Gurzuf is a very nice small town in Crimea, located on the southern coast of Crimea. The town is cozy, with narrow cobbled streets, small houses and a variety of greenery. To be honest, I love this town very much, especially when you come out of season and there are few tourists here. No wonder he was so loved by many outstanding creative personalities, artists, poets, singers and architects. Here you can find creative inspiration in every corner.
Gurzuf is located next to Artek, the All-Russian Children’s Center, located at the foot of the Ayu-Dag mountain. The history of this village goes back to ancient times, as far as the 3rd millennium BC, as evidenced by excavations. But I will not write about this, I have not studied it in detail, and now we are talking about something else. If you are interested please read it.
On the territory of the village there is a park, a very beautiful place, a monument of landscape art. It was founded in 1803 by the governor of New Russia, Duke Richelieu, covers an area of 12 hectares and contains a huge variety of flora, many sculptures and a special style of architecture. Entrance to the park is paid and now only with a guided tour. We were lucky in our time to walk freely here.
This territory was resold many times to different owners, until the park was in the reliable hands of P.I. Gubonin, thanks to whom this place has become truly magnificent.
Plants here are both local and brought from afar. Many species of southern plants, since the climate here is magnificent for such plants. Also on the territory of the park there are many plant sculptures — bushes with a curly haircut.
Sculptures in the park are a special theme. They differ here not only in style, but also in era. Starting from the sculptures of the 19th century, as well as busts of prominent personalities, and ending with the sculpture of V.I. Lenin in full growth in an enlarged size.
About sculptures of prominent personalities: the park presents sculptures and sculptural busts of Pushkin, Mayakovsky, Chaliapin, Chekhov, Gorky, Adam Mickiewicz, Lesia Ukrainka.
We will pay special attention to the Night fountain. It occupies a central position in the park. Created at the end of the 19th century. P.I. Gubonin at one of the exhibitions, which was held in Austria, saw a fountain. This fountain so sunk into his soul that he wanted to build a similar one in the park. He turned to the creator of the fountain and bought the model from him. So this work of art appeared here. The copy is said to be superior to the original.
On the territory of the park there are two sanatoriums «Gurzufsky» and «Pushkino» and the park is constantly available for those who live in these sanatoriums. But with a visit, the difficulties are as follows: two parts of the park (between two sanatoriums) are separated by a fence.
In the second sanatorium, in one of the buildings, there is the Republican Pushkin Museum, where the poet lived during his vacation in Gurzuf. In fact, you need to go to the park at the Gurzufsky sanatorium, and then go on an excursion to the second sanatorium to visit the museum.
And as a beautiful finale, I will quote the lines that A.S. Pushkin dedicated Gurzuf:
“Magic land, eye joy! Everything is alive there: hills, forests,
Amber and yahont of grapes, sheltering beauty of the valleys,
And jets and poplars cool …
All the feeling of a traveler beckons,
When, at one o’clock in the morning, serene, in the mountains, along the coastal road,
His usual horse runs and green moisture
Before him, it shines and rustles around the cliffs of Ayudag … «
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