Alupka

Alupka (Ukrainian & Russian: Алýпка; Crimean Tatar: Alupka; Greek: Ἀλώπηξ) is a resort city located in the Crimean peninsula, currently subject to a territorial dispute between the Russian Federation and Ukraine (see 2014 Crimean crisis). It is located 17 km (11 mi) to the west of Yalta. It is famous for the Vorontsov Palace, designed by English architect Edward Blore in an extravagant mixture of Scottish baronial and Neo-Moorish styles and built in 1828–1846 for prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov. Population: 7,771 (2014 Census).[3] Sister-city: Apopka, Florida, USA.

Alupka

Алупка
City
The Vorontsov Palace with the dominant Crimean Mountains in the background.
Flag
Coat of arms
Alupka
Alupka
Alupka
Coordinates: 44°25′11″N 34°2′35″E
CountryDisputed between Russia and Ukraine[1]
MunicipalityYalta Municipality
Location in Russia Republic of Crimea
Location in Ukraine Autonomous Republic of Crimea
City status1938
Government
 • City HeadViktor Tolstonoh
Area
 • Total4 km2 (2 sq mi)
Elevation67 m (220 ft)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total7,771
 • Density1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4 (MSK)
Postal code
(2)98676
Area code+7-3654
ClimateCfa
Websitealupkarada.org

Alupka and its surrounding area is full of resort hotels on the shore of the Black Sea, where thousands of travelers (particularly from the former Soviet Union) travel every year. Public transport to Alupka includes the bus system (bus routes #26 and #27 from Yalta) and other road vehicles.

Climate

Located in the warm climate of southern Crimea, Alupka has an average temperature of +3-4°С in January–February and an average temperature of +24.6°С in August. The average rainfall in the city is 400 mm per year, the average humidity is about 69%, and the average number of sunlight per year is 2,150 hours. The swimming season streaches from March until October, with an average water temperature of 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).

History
The Black Sea coast at Alupka.

Alupka was first founded as a Greek settlement. The name originates from the Greek word for fox (Alopex) . After the Greeks, Alupka came under control of the Byzantine Empire. The first written mention of Alupka dates to 960 in a document about the Byzantine Emperor Romanos II. Later on, Alupka was controlled by the Crimean Tatars. After 1783 the city came into possession of Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin, governor-general of the Novorossiya Krai. In 1798, the city had a population of 211, consisting mainly of farmers.

At the end of 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, Alupka was a famous resort. In the middle of 19th century it was even more popular than Yalta, mostly because of the work of the Governor of NovoRossia - Mikhail Vorontsov, who build here a Palace (or even better say, Castle).

Attractions

Alupka is not only a resort town, but also an important tourist attraction. Major attractions in the city include:

Vorontsovsky Palace and Park
Main article: Vorontsov's Palace (Alupka)
The southern façade of the Vorontsov Palace.

The main attraction of Alupka is the Scottish baronial and Neo-Moorish style Vorontsov's Palace, which was designed by the English architect Edward Blore built in 1828-1846 for prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov. During the Yalta Conference, the palace—spared by the Germans during World War II — served as the residence of Sir Winston Churchill and his English delegation.

A large English-style park was designed and built for prince Vorontsov on the territory of the Vorontsov's Palace. The park was constructed from December 1824 to April 1851, and was envisioned, designed, created, and maintained by Chief Botanist of the Southern Shore of the Crimea, Carolus Antonius Keebach. Plant material for the garden was supplied from the Nikita Botanic Garden by its director, Nicolai Anders von Hartwiss.

There is also a selection of various Hotels and restaurants. There are many things to do in central Alupka such as look at Ai Petri mountain and even take a cable car there.

Ai-Petri Mountain
Dawn in the Ai-Petri Yaila nature reserve

Alupka is located at the foot of the 1234 meter Ai-Petri (St Peter) Mount of the Crimean Mountains chain. Since 1987, a three kilometer Gondola lift, one of the longest in Europe and split into two stages, carries passengers to and from the mountain, providing visitors with excellent views of the surrounding area and the Black Sea.

People from Alupka

References
  1. This place is located on the Crimean peninsula, most of which is the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine. According to the political division of Russia, there are federal subjects of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol) located on the peninsula. According to the administrative-territorial division of Ukraine, there are the Ukrainian divisions (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city with special status of Sevastopol) located on the peninsula.
  2. "Alupka (Crimea oblast)". weather.in.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  3. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2014). "Таблица 1.3. Численность населения Крымского федерального округа, городских округов, муниципальных районов, городских и сельских поселений" [Table 1.3. Population of Crimean Federal District, Its Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, Urban and Rural Settlements]. Федеральное статистическое наблюдение «Перепись населения в Крымском федеральном округе». ("Population Census in Crimean Federal District" Federal Statistical Examination) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
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