In 1823, Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, became the Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, which at that time included Crimea. The development of Crimea owes much to this strong-willed and energetic person. Under his leadership, a highway is being built on the southern coast of Crimea, the agrarian and especially the wine industry is rapidly developing, the number of industrial enterprises is growing rapidly. In 1828 the history of the Black Sea Shipping Company began. During these years, the count was actively buying land from the local Tatar population and dreamed of creating his own palace.
The construction of the palace lasted for 20 years.
After his death in 1829, Thomas Harrison in 1831 by Count Vorontsov disposes suddenly stop the construction of the palace and radically change the style of the neo-classical style of the palace. The Count invites one of the most talented architect of the time - Edward Blore. According to the architect's idea, the palace is being built in the English Gothic style. In the same year, construction of the main building begins. The building material for the construction of the walls was diabase - a rock of volcanic origin, which is several times stronger than granite. Deposits of this stone are found in abundance nearby. Diabase is treated is very difficult, but the Count Vorontsov it does not stop, because he was the richest man in the country, and under his leadership employed over 60,000 serfs. Even a sapper battalion took part in the excavation work, whose soldiers worked on the construction of terraces on the south side of the facade. 
Interesting fact: Architect Blore never visited the construction site. He got the whole idea of \u200b\u200bthe terrain from numerous drawings and engravings.
In 1948, the construction of the palace came to an end. Vorontsovskyi Palace consists of five towers decorated towers that are interconnected variety of transitions, stairs and patios. The architect managed to organically fit the buildings stretched from west to east into the mountainous landscape of the area. Outwardly, the palace is very much like the ancestral feudal castle in England.
The interiors of the palace
The luxury of its decoration of the interiors of the Vorontsov Palace is in no way inferior to the Livadia Palace. The decoration of the rooms is almost completely preserved. Each room, and there are about 150 of them, has a personal style. The materials used in the decoration are reflected in the names of the rooms. The Chinese cabinet is decorated with the finest rice straws, the decor elements are embroidered with beads and silk. The decoration of the Calico room is skillfully made from this very fabric. The brightest room in the Vorontsov Palace is the Blue Living Room, the highlight of which is the stucco ornament in the form of petals and leaves. There are about three thousand of them in total, and each of them is not like the other. A separate masterpiece of architectural art is the palace fireplaces. They are unique in each room and made of different materials.
Alupka park
Vorontsov Palace is located on the territory of Alupka Park, which is a pearl of landscape design. This masterpiece was created by the Chief Gardener of the South Coast of Crimea Karl Antonovich Kebakh for 25 years. The park is spread over an area of \u200b\u200b40 hectares. More than two hundred species of plants grow here, which were brought from the regions of North and South America, the Mediterranean. It is territorially divided into the Upper and Lower parks. The park is designed in such a way that it complements the local nature. Three reservoirs have been artificially created on the territory of the park.
Interesting fact: To decorate the bottom of Swan Lake, Count Vorontsov ordered 20 bags of semi-precious stones, which were delivered by ship. In sunny weather, they created an indescribable play of light.
The attraction of the park is the piles of stones made of solidified magma, thrown out by the volcano back in time immemorial, which received the names "Big Chaos" and "Small Chaos". A large number of fountains have also been built in the park. 
glade in the park
Interesting facts about the Vorontsov Palace
The palace was owned by three generations of the Vorontsov family. The cost of setting up a park is twice as high as the construction of the palace itself. Up to 36,000 rubles were spent on the maintenance of the park in 1910, a huge amount at that time. Vorontsov Palace is one of the first buildings in Russia, where sewerage and water supply were built for the comfort of living. Since 1921, a museum has been operating in the palace complex. Only after the Great Patriotic War for about 10 years, the territory of the Vorontsov Palace was a secret object and there was a dacha for the party leadership. During the Yalta Conference in February 1945 in the Vorontsov Palace lived British delegation led by Winston Churchill. An interesting story is connected with it, which happened during a walk in Churchill and Stalin park. The fact is that the staircase on the side of the facade, which faces the sea, is decorated with sculptures of guarding lions. Churchill, who really liked the sculpture of the sleeping lion, said that he looked like himself and offered Stalin to buy it out. Stalin refused this offer, but suggested to Churchill that if he answered his question correctly, then Stalin would give a sleeping lion. "Which finger is the main one on your hand?" - that was Stalin's question. Churchill replied, "Of course the index." “Wrong,” Stalin replied and twisted the figure out of his fingers, which is popularly called a fig. 
Peninsula Resort is famous not only for its natural resources, the entire coastline of the most beautiful estates housed the imperial elite. On the southern coast of Crimea, immersed in the greenery of evergreen trees is not just a palace, but a real medieval castle.
The building was erected from volcanic rock, the color of which is green-gray, it is called "diabase". The construction can be called unique and unprecedented, because the workers, using the most primitive tools of labor, carved a real masterpiece of architecture from the strongest rock. This masterpiece is the Vorontsov Palace. Count Vorontsov chose Alupka for the implementation of the plan not by chance. It was in the possession of three whole generations of one dynasty.
The palace made Alupka famous. The town is so small that it simply would not be noticeable among other urban-type settlements that Big Yalta contains. A grandiose estate makes the settlement desirable and recognizable in terms of tourism.
The architect managed to build a composition that organically fit into the landscape of the mountains and the riot of subtropical greenery of the southern coast. With its spiers, the palace, as if repeating the forms of the most beautiful Crimea mountain - Ai-Petri. The end of the grandiose construction fell on 1848.
While in Alupka, be sure to visit the palace of the same name. All expositions of the museum are imbued with the refined taste and luxury of those times. The castle stands like an impregnable bastion, strong, reliable, high with narrow windows "loopholes".
A bold claim can be made, suggesting that the Vorontsov ensemble had a tremendous impact on romantic architecture in the next century. Neighboring Yalta began to quickly replenish with all kinds of palaces, which to this day amaze travelers.
Nationalization and occupation
After the bloody revolution, already in 1920, all "remnants of the empire" were nationalized. Now the family estate has become the property of the people. This did not last long. During the hostilities, the German occupiers caused almost irreparable damage to the museum complex, taking invaluable art objects from the peninsula. And in those days, such items were everything, from cutlery to painting and pieces of furniture.
What a blessing that the Nazis did not manage to raze the palace to the ground, but such a plan had a place to be. Apparently, the estate is guarded by the lucky star of the Vorontsovs, and to this day the museum complex is flourishing. A large number of researchers, curators and restorers are doing painstaking work, at the moment, time seems to be frozen in the exhibition halls, the exhibits are kept in perfect condition.
And in the museum "funds", hidden from the curious eyes of the tourist crowd, there is Mikhail Semyonovich's globe. This globe is not easy, on it Alaska is Russian!
Amazing rooms
There is a certain azure room in the palace, it is called the Blue Drawing Room. A room of unprecedented beauty, it seems that such rooms simply cannot exist on earth. Snow-white flowers are hand-sculpted on the sky-colored walls. It is noteworthy that not a single pattern is repeated throughout the sufficiently voluminous volume of the room. The alliance is harmoniously complemented by a snow-white grand piano and a luxurious white headset with gilded inserts.
Video: The Palace from a bird's eye view
The count had a Chinese-style study, a very interesting object on the tour. So you won't immediately understand whether the owner subscribed to the masters from China or whether our craftsmen worked in the style of the land of the rising sun.
There are many other interesting things in the palace: the “calico room”, wonderful paintings, fireplaces and luxury, a lot of luxury. And how many films were filmed in the local royal chambers!
And in the room of the large dining room, the ceilings are made of wood, there is still an unusual smell of wood, it probably smelled like that in those days when the eminent owners still lived in their palace.
Magnificent sculptures
The sculptures made of Carrara marble by the Italian master D.Bonanni and his apprentices can be called almost a wonder of the world. The approach to the palace from the sea is protected by the kings of animals - huge snow-white lions. The "sleeping" lion especially admires, words cannot convey how beautiful he is, how nobility, strength, wisdom are embodied in him and how vulnerable he seems when he sleeps.
It is not by chance that this lion is depicted on guidebooks, calendars, postcards, emblems, websites, coats of arms, and so on, it is the hallmark of Crimea along with the Swallow's Nest castle.
There are other sculptures on the "Southern Terraces" of the palace, all of them, like a magnet, attract tourists. These ideal stone sculptures beckon, it is simply impossible to pass by and not capture them in the photo. Someone now and then tries to saddle one of the lions, but strict caretakers immediately stop these impulses.
Winter Garden
The wonders of the skilled craftsmen of the past centuries never cease to amaze; one of the exhibition halls is the winter garden. This very garden, like a dessert, the guides leave at the very end of the "lecture". A special microclimate reigns here, water splashes from a miniature fountain, in summer you can hide from the scorching heat.
Although the residence was conceived as a summer residence, paying tribute to fashion, the earl ordered to organize a "green corner" in the manner of those that were broken up in the castles of England. There are a lot of greenery, palm trees, but snow-white, as if antique statues, draw attention to themselves in all this emerald foliage.
The most stormy ovations are disrupted by the sculpture "girl". The statue was made of Carrara marble by the sculptor Corbellini. It is unlikely that you have seen something like this before. The work is so delicate that even the pores on her skin are visible! And when you look into her eyes, it seems that she is alive, the sculptors of that time had never carved pupils. And what lace the girl has on her dress! This is marble, it doesn't fit in my head, as the master also showed the lines on the clothes and even a slight wrinkle of the fabric!
Alhambra - Tribute to the Turkish Khan
If from the north side the palace looks like a castle, then the south side, the one that faces Turkey, is made in oriental style. The portal of the southern entrance is like a Moorish palace - the Alhambra. Count Mikhail Vorontsov ordered to write a secret message to Muslims in the form of an inscription repeated six times "There is no winner but Allah."
Excursion prices
The ticket price in the Alupka palace is quite acceptable. A visit to the ceremonial halls for an adult will cost 300 rubles, a student 150, and a child only 70 rubles.
Photographing, like video, is done on a paid basis, if you want to make a reportage, welcome to the cashier for payment.
Shuvalov wing
Additionally, you can visit a very distinctive wing where the Shuvalov couple lived. Many personal belongings and decorations of eminent residents remained here. The relatively modest premises are even slightly surprising.
The most touching room can be called the private office of Sofia Mikhailovna, the daughter of the count. By all sorts of little things, it becomes clear that she was a true secular lady who takes care of herself. It is very interesting to look into the countess's boudoir. Sophia loved Alupka very much, was endlessly attached to her.
And in the portrait room there is a series of paintings with members of the Vorontsov dynasty depicted on them. Gloss, chic uniforms, brilliance of orders, dignity in the look, here, a characteristic feature that is visible in all portraits.
Vorontsovsky park
If the palace excursions do not appeal to you at all, then you should not deny yourself the pleasure and visit the local park. Here the mighty trees remember the walks of the count's family. The mighty plane trees protected from the sun with their spreading branches and broad leaves. To this day, the trees hide hot tourists from the hot southern sun.
If you would like to learn about the history of creation, difficulties and victories when laying out the park, then you can go for a walk with an organized group. Guided tours cost only 100 rubles, children and university students - 70.
If you don't want to walk in the park, you can drive through it in an electric car. This service began to be provided relatively recently, but is in demand. There are no other vehicles on the territory, so the park can be classified as “eco-parks”.
By the way, the territory of green spaces, simply unthinkable in size, cannot be bypassed in a day.
The best photo shoots are here!
For an agreed fee, you can arrange for the most romantic outdoor wedding ceremony. It is a dream of many to unite the bonds of family in one of the most beautiful places in Crimea.
And what masterpiece photo shoots are obtained here! Definitely the best in Alupka, but in Alupka, in the whole Crimea! Places saturated with the spirit of exceptional taste and elegance are what makes the pictures special.
Be sure to come to the Crimea in the Vorontsov Palace, it must certainly be on the list of attractions scheduled for inspection.
The address: Russia, Republic of Crimea, Alupka, sh. Dvortsovoe, 18
Build date: 1840 year
Architect: Furasov P.I.
Coordinates: 57 ° 19 "07.5" N 43 ° 06 "40.4" E
Short story
The luxurious palace, named by Vorontsovsky in honor of Count M.S. Vorontsov, is a unique building that has become the embodiment of the era of Romanticism. It is located on the Crimea peninsula in the city of Alupka.
The beginning of its construction dates back to 1828, when the governor-general Vorontsov, responsible for the Novorossiysk Territory, chose the site of the future main building and drove pegs on it. However, the palace did not appear quickly - it took 20 years to build it.
Initially, the project of the future Vorontsov Palace was developed in the style of strict classics, and the famous Italian architect Francesco Boffo and his colleague from England Thomas Harrison worked on it.
The year 1829 was the beginning of the implementation of their joint project, and as all the preparatory work was completed, the foundation was immediately laid and the first masonry was made. However, an unpleasant surprise soon happened - in the midst of preparing the working drawings, the architect Harrison died.
For construction to go on as usual, Boffo needed a new partner. It was Edouard Blore, a young architect working in the romantic direction of English architecture.
Stone staircase with white marble sculptures of lions
Why did Count Vorontsov choose him and decided to make changes to the project of the future palace in the Crimean Alupka? The fact is that in those years he was in England, and he was impressed by the local architecture and new fashion trends in the construction of buildings. Therefore, the count revised the already developed project and entrusted the new architect to adjust it so that the result of the work was a real castle, combining the severity of English architecture and the luxury inherent in Indian palaces.
And since 1832, construction work on the construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea has already been carried out according to an updated project, but without distorting the previously passed stages. The execution of all the work was entrusted to the best craftsmen - masons, molders, stone and wood carvers, artists, furniture makers and other workers who responsibly approached the orders entrusted to them. As a result, the construction of the palace cost Vorontsov 9 million rubles.
From left to right: front dining room, winter garden
Vorontsov Palace layout
The entire palace complex, built by order of Vorontsov, is represented by several solid buildings, designated as:
- central;
- dining room;
- guest;
- library;
- economic.
The building, intended for receiving guests, was later named Shuvalovsky, since in its right part there was a room of Vorontsov's daughter, who became Countess Shuvalova after marriage.
North facade of the main building
Oddly enough, the construction of the palace began with the erection of the dining building, and this work took 4 years (from 1830 to 1834). It took 6 years to build the central building - 1831 - 1837. From 1841 to 1842, work was carried out on the construction of a billiard room, which supplemented the building of the dining room. It also took a lot of time to erect the guest building, all the towers, outbuildings, outbuildings and the decoration of the Main Courtyard (these were 1838 - 1844). And finally, the library building, built from 1842 to 1846, joined the palace complex.
The central staircase is decorated with sculptures of lions, the production of which was entrusted to the Italian master Giovanni Bonnani. And the entire luxurious palace ensemble ended with a lion's terrace, that is, with many figures of lions.
Right - Clock Tower
Features of the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace
Vorontsov Palace, who in the middle of the XIX century decoration of Alupka in the Crimea, was a kind of innovation, break some architectural and construction principles. In those days it was customary to arrange the buildings of palace ensembles in a strict geometric grouping, but the architect Blore deviated from this rule and distributed all the structures that make up the Vorontsov Palace on the terrain so that they stood in the direction from west to east, as if in accordance with with the movement of the mountains. This approach allowed all buildings to harmoniously fit into the local landscape - the Vorontsov palace complex found its place in the Crimean expanses.
Moving from body to body, you can clearly track the stages of development of medieval architecture, since its earliest forms, and ending with the traditions of the XVI century.
Shuvalov building
However, the emphasis in the development of projects for all structures was still placed on the English style. What is so attractive about the Vorontsov Castle in Crimea? Its peculiarity is the appearance, reminiscent of a castle-fortress from the ancient VIII-XI centuries... Getting into the courtyard of the utility buildings, you involuntarily stumble upon blank walls and find yourself in confined spaces, and when you try to get to the central building, you find yourself surrounded by round watchtowers. Further, the general impression of inaccessibility is complemented by narrow loopholes and high walls of rough masonry. But suddenly there is an openwork suspension bridge made of iron, and brings a festive touch to this harsh song. And so, with the distance from the arch of the western entrance, the signs of architecture of the following eras are more and more manifested.
West Entrance Towers
Moving on openwork bridge and getting rid of the feeling of isolation can be in the Front yard, which offers views of Mount Ai-Petri. But this is not just a view - it is a kind of picture, because the landscape is, as it were, limited by an architectural frame, represented by a clock tower, an eastern wing and a retaining wall with a fountain.
The architecture of the main building of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is also interesting. Its walls are pushed out of the plane at different levels, as required by the English Tudor style. The central part is decorated with a main entrance and is framed by bay window ledges and side projections. The onion domes serve as the roofs of the towers. The northern facade of the building is decorated with narrow polyhedron semi-columns, the crowns of which are pinnacles (decorative tops).
Chapel
Graceful pinnacles and battlements, domes and chimneys, decorated with flower-shaped tops, smooth out the roughness of the stone texture of the walls and their massive luggage.
Considering the carved stone decorations that decorate the Vorontsov Palace, it is worth noting their pronounced similarity with some elements of Western and Eastern architecture. Thus, true connoisseurs of architecture immediately notice the Gothic chimneys and minarets of the mosque, and it is precisely this compatible incompatibility that makes the palace complex special. This similarity is especially acute as one moves to the southern façade of the building named as the main one. In the rays of the sun, its outlines seem unusual, bizarre.
From left to right: front dining room, winter garden, main building
But the main motive for the design of the palace is the arches of the most varied forms - they are gentle, and keeled, and horseshoe-shaped, and lancet. And you can see them everywhere, from the balustrade of balconies to the decoration of the portal of the southern entrance to the Vorontsov Palace. In addition, the architectural ensemble, built by the order of the Governor-General, has its own “zest” - these are 6 identical lines in Arabic, indicating that only Allah is the winner. The inscription can be seen in a niche decorated with a Tudor flower and Indian lotus.
Description of the park surrounding the Vorontsov Palace
During the years of construction of the palace, work was also carried out to lay the adjacent park. But if the construction of the Vorontsov Palace took two decades, the work on the creation of the park does not stop to this day. A wide variety of plants brought from all over the world harmoniously coexist on an area of \u200b\u200b40 hectares.
Shuvalovsky passage with a view of the openwork bridge
In general, the palace park is subdivided into Upper and Lower. The upper park is decorated with several glades - Kashtanova, Kontrastnaya, Solnechnaya. And each of them is remarkable for its trees (Italian pine, oriental plane tree, berry yew, Himalayan cedar, Chilean araucaria, or monkey tree, etc.). In addition, on the territory of the Upper Park there is Swan Lake, on which these beautiful birds really live, the Upper and Zerkalnoye lakes and a waterfall.
In the Lower Park, surrounded by the most beautiful and rare representatives of the flora, there is a small tea house, which the Vorontsov family once used to spend holidays on the seashore. Then this place was often illuminated with salutes and fireworks.
Shuvalovsky passage overlooking the western gate
Being here, you can really feel the festive atmosphere, because it is not without reason that the architect chose the place for the construction of the house here. Surrounded by many unique plants, it creates the feeling of being in a fairy tale, since the entire territory of the Lower Park is conducive to creating an enchanting mood. And the lower part of the Vorontsov park in Crimea is decorated in the Italian style of a regular park.
The use of the Vorontsov Palace complex in different years
Since 1990, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka has become a palace and park museum-reserve... Several interesting exhibitions are located in nine state rooms. Thanks to their content, everyone can get acquainted with the way of life of the count's family, who lived in the palace before the October Revolution, and the nature of the palace interiors.
Exit from the yard
But in 1990, the opening of the Vorontsov Palace as a museum was secondary - for the first time its building was used as a museum in 1921.
But with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, valuable museum exhibits could not be saved, and the building itself was repeatedly threatened with destruction. However, thanks to the efforts of one of the employees of the museum Shchekoldin S.G. The Vorontsov Palace Museum still survived. Of course, many art treasures were lost during the war years, but after the war, some paintings were still found and returned to the museum.
Vorontsov Palace is located in Alupka (Crimea) at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri.
Built from diabase that was mined nearby. Currently, the palace houses a museum. There is a park at the Vorontsov Palace - a monument of gardening art. From December 1824 to April 1851, the Vorontsov Park in Alupka was created by a talented German gardener-botanist, the chief gardener of the southern coast of Crimea - Karl Antonovich Kebakh.
Palace architecture
Vorontsov Palace was built according to new (in comparison with classicism) architectural and construction principles. An important architectural feature was the location of the palace in accordance with the relief of the mountains, thanks to which the palace blended very organically into the surrounding landscape and acquired its original artistic and expressive image.
The palace was built in the spirit of English architecture, and the building contains elements of different eras, from the early forms to the 16th century. The arrangement of the elements comes from the western gate - the farther from the gate, the later style of construction.
The English style is organically combined with the neo-Moorish style. For example, the Gothic chimneys resemble the minarets of a mosque. The southern entrance is decorated with oriental splendor. A horseshoe-shaped arch, a two-tiered vault, plaster carving in a niche where the Tudor flower pattern and the lotus motif are intertwined, end with the Arabic inscription repeated six times over the frieze: "And there is no winner but Allah."
Construction history
The palace was built from 1828 to 1848 as a summer residence of a prominent statesman of Russia, Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Count M.S.Vorontsov.
The palace was built by the English architect Edward Blore. The architect did not come to Alupka, but he was well aware of the terrain. In addition, the foundations and the first masonry of the deep portal niche of the central building were already ready (the palace began to be built according to another project - architects Francesco Boffo and Thomas Harrison).
In the construction of the palace, the labor of quitrent serfs from the Vladimir and Moscow provinces was mainly used. Hereditary stonecutters and stonecutters who had experience in building and embossed decoration of white-stone cathedrals were involved in the construction. All work was done by hand with primitive tools.
The construction of the palace began with the dining building (1830-1834). The central building was built in 1831-1837. In 1841-1842 a billiard room was added to the dining room. In 1838-1844, the guest building, the eastern wings, all the towers of the palace, the pentagon of the utility buildings were built, the Main Courtyard was being designed. The last library building was built (1842 - 1846).
The largest amount of excavation work was carried out from 1840 to 1848 with the help of soldiers of the sapper battalion, who built the park terraces in front of the southern facade of the palace.
In the summer of 1848, sculptural figures of lions, made in the workshop of the Italian sculptor Giovani Bonnani, were installed on the central staircase leading to the main entrance. The Lion Terrace has completed the construction and decoration of the palace and park ensemble.
The history of the palace after construction
Before the October Revolution, the Vorontsov Palace belonged to three generations of the Vorontsov family.
After the arrival of Soviet power, the Vorontsov Palace was nationalized.
In mid-1921, the Vorontsov Palace opened as a museum.
In 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. They did not manage to evacuate the exhibits of the museum from Alupka, as well as from many other museums of Crimea. Twice the museum was threatened with destruction, and both times it was rescued by the museum's senior researcher S.G. Shchekoldin. The occupiers took out many art treasures, of which 537 paintings and drawings, and only a small part of the paintings were found after the war and returned to the palace. This is described in detail in a book written on the basis of Shchekoldin's memoirs "What the lions are silent about."
From 4 to 11 February 1945, during the Yalta Conference, the Vorontsov Palace became the seat of the British delegation headed by Winston Churchill.
From 1945 to 1955, it was used as a state dacha.
In 1956, by decision of the government, a museum began to function in the palace again.
Since 1990 - Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve.
The interiors of the palace
The ceremonial interiors of the palace have almost completely retained their original decoration. Each of the rooms is individual, it has only its inherent flavor, reflected in the names: Chinese study, Calico room, Winter garden, Blue living room. The decoration of the Main Dining Room resembles the decoration of the knights' halls in medieval castles. It is decorated with rich woodcarvings and four monumental panels by the famous French artist Hubert Robert (1733-1808).
Alupka park
A masterpiece of landscape gardening art - Alupkinsky Park. Its creator, gardener-botanist Karl Antonovich Kebach (1799-1851), has been planning and planting plants in the park for more than a quarter of a century. The park, being a park-monument of national importance, is included in the exposition part of the museum territory, which in total is 361,913 m².
Museum expositions
Currently, the Alupka Museum has several permanent exhibitions. Nine state rooms acquaint with the life of the first owners of the palace and the character of the palace interiors of the 30-40s of the XIX century. In the former guest building there is a stationary exhibition "Vorontsov Family Gallery". In separate halls the “Gift of Professor V.N. Golubev "(Russian and Soviet avant-garde), painting by Ya. A. Basov" Poetry of a landscape ", art exhibitions" Ukrainian painting "," Inhaling aroma of roses "(flowers in painting). In the park pavilion "Tea House" - the exhibitions "Maps of the Crimean Peninsula", "Vorontsov and Russian admirals", "Sea battles" of the 18th-19th centuries. "
In 2007, a new museum exposition “The House of Count A. P. Shuvalov” was opened in the Shuvalov wing. It is based on previously not exhibited items of decoration and personal belongings of the Vorontsovs, Shuvalovs, Vorontsov-Dashkovs. The interiors of the house feature works of art reflecting the stylistic features of the living quarters of the palaces of the mid-18th century.
The collection of the Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve comprises almost 27 thousand exhibits of the main fund, and the memorial library of M. S. Vorontsov has more than 10 thousand books.
One of the museum's paintings - "Portrait of Prince Grigory Potemkin" by Levitsky, was presented to him by Baron Falz-Fein.
Vorontsov Palace in cinema
The territory of the palace and the adjacent park is often used for filming films. Among the most famous works:
- 1961 - "Scarlet Sails"
- 1964 - An Ordinary Miracle
- 1964 - Hamlet
- 1972 - "Stoves-benches"
- 1976 - "Heavenly Swallows"
- 1986 - The Journey of Pan Blots
- 2003 - "Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro"
- 2008 - Sappho
- 2009 - “Hamlet. XXI Century"
- 2014 - "Belovodye. The Secret of the Lost Country"
- 2015 - “Belovodye. The source of knowledge "
Vorontsov palaces in other cities
- Vorontsov Palace in Odessa
- Vorontsov Palace in St. Petersburg
- Vorontsov Palace in Tiflis
- Vorontsov Palace in Simferopol
The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka (Crimea) is rightfully considered one of the pearls of the peninsula. An elegant and, at the same time, majestic building is located at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri. It is surrounded by a unique park complex, and an amazing view of the Black Sea opens from the main staircase.
The palace complex organically fits into the surrounding landscape due to the fact that its location corresponds to the mountainous relief. That is why the palace has such an original image. The Vorontsov Palace in Crimea and the adjacent park often became a film set. At least 17 films have been recognized by the general public.
Prices for tickets at the Vorontsov Palace in 2020
Ticket prices are indicated on the official website of the complex. They depend on the selected exhibitions and excursions.
- Separate expositions and exhibitions: adults - from 50 to 350 rubles, students, pensioners and adolescents aged 16-18 - from 25 to 200 rubles.
- Walking excursions in the park: adults - 100 rubles, students, pensioners and adolescents 16-18 years old - 70 rubles.
- Excursions in the park by electric car: 800 rubles. from a group of 4-20 people.
- For preferential and free categories of visitors, as well as for children from 7 to 16 years old: a fee of 70 rubles will be charged. for using audio guides.
- "Single ticket" (all expositions and exhibitions): adults - 900 rubles, students, pensioners and adolescents 16-18 years old - 500 rubles.
Opening hours of the Vorontsov Palace
You can visit expositions, temporary and permanent exhibitions daily from 09:00 to 17:00. At the same time, the State Halls and South Terraces are open on Saturdays until 20:00. There are guided tours in the palace park, but only if a group of 15 to 20 people gathers. There are walking and electric vehicle options. The "Single Ticket" can be purchased on any day except Monday and Wednesday.
History of the Vorontsov Palace
The first owner of the palace was His Serene Highness Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, a descendant of an ancient family known from the 14th century, a hero-order-bearer who participated in many military campaigns and retired with the rank of Field Marshal General, Novorossiysk and Bessarabian Governor-General, Honorary Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences ... After his death in 1856, the palace was successively owned by the prince's close relatives. After the revolution, the facility was nationalized.
The period of construction of the Vorontsov Palace in the Crimea refers to the period 1828-1848. Serfs were involved in the hard work, and hereditary stonecutters carried out the relief decoration, moreover, by hand. First, the dining building was erected, then the Central building. Already in the forties of the 19th century, a billiard room, wings, towers, guest and utility buildings, as well as a library appeared. The sappers worked hard on the ledges of the South Terrace. Thanks to them, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka acquired a gorgeous grand staircase, on the pedestals of which lions were erected in 1948, made by the Italian master Giovanni Bonnani. This was the final chord in the design of the overall ensemble of the palace complex.
Already in 1921 the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea, which did not change its common name, turned into a museum. During the Second World War, the exhibits did not have time to hide, so many of them were taken out by the invaders. The sums of the stolen turned out to be colossal. During the Yalta Conference (February 1945), the palace was temporarily turned into the residence of W. Churchill and his retinue. Until 1956, a government dacha was located here. Subsequently, it was decided to reopen the museum, which is still functioning, but in a new status. In the 90s of the last century, the complex became known as the palace and park museum-reserve.
Architecture
The appearance of the building reveals elements of different eras and a successful combination of architectural styles - strict English, with a trend towards neo-Gothic, and lush oriental, neo-Moorish. An interesting fact is that the palace began to be built according to one project (the Italian Francesco Boffo and the Englishman Thomas Harrison), and ended differently (the famous British eclectic architect Edward Blore). By the way, the latter, while working on the project, did not visit Alupka, as he was too busy with orders from the royal family in his homeland.
The main material for the construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is diabase, which is superior in strength to granite stones. The Museum Reserve includes five separate buildings, courtyards, a terrace, a main and additional stairs, and a park area.
Palace inside
The official website of the Vorontsov Palace offers several interesting exhibitions to visit. The main exposition of the complex is the Main Halls located in the main building of the complex. Their decoration has been preserved almost in its original form. The design and decoration of the Grand Office are made in accordance with all the rules of the English style. There are portraits of the first owner, as well as his associates who participated in the Borodino battle. The Chinese study is able to surprise visitors with artfully decorated furniture and rice straw mats, which occupy most of the surface of the walls. The lobby with wooden profiled ceilings, simple furniture and fireplaces, decorated with diabase portals, adjoins the vestibule, which has an embroidered image of the Persian Shah. The blue living room strikes with its sophistication and amazing stucco ornamentation, once made by a serf master.
In the Winter Garden, you can see a climbing ficus, preserved since 1838, and rare exotic plants. There are interesting sculptures and a fountain here. The front dining room of the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka (Crimea) resembles a knight's castle. It attracts the attention of the original balcony for musicians and a fountain, shaped like a fireplace. The main halls are completed by a billiard room with paintings on the walls.
The next exposition includes the one-story Shuvalov wing, which only people close to the family of M.S.Vorontsov's daughter had access to. The cozy house has several rooms, each of which is interesting in its own way. Then you can go to the butler's apartment, located in the Household Building, and see how the prince's attendants lived, receiving full board, and even a salary. Here you can also look into the Vorontsovskaya kitchen. And finally, another exposition of the "Southern Terraces" includes the main staircase itself, sculptures of lions, flowering flower beds and cascading fountains.
In addition to the main objects of the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka, temporary and permanent exhibitions are located on its territory. Among them are Russian and Western European porcelain-faience, paintings by artists of different periods, including the second half of the 20th century, sculptures, graphics, etc.
Vorontsov Palace Park
The lower part of the park is characterized by the Italian regular style. Mostly coniferous trees grow around the palace complex - spruce, fir, cedar, pine and cypress, so the territory always remains green. In spring and summer, magnolias, exotic shrubs and an amazing cercis bloom in the park, the trunks of which in April are densely covered with purple-purple flowers resembling moths. The park of the Vorontsov Palace is incredibly beautiful, and walking through it is incredible pleasure.
Vorontsov Palace - how to get
There are several options for visiting the palace and park complex in Alupka. Two highways pass through the city - the upper and the lower, so you can get here from different settlements of the peninsula, connected by the South Coast and Sevastopol highways.
From Yalta
On the route Yalta - Vorontsov Palace, two buses regularly run - № 132 from the center. It stops within walking distance of the attraction - just 10 minutes walk. The minibus taxi stop running between Yalta and Alupka (No. 107 and 115) is located a little further from the complex - a 15-minute walk.
From Sevastopol
You can get to the Vorontsov Palace by direct bus "Sevastopol - Alupka" to the stop "Pitomnik" and walk.
From Alushta
The route Alushta - Vorontsov Palace consists of two stages. First you need to get on the Crimean trolleybus number 52 to Yalta, and then change to a bus or a route taxi (description above).
From Simferopol
From Simferopol to the Yalta trolleybus station, located near the Avtovokzal, you can get from the Ploshchad Lenina stop by minibus No. 54 or 63 to the Ploshchad Kuibyshev station and change to trolleybus No. 52 to Yalta. Then the way to the Vorontsov Palace - how to get there is described above. You can get to Yalta faster by intercity vehicles.
Crimean taxi drivers and private cab drivers know perfectly well where the Vorontsov Palace is located, so they deliver passengers not only from Yalta, but also from Foros, Gurzuf, Alushta and even Simferopol. When traveling by car on your own, you will have to take care of the navigator in advance.
Important informationUntil October 2017, the Vorontsov Palace could be reached by sea. Currently, the Alupka pier is closed due to its destruction
