economic and trading centre of Colkheti and one... [Read More...]
Tiraspol
Tiraspol is a big political, economic and cultural center of Transnistrien. The history of Tiraspol springs since 1792, it was founded near the boundary fortress at personal participation of the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, the city always was an outpost in the south of Russia. The name of the city consists of two words: «Tiras» - so ancient Greeks named the river Dnestr, and “polis” - city. Since Ekaterina’s II times the city executed administrative functions, being the center of the most extensive district Tiraspol which was a part of the Novorossiysk province, then... [Read More...]
Sukhum
In Georgian, the city is spelled Sokhumi (Georgian: სოხუმი), a spelling used by some English sources as well, including Encyclopædia Britannica[2] and MSN Encarta. However, the most widely used name for the city is Sukhumi, a Russian transliteration of the city’s official name. Another Abkhaz variant of the city’s name, when they speak and write Russian, is Sukhum (Russian: Сухум, a spelling once preferred in Imperial Russia. Sukhumi is located on a wide bay of the eastern coast of the Black Sea and serves as a port, rail junction and a holiday resort. It is known... [Read More...]
Feodosiya
Modern Feodosiya is a popular resort city with a population of about 85,000 people. It has beaches, mineral springs, and mud baths, and is renowned for its many sanatoria and rest homes. Apart from tourism, its economy rests on agriculture and fisheries, with local industries including fishing, brewing and canning. As is the case in much of the rest of the Crimea, most of its population is ethnically Russian and the Ukrainian language is infrequently used there. In June 2006, Feodosiya made the news in connection with the Crimean anti-NATO protests of 2006. Feodosiya has “small town charm”... [Read More...]
Sebastopol
The historical heritage of Sevastopol city is unusually significant and counts many centuries. On June 3rd, 1783 the Russian forces laid the foundation of the first 4 stone buildings, which initiated the beginning of Sevastopol. Russian military leaders and naval commanders such as Suvorov A.V., Ushakov F.F. and Lazarev M.P. took a part in the formation of Sevastopol. Since then, Sevastopol has been proud of its name, which was given by the Russian Empress Katherine the Great more than two centuries ago. The name “Sevbastopol” means: “a majestic city, worthy of worship”. Now it... [Read More...]
Yalta
Yalta – is a well-known capital of Crimean resorts - administrative, cultural and scientific centre of southern resorts stretching for 72 km along the coast of the Black sea. Going in a bus or a trolleybus from Simferopol via Alushta you pass the final sharp curve and all of a sudden the panorama of Yalta unfolds below right before your eyes. Yalta is the sea gate of Southern coast of Crimea, the international port of Ukraine. Long voyage passenger vessels, pleasure boats and yachts stop here. The town cosily spreads out along the seashore facing south, in the area with the optimum climatic conditions... [Read More...]
Mariupol
The city of Mariupol is situated on the banks of the shallowest and the warmest sea in the world - the Sea of Azov. Our city will fascinate you with its greenery if you come in spring, you will be delighted by Indian summer in early autumn, and mild winter will make you fall in love with snow-covered streets and trees. Mariupol or, sometimes, Mariupolis (pronounced [mariˈupʌlʲ]; Ukrainian: Маріуполь; Russian: Мариу́поль; Greek: Μαριούπολη), formerly known as Zhdanov (Ukrainian and Russian: Жда́нов), is a port city in southeastern Ukraine. It is located on... [Read More...]
