Şeri
Cities
Acmescit
Acmescit ("White Mosque" in Tatar) was the capital of Crimea under Russian rule and the Soviet Republic. When someone talks about getting away from the coast and visiting "the real Crimea," they most often mean Acmescit. Narrow, twisting Tatar alleyways open onto broad, neoclassical Russian boulevards. Mosques and churches and synagogues of every type face each other across huge open-air markets. People teem about speaking every one of Crimea's languages, speaking Parra with one another.
The Tatars founded Acmescit very close to the ruins of Neapolis, a Greek-Tatar city that had served as one of the Bosporan capitals. It was a relatively unimportant market town that grew once the Russians made it the local capital. Russian urban planning aside, it retianed a very mixed character that feels, as so many parts of Crimea, like a mix of Europe and Asia. Today, besides Russians and Tatars, Acmescit is a center of Crimea's Ashkenazi, German, and Bulgarian communities, along with many others.
The Jewish Communities: Agadá de Acmescit
The unique Agadá de Acmescit (Haggadah of Aqmescit), the only Passover Haggadah to use the Parra language, dates from a time of persecution. The Russians were never able to fully implement their anti-semitic policies in the Crimea *there*, but they tried numerous times. The Ashkenazi, newcomers to the peninsula, as well as the most prosperous, best educated, and most dispersed of the local Jewish communities, often endured the worst persecution. By contrast the Karaim, in appearance and customs very different from other Russian Jewish groups, often could escape the worst of it. Many times, Karaite households opened their doors to Ashkenazi, Romaniote, or Krymchak Jews who had been chased from their homes by the pogroms.
It was in this context, mixed groups of near-strangers gathering in secret, that Parra was first used at a seder table. Agadá de Acmescit circulated around 1900 as a guide for celebrating the Passover in this situation. Key Hebrew texts are explained in Parra (written in Hebrew script) so that all can understand. It represents a religious compromise as well as a linguistic one, adding certain traditional Ashkenazi passages to an overall Karaite document consisting mostly of Torah passages.
The Agadá has not completely fallen out of use. Since the end of czarist rule, Ashkenazi and Karaite families have occasionally met to commemorate this period. To mark the centennial of a particularly infamous series of deportations (and less than 2 years after the fall of SNOR), Crimea's chief Ashkenazi rabbinate and chief Karaite hakhamate officially endorsed the practice for the year 1991.
The Four Questions in Parra:
Ducomo ves sera ne como tuto elte seri ducomo?
(1) Ce tuto elte seri, nos manja u xat u matso, ma ves sera solo matso ducomo?
(2) Ce tuto elte seri, nos manja vanto vidi de erbi, ma ves sera solo amaro maror ducomo?
(3) Ce tuto elte seri, nos ne mete erbi a ag con sal ne bir şecil, ma ves sera nos mete du şecil ducomo?
(4) Ce tuto elte seri, nos u senta u ruposa tempe nos manja e bibi, ma ves sera solo ruposa ducomo?
The Tatars founded Acmescit very close to the ruins of Neapolis, a Greek-Tatar city that had served as one of the Bosporan capitals. It was a relatively unimportant market town that grew once the Russians made it the local capital. Russian urban planning aside, it retianed a very mixed character that feels, as so many parts of Crimea, like a mix of Europe and Asia. Today, besides Russians and Tatars, Acmescit is a center of Crimea's Ashkenazi, German, and Bulgarian communities, along with many others.
The Jewish Communities: Agadá de Acmescit
The unique Agadá de Acmescit (Haggadah of Aqmescit), the only Passover Haggadah to use the Parra language, dates from a time of persecution. The Russians were never able to fully implement their anti-semitic policies in the Crimea *there*, but they tried numerous times. The Ashkenazi, newcomers to the peninsula, as well as the most prosperous, best educated, and most dispersed of the local Jewish communities, often endured the worst persecution. By contrast the Karaim, in appearance and customs very different from other Russian Jewish groups, often could escape the worst of it. Many times, Karaite households opened their doors to Ashkenazi, Romaniote, or Krymchak Jews who had been chased from their homes by the pogroms.
It was in this context, mixed groups of near-strangers gathering in secret, that Parra was first used at a seder table. Agadá de Acmescit circulated around 1900 as a guide for celebrating the Passover in this situation. Key Hebrew texts are explained in Parra (written in Hebrew script) so that all can understand. It represents a religious compromise as well as a linguistic one, adding certain traditional Ashkenazi passages to an overall Karaite document consisting mostly of Torah passages.
The Agadá has not completely fallen out of use. Since the end of czarist rule, Ashkenazi and Karaite families have occasionally met to commemorate this period. To mark the centennial of a particularly infamous series of deportations (and less than 2 years after the fall of SNOR), Crimea's chief Ashkenazi rabbinate and chief Karaite hakhamate officially endorsed the practice for the year 1991.
The Four Questions in Parra:
Ducomo ves sera ne como tuto elte seri ducomo?
(1) Ce tuto elte seri, nos manja u xat u matso, ma ves sera solo matso ducomo?
(2) Ce tuto elte seri, nos manja vanto vidi de erbi, ma ves sera solo amaro maror ducomo?
(3) Ce tuto elte seri, nos ne mete erbi a ag con sal ne bir şecil, ma ves sera nos mete du şecil ducomo?
(4) Ce tuto elte seri, nos u senta u ruposa tempe nos manja e bibi, ma ves sera solo ruposa ducomo?
Alupka
Alupka was founded as a Greek colony and has a Greek name, but by the early modern era the city was largely Gothic, like most of Crimea's extreme south. The town's fortunes changed with the arrival of Russian idle rich. It became Crimea's premier tourist site of the nineteenth century before getting surpassed by such towns as Jalta and Aluşta. Many iconic şatoju (palaces) stand here beneath the stark and stunning line of mountains that overlook the town. Today Alupka is bit off the beaten path: the main tour route goes from Sebastóopl to Jalta and thence northeast along the coast to Cafa. Visitors comment that it has the feel of a Mediterranean resort, with its beaches, palms, and orange trees. Cable cars provide access to a cloud of new eco-lodges up in the mountains. Crimean Goths remain the largest population group in Alupka and are the nucleus of its community, but as a tourist town it attracts a work force from across the country, both the coast and the steppe.
Aluşta
Aluşta sits in the middle of the Crimean Riviera and has a history, culture, and general feel not unlike its neighbors up and down the coast. In late tsarist times it became a hub of Crimea's Jewish culture. The largest number in the town belong to the Krymchak Jewish sect, but communities of Ashkenazi and Romanaiote Jews live here as well. Above all the town thrives on tourism. It's an essential stop on the route from Jalta to Cafa and is known for the quality of its beaches. A tramway across the mountains provides easy access to Acmescit.
Arabaç
Arabaç (in Russian, Arabatsk) sits at the south end of the Arabat Arrow on the Ceriç peninsula. The Ottomans built it to guard the Arrow, Crimea's second connection to the mainland along with the isthmus of Perecop. The Arrow is challenging but not impossible for an army to cross, so it was seen as a weak point in the peninsula's defenses. When Russia took over the peninsula, it was no longer a border. With Russian armies having no need of the fortress, the tsar gave it to some of the Don Cossacks. It became the nucleus of a Cossack settlement, and they soon became the dominant group in the Ceriç Peninsula (though not in the city of Ceriç itself). The Cossacks continued to man the fort during and after the Civil War, making it the focal point of White resistance to the Crimean Soviet Republic. The White Army made use of it during the Second Great War. Thereafter, the Snorist government disarmed the Cossacks as a separate force.
Arabaç remained the Cossacks' cultural and symbolic center even after losing its military significance. When Crimea overthrew its Snorist government, the Crimean Army set up its new border post Norduçaja at the opposite end of the Arrow 70 miles to the north. The old fortress still belongs to the Crimean Cossack milet. Cossack culture abounds here. Choral concerts often take place in the fort, while military-style processions mark special occasions in the town.
Arabaç remained the Cossacks' cultural and symbolic center even after losing its military significance. When Crimea overthrew its Snorist government, the Crimean Army set up its new border post Norduçaja at the opposite end of the Arrow 70 miles to the north. The old fortress still belongs to the Crimean Cossack milet. Cossack culture abounds here. Choral concerts often take place in the fort, while military-style processions mark special occasions in the town.
Baçisaraj
Baçisaraj (or Bakhchisaray) is the old Tatar capital city. It is the cultural center of the Crimean Tatars, the home of the titular Khan of the Tatars, and the seat of the Grand Mufti of Crimea. As such its culture is heavily Islamic and Turkic, though of course there are large numbers of Jews, Russians, and other culture groups living in the city. The Parra language, the speech of the bazaars and markets, is very much alive here.
Contrasting with the traditions of the old city is the Crimea-Baçisaraj International Airport and the modern neighborhoods adjacent to it. The city's location made it a logical place to build the country's main airport. It is located on the northern edge of the Crimean mountains. about halfway between the old capital, Acmescit, and the new one, Sebastópol. The airport is built on flat land up the valley northeast of the old city. After disembarking, passengers can go down to explore the city, or they can hop on a quick commuter train to either the bustling markets of Acmescit, or the modern attractions of Sebastópol and the seacoast. Always teeming with tourists and business travelers, the Baçisaraj airport is one of the busiest in the former Russian Empire.
Contrasting with the traditions of the old city is the Crimea-Baçisaraj International Airport and the modern neighborhoods adjacent to it. The city's location made it a logical place to build the country's main airport. It is located on the northern edge of the Crimean mountains. about halfway between the old capital, Acmescit, and the new one, Sebastópol. The airport is built on flat land up the valley northeast of the old city. After disembarking, passengers can go down to explore the city, or they can hop on a quick commuter train to either the bustling markets of Acmescit, or the modern attractions of Sebastópol and the seacoast. Always teeming with tourists and business travelers, the Baçisaraj airport is one of the busiest in the former Russian Empire.
Balaclava
A suburb of Sebastópol, Balaclava is located on a cozy little cove on Crimea's southern shore. It was founded as a Tatar fishing port, but it became mostly Russian-speaking together with most of the area around the capital. It's famous as the site of a bloody battle during the Crimean War: here the famous Bright Brigade met its tragic end. Fishing is still important to its economy, but it has also become a quiet resort with a pleasant and scenic waterfront. Balaclava lacks the warm climate of most of the south coast because it's on the wrong side of the mountains, but it's nice in the summer months.
Cafa
Cafa forms the eastern end of the Crimean riviera. Today it supports itself mainly by tourism, but it was a great port in its day. Venice founded the city on the ruins of an older Greek colony, Theodosia, to be the capital of its Crimean empire. Venetian rule later gave way to Genoese, then Turkish, but the city remained the Crimea's foremost port until the building of Sebastópol.
Though not a big city, Cafa is culturally one of the most important in the country. Crimea's Armenian and Roman Catholic Christians have their cathedrals here. It was here also that the modern rite of Krymchak Judaism was formulated as a compromise between indigenous and immigrant Jewish traditions.
The Italian community: The Senesi and the See of Cafa
The heart Crimea's Western Christian community is in the coastal city of Cafa, which after all these years still supports a thriving Italian population. The Italians of Cafa are still known as Senesi, from "Genoese." The Archbishop of Cafa is recognized as the leader of Crimea's Italian community and the country's top Catholic official.
The Church established the See of Cafa during Genoa's occupation of the Crimean coast, the same era that produced the ancestor of the Parra language. For most of its history, the bishop was a rather humble leader of an outpost of western Christendom; but between the 1780s and the Russian Revolution, the see's province included all Catholics in the entire Russian Empire. The choice of occupant became a political issue that frequently caused friction between Rome and Moscow.
Despite their long history in the peninsula, the Italians are not the most numerous group of Western Christians in Crimea. The Crimean Germans, who settled in the mountains around Acmescit and Sudac in the 1800s, outnumber them. The German community is divided between Lutherans and Catholics.
Carnival
One of the highlights of Cafa's culture is the annual Carnival celebrated before the start of Lent. The Archbishop plays a role, presiding over a meal consisting mostly of meats in the square outside St. Stephen's, but he avoids the festival's more rowdy aspects. These include some fairly dangerous displays by clowns on horseback, with both horses and riders wearing elaborate masks. This custom originated in the late 1400s as a spoof on Tatar equestrian sports. The whole affair has become an important part of Crimea's festival calendar.
Among the German community, Carnival is a time for eating sweet pancakes in small local festivities that don't match the spectacle you see in Cafa.
Though not a big city, Cafa is culturally one of the most important in the country. Crimea's Armenian and Roman Catholic Christians have their cathedrals here. It was here also that the modern rite of Krymchak Judaism was formulated as a compromise between indigenous and immigrant Jewish traditions.
The Italian community: The Senesi and the See of Cafa
The heart Crimea's Western Christian community is in the coastal city of Cafa, which after all these years still supports a thriving Italian population. The Italians of Cafa are still known as Senesi, from "Genoese." The Archbishop of Cafa is recognized as the leader of Crimea's Italian community and the country's top Catholic official.
The Church established the See of Cafa during Genoa's occupation of the Crimean coast, the same era that produced the ancestor of the Parra language. For most of its history, the bishop was a rather humble leader of an outpost of western Christendom; but between the 1780s and the Russian Revolution, the see's province included all Catholics in the entire Russian Empire. The choice of occupant became a political issue that frequently caused friction between Rome and Moscow.
Despite their long history in the peninsula, the Italians are not the most numerous group of Western Christians in Crimea. The Crimean Germans, who settled in the mountains around Acmescit and Sudac in the 1800s, outnumber them. The German community is divided between Lutherans and Catholics.
Carnival
One of the highlights of Cafa's culture is the annual Carnival celebrated before the start of Lent. The Archbishop plays a role, presiding over a meal consisting mostly of meats in the square outside St. Stephen's, but he avoids the festival's more rowdy aspects. These include some fairly dangerous displays by clowns on horseback, with both horses and riders wearing elaborate masks. This custom originated in the late 1400s as a spoof on Tatar equestrian sports. The whole affair has become an important part of Crimea's festival calendar.
Among the German community, Carnival is a time for eating sweet pancakes in small local festivities that don't match the spectacle you see in Cafa.
Calamita
Like Balaclava, Calamita (our Inkerman) is a suburb of Sebastópol that became famous as the name of a battle. The town is located east of the capital at the very head of its bay. Two very old Greek monasteries and a fortress mark it as a settlement of venerable age. The battle severely depopulated it in the 1850s, and it was resettled largely by Russians. A Greek community has trickled back in recent years, but it is a predominantly Russian suburb today.
Calimena
Calimena began as a colony near the northern limit of the ancient Greek world. Its Greek name, Kalos Limen, means "Beautiful Harbor." By the Middle Ages, the name had become Kalolimena to the Italians, and finally Calimena in Parra. All around are the Tarxancut highlands, Crimea's rugged and sparsely settled northwest. The overall emptiness of the land makes Calimena, though small, a prominent regional hub. Its population is Ukrainian, like most of the north coast. The highlands above the city are the home of Crimea's still seminomadic Nogay people. Nearby are imposing seaside cliffs and the picturesque Tarxancut Lighthouse.
Carasu
Carasu (sometimes still called by its full name, Carasubasara) is an agricultural town in the north-central part of the Crimean Mountains. The land around it grows fruit, wine and cereal crops. Before the Russian conquest, it was one of the largest commercial towns in the country, but it declined in importance as Acmescit developed as the capital.
Under Russian rule, Carasu emerged as one of the more important German towns in the country. Crimea's largest German festival, the Krimmer Volksfest (in Parra, Cirimic Festa de Poblo), is held here in the autumn, featuring abundant amounts of locally made wine and beer. But the Germans are far from alone in Carasu. The town sits on the boundary between Crimea's Pontic mountains and coastlands, and its Eurasian steppe. So the town and surrounding countryside represent many of the communities of both regions.
Under Russian rule, Carasu emerged as one of the more important German towns in the country. Crimea's largest German festival, the Krimmer Volksfest (in Parra, Cirimic Festa de Poblo), is held here in the autumn, featuring abundant amounts of locally made wine and beer. But the Germans are far from alone in Carasu. The town sits on the boundary between Crimea's Pontic mountains and coastlands, and its Eurasian steppe. So the town and surrounding countryside represent many of the communities of both regions.
Ceriç
Perhaps none of Crimea's cities have had so storied a history as Ceriç, or in Russian, Kerch. The site commands the Crimean Bosporus, the gateway to the Sea of Azov, and as such has been coveted by many empires. The city was founded as Pantikipaion or Panticipaeum by Milesian Greeks as early as 700 BC. It disputes with Xerson the title of oldest city in the country; but of course while Xerson has with the passing of years been reduced to a mere suburb of Sebastópol, Ceriç has remained a major city since ancient times. The height of its influence was in the early Roman period, when the city was the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom. As such, it briefly served as the capital of Mithridates the Great, that feared enemy of the Roman Republic. After Mithridates' defeat, the Bosporus became first a Roman client kingdom and then a province. Ceriç came under constant threat as the Huns and Goths began raiding, and in the Byzantine era the capital shifted to Xerson. But Ceriç never lost its strategic importance. The Khazars and Kipchaks captured it in turn, and the medieval Venetians restored it as a major port.
More or less since then Ceriç has held the position of Crimea's third city. In Tatar times it followed Baçisaraj and Cafa; under the Russians it followed Sebastópol and Acmescit. More recently it is challenging Acmescit for the second spot. Its importance has only grown with time as both a port and a destination. It serves as the middle-class alternative to the ritzy cities of the Riviera further west. All three of the city's economic sectors - fishing, tourism, and the navy - are focused on the lively waterfront.
The population of Ceriç is a microcosm of the country, a melting pot of European and Asian cultures. Ceriç has the largest Georgian population of any Crimean city and is home to the country's principal Georgian Orthodox Church. The city also has a sizable population of people who identify as Turkish rather than Crimean Tatar, a legacy of a settlement project during the Ottoman era. This diversity is in contrast to the city's hinterland, the Ceriç Peninsula, much of which is peopled entirely by Cossacks.
During the era of the Crimean Soviet Republic, anti-communist Cossacks managed several times to cut off access to the city by land. This tense relationship between the city and district continued into Snorist times, when Ceriç became somewhat known for left-wing agitation. Today it's the Menshevik Party's strongest base of support, and the political climate of the city has helped attract an underground arts scene, another thing that helps bring in tourists.
More or less since then Ceriç has held the position of Crimea's third city. In Tatar times it followed Baçisaraj and Cafa; under the Russians it followed Sebastópol and Acmescit. More recently it is challenging Acmescit for the second spot. Its importance has only grown with time as both a port and a destination. It serves as the middle-class alternative to the ritzy cities of the Riviera further west. All three of the city's economic sectors - fishing, tourism, and the navy - are focused on the lively waterfront.
The population of Ceriç is a microcosm of the country, a melting pot of European and Asian cultures. Ceriç has the largest Georgian population of any Crimean city and is home to the country's principal Georgian Orthodox Church. The city also has a sizable population of people who identify as Turkish rather than Crimean Tatar, a legacy of a settlement project during the Ottoman era. This diversity is in contrast to the city's hinterland, the Ceriç Peninsula, much of which is peopled entirely by Cossacks.
During the era of the Crimean Soviet Republic, anti-communist Cossacks managed several times to cut off access to the city by land. This tense relationship between the city and district continued into Snorist times, when Ceriç became somewhat known for left-wing agitation. Today it's the Menshevik Party's strongest base of support, and the political climate of the city has helped attract an underground arts scene, another thing that helps bring in tourists.
Cesleve
Cesleve - Eupatoria to the ancient Greeks - is the main city of northwestern Crimea. This part of the country has a rather distinct ethnic mix. Groups that are small minorities elsewhere have a strong presence in the northwest, and Cesleve is their city. The largest Kenesa (synagogue) of the Karaites is here, as is the cathedral church of the Bulgarian Metropolitan. Crimea's only Buddhist temple, built by the Kalmyk community, is just outside the city. The surrounding region is home to most of Crimea's Mongol, Nogay and Çigani (Roma) populations, and many of them can be found in the city as well.
With all this happening, Cesleve is another place where the visitor can experience the "real Crimea", the multilingual street markets and varied local festivals. Cesleve's beach is also lovely, if a bit out of the way. It is the preferred destination for local Crimeans looking to spend a day by the seaside.
With all this happening, Cesleve is another place where the visitor can experience the "real Crimea", the multilingual street markets and varied local festivals. Cesleve's beach is also lovely, if a bit out of the way. It is the preferred destination for local Crimeans looking to spend a day by the seaside.
Çancoj (Dzhankoy)
Though the name of Çancoj is Tatar, it is in fact the most important Russian city in Crimea outside the capital. It sits right in the middle of the zone of heavy Russian settlement in the northeast of the country. First developed as an agricultural town, Çancoj grew as a rail hub in the nineteenth century and an industrial center in the twentieth. Meanwhile its earlier Russian settlers were joined by many Ukrainians and Ashkenazi Jews. It has a reputation as a utilitarian, nondescript sort of place and certainly will never attract many tourists. But it's an important repository of working-class Slavic culture in Crimea. By percentage it also has the largest Ashkenazi presence of any major town, and a famous folk song has ensured it an affectionate place in Crimean Jewish culture. As the largest city in northern Crimea, Çancoj is home to some locally notable institutions of culture, education and sports.
Doros (Mangup, Theodoro)
The ancient stone walls of Doros are an impressive sight, rising from the top of a high foothill nine miles east of Sebastópol. Doros calls itself the "spiritual heart" of Crimea, and indeed has been important to many of the country's cultures. Justinian founded the city as a fortress guarding the approach to Xerson. It later served as the capital for a succession of kingdoms and principalities: Greek, Gothic, Khazar, Kipchak, Gothic again, until it finally fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1475. This varied history earned the city a list of different names: the Turkic name is still Mangup (sometimes punctuated as Man'gup to show that the n and g are pronounced separately), and historically the Greeks called it Theodoro. Today the city is the main center for Crimea's Greek and Gothic people due to the Cathedral of St. John Chrysotom. Since time immemorial the cathedral has held services in both Greek and Gothic and has been the seat of the archbishop who is the spiritual leader of both communities. But like nearly all cities and towns in Crimea, it has a mixed population, about half of its people being Jewish or Muslim. The symbol on Crimea's flag comes from carvings on the ancient gates of Doros.
Funa
A secluded mountain complex of rambling stone walls and lush, overgrown gardens, Funa is a sacred space, the center of the pagan cult of the Crimean Goths. When the bulk of the Gothic nobility converted to Christianity in the early Middle Ages, the Gothic pagans established their main temple here to escape persecution. The site was fortified to protect the priests' community, but it was never the capital of an independent kingdom, having always to pay tribute to overlords to the north or the south. Influenced by their Abrahamic neighbors, the Goths of Funa established a school and a library to cultivate a theology and scholarship in their own tradition.
In Funa and its surrounding villages, visitors can see the most widespread examples of Crimea's indigenous pagan culture. Parts of the walled temple complex itself, mostly ceremonial gardens, are open to visitors. The central precincts are closed to outsiders, including the grove that houses the Vardstru, the holy tree that is the focal point of the religion.
In Funa and its surrounding villages, visitors can see the most widespread examples of Crimea's indigenous pagan culture. Parts of the walled temple complex itself, mostly ceremonial gardens, are open to visitors. The central precincts are closed to outsiders, including the grove that houses the Vardstru, the holy tree that is the focal point of the religion.
Jalta
Crimea's premier seaside resort began life as a Greek colony, like most cities of the south coast, passing through periods of Gothic, Italian, and Turkic rule. It began to attract attention under Russian imperial rule as an area for vacationing and winemaking, and it was noteworthy in 1918 as a site of resistance to German occupation. But Jalta really flourished in Snorist times. A major wartime conference in 1947 first brought its climate and its incredible view to the attention of the Snorists, and within a few years Jalta had become the fashionable destination for members of the political and business elite across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The fall of SNOR dented its fortunes somewhat, but it has rebounded. Today it is the heart of Crimea's tourist industry and the western anchor of the Crimean Riviera. The old-school tourist activities are still there - the daçu and şatoju and the wineries - along with a modern beachfront nightclub scene and a blossoming ecotourist industry in the encircling mountains. The city has a very cosmopolitan culture after generations of catering to tourists from Russia, the former Snorist bloc, and the West; but it has not entirely lost its older Greek and Gothic communities.
Mitridate
In 2002, the world was stunned when the first successful satellite was launched into space. A German organization, unbeknownst to most of the world, had been quietly laying the groundwork for years. Late Snorist Russia had allowed the Germans to construct a rocket testing facility on Crimea's northeast coast overlooking the Sea of Azov. Crimea's post-Snorist government let the work continue, and the payoff came on that day in 2002. It sparked a wave of space research around the world. Nations from Ireland to Turkestan to Louisianne raced to catch up with the Germans.
Germany soon partnered with Scandinavia to continue its space program. Its chief launch site is now in the Caribbean, but the Crimean site remains in use for smaller rockets. And of course it's of great interest to enthusiasts of the history of aviation as the spot where the Space Race began. Crimea itself has declined to partner with Germany and Scandinavia, other than continuing to lease the land - but it has been happy to promote space tourism around the launch site. The settlement that grew up around the facility has been named Mitridate. King Mithridates has become the national hero of independent Crimea. He is one of the few figures to be equally revered by all of Crimea's ethnic groups. His defiance of Roman expansion speaks to Crimea's role in the contemporary world. And the story that he spoke 22 languages so that he could speak to all of his subjects doesn't hurt his reputation, either.
The town of Mithridate itself naturally has quite a few Germans, and the personnel from the space facility mingle freely with native Crimean Germans. Its location on the shore near Çancoj means that there's a Russian and Ukrainian presence as well.
Germany soon partnered with Scandinavia to continue its space program. Its chief launch site is now in the Caribbean, but the Crimean site remains in use for smaller rockets. And of course it's of great interest to enthusiasts of the history of aviation as the spot where the Space Race began. Crimea itself has declined to partner with Germany and Scandinavia, other than continuing to lease the land - but it has been happy to promote space tourism around the launch site. The settlement that grew up around the facility has been named Mitridate. King Mithridates has become the national hero of independent Crimea. He is one of the few figures to be equally revered by all of Crimea's ethnic groups. His defiance of Roman expansion speaks to Crimea's role in the contemporary world. And the story that he spoke 22 languages so that he could speak to all of his subjects doesn't hurt his reputation, either.
The town of Mithridate itself naturally has quite a few Germans, and the personnel from the space facility mingle freely with native Crimean Germans. Its location on the shore near Çancoj means that there's a Russian and Ukrainian presence as well.
Norduçaja
The Arabat Arrow is a long spit of sand along Crimea's entire northeast coast. It varies from a few yards to five miles wide. In the early twentieth century the Arrow was disputed between Ukraine and Crimea. During the Second Great War it was awarded to Crimea upon the restoration of its existence as a nation - Crimea's role as the host of a major conference at Jalta no doubt helped it secure its claim. The border was more-or-less open when both Crimea and Ukraine were part of the Snorist bloc, but after 1990 Crimea had to build a military post here to defend its second approach by land (after the isthmus of Perecop).
The north end of the Arrow faces the Ukrainian city of Henichesk. Under Ukrainian administration the area was known as "Henichesk Beach," and in 1990 Crimea gave it a Parra name simply meaning "North Beach". Besides the army base, the area is used for salt-making and beach-going, the long, sandy stretch of land being well suited for both. It's a small settlement, but it's important as a potential flashpoint in any geopolitical conflict that might erupt with Ukraine.
The north end of the Arrow faces the Ukrainian city of Henichesk. Under Ukrainian administration the area was known as "Henichesk Beach," and in 1990 Crimea gave it a Parra name simply meaning "North Beach". Besides the army base, the area is used for salt-making and beach-going, the long, sandy stretch of land being well suited for both. It's a small settlement, but it's important as a potential flashpoint in any geopolitical conflict that might erupt with Ukraine.
Nova Estonija
The village of Nova Estonija anchors the little colony of Estonians that came to Crimea under tsarist rule. The village is a little south of Çancoj, in a region that is otherwise mostly Russian. Ethnic enclaves like this are rare in Crimea, where different cultures tend to mix freely in shared spaces. Nova Estonija has worked to maintain its culture. The high point of its year, and when it draws the most attention from the outside, comes at Jaanipäev (in Parra, Janipev or Sera de Santo Jovan), the Estonian Midsummer, which culminates in an enormous bonfire at the edge of town. Ethnic Estonians scattered around the country typically come "home" for the festival, and so do revellers from cities and towns around the Crimean steppe region.
Onlar
A minor farming town at the center of the Steppe, Onlar became notable in 2000 when Crimea's local government reform law came into effect and Onlar unexpectedly found itself the seat of a craj, or province - Onlar Craj being the only one of the provinces to be centered on a more-or-less arbitrarily chosen town, rather than a city serving as a natural regional hub. The local culture is mainly Tatar with some Russians and Germans also farming in the vicinity. Tourists report that the most memorable sight is the town's grain elevator whizzing by in the train window... though of course the Steppe has its own beauty, for those who care to look.
Perecop
Guarding the narrow isthmus that is Crimea's land connection to the rest of the world, Perecop has been fortified and fought over for centuries. Perecop's isthmus is Crimea's only land border except for the razor-thin, low-lying Arabat Split, and the pair of bridges from Çancoj over the lagoons of Suvaş - which in terms of traffic, can't compare with the isthmus.
The grandest defensive work in Perecop's history was the great Tatar fortress of Or Qapu. Its capture by a Russian army in 1771 heralded the impending conquest of the entire peninsula. Its importance became clear again during the Civil War of 1918-20, when the White Army dug in at Perecop hoping to cling to this key route to the mainland. The Crimean Soviet Republic, always distrustful of its fellow new nation Ukraine to the north, built modern fortifications in the 1920s and 30s across the entire 4-mile width of the isthmus. These works failed to stop no less than three invading armies during the Second Great War - the Ukrainians, the Germans, and finally the Russians - though the fighting certainly was fierce.
The town of Perecop south of the fortifications grew in the 20th century in order to supply the army base, provide a customs post, and perform all the other functions of an international border town. In the same period it became a rather important industrial city. New factories drew Crimean workers, as well as some who commuted across the border to Ukraine.
Today the army still has a presence here and maintains the four-mile border. Tensions are not nearly as high as they were in the 30s, but Crimea still doesn't altogether trust its neighbor. The town is the first stop for visitors to Crimea by land. Ukrainians are the main ethnic group in the city, but some Tatars dwell here as well.
The grandest defensive work in Perecop's history was the great Tatar fortress of Or Qapu. Its capture by a Russian army in 1771 heralded the impending conquest of the entire peninsula. Its importance became clear again during the Civil War of 1918-20, when the White Army dug in at Perecop hoping to cling to this key route to the mainland. The Crimean Soviet Republic, always distrustful of its fellow new nation Ukraine to the north, built modern fortifications in the 1920s and 30s across the entire 4-mile width of the isthmus. These works failed to stop no less than three invading armies during the Second Great War - the Ukrainians, the Germans, and finally the Russians - though the fighting certainly was fierce.
The town of Perecop south of the fortifications grew in the 20th century in order to supply the army base, provide a customs post, and perform all the other functions of an international border town. In the same period it became a rather important industrial city. New factories drew Crimean workers, as well as some who commuted across the border to Ukraine.
Today the army still has a presence here and maintains the four-mile border. Tensions are not nearly as high as they were in the 30s, but Crimea still doesn't altogether trust its neighbor. The town is the first stop for visitors to Crimea by land. Ukrainians are the main ethnic group in the city, but some Tatars dwell here as well.
Roca de Juxudu
The Rock of the Jews - Chufut Qale in Tatar - is a mountaintop fortress just east of Baçisaraj, overlooking the city. It is the traditional home of Crimea's Karaim, though it was first built by the Byzantines. The fortress acquired its name in the late 14th or early 15th century, when the Tatar-Mongol rulers of the peninsula invited a community of Karaim to settle there. Not long after, however, as the Crimean Tatars were consolidating their independent khanate, they made it their capital. The Khan began building a new capital at Baçisaraj once their border was more secure and they no longer needed such strong fortifications; they left the hilltop to the Karaim.
The city remained a Jewish enclave throughout the Tatar and Russian eras. The Karaim themselves began to feel confined in this rather small space and built a new, much larger kenesa in the nineteenth century in Cesleve, which had become the city with the largest Karaite population. But the Rock still holds great importance to the community. Today the community in Roca de Juxudu is small, a minor suburb of Baçisaraj. It's no longer exclusively Jewish but remains an important center of Jewish culture in Crimea.
The city remained a Jewish enclave throughout the Tatar and Russian eras. The Karaim themselves began to feel confined in this rather small space and built a new, much larger kenesa in the nineteenth century in Cesleve, which had become the city with the largest Karaite population. But the Rock still holds great importance to the community. Today the community in Roca de Juxudu is small, a minor suburb of Baçisaraj. It's no longer exclusively Jewish but remains an important center of Jewish culture in Crimea.
Saci
The west-coast town of Saci means exactly one thing: mud baths. It's located beside a shallow lake and from the early 19th century developed as a spa town. Since then it's been the oddball among Crimea's tourist destinations. It's next to Cesleve, pretty far from the main tourist zone. It attracts a set of health tourists quite different from Crimea's other visitors. The town's economy is mostly focused on the spas, though it also has a regional airport with flights to other parts of the Black Sea Region. Its population is largely made up of Tatars, Bulgarians, and Karaim.
Sebastópol
Crimea's capital city seems almost out of place: an almost all-Russian city in Crimea's bewildering ethnic melting pot. It was founded soon after the Russian conquest of the late 1700s and given a Greek name meaning "Venerable City." It was strategically sited just inside the mouth of its large bay; the ancient city of Xerson is adjacent to it, just outside the bay's mouth. The port was key to establishing Russian power in the Black Sea.
Under imperial rule, Sebastópol was planned as a strictly Russian colonial city. Non-Russians were generally settled outside it, in older towns now taking on the role of suburbs such as Xerson, Calamita, Balaclava, and Doros. But to the Russians the city was mainly intended to be a utilitarian port, not a capital or cultural center. For this they developed the more centrally located Acmescit. Sebastópol only became the capital in 1947 under the one-party rule of SNAC. Moving from the multi-ethnic Acmescit to the mostly Russian Sebastópol fit with the extreme pro-Russian policies of SNAC's early years and reinforced its commitment to modernity and progress. After the fall of SNAC, the new government decided to keep the capital in Sebastópol rather than make a costly move.
The abolition of discriminatory housing laws since 1989 has brought an influx of newcomers to the capital. The overall culture remains strongly Russian, but many neighborhoods now better reflect the diversity of the rest of Crimea. Sebastópol is an essential first stop on the Crimean Rivera tour, known for its vibrant nightlife and its high culture. The Crimean National Museum, the Crimean Symphony Orchestra, the Tauric Ballet are all located here.
Under imperial rule, Sebastópol was planned as a strictly Russian colonial city. Non-Russians were generally settled outside it, in older towns now taking on the role of suburbs such as Xerson, Calamita, Balaclava, and Doros. But to the Russians the city was mainly intended to be a utilitarian port, not a capital or cultural center. For this they developed the more centrally located Acmescit. Sebastópol only became the capital in 1947 under the one-party rule of SNAC. Moving from the multi-ethnic Acmescit to the mostly Russian Sebastópol fit with the extreme pro-Russian policies of SNAC's early years and reinforced its commitment to modernity and progress. After the fall of SNAC, the new government decided to keep the capital in Sebastópol rather than make a costly move.
The abolition of discriminatory housing laws since 1989 has brought an influx of newcomers to the capital. The overall culture remains strongly Russian, but many neighborhoods now better reflect the diversity of the rest of Crimea. Sebastópol is an essential first stop on the Crimean Rivera tour, known for its vibrant nightlife and its high culture. The Crimean National Museum, the Crimean Symphony Orchestra, the Tauric Ballet are all located here.
Sodaja
Sodaja (Sudak to the Tatars and Slavs, Sougdaia to the Greeks) is an ancient place. Linguists believe its name may be of Scythian origin, so there's a chance that its name, at least, predates even the Greeks in Crimea. Its history of continuous existence as a city is almost as impressive: it was founded as a fortress by the Emperor Justinian himself. The city thrived under Byzantine rule, becoming the seat of an archbishop, based upon which evidence it claims a place on the list of Crimea's former capitals. It remained an major port even after the connection to the empire was cut. Sodaja (in that era called Soldaia) became a key Italian colony in the high Middle Ages, as testified by the ruins of its fortress, probably the most imposing in appearance in all of Crimea.
During Russian rule, German settlers planted the seeds of Sodaja's new defining industry: winemaking. The slopes above the town became the epicenter of what was destined to become a pillar of the Crimean economy. Wine tourism today is important up and down the Riviera, but Sodaja is the top destination. Despite having an economy geared toward tourism, the town has not lost its unique cultural flavor. German influence is evident in and around the city, along with older populations of Greeks, Armenians, Italians and Tatars. As much as any other city of the coast, Sodaja's atmosphere is quite Mediterranean.
During Russian rule, German settlers planted the seeds of Sodaja's new defining industry: winemaking. The slopes above the town became the epicenter of what was destined to become a pillar of the Crimean economy. Wine tourism today is important up and down the Riviera, but Sodaja is the top destination. Despite having an economy geared toward tourism, the town has not lost its unique cultural flavor. German influence is evident in and around the city, along with older populations of Greeks, Armenians, Italians and Tatars. As much as any other city of the coast, Sodaja's atmosphere is quite Mediterranean.
Veçe Cirim
Vece Cirim - Old Cirim - is the city that gave Crimea its name. The Mongols first fortified this site, not far above Cafa in the eastern foothills of the Crimean Mountains. They made it their regional capital and allowed Italian merchants to establish a colony on the nearby bay. In a few years, Cirim and Cafa were growing, each benefiting from trade with the other. When the Crimean Khanate emerged, the capital stayed at Cirim for a few years before moving to Baçisaraj.
The city has declined since its medieval heyday but of course is of great symbolic importance for the country. Even if it's not the oldest capital in Crimea, its name, "Old Cirim", gives it a certain mystique. It is also notable as a place that is infused with the Pontic side of Crimean culture but not overrun with tourists. Veçe Cirim, though small, has a varied population of Greeks, Armenians, Goths, Italians and Tatars. This is the street market the locals warned you about, a place where you need fluency in Parra, a quick wit, and a keen sense of the haggle if you want to come out successfully. The central city has many stone medieval buildings still preserved and occupied.
Veçe Cirim's importance is seen in a national political tradition. Opening the Rada and swearing in the government take place in the capital. But presidential inaugurations are done in Old Cirim, a tradition that dates to the fall of the SNAC regime and the true restoration of Crimea's independence.
The city has declined since its medieval heyday but of course is of great symbolic importance for the country. Even if it's not the oldest capital in Crimea, its name, "Old Cirim", gives it a certain mystique. It is also notable as a place that is infused with the Pontic side of Crimean culture but not overrun with tourists. Veçe Cirim, though small, has a varied population of Greeks, Armenians, Goths, Italians and Tatars. This is the street market the locals warned you about, a place where you need fluency in Parra, a quick wit, and a keen sense of the haggle if you want to come out successfully. The central city has many stone medieval buildings still preserved and occupied.
Veçe Cirim's importance is seen in a national political tradition. Opening the Rada and swearing in the government take place in the capital. But presidential inaugurations are done in Old Cirim, a tradition that dates to the fall of the SNAC regime and the true restoration of Crimea's independence.
Xerson
THE HISTORY OF XERSON (Khersonesos Taurike)
Though today it's merely a suburb of Sebastópol, Xerson is actually Crimea’s oldest city, one of the original Greek colonies of the Archaic period. [1] Even in very early times it was well known throughout the Greek world. It’s where (in some versions) the goddess Artemis brought Iphigenia to rescue her from her father’s would-be human sacrifice. The pre-Socratic philosopher Demomotus of Tauris spent his youth here. [2] In Byzantine times, Xerson was a provincial capital and the northern outpost of Roman civilization. This is where St. Vladimir the Great was baptized (shortly after sacking the city), paving the way for Russia’s conversion to Christianity.
Xerson survived the onslaughts of the Mongols and remained an important city into the early years of the Tatar Khanate. The Tatars seem to have allowed it to keep some form of municipal self-government, a direct heritage of the ancient polis. Economic decline did set in, however, as commerce shifted to the Italian colonies on the southeast coast, and especially after an attack by the Lithuanian Grand Prince did serious damage to the city. By the later days of the Khanate, Xerson had shrunk to two Orthodox monastic complexes (one Greek, one Gothic), and a small fishing town. By then, the monks were responsible for administering the town on the Khan’s behalf.
Russia built its new port, Sebastópol, just a stone’s throw from Xerson. It filled the new city with Russians and generally did what it could to Russify the area. [3] It seems that the people of Xerson were lodged in too securely to be cleared out, so today it is still a polyglot island in the middle of a predominantly Russian region.
After that, Xerson developed as a suburb of Sebastópol. Because of St. Vladimir, the Russians considered Xerson a holy place and built a magnificent church to mark the site of his baptism. They also built a quarter in Xerson for the growing Moldovan population, apparently on the premise that Xerson was already full of non-Russians anyway.
XERSON’S HOLY SQUARE (Santo Ploşet)
The Russians built a big plaza to link the Church of the Baptism of St. Vladimir with the two old monasteries. When the Moldovan neighborhood was built, the plaza anchored one end of it, and the Romanian church was also built facing the plaza. That means that the four sides of Xerson’s central square face Orthodox churches speaking four different languages: the grand Russian structure, the Gothic and Greek monastery churches, and the Moldovan church. Naturally, everyone calls it Holy Square.
THE PEOPLE’S MATINS (Ortros de Omu)
This physical arrangement means that Sundays draw large, mixed crowds to Holy Square, none more so than Easter. In the very small hours of the morning, congregants of all four churches gather outside the for the traditional beginning of the Paschal Matins, singing and praying before rushing into the church to symbolize Christ’s breaking down the Gates of Hell. In earlier times, the gathering crowds, sleepy yet eager with anticipation, could get rather rowdy before the service. During times of political or ethnic tension, it was not at all rare for fights to break out. This happened especially near the center of the square, where latecomers mingled together and could hear little except the din of four different congregations trying to out-shout one another.
The story goes that the sisters of the Monastery of St. Larissa (the Gothic one) created the germ of the idea of the People’s Matins one Easter in the days of the Crimean War, when tensions were running very high. Repulsed by the shameful brawl erupting on the holiest morning of the year, the abbess, it is said, bravely marched into the fray, climbed a nearby plinth, and shouted the Paschal greeting in Parra:
Cristos levato!
The people, startled by the simple purity of her words (shouted out in the humblest and most un-holy of languages), stopped their fighting, and some began to shout the reply:
Vala levato!
Then the priests were able to rein in their respective congregations and conduct the matins service with even more joyfulness than usual.
Ever since, people of Xerson begin Paschal Matins as a single group in the center of Holy Square, with deacons from all four churches there to maintain the appropriate solemnity before the service starts. The paschal greeting, shouted in Parra, marks the official start of Easter in the city. It is followed by a simple litany and repeated singings of the Tropar de Pasxa:
Cristos levato de omoru,
Con mora poprava moraja;
E per lis a grobu,
Dada viveje!
And with that, the four congregations group around their respective buildings for the more traditional reading and procession through the church doors.
The words of the Tropar in Parra are almost all Romance-based, a sign of the hymn’s basic simplicity. The only non-Romance loans are poprava, “to defeat” (from Russian) and grob, “grave”(from Gothic). Note the use of the abstract suffixes /-ja/ and /-je/. “Con mora poprava moraja” means “with [a] death, defeating [the idea of] death.”
NOTES
[1] Only the Greek colony of Pantipakaion, today called Ceriç or Kerch, is known to be about as old as Xerson, and it cannot be shown definitively which of the two is older. Theodosia, near the modern city of Cafa, is also of equal or greater antiquity to Xerson, but it has not been occupied continuously, and its original site is now an archaeological park. Xerson, on the other hand, can boast 2,500 years of uninterrupted settlement.
[2] Demomotus is one of those dimensional wanderers who occasionally slip into IB from other timelines; his full story can be found in this archive, though its editor’s note reports many later legends as fact, most of them bawdy and anachronistic jokes that can be traced to passages in Boccaccio.
[3] The ethnic cleansing policies of the Russians in Crimea, both under the Tsars and the Soviets, have no real parallel *there*; but Russia did use various means to clear non-Russians out of Sebastópol and its environs.
Though today it's merely a suburb of Sebastópol, Xerson is actually Crimea’s oldest city, one of the original Greek colonies of the Archaic period. [1] Even in very early times it was well known throughout the Greek world. It’s where (in some versions) the goddess Artemis brought Iphigenia to rescue her from her father’s would-be human sacrifice. The pre-Socratic philosopher Demomotus of Tauris spent his youth here. [2] In Byzantine times, Xerson was a provincial capital and the northern outpost of Roman civilization. This is where St. Vladimir the Great was baptized (shortly after sacking the city), paving the way for Russia’s conversion to Christianity.
Xerson survived the onslaughts of the Mongols and remained an important city into the early years of the Tatar Khanate. The Tatars seem to have allowed it to keep some form of municipal self-government, a direct heritage of the ancient polis. Economic decline did set in, however, as commerce shifted to the Italian colonies on the southeast coast, and especially after an attack by the Lithuanian Grand Prince did serious damage to the city. By the later days of the Khanate, Xerson had shrunk to two Orthodox monastic complexes (one Greek, one Gothic), and a small fishing town. By then, the monks were responsible for administering the town on the Khan’s behalf.
Russia built its new port, Sebastópol, just a stone’s throw from Xerson. It filled the new city with Russians and generally did what it could to Russify the area. [3] It seems that the people of Xerson were lodged in too securely to be cleared out, so today it is still a polyglot island in the middle of a predominantly Russian region.
After that, Xerson developed as a suburb of Sebastópol. Because of St. Vladimir, the Russians considered Xerson a holy place and built a magnificent church to mark the site of his baptism. They also built a quarter in Xerson for the growing Moldovan population, apparently on the premise that Xerson was already full of non-Russians anyway.
XERSON’S HOLY SQUARE (Santo Ploşet)
The Russians built a big plaza to link the Church of the Baptism of St. Vladimir with the two old monasteries. When the Moldovan neighborhood was built, the plaza anchored one end of it, and the Romanian church was also built facing the plaza. That means that the four sides of Xerson’s central square face Orthodox churches speaking four different languages: the grand Russian structure, the Gothic and Greek monastery churches, and the Moldovan church. Naturally, everyone calls it Holy Square.
THE PEOPLE’S MATINS (Ortros de Omu)
This physical arrangement means that Sundays draw large, mixed crowds to Holy Square, none more so than Easter. In the very small hours of the morning, congregants of all four churches gather outside the for the traditional beginning of the Paschal Matins, singing and praying before rushing into the church to symbolize Christ’s breaking down the Gates of Hell. In earlier times, the gathering crowds, sleepy yet eager with anticipation, could get rather rowdy before the service. During times of political or ethnic tension, it was not at all rare for fights to break out. This happened especially near the center of the square, where latecomers mingled together and could hear little except the din of four different congregations trying to out-shout one another.
The story goes that the sisters of the Monastery of St. Larissa (the Gothic one) created the germ of the idea of the People’s Matins one Easter in the days of the Crimean War, when tensions were running very high. Repulsed by the shameful brawl erupting on the holiest morning of the year, the abbess, it is said, bravely marched into the fray, climbed a nearby plinth, and shouted the Paschal greeting in Parra:
Cristos levato!
The people, startled by the simple purity of her words (shouted out in the humblest and most un-holy of languages), stopped their fighting, and some began to shout the reply:
Vala levato!
Then the priests were able to rein in their respective congregations and conduct the matins service with even more joyfulness than usual.
Ever since, people of Xerson begin Paschal Matins as a single group in the center of Holy Square, with deacons from all four churches there to maintain the appropriate solemnity before the service starts. The paschal greeting, shouted in Parra, marks the official start of Easter in the city. It is followed by a simple litany and repeated singings of the Tropar de Pasxa:
Cristos levato de omoru,
Con mora poprava moraja;
E per lis a grobu,
Dada viveje!
And with that, the four congregations group around their respective buildings for the more traditional reading and procession through the church doors.
The words of the Tropar in Parra are almost all Romance-based, a sign of the hymn’s basic simplicity. The only non-Romance loans are poprava, “to defeat” (from Russian) and grob, “grave”(from Gothic). Note the use of the abstract suffixes /-ja/ and /-je/. “Con mora poprava moraja” means “with [a] death, defeating [the idea of] death.”
NOTES
[1] Only the Greek colony of Pantipakaion, today called Ceriç or Kerch, is known to be about as old as Xerson, and it cannot be shown definitively which of the two is older. Theodosia, near the modern city of Cafa, is also of equal or greater antiquity to Xerson, but it has not been occupied continuously, and its original site is now an archaeological park. Xerson, on the other hand, can boast 2,500 years of uninterrupted settlement.
[2] Demomotus is one of those dimensional wanderers who occasionally slip into IB from other timelines; his full story can be found in this archive, though its editor’s note reports many later legends as fact, most of them bawdy and anachronistic jokes that can be traced to passages in Boccaccio.
[3] The ethnic cleansing policies of the Russians in Crimea, both under the Tsars and the Soviets, have no real parallel *there*; but Russia did use various means to clear non-Russians out of Sebastópol and its environs.