«Here my soul sings
«The nature is so beautiful!
And the palace is as if taken from the sky.
It is sacred to History…»
В. Shabanov
Livadia is one of the famous corners of the Crimea, such, having visited which you realize that paradise on earth exists. Wonderful nature, clean sea and beaches, air filled with sea and wood aromas revitalizing the body, beautiful architectural sights Livadia — all this brings delight to the guests of the village. Today, rest in Livadia is an opportunity to spend a vacation with great pleasure and health benefits, to recharge with the invigorating energy of these wonderful places.
Livadia is located 3km west of Yalta on the famous South Coast of Crimea, which for more than a century is considered one of the best places for recreation on the peninsula. Every year more than 25 thousand people come here to rest, but it was not always so. Back in the late XIX — early XX century, entry here was closed to all but members of the Russian imperial family and serving their estate workers. It was the fact that the Romanovs chose Livadia out of the many magnificent villages and towns of the South Coast, made it subsequently popular among tourists eager to see what so loved this corner of the Crimea to the tsar and his family. And, coming here, everyone understands why.
The stunning nature of the Crimea in Livadia is especially good: in summer it is always warm but not stuffy thanks to the sea breeze, and in other seasons it is sheltered from cold steppe winds by a picturesque mountain range, one of the most famous peaks of the peninsula — the mountain Ai-Petri. There are here, unlike other coastal settlements of the South Coast, and extensive forest lands: Mount Magobi, towering above the village from the western side, if you look from the sea, is completely covered with mixed forest. Magobi is an interesting natural object: an extinct volcano, and today it is part of the Yalta Mountain Forest Reserve. Thanks to the unique combination of forest and sea, Livadia is always fresh and pleasant, and the air is literally teeming with useful substances that create the most favorable conditions for the recovery of the body. Probably, that is why this corner of Tavrika was favored by people a long time ago.
In the Bronze Age — in the 3rd millennium BC on the territory where Livadia now stretches, people already lived. This is evidenced by the remains of a large pottery complex. In the first millennium BC the Taurians lived here, leaving evidence in the form of a burial ground. The ruins of a feudal castle on the rock of Khachla-Kayasi show that even in the X-XII centuries these lands were not empty. The remains of a settlement with a temple and a burial ground speak about the medieval stage in the life of these places. At the end of the XVIII century there was a Greek settlement called Ai-Yan, whose inhabitants were relocated to Azov province by the tsar’s decree.
As in the case with other Crimean settlements, Livadia’s new life began with the annexation of Crimea to Russia. After the end of the Crimean War, the lands of the South Coast were distributed to the servicemen of the Greek Balaklava Battalion. One of the new owners was the national hero of Greece, Colonel of the Russian army Lambro Kachoni, who decided to name his new possessions in honor of his homeland — Levadia, a city in Central Greece. According to another version, these lands were named after their next owner — Lev Pototsky, who acquired them in 1834. It was Pototsky who was the first to start improving this territory: he planted a vineyard, established wine production, built a church and several houses of the estate, laid out a park in which he planted valuable species of plants, decorated it with statues and fountains, and installed a water pipeline. From that moment on Livadia attracted the attention of the royal family, which already in 1860, under Alexander II, acquired it. Pototsky’s estate is rebuilt and turned into Livadia Palace — today’s main attraction of the village, and the park is made even more lush and beautiful. Then in 1875 the entrance to Livadia and the passage along the highway Yalta-Sevastopol was forbidden for outsiders, and so it was until the establishment of Soviet power. New times have made their adjustments, and the village became a place of rest for Soviet officials, including his dacha here had Brezhnev. Well, today this corner of Crimea and all the sights of Livadia are open for tourists.
Nowadays, vacationing in Livadia is becoming more and more popular, well, those who stay in other places, come here to see the former residence of Russian emperors, which later became Stalin’s dacha. Livadia Palace is now one of the most popular attractions in Crimea. In addition, guests can follow in the footsteps of members of the royal family on the Sunny (Tsar’s) Path, where they liked to stroll, visit organ music concerts held in the building of the former Tsar’s power station. Livadia is memorable for a long time, here man-made luxury and natural treasures merged together, which, complementing each other, create a unique atmosphere.