I wrote about Sudak... and now notes from a traveler. With photos.

Pike perch is small, but very ancient city. Founded by the Alans, presumably in 212. However, there is reason to believe that there was already a settlement on this site. Despite such a long history, there are practically no attractions in the town, although this deficiency is more than made up for picturesque nature- mountains, sea... Well, and a fortress. It is a symbol of Sudak and the main object of tourist pilgrimage. We set off to “assault” the fortress on the second day of our stay in Sudak, but by the time we got there it was already dark. So I then went there again for an excursion. By the way, on weekends there was a knight's tournament, but we were not able to go to it due to the breakfast-lunch-dinner schedule. Anyway..

So, Sudak fortress. It was built by the Genoese in the period from 1371 to 1469 as a stronghold of the Soldaya colony. However, they built it on the site of an existing Byzantine fortress, which dates back to around the end of the 7th century. And according to the legend recorded in the late source “Sudak Synaxar”, the first fortress was built back in 212 by the Alans, but no archaeological evidence of this date has been found to this day. One way or another, the ideal location of the defensive structure suggests that fortifications have existed there since the founding of the city. In the Middle Ages, everyone who captured Sudak used the fortress as if it were their own and added something there. However, it has been preserved in its complete form exactly as the Genoese one.

The fortress is located on an ancient coral reef, which is a cone-shaped mountain. The mountain has two names: Kyz-Kulle-Burun (Crimean - “cape Maiden's Tower") or Serf. I'll tell you about the first name later. And the favorable location of the fortress and powerful fortifications made it almost impregnable: from the west the fortress is difficult to access, from the south and east it is protected by steep mountain walls descending to the sea; a deep ditch was dug from the northeast.

Nevertheless, the fortress was taken... but more on that later. One way or another, with the advent of gunpowder artillery, the fortress somewhat lost its role as a fortification structure and became simply a landmark. Extraordinarily attractive.

On the way to the fortress you can come across a mountain with three crosses. You shouldn't be surprised, but this is Calvary. The fact is that the Sudak fortress was repeatedly used as a colorful location for filming films. For example, "Pirates of the 20th Century", "Primordial Rus'", "Socrates". And she became Yershalaim in the film adaptation of “The Master and Margarita” by Vladimir Bortko. And the crosses were left as a souvenir. (By the way, taking this opportunity, an amazing selection of “MiM” places in St. Petersburg)




The entrance to the fortress is through the main gate. Massive, covered with iron, in those distant times they did not open, but rose. Above the gate is a stone slab with the inscription: “1389, on the ninth of July, during the reign of the glorious and powerful husband, Mr. Baptista di Zoaglio... the honorable consul of Soldai. Thanks be to God". By the way, all the signatures on the slabs are made in medieval Latin. Having passed through the gate, you find yourself in a small “dressing room”, behind it there is another gate, and now you have passed the first defensive tier of the fortress.

The area of ​​the fortress is almost 30 hectares. The largest space is located behind the first defensive tier. Nowadays it is empty, but before it was a bustling medieval city. If the enemy managed to break through the almost impregnable defense, the defenders of the fortress rushed behind the walls of the second tier of defense, which was even better fortified.




Water supply is the main problem of the defensive structure. Special tanks were installed in the Sudak fortress to collect water. There was also running water. Water from mountain springs flowed into the fortress through clay pipes. Remains of pipes still stick out of the ground on the mountain slopes. According to legend, pure spring water still flowed from one pipe until the 70s of the last century.

But the cannon in the fortress is just an exhibit for tourists. Of course, she is much younger than the Genoese. The guns turned the fortress into a tourist attraction. By the way, the last person to use the fortress “for military purposes” was Suvorov. He set up a gunpowder warehouse here

The towers of the fortress are a separate matter. Each of the 90 consuls who ruled Soldaya contributed to the construction of the fortress, each took on the thorough modernization and reconstruction of the ancient fortifications. The consul was an administrator, elected for a year and gave a detailed report on his actions. Successful rule in the province was a good start to a career, so everyone tried to prove themselves better than others. Well, the towers received the names of the consuls: Giovanni Marione, Pasquale Djedice, Corrado Cicalo, Frederico Astagvera...

Can you guess what kind of building it was? The guide asked us this question. I was the only one from the group who answered correctly =)

And in this photograph two eras look at us. Pay attention to the masonry on the right - a row of stones and earth with mortar between them. This is how the Byzantines built. These are leftovers ancient fortress, the predecessor of the current one. On the left is the remains of the Genoese wall - rows of stones reminiscent of a modern brick wall.

And here is the building that has experienced the most “adventures”. This is a temple. At first there was a mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in the 20s of the 13th century. Then, apparently, it was rebuilt into an Orthodox church, and after that by the Genoese - into a Catholic church. After the capture of Sudak by the Turks, it again turned into a mosque. And after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, there was an Orthodox military church, a German church, and an Armenian Catholic church. Nowadays there is a museum where archaeological finds made on the territory of the fortress are collected.


But can anyone guess what this is? No one from our group could name the correct answer.

By the way, one of the legends of the fortress is connected with this church (or some other), and indeed with the fortress. May 31, 1475 to Crimean shores The Turkish squadron approached. The Turks landed a large landing force not far from Kafa. The Ottomans were supported by the Tatars. The Kafa fortress fell. But the Sudak fortress held out for a long time. The besieged fought until food supplies ran out and famine set in. When the defenders of Soldaya were completely exhausted, the Turks managed to break into the fortress. But the consul of Soldai, Cristoforo di Negro, and his faithful people did not want to give up and they took refuge in the church. The Turks set fire to the church, and hundreds of townspeople, along with the last consul, were burned alive. The Turks ordered them not to bury them, but to leave their bodies in the ruins.

This legend gave rise to another legend, that in the middle of the 20th century the ruins of a church were found, and in it were burnt skeletons of people. Our guide, an archaeologist, an expert on history and the Sudak fortress, refuted this second legend. They say some journalist wrote a duck and she went for a walk through art history literature. Well, okay, if you look closely, history is woven from legends and traditions.

Behind the church where no one has ever burned down is located Observation deck, it offers a magnificent view of the Sudak bay:

And then the road leads to the Consular Castle. It is a fortified citadel, in which, if the fortress was captured, it was also possible to hold the defense for a very long time. The consul worked here and lived here. He lived, I must say, quite ascetically (for an Italian nobleman). I already wrote above that the consulate in the colony was a job, a responsible job, and “wandering around” in it meant ruining your career. Nowadays the most interesting thing in the consular castle is the view from the windows... especially the sea.




The consular castle, together with the wall and towers, form the “consular tier” of defense. It was here that the defenders of the fortress took refuge if the enemy broke through the first row of walls. The defense here could have been carried out for just as long. Well, in the Middle Ages there were also houses and a small town behind the wall.

By the way, according to legend, the ghost of the brave consul Christopher di Negro, who was never buried according to Christian custom, still wanders around the consular castle at night.

Behind the consular tier, on the top of the rock, there is another tower - the maiden tower. She gave the name to the mountain - Kyz-Kulle-Burun - “Cape of the Maiden Tower”. As usual, there is a legend associated with it.

Once upon a time there lived a local ruler of a fortress, an archon, in Greek times. And he had a beautiful daughter, the most beautiful of whom was not in all of Taurida. The best commander of the Pontic king Mithridates, Diophantus, sought the girl’s hand, but she preferred the poor shepherd. The Archon did not even want to think about such a choice for his daughter, because he would be glad to acquire influential relatives. The ruler was informed about the secret meetings between the shepherd and the princess, and the angry father ordered the shepherd to be thrown into the well.

Having bribed the guards, the girl freed her lover and hid him in her room. But the father found out about this and decided to act more cunningly. The Archon sent the young man to Miletus (a Greek city in modern Turkey), and ordered his servants to kill him.
“In a year the ship will return, and if your lover does not cheat on you, then you will see a white sign on the mast. I won't resist your happiness. But if he is not worthy of you, there will be no sign on the ship, and you will marry Diophantus,” the archon told his daughter.
When the ship appeared a year later, there was no sign on it. The girl threw herself into the sea from the tower and died. Since then the tower has been called the Maiden Tower.

Such is the legend. Well, if we return from the world of romance to the real world, then there are similar legends in many castles around the world. Another name for the maiden tower is “watchtower”. And this name already speaks of its direct purpose - located on the very highest point The fortress mountain gave an excellent overview of the nearby territory. By the way, the tower was built not by the Greeks, but by the Genoese

This is how I went on my walk. There are an order of magnitude more photos, but if you post them all, the post will take an indecently long time to open. If you are in Crimea and have the opportunity to visit the Sudak fortress, I recommend it. The most important thing is that the medieval atmosphere is present there.

Hi all!

There are some places that are simply impossible not to visit while traveling! And if we talk about the sights of Sudak, and in general about the sights of Crimea, then such places include the famous Genoese fortress in Sudak.

The Genoese fortress, or as it is also called the Sudak fortress, is a unique symbol of the city. Perhaps every tourist who finds himself in Sudak must visit this attraction. The fortress in Sudak is, first of all, an architectural monument of the Middle Ages, which has been quite well preserved to this day.

History of the Genoese fortress:

The fortress was built over almost 100 years: from 1371 to 1469! It was built by the Genoese and covers an area of ​​30 hectares! Among the Genoese, who already from the 12th century began to trade with Russian, Polovtsian and Central Asian merchants, the city of Sudak became a powerful military base. In the 14th century they captured the entire coast from modern Kerch (Bosporus) to Sevastopol (Chersonese). However, even before the Genoese, various defensive structures were located on the territory of the fortress, which were eventually united into a single fortress.

We were passing through Sudak when we were traveling from resort village V . But for me, as a big lover of history and various kinds of ancient ruins, castles, etc., it was very interesting to visit the fortress in Sudak and see everything with my own eyes. Therefore, on one of the sunny Crimean days we went to self-guided tour to the Genoese fortress.

We bought tickets at the box office at the entrance. The price is not too expensive: 150 rubles per person for an independent visit and 250 rubles for a guided tour. We chose to visit on our own because we didn’t want to go in a crowd, and besides, I already knew almost everything the guide told about the fortress.

The main gate of the fortress with perverted towers:

Inside the fortress:

It is better to do the inspection by moving first on the left side of the gate.

There is a kind of medieval town here, where you can see a blacksmith or potter at work:

You can try on some elements of medieval armor:

Or sit on the princely throne:

Or you can make friends with the last inhabitant of the fortress, who has survived to this day. The truth is that it was not very well preserved

You can make a coin with your name at the mint:

And of course there are a lot of souvenirs here:

Near souvenir shops there is a cistern that served as a water storage for the inhabitants of the fortress during a long siege or drought. It reminded me of the famous one, although the cistern in the Genoese fortress is much smaller in size:

On the territory of the fortress there is also old mosque, which is also quite well preserved to this day:

All the towers in the fortress have their own name: the Pasquale Giudice Tower, the Jacobo Torsello Tower, the Beriabo di Franchi di Pagano Tower and others. Each of the towers is signed, and on the plaque it is given short description- very convenient when visiting on your own.

Ancient cannons in front of the ruins of the barracks of the Kirillovsky regiment, which were built at a later time - in the 18th century, by order of Prince Potemkin:

Opens from the castle walls beautiful view to Sudak Bay:

At the very top of the Fortress Mountain is the Consular Castle:

Inside you can find a sign with detailed description the purpose of this castle. There are similar signs on all towers:

Inside the Consular Castle:

During our visit to the fortress, active construction and installation of scenery for filming was going on next to the Consular Castle. In general, several films were filmed on the territory of the fortress, for example the famous “Pirates of the 20th Century” and “The Master and Margarita”.

View of Sudak and the Main Gate of the fortress from Fortress Mountain:

Some strange building:

Most likely this is a reconstruction of a tunnel that was made in the Middle Ages during the siege of fortresses. It was probably built as one of the sets for the film.

It’s also worth mentioning that knightly tournaments are held on the territory of the Genoese fortress! Every year, in the summer, the international knight festival “Genoese Helmet” takes place here. So if you are lucky enough to visit Crimea during the festival, then be sure to take part in it!

How do you like a walk around the fortress?

Unfortunately, photographs cannot convey the atmosphere of medieval history that you feel inside the walls of the fortress. And in order to really feel the breath of time and feel like you are in the Middle Ages, you need to visit the Genoese fortress, walk along its walls and towers. So if you travel around Crimea, be sure to visit Sudak and the Genoese fortress!

See you in the next posts! And in order not to miss their release, do not forget to subscribe to blog updates!

Thanks to the unique climatic conditions and location, the Crimean Peninsula has been the subject of disputes between states since ancient times. At different periods of development in Crimea, the Scythians, Romans, Greeks, Sarmatians, Tatars, and Italians were the masters. Each of them brought something unique to this people into the culture and life of the peninsula. So, being a Greek colony, Crimea acquired master shipbuilders and winegrowers. During this period, theaters appeared on the peninsula, stadiums were built, and churches were erected.

In the Middle Ages, the Crimean peninsula became a colony of the once powerful Genoa. For the famous Italian navigators, it certainly became a vital necessity to conquer the trade sea ​​routes ancient Taurica. Archaeologists find evidence of their presence throughout the peninsula.

Fortresses of the Genoese masters

But the fortresses built by ancient immigrants from Genoa are of particular interest among scientists. According to archaeologists, the Genoese erected fortifications to protect their colonies from raids by nomadic tribes, as well as from invasions by long-time opponents of the Venetian rulers and their troops.

Nowadays, the fortress sights of Crimea, especially those erected during the colonization of the peninsula by Italians, are among the most visited tourist places. All of them are museums, and it is better to explore them with a tour, since they historical events Only specialists can tell you about these places in a qualified manner.

Ancient fortresses are located in different places:

  • Fortress in Sudak;
  • Citadel in Feodosia;
  • Chembalo fortress in Balaklava.

Fortress in Sudak - a powerful fortpost

In the vicinity of the resort Sudak there are a great many places of interest. But most of all tourists are attracted by the ancient walls of the fortress, which was erected on Mount Krepostnaya and is a massive fortification and defensive structure. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the majestic structure.

Only parts of this once powerful fortpost have survived to this day:

  • The main gate of the fortress and twelve towers;
  • Ruins of military barracks;
  • Mosque and Christian temple;
  • Warehouse space.

Even those surviving remains of the fortification delight and amaze with their power and skill of the ancient builders. On the territory of the fortress there was everything necessary for a long stay and defense from enemies. Premises for the residence of representatives of the rulers of Genoa, warehouses and barns, work buildings, something like workshops. Evidence that the fortress was built by Italian colonists, according to archaeologists, are inscriptions in Latin, which indicated the dates of construction and the names of the ambassadors of those times.

Now on the territory of the fortress, in the building of the mosque, a museum has been opened, in which valuable evidence of the existence of a Genoese colony on the territory of Crimea is presented to the attention of tourists. Entrance to the ancient grounds of the fortress is paid. If you're lucky, you can take part in medieval battles, which are held here for the delight of tourists.

Citadel in Feodosia

The Sudak fortress, according to scientists, was not the first fortification that Italian colonists built on the peninsula. Thus, on the shore of the Feodosian Gulf there is a powerful defensive fortification, designed to protect the largest possession of the Genoese - ancient Cafa.

The citadel stands on steep hills facing the sea, which originally served as protection from enemies. The fortress was completed over ten years. The structure was built from rocks mined here on the peninsula. Like other fortifications, the fortress was a place fully adapted for life.

On its territory there were:

  • Palace of the Consul;
  • Bishop's residence;
  • Warehouses for valuable goods - silk, furs, precious stones, court premises.

Genoese fortress Chembolo

In the vicinity of the heroic Sevastopol, archaeologists find evidence of the life and development of various civilizations of ancient Taurica. One of the main monuments of its history is rightfully the medieval Genoese fortress of Chembolo, which is located on the top and on the slopes of Mount Kastron, now Fortress, in Balaklava.

This architectural ensemble is evidence of the struggle for the right to call themselves masters of fertile lands between the Genoese and Theodorites, which ended in favor of the Italians. In order to protect important trade routes from foreigners, the Genoese constantly strengthened the fortress itself and the city inhabited by important officials of that time - the city of St. Nicholas, which was located on the top of the mountain.

On the slope of Castron was located locality for the main population:

  • Craftsmen;
  • Traders;
  • Fishermen.

Nowadays all fortifications Crimean peninsula are historical monuments, and many of them are protected international organizations. To the delight of archaeologists and tourists, last years ancient monuments are given a lot of attention: they are restored, protected from influences natural phenomena, protected from vandals.

Archaeological excavations have resumed in the territories of many of them, which will enable scientists to delve deeper into the history of these places, and tourists to admire the ancient settlers of magical Tavrika.

Holidays in the Crimean Sudak can be called calm. This resort is loved by families with children, for whom the main thing is to bathe their child in the sea, breathe in the healing air, rather than climb a thousand palaces or march into the mountains. But Sudak is not as simple as it seems. There may only be one significant attraction here, but what a one! The majestic Genoese fortress is located here. Isn’t it a familiar name from the pages of a school history textbook? I propose to understand its historical significance and external greatness.

Genoese fortress, Crimea

There are not many fortresses in Russia that are well preserved, and you won’t find one as large and ancient as the Genoese fortress during the day with fire. Just looking at the building of impressive size with 12 towers, the fortresses of Croatia and Crete, built by the Venetians and Italians, immediately came to mind. And indeed, it was the Italians who had their hands firmly attached to the Genoese fortress in its modern form. As always happens, the fortress was built and rebuilt by different peoples, depending on who was pursuing what goals on the territory of modern Crimea.
->Download the fortress map
On the information signs I came across the name of this fortress - Sudak fortress, but I still like the Genoese one better. Eh, if only they could restore on its territory all the infrastructure that existed in the Middle Ages (forgive me, cultural experts who consider conservation better than any restoration)! Just imagine that you can find yourself in medieval city with narrow streets, residential buildings, religious institutions. Of course, now all this is not on the territory of the fortress, so we turn on our imagination and remember the surviving mosque and the Consular Castle, as well as various outbuildings of the 13-15 centuries. It’s not difficult to find them; information signs from Soviet times hang everywhere.
I’ve been to Istanbul several times, so I immediately recognized the water storage tank. We visited the most popular cistern, and there I bought a book about the reservoirs of the medieval Turks, which tells in detail about the storage and supply of water throughout the hilly city. It’s nice that a similar building has also been preserved in the Genoese fortress.
On the territory of the fortress there is a perfectly preserved mosque, which passed from hand to hand and became either Christian or Muslim again. Currently, there is an archaeological museum inside, which we enjoyed visiting (but that's a completely different story).
Although we walked around the fortress without a guide, we were able to notice the remains of the foundations and walls of ancient temples. I was proud of myself that I didn’t run past without the guide’s instructions, taking pictures of the landscapes with the towers and myself against their background. Of course, I read about this on the Internet before our trip to Sudak, so we explored the fortress carefully and competently.


Genoese fortress, Crimea

I don't want to go into detailed history fortress, because it can be read on the well-known website. And for most tourists, the history of a place is not as important as the impressions and emotions received here - don’t forget the selfie stick.
Perhaps I will only say that the heyday of the city, enclosed within the walls of the fortress, ceased to exist after the conquest of Crimea by the Turks. The Gegnuez fortress lost its defensive function, and the city gradually moved beyond its walls.


Genoese fortress, Crimea


Genoese fortress, Crimea

Finally, we reached the Consular Castle, one look at which leaves no options - Venetians. You can go inside and see storage and living spaces. Although the fortification castle does not look like the Doges' Palace in Venice, for some reason I immediately remembered it and those wonderful days when we traveled to various palazzos of modern Italy.
I am endlessly pleased that the powerful walls have withstood all the tests of man and nature, and we can still admire the power and uniqueness of the fortress. I’m generally a fan of any fortification buildings, so it’s difficult to convey my delight. If I have the opportunity to come to Sudak again, I will definitely go for a walk around the fortress, perhaps take a guide to learn something new, to pay attention to what I missed.


Genoese fortress, Crimea


Genoese fortress, Crimea

How to get to the Genoese Fortress

Address: 298002, Republic of Crimea, Sudak, Genoese Fortress St. 1
Website: http://www.sudakfortress.ru/


Genoese fortress, Crimea

Cost of visiting the Genoese fortress

— Adult - 150 rub.
— Schoolchildren, students, pensioners, residents of the Sudak region* - 75 rubles.
— Children under seven years old are free.

Walking tour:
— Adult - 200 rub.
— Schoolchildren, students, pensioners, residents of the Sudak region *- 100 rubles.
Formation excursion groups occurs every half hour from 9:00 to 17:30.
The average duration of the excursion is 40 minutes.
There are also many categories of citizens for whom admission costs 1 ruble or is completely free (read the information at the checkout).
Operating mode:
May - September - from 8 to 19, October - April - from 9 to 17,
no days off or breaks, but the ticket office closes an hour earlier.

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