Greek city-states of Crimea. Crimea in ancient times

29.09.2019

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Coordinates: 46°15’–44°23’N. and 32°29’–36°39’E.
Area: 26.1 thousand km²
Population of the Crimean Federal District: 2,293,673 people

CRIMEA TODAY

The Crimean Peninsula... Or maybe it’s an island after all? From the point of view of a geologist or biologist, it is more likely the latter: Crimea, connected to the mainland only by a narrow isthmus, is characterized by many features characteristic specifically of islands. For example, there are a lot of endemic (living only in this area) plants and animals. The historian will also agree that Crimea is like an island: here, on the edge of the steppes, by the sea, the nomadic routes ended, and the ancient steppe inhabitants, settling in blessed Tavria, created many distinctive cultures that sharply distinguish the civilization of the “island of Crimea” from other cultural regions of the Northern Black Sea region . Greeks and Taurians, Scythians and Romans, Goths and Khazars, Turks, Jews, Crimean Tatars- they all contributed to the creation of this unique civilization. And along the sea, surrounding the peninsula on three sides, countless threads of trade and cultural ties stretched.

The Crimean Peninsula is perhaps the only region in the north of the Black Sea that has abundantly preserved traces of ancient and Byzantine culture. Ruins of Panticapaeum, Church of John the Baptist in Kerch, Chersonesos, where he was baptized Kyiv prince Vladimir, the future baptist of Rus', Muslim missionaries who set off from Crimea to the pagan “wild steppe” - all these are precious bricks that formed the basis of the cultural building of Russia and neighboring countries. And it is not without reason that the beautiful Taurida was sung by Mitskevich and Pushkin, Voloshin and Mandelstam, Brodsky and Aksenov.

But, of course, Crimea is not only cultural heritage and unique nature, but above all beach and health tourism. The first resorts appeared on the South Coast back in the 2nd half of the 19th century, and when the palaces of members of the imperial family grew here, Crimea quickly turned into the most fashionable resort Russian Empire. Elegant villas, dachas and palaces still define the appearance of many cities and towns in Crimea. The most famous tourist regions are the South Coast (Yalta and Alushta regions), the West Bank (Evpatoria and Saki) and the southeast (Feodosia - Koktebel - Sudak).

During Soviet times, Crimea was declared the “All-Union Health Resort” and became the first mass tourism site in the USSR; today it is one of the major tourist centers of Eastern Europe, receiving millions of tourists a year

FROM THE ORIGINS TO THE FALL OF THE KINGDOM OF PONTIUS

OK. 50 thousand years BC e.
The oldest traces of man in Crimea are a site in the Kiik-Koba cave (8 km from the village of Zuya, 25 km east of Simferopol).

XV–VIII centuries BC e.
Territory Crimean peninsula and the steppes of the Northern Black Sea region are inhabited by Cimmerian tribes. It is not entirely clear what origin this nomadic people had; their self-name is also unknown. Homer first mentions the Cimmerians, but he settled these wild tribes at “the extreme borders of the inhabited world, at the entrance to the underworld of Hades” - that is, somewhere along the coast Atlantic Ocean. Bronze weapons and jewelry were found in burial mounds of this era. The oldest iron objects were discovered in one of the mounds of the 8th century BC. e. near the village of Zolny.

VI century BC e. - I century n. e.
Crimea is mentioned in Greek sources as Tauris (named after the Taurian people who inhabited the mountainous regions of the peninsula). Greek and Roman authors write that the Tauri are bloodthirsty savages who sacrifice captives to their goddess the Virgin. Archaeologists, however, have not yet been able to find any traces of this cult.

Ruins of the ancient Panticapaeum in Kerch

VII century BC e.
The first Greek colonies appear on the Crimean coast.

VII century BC e. - III century
Scythians settled in the steppes of Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region.

1st half VI century BC e.
Greek colonists from the city of Miletus founded Panticapaeum, the future capital of the Bosporan state.

OK. 480 BC e.
The independent Greek poleis of Eastern Crimea are united under the auspices of the Bosporus Kingdom, which occupies the entire Kerch Peninsula, the Taman coast of the Azov Sea and Kuban. Chersonesos (in the area of modern Sevastopol) becomes the second major Greek city in Crimea after Panticapaeum.

II century BC e.
The Sarmatians, Iranian-speaking nomads, appear in Crimea, displacing the Scythians from the Black Sea steppes.

120–63 BC e.
Reign of Mithridates VI Eupator. The ruler of the Pontic kingdom, located in the north of Asia Minor, Mithridates extended his influence to almost the entire Black Sea coast. However, after his death, the Black Sea region lost its political independence and by the end of the 1st century BC. e. entered the sphere of influence of Rome.

THE GREAT MIGRATION OF PEOPLES.
GREEKS, MONGOLS, GENOOES

III century
Tribes of Germanic Goths who came from the shores Baltic Sea, destroy all Scythian settlements, including Scythian Naples.

IV century
Christianity is spreading in Crimea; the bishops of Bosporus (Kerch) and Chersonese (Sevastopol) participate in Ecumenical Councils. Meanwhile, the Turkic tribes of the Huns migrate from Asia, conquer the steppe and foothill Crimea from the Goths and push them west. The Romans allow the Goths to settle in the territory of the empire, and in a little over a hundred years Rome will fall under the blows of the barbarians.

Scythian gold: breast decoration from the Tolstaya Mogila mound, 4th century. BC e.

488
A Byzantine garrison is located in Chersonesos.

527
Emperor Justinian I builds the fortresses of Aluston (Alushta) and Gorzuvita (Gurzuf) on the coast.

7th century, 2nd half.
South-Eastern Crimea is captured by the Khazars, Byzantine settlements are destroyed. At the beginning of the 9th century, the elite of the Khazars adopted Judaism.

VIII century
The appearance of the first cave monasteries in Crimea.

IX–X centuries
Collapse of the Khazar Khaganate.

X century
Development of political, trade and cultural relations between Crimea and Russia.

988
Kyiv Prince Vladimir is baptized in Chersonesus.

XI century
New Turkic nomads appear in Crimea - the Polovtsians (Kypchaks). Having begun their raids on Rus' in 1061, the Cumans quickly captured the southern Russian steppes, and then the Crimea.

XII century
In the southwest of Crimea, a small Christian principality of Theodoro is formed, founded by Byzantine aristocrats from the Gavras family.

1204
The Crusaders capture Constantinople and subject it to a terrible defeat; the Byzantine Empire breaks up into several independent parts. Kherson and some other regions of Taurica (the southern coast of Crimea) begin to pay tribute to one of them - the Trebizond Empire in the northeast of Asia Minor.

1230s
The steppe Crimea and the Black Sea region are conquered by the Mongol-Tatars. Only mountain fortresses inaccessible to cavalry can maintain their independence.

1250s
Crimea becomes an ulus of the Golden Horde and is governed by governor-emirs.

1267
Under the Golden Horde Khan Mengu-Timur, the first Crimean coins were minted.

XIII century
Almost simultaneously with the Mongols, the Genoese began to explore Crimea. The Mongol emirs place the port city of Feodosia at their disposal and provide significant trade privileges. Kafa, as the Genoese call the city, becomes the largest trading port of the Northern Black Sea region.

1357
The Genoese captured Balaklava, and in 1365 they captured the coast from Kafa to Gezlev and created a colony in this territory called the “captaincy of Gothia”. The colony retains formal independence from the Tatars, but this independence is constantly under threat.

1427
The Principality of Theodoro builds on the site cave city Inkerman (near Sevastopol) Kalamita fortress, protecting the only seaport of the principality - Avlita at the mouth of the Chernaya River. Avlita is a serious competitor to the Genoese ports.

XV century, 1st half.
The Golden Horde breaks up into separate khanates, each of which establishes its own dynasty. True legitimacy, however, belongs only to the Genghisids - the direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
Polovtsy. Miniature from the Radziwill Chronicle. 15th century manuscript

CRIMEAN KHANATE

1441–1466
The reign of the first Crimean Khan - Genghisid Hadji-Girey (Gerai). The future khan was brought up at the court of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and was enthroned with the support of the local Crimean nobility. Crimea leaves the Golden Horde, and the Gireyev (Geraev) dynasty will rule in Crimea until 1783, when the peninsula comes under the rule of the Russian Empire.

1453
Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II storms Constantinople. The end of the Byzantine Empire.

1474
Moscow Grand Duke Ivan III enters into an alliance with the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey against Lithuania. In subsequent years, the Crimean Tatars, with the active support of Moscow, made several predatory campaigns against the Polish-Lithuanian lands.

1475
Ottoman troops capture the Genoese possessions in Crimea and the principality of Theodoro - the last fragment of the Byzantine Empire in the Northern Black Sea region. Mengli Giray tried to resist the Ottomans, for which he was deprived of the throne, taken to Constantinople as a hostage and released only in 1478 after he took the vassal oath to Sultan Mehmed.

1571
Khan Devlet-Girey's raid on Moscow. The Tatar army numbered up to 40,000 horsemen. The Tatars burned the city (only the Kremlin survived), killed, according to some estimates, several hundred thousand people and took another 50,000 captive. Ivan the Terrible was forced to agree to pay tribute to Crimea. During the 2nd half XVI century, the Crimean Tatars made 48 raids on the Moscow state, and, although they were defeated more than once, the payment of tribute in one form or another continued until the reign of Peter I.

1572
The Battle of Molodi near Moscow. Despite the significant numerical advantage of the army of the Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray, which, in addition to the Crimean troops themselves, included Turkish and Nogai detachments, the battle ended in a convincing victory for the Russian troops led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky and Dmitry Khvorostinin. The Khan's army fled. As a result, devastated by previous Crimean raids of 1566–1571. Russian state was able to survive and maintain its independence.

1591
Invasion of Khan Kazy-Girey. According to Moscow legend, the city was saved by the Don Icon of the Mother of God: when the khan’s army was already on the Sparrow Hills, the icon was carried around the walls of Moscow - and the next day the Tatars left. In memory of this event, the Donskoy Monastery was founded.

XVII century
Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks make retaliatory raids on the Crimea (or, together with the Krymchaks, on Poland and Lithuania). IN different time Kafa, Gezlev, Sudak and other cities of the peninsula were taken and destroyed.

1695–1696
Azov campaigns of Peter I. For the first time in Russian military history The fleet is widely used. As a result of the campaigns, the Turkish fortress of Azov was taken, which, however, did not completely secure the southern Russian steppes from Crimean raids. Access to the Black Sea is still impossible for Russia.

Capture of Azov, July 19, 1696. Engraving by Adrian Schonebeck

1735–1739
Russian-Turkish war. Field Marshal Minikh takes Gezlev and the capital of the Khanate, Bakhchisarai, by storm, but in the end Russian troops are forced to leave Crimea and leave for Russia with heavy losses.

1774
The Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty proclaims the independence of Crimea from the Ottoman Empire. Kerch is transferred to Russia and free access to the Black Sea and the right of passage through the Bosporus and Dardanelles are ensured. The Turkish Sultan remains only the spiritual head of the Muslims of Crimea; in fact, Crimea comes under the protectorate of Russia.

AS PART OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

1783
Manifesto of Catherine II on the inclusion of the territory of the Crimean Khanate into Russia. Founding of Sevastopol - the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

1784
The Tauride region was formed (Crimea, Taman and lands north of Perekop; in 1802 it will be transformed into a province). Founding of Simferopol.

1787
Travel of Catherine II to Novorossiya and Crimea. The queen visits Old Crimea and Feodosia. In memory of this, some cities installed special mile markers, the so-called Catherine Miles. Several of them have survived.

XIX century, beginning
Rapid development of the peninsula, construction of new and improvement of old cities. New roads connect the southern coast of Crimea with the main centers of the peninsula - Simferopol and Sevastopol.

1825
Emperor Alexander I acquires a plot of land in Oreanda - the first Romanov estate in Crimea.

1838
Yalta receives city status.

1853–1856
Crimean War. Initially, hostilities began between Russia and Turkey, but then England and France entered the war on the side of the latter. In June 1854, the Anglo-French squadron approached Sevastopol, and in September the Allied ground forces began landing in Evpatoria.

In the Battle of Sinop, the first battle of the Crimean War (November 1853), the Russian fleet defeated the Turkish squadron. But Russia still lost the war

Battle of the Alma River: the allies defeat the Russian army, which tried to block their path to Sevastopol.

1854–1855
Siege of Sevastopol. The city's defenders defended from September 1854 to August 1855. During the bombing, Russian losses amounted to up to a thousand people per day. All attempts to lift the siege were unsuccessful, and in the end Russian troops were forced to leave the city.

1855, March 28.
The Anglo-French fleet occupies Kerch, the Russian garrison retreats to Feodosia.

1856, March 18
Signing of the Paris Peace Treaty. The Black Sea is declared neutral: neither Russia nor Turkey were allowed to have military fleets there.

1871
The London Convention lifts the ban on Russia from having a fleet in the Black Sea. Construction of the steam-powered armored Black Sea Fleet begins.

1875
Opening of the Kharkov - Sevastopol railway connection.

The queen goes to Crimea

In 1787, Empress Catherine II visited Novorossiya and Taurida, which had recently been annexed to the empire.
The empress's retinue consisted of about 3,000 people, including foreign envoys and the Austrian Emperor Joseph II incognito. In total, there were more than 150 carriages on the imperial train, while Catherine herself rode in a carriage, which was a whole house on wheels: it had an office, a living room for 8 people with a gambling table, a bedroom, a small library and a restroom. The carriage was harnessed by 40 horses, and, according to one of the queen’s companions, its movement “was as smooth and calm as the movement of a gondola.”
All this luxury amazed the minds of contemporaries, but the myth about the incredible ostentation that accompanied the trip appeared much later. Catherine was indeed shown new cities that were built in recently deserted places, but the famous “Potemkin villages” - luxurious fake settlements, allegedly built by order of Count Potemkin-Tavrichesky along the road - were most likely the invention of one of the participants in the trip, the secretary of the Saxon embassy Georg von Gelbig. In any case, none of the contemporaries (and there are dozens of descriptions of the journey) confirm these inventions.

XX CENTURY, XXI CENTURY

1917–1920
Civil War. On the territory of Crimea, white and red governments replace each other several times.

1920, April
Baron Peter Wrangel becomes commander-in-chief of the White Guard troops in southern Russia.

1920, November
Invasion of Crimea by units of the Red Army under the command of Mikhail Frunze. Wrangel's "Russian Army" is forced to retreat to the coast and begin evacuation. On November 12, Dzhanka was taken, on November 13 - Simferopol, by November 15 the Reds reached the coast. Mass extrajudicial reprisals begin against the White Army servicemen and civilians remaining in Crimea. The exact numbers are unknown, but according to some estimates, up to 120,000 people were shot and tortured between November 1920 and March 1921.

1920, November 14–16
Evacuation from Crimea. Thousands of refugees boarded 126 ships: the remnants of General Wrangel’s army, the families of officers and simply those who were lucky enough to get on board - about 150,000 people in total. The squadron leaves for Constantinople.

1921, October 18
The Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the RSFSR.

1927
Strong earthquakes occur in Crimea on June 26 and on the night of September 11-12.

1941–1944
Hitler's occupation of Crimea.

1944
On Stalin’s personal instructions, all Crimean Tatars, Bulgarians, Armenians and Greeks were deported from Crimea. The pretext is the massive support that these peoples allegedly provided to the Germans during the years of occupation.

1945, February 4–11
Yalta conference. The heads of government of the USSR, USA and Great Britain determine the post-war structure of the world. Decisions were made on the future division of Germany into occupation zones, on the USSR's entry into the war with Japan and on the creation of the UN.

1954
On the initiative of Nikita Khrushchev, the Crimean region was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR.

1965
Awarding the title of “hero city” to Sevastopol.

1980s, end
Mass return of deported peoples to Crimea.

1991, August
The State Emergency Committee putsch in Moscow, Mikhail Gorbachev was arrested by the conspirators at his dacha in Foros.

1991 December
Decay Soviet Union. Crimea becomes an autonomous republic within independent Ukraine.

1991–2014
The Crimean region is part of Ukraine, first as the Republic of Crimea, and since 1994 as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

1995
The electronic music festival “KaZantip” is being held in Crimea for the first time.

2000
Kerch turned 2600 years old.

2001
The first water park in Crimea has been opened in Blue Bay.

2003
Evpatoria turned 2500 years old.

2014, March 11
The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. 2014, March 16.

Historical referendum in Crimea on the status of the republic. The turnout for the referendum was 83.1%. 96.77% of Crimeans who came to the referendum voted for the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea to Russia.

Flags Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea

2014, March 18
A historic day for Crimea and Russia. An agreement was signed on the entry of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol into the Russian Federation as subjects.

2014, March 21
President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin signed a federal constitutional law on the entry of Crimea into the Russian Federation and the formation of new entities in the country - the Republic of Crimea and the city federal significance Sevastopol.

Crimea is a unique historical and cultural reserve, striking in its antiquity and diversity.

Its numerous cultural monuments reflect historical events, culture and religion different eras And different nations. The history of Crimea is an interweaving of East and West, the history of the Greeks and the Golden Horde, the churches of the first Christians and mosques. Here, for many centuries, different peoples lived, fought, made peace and traded, cities were built and destroyed, civilizations arose and disappeared. It seems that the air itself is filled with legends about life olympian gods, Amazons, Cimmerians, Tauri, Greeks...

50-40 thousand years ago - the appearance and residence on the territory of the peninsula of a Cro-Magnon type man - ancestor modern man. Scientists have discovered three sites of this period: Syuren, near the village of Tankovoe, Kachinsky canopy near the village of Predushchelnoye in the Bakhchisarai region, Adzhi-Koba on the slope of Karabi-Yayla.

If before the first millennium BC. e. While historical data allows us to talk only about different periods of human development, later it becomes possible to talk about specific tribes and cultures of Crimea.

In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus visited the Northern Black Sea region and described in his works the lands and peoples living on them. It is believed that one of the first peoples who lived in the steppe part of Crimea in the 15th-7th centuries BC. there were Cimmerians. These warlike tribes left Crimea in IV - III centuries before new era because of the no less aggressive Scythians and got lost in the vast expanses of the Asian steppes. Perhaps only ancient toponyms remind us of the Cimmerians: Cimmerian Walls, Cimmerian Bosporus, Cimmeric...

They lived in the mountainous and foothill regions of the peninsula. Ancient authors described the Tauri as cruel, bloodthirsty people. Skilled sailors, they engaged in piracy, robbing ships sailing along the coast. Captives were sacrificed to the goddess Virgo (the Greeks associated her with Artemis), throwing them into the sea from a high cliff where the temple was located. However, modern scientists have established that the Tauri led a pastoral and agricultural lifestyle, were engaged in hunting, fishing, and collecting shellfish. They lived in caves or huts, and in case of an enemy attack they built fortified shelters. Archaeologists have discovered Taurus fortifications on the mountains Uch-Bash, Koshka, Ayu-Dag, Kastel, on Cape Ai-Todor, as well as numerous burials in the so-called stone boxes - dolmens. They consisted of four flat slabs placed on edge, the fifth covering the dolmen from above.

The myth about the evil sea robbers Taurus has already been debunked, and today they are trying to find the place where the temple of the cruel goddess of the Virgin stood, where bloody sacrifices were performed.

In the 7th century BC. e. Scythian tribes appeared in the steppe part of the peninsula. Under pressure from the Sarmatians in the 4th century BC. e. The Scythians concentrate in the Crimea and the lower Dnieper. Here, at the turn of the IV-III centuries BC. e. A Scythian state is formed with the capital Naples of Scythia (on the territory of modern Simferopol).

In the 7th century BC, Greek colonization of the Northern Black Sea region and Crimea began. In Crimea, in places convenient for navigation and living, the Greek “polises” arose: the city-state of Tauric Chersonesus (on the outskirts of modern Sevastopol), Feodosia and Panticapaeum-Bosporus (modern Kerch), Nymphaeum, Myrmekiy, Tiritaka.

Appearance Greek colonies in the Northern Black Sea region strengthened trade, cultural and political ties between the Greeks and the local population; local farmers learned new forms of cultivation, growing grapes and olives. Greek culture had a huge influence on spiritual world Taurians, Scythians, Sarmatians and other tribes. But the relationship between different peoples was not easy. Peaceful periods gave way to hostile ones, wars often broke out, which is why Greek cities were protected by strong walls.

In the 4th century. BC e. Several settlements were founded on the western coast of Crimea. The largest of them are Kerkinitida (Evpatoria) and Kalos-Limen (Black Sea). In the last quarter of the 5th century BC. e. immigrants from the Greek city of Heraclea founded the city of Chersonesos. Now this is the territory of Sevastopol. By the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. Chersonesos became a city-state independent from the Greek metropolis. It becomes one of the largest policies in the Northern Black Sea region. Chersonesos in its heyday was a large port city, surrounded by thick walls, a trade, craft and cultural center of the entire southwestern coast of Crimea.

Around 480 BC e. The Bosporan Kingdom was formed from the unification of initially independent Greek cities. Panticapaeum became the capital of the kingdom. Later, Theodosia was annexed to the kingdom.

In the 4th century BC, the Scythian tribes united under the rule of King Atey into a strong state that occupied a vast territory from the Southern Bug and the Dniester to the Don. Already at the end of the 4th century. and especially from the first half of the 3rd century. BC e. The Scythians and, probably, the Tauri, under their influence, exert strong military pressure on the "polises". In the 3rd century BC, Scythian fortifications, villages and cities appeared in the Crimea. The capital of the Scythian state - Naples - was built on the southeastern outskirts of modern Simferopol.

In the last decade of the 2nd century. BC e. Chersonesos, in a critical situation when Scythian troops besieged the city, turned to the Pontic Kingdom (located on the southern shore of the Black Sea) for help. Ponta's troops arrived in Chersonesus and lifted the siege. At the same time, Pontus' troops took Panticapaeum and Feodosia by storm. After this, both Bosporus and Chersonesus were included in the Pontic kingdom.

From approximately the middle of the 1st to the beginning of the 4th century AD, the sphere of interests of the Roman Empire included the entire Black Sea region and Taurica as well. Chersonesus became a stronghold of the Romans in Taurica. In the 1st century, Roman legionnaires built the fortress of Charax on Cape Ai-Todor, laid roads connecting it with Chersonese, where the garrison was located, and a Roman squadron was stationed in the Chersonese harbor. In 370, hordes of Huns fell on the lands of Tauris. Under their attacks, the Scythian state and the Bosporan kingdom perished; Naples, Panticapaeum, Chersonesos and many cities and villages lay in ruins. And the Huns rushed further to Europe, where they caused the death of the great Roman Empire.

In the 4th century, after the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern (Byzantine), the latter’s sphere of interests also included the southern part of Taurica. Chersonesus (it became known as Kherson) became the main base of the Byzantines on the peninsula.

Christianity came to Crimea from the Byzantine Empire. According to church tradition, Andrew the First-Called was the first to bring the good news to the peninsula; the third bishop of Rome, Saint Clement, who was exiled to Chersonesos in 94, carried out great preaching activities. In the 8th century, an iconoclasm movement began in Byzantium; icons and paintings in churches were destroyed. Monks, fleeing persecution, moved to the outskirts of the empire, including the Crimea. Here in the mountains they founded cave temples and monasteries: Uspensky, Kachi-Kalyon, Shuldan, Chelter and others.

At the end of the 6th century in Crimea appears new wave The conquerors are the Khazars, whose descendants are considered to be the Karaites. They occupied the entire peninsula, with the exception of Cherson (as Chersonesos is called in Byzantine documents). From this time on, the city began to play a prominent role in the history of the empire. In 705, Kherson separated from Byzantium and recognized the Khazar protectorate. To which Byzantium sent a punitive fleet with a landing party in 710. The fall of Kherson was accompanied by unprecedented cruelty, but before the troops had time to leave the city, it rose again. Having united with the punitive troops that had betrayed Byzantium and the Khazars’ allies, the troops of Cherson entered Constantinople and installed their own emperor.

In the 9th century, a new force actively intervened in the course of Crimean history - the Slavs. At the same time, the decline of the Khazar power occurred, which was finally defeated in the 60s of the 10th century by the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav Igorevich. In 988-989, the Kiev prince Vladimir took Kherson (Korsun), where he accepted the Christian faith.

During the 13th century, the Golden Horde (Tatar-Mongols) invaded Taurica several times, plundering its cities. Then they began to settle on the territory of the peninsula. IN mid-XIII century, they captured Solkhat, which became the center of the Crimean yurt of the Golden Horde and was named Kyrym (like the entire peninsula subsequently).

In the 13th century (1270), first the Venetians and then the Genoese penetrated the southern coast. Having ousted their competitors, the Genoese created a number of fortified trading posts on the coast. Their main stronghold in Crimea becomes Kafa (Feodosia), they captured Sudak (Soldaya), as well as Cherchio (Kerch). In the middle of the 14th century, they settled in the immediate vicinity of Kherson - in the Bay of Symbols, founding the Chembalo (Balaklava) fortress there.

During the same period, the Orthodox principality of Theodoro was formed in the mountainous Crimea with its center in Mangup.

In the spring of 1475, a Turkish fleet appeared off the coast of Kafa. The well-fortified city was able to hold out under siege for only three days and surrendered to the mercy of the winner. Having captured coastal fortresses one after another, the Turks put an end to Genoese rule in the Crimea. The Turkish army met worthy resistance at the walls of the capital Theodoro. Having captured the city after a six-month siege, they ravaged it, killing the inhabitants or taking them into slavery. The Crimean Khan became a vassal of the Turkish Sultan.

The Crimean Khanate became the conductor of Turkey's aggressive policy towards the Moscow state. Constant Tatar raids on the southern lands of Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania and Poland.

Russia, which sought to secure its southern borders and gain access to the Black Sea, fought with Turkey more than once. In the war of 1768-1774. The Turkish army and navy were defeated, and in 1774 the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was concluded, according to which the Crimean Khanate gained independence. Kerch with the fortress of Yoni-Kale, the fortresses of Azov and Kin-burn in the Crimea passed to Russia, Russian merchant ships could freely sail in the Black Sea.

In 1783 after Russian-Turkish war(1768-1774) Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire. This contributed to the strengthening of Russia, its southern borders ensured the safety of transport routes on the Black Sea.

The majority of the Muslim population left Crimea, moving to Turkey, the region became depopulated and fell into desolation. In order to revive the peninsula, Prince G. Potemkin, appointed governor of Taurida, began to resettle serfs and retired soldiers from neighboring areas. This is how the new villages of Mazanka, Izyumovka, Chistenkoye appeared on the Crimean land... The works of His Serene Highness were not in vain, the economy of Crimea began to develop rapidly, orchards, vineyards, and tobacco plantations were laid out on the southern coast and in the mountainous part. On the shores of an excellent natural harbor, the city of Sevastopol was founded as a base for the Black Sea Fleet. Near the small town of Ak-Mosque, Simferopol is being built, which became the center of the Tauride province.

In January 1787, Empress Catherine II, accompanied by the Austrian Emperor Joseph I, traveling under the name of Count Fankelstein, ambassadors of the powerful countries of England, France and Austria and a large retinue, went to the Crimea to inspect new lands to demonstrate to her allies the power and greatness of Russia: The Empress stopped at travel palaces built especially for her. During lunch in Inkerman, the curtains on the window were suddenly parted, and the travelers saw Sevastopol under construction, warships greeting the empresses with volleys. The effect was amazing!

In 1854-1855 Main events took place in Crimea Eastern War(1853-1856), better known as Crimean. In September 1854, the united armies of England, France and Turkey landed north of Sevastopol and besieged the city. The defense of the city continued for 349 days under the command of Vice Admirals V.A. Kornilov and P.S. Nakhimov. The war destroyed the city to the ground, but also glorified it throughout the world. Russia was defeated. In 1856, a peace treaty was concluded in Paris, prohibiting Russia and Turkey from having military fleets in the Black Sea.

Having been defeated in the Crimean War, Russia experienced an economic crisis. The abolition of serfdom in 1861 allowed industry to develop faster; enterprises engaged in the processing of grain, tobacco, grapes, and fruits appeared in Crimea. At the same time, the resort development of the South Coast began. On the recommendation of doctor Botkin royal family acquires the Livadia estate. From this moment on, palaces, estates, and villas were built along the entire coast, which belonged to members of the Romanov family, court nobility, wealthy industrialists and landowners. In a matter of years, Yalta turned from a village into a famous aristocratic resort.

Construction had a great influence on the development of the region's economy railways, connecting Sevastopol, Feodosia, Kerch and Evpatoria with the cities of Russia. All higher value Crimea was also acquired as a resort.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Crimea belonged to the Tauride province; economically, it was an agricultural region with a small number of industrial cities. The main ones were Simferopol and the port cities of Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia.

Soviet power won in Crimea later than in the center of Russia. The Bolsheviks' stronghold in Crimea was Sevastopol. On January 28-30, 1918, the Extraordinary Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies of the Tauride Province took place in Sevastopol. Crimea was proclaimed the Soviet Socialist Republic of Taurida. It lasted a little over a month. At the end of April, German troops captured Crimea, and in November 1918 they were replaced by the British and French. In April 1919, the Red Army of the Bolsheviks occupied the entire Crimea, except for the Kerch Peninsula, where the troops of General Denikin fortified themselves. On May 6, 1919, the Crimean Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed. In the summer of 1919, Denikin’s army occupied the entire Crimea. However, in the fall of 1920, the Red Army led by M.V. Frunze again restored Soviet power. In the fall of 1921, the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the RSFSR.

Socialist construction began in Crimea. According to the decree signed by Lenin “On the use of Crimea for the treatment of workers,” all palaces, villas, and dachas were given over to sanatoriums where workers and collective farmers from all the union republics rested and were treated. Crimea has turned into an All-Union health resort.

During the Great Patriotic War, Crimeans bravely fought the enemy. The second heroic defense of Sevastopol, which lasted 250 days, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, the Tierra del Fuego of Eltigen, the feat of underground fighters and partisans became pages of the military chronicle. For the steadfastness and courage of the defenders, two Crimean cities - Sevastopol and Kerch - were awarded the title of hero city.

In February 1945, a conference of the heads of three powers - the USSR, the USA and Great Britain - took place at the Livadia Palace. At the Crimean (Yalta) Conference, decisions were made related to the end of the war with Germany and Japan, and the establishment of a post-war world order.

After the liberation of Crimea from the fascist occupiers in the spring of 1944, the restoration of its economy began: industrial enterprises, sanatoriums, rest homes, Agriculture, revival of destroyed cities and villages. The expulsion of many peoples became a black page in the history of Crimea. The fate befell the Tatars, Greeks, and Armenians.

On February 19, 1954, a decree was issued on the transfer of the Crimean region to Ukraine. Today, many believe that Khrushchev gave Ukraine a royal gift on behalf of Russia. Nevertheless, the decree was signed by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Voroshilov, and Khrushchev’s signature is not present at all in the documents relating to the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.

During the period of Soviet power, especially in the 60s - 80s of the last century, there was a noticeable growth in Crimean industry and agriculture, the development of resorts and tourism on the peninsula. Crimea, in fact, was known as an all-Union health resort. Every year, 8-9 million people from all over the vast Union vacationed in Crimea.

1991 - “putsch” in Moscow and the arrest of M. Gorbachev at his dacha in Foros. The collapse of the Soviet Union, Crimea becomes Autonomous republic as part of Ukraine, and Greater Yalta is the summer political capital of Ukraine and the countries of the Black Sea region.

Which is mentioned in written sources. Taurus lived in the mountains, in the foothills, on the southern and southeastern coasts. Steppes of the peninsula from the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. occupied by Scythian tribes. A significant part of them initially led a nomadic lifestyle. Typical monuments of the Tauris are burial stone boxes, shelters and fortified settlements (on the mountains Uch-Bash, Tash-Dzhargan, Koshka, etc.). The Scythians left numerous burial mounds, some of them with rich burials of nobles.

The most ancient Scythian state in the Northern Black Sea region was the kingdom of Atea, centered on the Dnieper, which emerged in the 4th century. BC e. Then a Late Scythian state was formed with its center in Naples (on the southeastern outskirts of the present one). Excavations of Scythian Naples yielded a lot interesting information about the life and everyday life of the late Scythians.
In the VI-V centuries. BC e. Greek colonies appear in Crimea: Panticapaeum, Kerkinitida, Nymphaeum, Tiritaka and others.

Chersonesos, a slave-owning democratic republic, was a major economic and cultural center Tauriki. Crafts and art reached a high development in it.
The Bosporan kingdom grew out of the forced unification of the city-states around Panticapaeum (c. 480 BC). This economically developed state conducted extensive trade with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean countries. The art of Bosporus has revealed examples that enjoy worldwide fame (the Royal Mound, the Crypt of Demeter and other monuments).

Having strengthened, the Scythian state waged a persistent struggle against the Greek colonies, trying to subjugate them. The struggle reached its greatest intensity at the end of the 2nd century. BC e., when the troops of the Pontic (Asia Minor) king arrived in Crimea at the request of the Chersonesos. At the same time, a major uprising broke out in the Bosporus, led by the Scythian Savmak. The rebels were victorious and proclaimed Savmak king. He was overthrown only with the help of Pontic troops, after which the Bosporus and Chersonese fell under the rule of Mithridates.

After the defeat of Mithridates in many years of wars with Rome in Crimea in the 1st century. BC e. The Romans appear. The rule of Rome on and in Chersonesus lasted from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. n. e.
In the Bosporus kingdom, which retained relative independence, and in the late Scythian state in the 1st-2nd centuries. a new rise in economics and culture is taking place. But in the III-IV centuries. n. e. in decline ancient world, caused by the crisis of the slave system, barbarian tribes - the Goths, Huns and others - begin to attack the slave states. The Bosporan kingdom and the state of the late Scythians fell under their blows. Many cities and villages were destroyed in Chersonesus, however, it survived and existed for about a thousand years.

Ancient cities of Crimea

In ancient times, sea routes connected the Black Sea coast with the Mediterranean, where at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. the great civilization of Greece arose. From the shores of Hellas, brave sailors set off in search of new lands.

Where large seaports, industrial and resort centers of Crimea are now located - Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia and Kerch, in the VI-V centuries. BC. the ancient Greeks founded the cities of Kerkinitida, Chersonesos, Feodosia, Panticapaeum, respectively, and near them - Myrmekiy, Tiritaka, Nymphaeum, Cimmeric and others. Each of them was the center of an agricultural region, where wheat was grown, grapes were cultivated, and livestock were raised. In the cities there were temples, public and administrative buildings, markets, and artisans' workshops.

The convenient geographical location contributed to the development of trade. Merchants exported slaves and agricultural products to the Mediterranean, purchased from local tribes - Scythians, Maeotians, Sindians. In exchange from cities Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor they brought olive oil, wine, objects of art and crafts.

Chersonesos was founded in 421 BC. on the shore of the bay, which is now called Karantinnaya. Later, the city significantly expanded its holdings. During its heyday, Kerkinitida, Beautiful Harbor (on the site of the modern village of Chernomorskoye) and other settlements of northwestern Crimea were subordinate to him.

The Chersonesos state was a slave-owning democratic republic. Supreme body authorities were the people's assembly and council, which decided all issues of foreign and domestic policy. The leading role in management belonged to the largest slave owners, whose names were conveyed by Chersonesos inscriptions and coins.

Archaeological excavations, begun back in 1827, showed that the city was well fortified. The remains of defensive structures - massive towers, fortresses, parts of stone walls - have also been preserved throughout the state. This indicates the constant military danger to which the residents were exposed. The famous Chersonesos oath speaks about their patriotism. The Chersonese swore that they would not betray either the city or its possessions to the enemies, that they would protect the democratic system, and that they would not divulge state secrets.

As archaeological studies have confirmed, the city had the correct layout. Residential buildings were united into blocks, the streets intersected at right angles. They were paved with small stones. Stone gutters ran along the streets. Temples rose in the squares. Public buildings and the houses of wealthy citizens were decorated with colonnades and mosaic floors.

From ancient buildings, only the bases of the walls and basements have survived to this day. Particularly interesting are the mint, baths, and the ruins of a theater that existed from the 3rd century. BC. to the 4th century AD Only the staircase passages and stone benches for spectators have been partially preserved from it. Judging by their size, the theater could accommodate up to 3 thousand spectators.

Near the city walls there was a district of artisans. There, archaeologists discovered the remains of ceramic production: kilns for firing pottery, stamps for ornaments, molds for making terracotta reliefs. Other crafts also flourished in Chersonesus - metalworking, jewelry, and weaving.

The largest ancient state in the Black Sea region was the Bosporan kingdom. It was formed as a result of the unification of initially independent Greek cities, such as Panticapaeum, Myrmekium, Tiritaka, Phanagoria and others, located along the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus - the modern Kerch Strait. Panticapaeum became the capital of the state. From 438 BC for more than three hundred years it was ruled by the Spartokid dynasty.

At the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th centuries. BC. Nymphaeum and Theodosius, as well as lands inhabited by other tribes, were annexed to the possessions of Bosporus. In the 1st century BC. The Bosporus captured most of the territory of Crimea and subjugated Chersonesus.

Excavations on Mount Mithridates, carried out in Kerch from late XIX century, made it possible to restore the size and plan of Panticapaeum. At the top was the acropolis - the central fortification of the city with powerful defensive walls and towers. The most important temples and public buildings. Blocks of one- or two-story stone buildings ran down the slopes in terraces. The entire city and its surroundings were surrounded by numerous lines of fortifications. The deep and convenient harbor reliably sheltered merchant and military ships.

Found debris marble statues, pieces of painted plaster and architectural details allow us to speak about the rich decoration of the squares and buildings of the city, about the skill of ancient architects and builders.

At the site of Myrmekia and Tiritaki, not far from Kerch, in addition to city walls, residential buildings and sanctuaries, archaeologists discovered several wineries and baths for salting fish. In Nymphea, near the modern village of Geroevki, there are temples of Demeter, Aphrodite and Kabirov; in Ilurat, near the modern village of Ivanovka, - Bosporan military settlement first centuries AD, guarding the approaches to the capital.

Near every ancient city there was its necropolis - City of dead. They were usually buried in simple earthen graves, sometimes lined with tiles or stone slabs. The rich and noble were placed in wooden or stone sarcophagi. For their burial, crypts were built, made of stones or carved into rocks. The walls of crypts and sarcophagi were decorated with paintings, reliefs, and inlays. Ornaments were applied to them, mythological subjects and scenes were depicted real life. Things that belonged to him were placed with the deceased: jewelry, dishes, weapons, vessels with incense, terracotta figurines and other items. In one of the Panticapaean burials of the 3rd century. BC, possibly the Bosporan king Riskuporides, a unique golden mask was found that reproduced the facial features of the deceased.

Researchers have long been interested in large mounds located in the vicinity of Kerch. Burials of Bosporan kings and nobility with outstanding works were discovered in them. Greek art: gold and silver jewelry, bronze and glass items, painted and figured vases.

The gold temple pendants of the 4th century are rightfully considered a masterpiece of world art. BC. from the Kul-Oba mound. They are made in the form of disks, to which are attached numerous woven intersecting chains connected by plates and rosettes. On the disk with a diameter of 7 cm there is a relief of the head of Athena in a helmet with clearly visible figures of griffins, an owl and a snake. The finest filigree plates, rosettes, as well as the circumference of the disc are covered with grain and blue enamel.

The most valuable finds from excavations of ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, State Historical Museum and the State Museum fine arts them. A.S. Pushkin in Moscow, as well as others.

Nowadays, nature reserves have been organized on the territory of Chersonese in Sevastopol and on Mount Mithridates in Kerch. Every year thousands of people come there to walk through the streets and squares of ancient cities, get acquainted with greatest monuments culture.

When the Romans established themselves on the southern coast, they created fortified points on the coast to protect Chersonesus. Of the Roman fortifications, the largest was Charax on Cape Ai-Todor (now there is a lighthouse next to the Swallow's Nest). The fortification of Charax (in Greek “pillar”, “stake”, that is, “fenced place”) was founded in the 70s. I century under the Roman Emperor Vespasian. At the end of the century there was a garrison here, in the 2nd century. soldiers of the I Italian Legion were stationed. The last Roman garrison of the fort consisted of soldiers of the XI Claudian Legion (late 2nd - first half of the 3rd century). These three periods in the history of Charax are evidenced by marks on bricks and tiles.

N.I. Sheiko

Photo beautiful places Crimea

Since ancient times, sea routes connected the Black Sea coast with the Mediterranean, where at the end of the 2nd - beginning of the 1st millennium BC. e. the great civilization of Greece arose. From the shores of Hellas, brave sailors set off in search of new lands.

Where large seaports, industrial and resort centers of Crimea are now located - Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia and Kerch, in the VI-V centuries. BC e. the ancient Greeks founded, respectively, the cities of Kerkinitida, Chersonesos, Feodosia, Panticapaeum, and near them Myrmekios, Tiritaka, Nymphaeum, Cimmeric and others. Each of them was the center of an agricultural region, where wheat was grown, grapes were cultivated, and livestock were raised. In the cities there were temples, public and administrative buildings, markets, and artisans' workshops.

The convenient geographical location contributed to the development of trade. Merchants exported slaves and agricultural products to the Mediterranean, purchased from local tribes - Scythians, Maeotians, Sindians. In exchange, olive oil, wine, art and crafts were brought from the cities of the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor.

Chersonesos was founded in 421 BC. e. on the shore of the bay, which is now called Karantinnaya. Later, the city significantly expanded its holdings. During its heyday, Kerkinitida, Beautiful Harbor (on the site of the modern village of Chernomorskoye) and other settlements of northwestern Crimea were subordinate to him.

The Chersonesos state was a slave-owning democratic republic. The highest authority was the people's assembly and council, which decided all issues of foreign and domestic policy. The leading role in management belonged to the largest slave owners, whose names were conveyed by Chersonesos inscriptions and coins.

From ancient buildings, only the bases of the walls and basements have survived to this day. Particularly interesting are the mint, baths, and the ruins of a theater that existed from the 3rd century. BC e. to the 4th century n. e. Only the staircase passages and stone benches for spectators have been partially preserved from it. Judging by their size, the theater could accommodate up to 3 thousand spectators.

The largest ancient state in the Black Sea region was the Bosporan kingdom. It was formed as a result of the unification of initially independent Greek cities, such as Panticapaeum, Myrmekium, Tiritaka, Phanagoria and others, located along the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus - the modern Kerch Strait. Panticapaeum became the capital of the state. From 438 BC e. for more than three hundred years it was ruled by the Spartokid dynasty.

At the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th century. BC e. Nymphaeum and Theodosius, as well as lands inhabited by other tribes, were annexed to the possessions of Bosporus. In the 1st century BC e. The Bosporus captured most of the territory of Crimea and subjugated Chersonesus.

Excavations on Mount Mithridates, carried out in Kerch since the end of the 19th century, made it possible to restore the size and plan of Panticapaeum. At the top was the acropolis - the central fortification of the city with powerful defensive walls and towers. The most important temples and public buildings were located inside it. Blocks of one- or two-story stone buildings ran down the slopes in terraces. The entire city and its surroundings were surrounded by numerous lines of fortifications. The deep and convenient harbor reliably sheltered merchant and military ships.

Kerch. At the foot of Mount Mithridates

Found fragments of marble statues, pieces of painted plaster and architectural details allow us to speak about the rich decoration of the squares and buildings of the city, about the skill of ancient architects and builders.

At the site of Myrmekia and Tiritaki, not far from Kerch, in addition to city walls, residential buildings and sanctuaries, archaeologists discovered several wineries and baths for salting fish. In Nymphaeum, near the modern village of Geroevki, there are temples of Demeter, Aphrodite and Kabirov; in Ilurat, near the modern village of Ivanovka, is a Bosporan military settlement of the first centuries AD. e., guarding the approaches to the capital.

Next to every ancient city there was its necropolis - the city of the dead. They were usually buried in simple earthen graves, sometimes lined with tiles or stone slabs. The rich and noble were placed in wooden or stone sarcophagi. For their burial, crypts were built, made of stones or carved into rocks. The walls of crypts and sarcophagi were decorated with paintings, reliefs, and inlays. Ornaments were applied to them, mythological subjects and scenes of real life were depicted. Things that belonged to him were placed with the deceased: jewelry, dishes, weapons, vessels with incense, terracotta figurines and other items. In one of the Panticapaean burials of the 3rd century. n. e., possibly the Bosporan king Riskuporides, a unique golden mask was found that reproduced the facial features of the deceased.

Researchers have long been interested in large mounds located in the vicinity of Kerch. Burials of Bosporan kings and nobility with outstanding works of Greek art were discovered in them: gold and silver jewelry, bronze and glass items, painted and figured vases.

The gold temple pendants of the 4th century are rightfully considered a masterpiece of world art. BC e. from the Kul-Oba mound. They are made in the form of disks, to which are attached numerous woven intersecting chains connected by plates and rosettes. On the disk with a diameter of 7 cm there is a relief of the head of Athena in a helmet with clearly visible figures of griffins, an owl and a snake. The finest filigree plates, rosettes, as well as the circumference of the disc are covered with grain and blue enamel.

The most valuable finds from excavations of ancient cities of Crimea are presented in the collections of the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the State Historical Museum and the State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin in Moscow, as well as others.