Yalta & Sevastopol, Ukraine

Hey everyone!


Thanks for the emails; it's always great hearing from you.


Well, I'm a bit behind in my blogging; apologies to those who've been patiently waiting for the next installment. I'm writing up two days on one entry: Yalta and Sevastopol (prounounced: SevasTOpol locally).


Yalta was really tremendous; I took a tour called Palaces of Yalta. Our first stop was to Livadia Palace, the summer palace of Czar Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. Built on a rise overlooking the Black Sea it was truly spectacular.

Of course, when you say Yalta, most people remember the famous Crimean Conference of the "Big 3" from Feb 4-11, 1945. Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to decide the fate of Europe at the close of WWII and this was where the conference was actually held.

How breathtaking to be standing right at the same spot where such renowned history took place. The photos taken in 1945 and placed around the palace confirmed that the Great Ones actually stood at such and such a spot... in the photo below you'll see 3 armchairs; one to the right where Winston Churchill sat, one to the left for Joseph Stalin, and one with it's back to the fireplace which was reserved for FDR. The history was palpable and permeated every inch of the place.

You can see little corners where surely FDR and Churchill must have quietly collaborated between sessions with the Russian leader.

The view was certainly spectacular; as befitted Russian nobility:

We also toured the upstairs, private apartments of the Romanoff family. This was the study and desk of Nicholas II:

We then drove a short distance, followed by a lovely walk, to the Vornontsov Palace. Built by another of the Russian elite, this was where Winston Churchill called home for the length of the Crimean Conference. Churchill's room was under the balcony you can see to the right of this panoramic shot:

Now a sitting room, this room was used as a bedroom by Mr. Churchill (you'll remember he was not re-elected.... imagine!) during the Crimean Conference. It was easy to imagine the specter of the naked statesman strolling thru the french windows onto the lovely verandah, accompanied by his ever present companions of a cigar and perhaps a drop of whiskey to enjoy the view while planning his next day's conference with Stalin and FDR.


I really enjoyed seeing these glimpses into history with which I was more familiar.

This amazing dining room ceiling was made mostly of paper maché and faux painted to look wood:

After our tour, we had some extra time in the afternoon so I walked around a beautiful promenade and over to the Alexander Nevsky church in Yalta:

The exterior of this Greek Orthodox church was much more impressive than the interior. I understand that during the years of the Soviet Union, the building was used to store potatoes. Perhaps they're restoring it, starting from the outside, in?

On to Sevastopol

After Yalta we sailed to the port of Sevastopol. I took a tour named, "Military Secrets of the Crimea".

We started with some fascinating history; made me want to go back and take some history classes because I obviously missed a LOT.

Here is the site of the infamous "Charge of the Light Brigade"; the Crimean war mainly between Russia and the allies of England, France, Turkey and Genoa. Immortalized in Tennyson's poem of the same name, this is where it all took place in the 1850's. Our local guide was terrific and talked us through the entire conflict and ended by reciting the poem which brought it all so much to life. Really emotional and astounding. If, like me, you missed out on your Tennyson, you might like to check out this link:

Charge of the Light Brigade

I know this just looks like a big valley, but history was written here. Ever hear of "The thin red line" or "theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die"?

Our bus then conveyed us to the harbor port of Balaclava, home of the British forces during the Crimean war, but now a lovely little seaside town..... you would THINK!

One of the monuments is an underground, formerly classified submarine base that was operational until 1993. The base was said to be virtually indestructible and designed to survive a direct atomic impact. During that period, Balaclava was one of the most secret residential areas in the Soviet Union. Almost the entire population of Balaclava at one time worked at the base; even family members could not visit the town of Balaklava without a good reason and proper identification. The base remained operational after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 until 1993 when the decommissioning process started. This process saw the removal of the warheads and low-yield torpedoes. In 1996, the last Russian submarine left the base, which is now open to the public for guided tours around the canal system, the base, and a small museum, which is now housed in the old ammunition warehouse deep inside the hillside.

I suppose one would have been shot, or at least severely detained, for even taking a photograph like this one, which shows the entrance to the top secret submarine facility:

We not only approached the entrance, but enjoyed a fully guided tour of the most intimate and top secret parts of this facility:

This side tunnel ran parallel to the channel and was used to maintain the torpedos and mines; the facility ran several thousand meters thru the hillside and over to the open sea at the other end:

Here's the actual channel which was built to service small to medium size sub's. Another reason for abandoning the facility is that modern sub's are too large to be accommodated:

These are the actual blast doors designed to defend against atomic attack. This super secret area led to the facility where nuclear weapons were stored and maintained:

I'm told this sign says something to the effect of, "Know what you're talking about and don't say anything!"

Only officers worked in the highly sensitive nuclear weapons area. They used this cart to move the materials along tracks in the floor from one area to another. All was done by hand for safety reasons and the wheels of the cart made of soft metal to prevent sparks:

Now a display for disarmed mines and torpedos, this is where actual nuclear weapons where stored "in the day":

Well, hope this brings me a bit more up to speed. I had a nice day in Odessa yesterday and will try to take advantage of the free internet here in the port of Constantza today to create one more update.

Take care and safe travels!