«The sea is wonderful, blue and gentle, like the hair of an innocent girl. You can live on its shore for 1000 years and not get bored. Bathing is so good that I, having plunged in, began to laugh for no reason …».
А. P. Chekhov about Feodosia
A city of complex destiny, which rose from its knees and started a new life several times, a city that preserves many monuments of former epochs, a city where the gentle sea and cozy streets charm, give relaxation and a sense of peace, where there are many museums, architectural monuments. It seems to be created for the most wonderful pastime — beautiful Feodosia.
Feodosia — «God-given». So translates the ancient name of the city, which christened it Greek colonists from Miletus at the founding of the settlement on the southeastern coast of then still Taurica. The fate that awaited this city was very difficult, full of unexpected turns, tragedies, replaced by periods of prosperity and greatness, and, learning the history of Theodosia, everyone is surprised more than once and not twice — too many interesting facts, big names, amazing events.
Of course, here you are waiting for more than just history, because today it is one of the most popular resort towns for vacation in the Crimea, in which a lot of opportunities for an exciting vacation. But to this modern period of tranquility, it followed a long, thorny path.
If to describe the history of Theodosia in brief, it will be little different from the history of Kerch: in the VI century BC the city was founded by Greek colonists, in the III century it was part of the Bosporan Kingdom, in the V century it was taken under the control of the Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages it was owned by the Genoese, then the Ottomans, the Turks and, finally, the Russian Empire. But if we consider its history through the prism of interesting facts connected with different periods, it is very impressive. In the Bosporan period it becomes the second city of the kingdom with a huge for those times population of 6-8 thousand people. Under the Genoese, one of the most powerful citadels in Europe is built here, and the city renamed Kafa (from the word «head») becomes the center of international trade, through which eastern spices, gold, wheat were brought to Europe, the richest and most cosmopolitan. In the same period it surpasses in size Constantinople.At the same time, in the XII-XV centuries. Cafa becomes at the same time the center of the slave trade in the Black Sea, with the largest slave market.
In the middle of the XIV century, it was here that a plague epidemic broke out, which became one of the most terrible events in the history of Europe: the city was besieged by the Golden Horde troops, and unable to take the powerful fortress, they began to catapult the corpses of those who died from the plague that broke out in their ranks, the Genoese were forced to flee, and in every place where they stopped on their way home to Genoa, there were pockets of disease. This is how the plague that took 25 million lives spread from the Crimea across Europe. Under the Ottomans, who owned Kafa after the Genoese, the city is called Crimea-Stambul or Küçük-Istanbul (Little Istanbul), which illustrates its importance in those times. And in the XVIII century Swedish historian I. Thunmann, who visited the city, wrote that Theodosia is called Crimean Constantinople. During the Second World War all Jews were shot here — 3248 people.
Many famous names are connected with Feodosia. Here was born and lived the painter I.K. Aivazovsky, which is now reminded by the museum opened in his former house, one of the most visited museums in Crimea, visited the city AP Chekhov, Alexander Pushkin, Alexander Griboyedov, Alexander Gorky, F.G. Ranevskaya, lived O. Mandelstam, Alexander Grin, K.F. Bogaevsky, M.A. Voloshin, the Tsvetaev sisters.
Walking around modern Feodosia, it is hard to imagine that once there were hundreds of luxurious palaces and temples, and at the same time, everywhere were heard the groans of slaves from Poland, Moscow Russia, Volyn and Podolia, multinational speech of Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Italians, Tatars, Karaites who lived here, that it was here once began the plague epidemic, which killed a third of the population of Europe. Only the mute walls of the dilapidated fortress and austere temples remember the old times, and the city is too calm and peaceful to imagine such a motley picture.
Today the noisiest place in Feodosia is the seafront, where a long row of souvenir shops and cafes and restaurants. Here, one after another stand the most beautiful buildings — former dachas of rich and famous people, built after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, when a new stage of the city’s prosperity began, which continues to this day. And in the eastern part of Feodosia Bay continue to mutely rise the towers of the ancient fortress Kafa. Excursions around the city allow you to see the most interesting sights of Feodosia, and sailing on sailboats on the bay, swimming on a comfortable beach, fun in cafes and restaurants, exciting shopping at a huge souvenir market — get a lot of impressions, all this makes vacation in this city one of the most popular. In Feodosia it is impossible to get bored and not to be amazed by what still amazing cities can be seen on the territory of ancient Taurica!