The history of Crimea

The history of Crimea embraced the life and destiny of many people, that for centuries were coming to the peninsula from the East west, their achievements and struggle, opposition and wholeness of cultures.

Reminders of the long-buried past are the best witnesses of the fact that man has been living on the peninsula for many thousands s. A lot of different people, who once lived in Crimea, left the world without any remnants, the other came down to the history as a nd. Semi-legendary are the tribes of ancient Tauri that inhabited the Crimean south coast in the 11-4th cc. BC. Herodotus, "the Farther istory" reported about the land ofTaurida (the first name to the peninsula). Strabonus told us about the Cimmerian nomad tribes that i over the Northern Black Sea coast and steppe in the 8-7th cc. The ancient tribes assimilated with or were withdrawn by martial: hians who established the first state system on the Crimean land intheIV-IccBC.

The 7th century BC. brought the culture of Ancient Greece to Tavrida. The Hellenic people built their city-states on the Crimean t. some of them were united into Bosporan Kingdom in the east and round the city of Chersonesus - in the west. There emerged the t Pontiac State. The opposition of Rome to Greece ends with the victory of "an Eternal City". Roman fortifications and a strategic tal road appeared on the southern coast. In the 3rd century Romans left the peninsula, ceding it to the mighty torrents of the Great ration . Goths came to Crimea from the north, Guns and Alans - from Asia. The process of assimilation was going on: distinction /een languages, traditions cultures and religions were slowly disappearing.

Saint Andrew the First-Called rose the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ over the peninsula and brought true faith to Crimea. Since the entury Byzantine came into power and ruled over Crimea. There were restored the ruined Chersonesus, built new fortresses, stian churches, monasteries and "cavern towns", but the East sent its new forces to the southern land - nomadic tribes. At the same time ngs were approaching Crimea from the north.

The Russian Tmutarakan Principality was established on the Taman peninsula in the 10th century Slavonic influence was so ificant that old chronic mentioned the Cimmerian Bosporus as a Prince Svyatoslav's land. The Black Sea was marked as the Russian on the Arabic maps of the 10-11th cc. Crimea was meant to play an important role in the Russian history, here Grand Prince Vladimir iev was baptized. Ancient Russia was christened and adopted the Orthodoxy, beaming over the Slavonic land.

In the 13th century the Tartar-Mongols launched an invasion into Crimea, occupied it and brought Islam to ancient Tavrida. nean Tartars broke all contacts with the other Tartar Principalities in the north. They established their Crimean Khanate that soon ime a subject of the Ottoman Empire. Almost at the same time Genoese arrived in the peninsula by the sea, they were followed by their rivals - Venetians. Genoese ruled over the Crimean coast from Sudak in the east to Balaklava in the west. They built their capital in i (Feodosia). At the same time there was flourishing the local Christian principality of Theodoro. In 1475 the Sultan's fleet appeared he Crimean coast. Turkish forces seized the Genoese colonies and advanced on the Theodoro principality. The Crimean Tartar nate finally gained a firm hold of the peninsula. Since that time on the confrontation between the Orthodoxy Russia and Moslem cey had started. Numerous raids and wars came to an end. The victory of Russia brought the recognition of independence of Crimea 774. In the 1783 Crimea became part of the Russian Empire.

That was the beginning of a new period in the history of Tavrida. New roads and parks were laid out, beautiful palaces and villas s built, educational and medical institutions were opened. On the slopes of the mountains there were laid out new vineyards and young len wine was aging in oak barrels. The Crimean war of 1854-1856 destroyed Crimea as well as brought immortality to courageous ;nders of Sevastopol.The Earth knows how to cure even the most painful wounds and to restore its own and human strength. In 1860 the ninent Russian physician Sergey Botkin discovered salubrious properties of the Crimean climate and the Crimean South Coast line "the summer capital" of the Russian Empire. As soon as the Russian royal family bought the estates in Livadia, Oreanda, Kharax, Todor, Chayir, a holiday in Crimea came into fashion among aristocracy, nobility and merchants that were coming here - to the Russian [era They were followed by intellectuals and others.

Word War I opened wide the doors to revolutions, the Civil War, to an impetuous change of governments and authorities, to terror hardships. In autumn of 1920 the defeated White Guard left Crimea, giving the way to the advancing troops of the Red Army. That  according to the decree signed by Vladimir Eenin, all private palaces and villas were converted into sanatoriums for workers and pesants.
A new period of construction started but it was interrupted by the Second World War. In autumn of 1941 Crimea was occupied byi; army and greeted its liberation only in spring of 1944. Once again Crimea had to start its rehabilitation.

In all times and throughout the world's history hostility and wars were followed by understanding of urgent necessity to seek unity cooperation. It is also true for Taurida.
In 1954 in commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Reunification of Russian and Ukrainian people Crimea was granted to Ukraine and formed a part of that Soviet republic. There starts the period of the development of Crimea as an all-union holiday destination international tourist center.
The end of the 2th millenium was marked by numerous political, economic and social changes for the Crimean people At sent it is Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine with the population of more than 2.5 million people who are the "esentatives of 80 nationalities and ethnic groups. The state languages of Crimea are Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean-Tartar. onomous Republic of Crimea has its Supreme Soviet (one-chamber parliament), Council of Ministers, Supreme and Arbitration irts, local representative and state authorities as well as it own Constitution, state flag, hymn and emblem.

On the Crimean state emblem there is its motto "Prosperity in Unity" and above it - the rising golden sun that always shows the fs throughout Crimea. We will follow them and in the generous sunny rays enjoy the enchanting and perennial beauty of the Crimean.