| Crimea an autonomous republic is re-inventing itself | | | | Those who found themselves at the Balaklava |
| after the ending of the old soviet union. Private | | | | seaside late evening could watch such a scene. A |
| enterprise is flourishing and well-stocked shops and | | | | tourist would hardly understand what happened, |
| good restaurants are the norm. Transport and | | | | whereas the local people would guess that the next |
| accommodation are cheaper than the Mediterranean | | | | submarine that entered its shelter would be at the |
| resorts but the weather is better and the sightseeing | | | | underground ship-repairing factory. |
| amazing! | | | | For a long time, residents of Balaklava did not know |
| Visitors from all over the world are welcomed in a | | | | exactly what was happening in the underground |
| country which has opened its doors to foreign | | | | factory. Nowadays, it's possible to wander the dark |
| tourists by reducing visa requirements to a minimum. | | | | winding halls with a guide. The excursion to the navy |
| Whether you want wine-tasting or scuba diving, | | | | complex-museum "Balaklava" clarifies the mysterious |
| mountains or sea, to visit the Byzantine ruins of | | | | past of "Facility 825" -a top secret complex where |
| Khersoness, or the fabulous Livadia Palace near Yalta, | | | | the Soviet subs were hidden and repaired. |
| home of the last of the Russian Tsars - or if you | | | | In the mid 1950s, Josef Stalin, a leader of Soviet |
| just want to relax on the beach and then while away | | | | communists, amazed by results of A-bombs dropped |
| a warm summer evening in a gourmet restaurant, | | | | on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, gave the order to hide |
| Crimea has something for you. | | | | the underwater fleet from possible nuclear attacks. |
| In this article we will focus on the Balaklava and its | | | | The order had to be carried out and soon military |
| reputation as a scuba divers paradise. | | | | engineers prepared the project for the constructing |
| Balaklava Harbor lies on the Black Sea coast of the | | | | of a giant underground complex, located in the thick |
| Crimea in the Ukraine. It is a fine natural harbor and | | | | of the rock, deeply underground. This facility had to |
| provides excellent all round shelter. In the past the | | | | serve as a house for subs. It had to include such a |
| harbor was closed to all private vessels and was | | | | roof and doors that could allow the ship to enter and |
| home to the Soviet submarine fleet. Yachts should | | | | exit by its own speed. And inside, it had to be able |
| establish the current position before attempting to | | | | to survive A-bombs in the company of other subs, |
| visit Balaklava. | | | | surrounded with the consideration and care of |
| Balaklava is rapidly changing from being primarily a | | | | commanders and repairers. |
| working port and (in Soviet times) a secret | | | | You can hire motor launches and sailing yachts by the |
| submarine base for the Russian navy, to a leisure | | | | hour to take you out to sea or to perfect beaches |
| destination for tourists, lured by the history of the | | | | accessible only by boat because of the steep cliffs. |
| place and the drama of the rugged coastline. Period | | | | You may want to take a dip from the boat and |
| houses along the waterfront are being restored, a | | | | swim into sea caves. For more serious diving, scuba |
| new hotel, the Golden Symbol, with its own harbor | | | | equipment and guided dives are available from |
| has opened and the place has an air of fresh | | | | `Aquamarine'. The Black Sea is home to the |
| prosperity. | | | | bottlenose dolphin and chance encounters are not |
| The harbormaster at the Golden Symbol, himself an | | | | uncommon. |
| ex-submariner, will tell you about the maze of tunnels | | | | If you fancy a spot of sea-angling, you can hire a |
| within the hillside, that allowed large numbers of | | | | boat, rod and line and the services of a local seaman |
| Soviet submarines to hide unobserved. It is an | | | | who can take you to the best fishing areas. In some |
| indication of the way things are moving that you can | | | | cases you can cook and eat what you've caught on |
| now take a tour inside the previously secret base, | | | | board. |
| and the large floating dry dock which used to be | | | | So if you want a vacation with a touch of the deep |
| used for submarine repairs is to be moved to the | | | | sea extreme, head for the Crimean Peninsula. The |
| naval harbor in Sevastopol this year. Crewing a | | | | sea waters will gently embrace you and the Black |
| submarine was a dangerous business, and the town | | | | Sea shelf will readily reveal its historical secrets of |
| has several memorials to sailors and commanders | | | | sunken ships and ancient epochs, breathtaking |
| who are remembered for acts of bravery. | | | | underwater landscapes, caves and volcanoes, as well |
| Unlike elsewhere in Crimea, restaurants in Balaklava | | | | as acquaint you with marine life. Even though this |
| are generally called Tavernas - a nod in the direction | | | | underwater fairytale is quickly over; the memory of it |
| of the `Archipelago Greeks' from the islands, who | | | | will stay with you for the rest of your lifetime. |
| settled this part of the coast under Catherine the | | | | Like a museum, the Black Sea preserves military |
| Great. It was a Greek battalion which attempted to | | | | relics. A great number of shipwrecks were left |
| prevent the British occupation of Balaklava at the | | | | following the Crimean War of 1853 – 1856 that |
| start of the Crimean war by holding out on the | | | | enveloped the waters of the southwestern Crimea |
| commanding heights where the ruins of the Genoese | | | | from Cape Lukall to Cape Sarych. During a single |
| fortress overlook the town. There are locals with | | | | hurricane in November 1854 in Balaklava Harbor, 60 |
| Greek names today, who can trace their encestry | | | | British, French and Turkish vessels sank just as they |
| back to this period. | | | | readied themselves to bombard the fortress city of |
| Apart from the excellent restaurant `The Gavan' on | | | | Sevastopol. On that fateful day, the sea took into its |
| the ground floor of the Golden Symbol, there is a | | | | embrace the pride of the British fleet, the sailing |
| famous seafood restaurant with a good selection of | | | | frigate “Prince” and 20 thousand Pound |
| Crimean, Georgian and French wines and an English | | | | Sterling in gold and silver. The legend of dozens of |
| menu, as well as numerous tavernas along the | | | | barrels filled with gold and silver still attracts treasure |
| waterfront. | | | | hunters all over the world and frigate itself was long |
| The `Aquamarine' diving centre offers scuba diving | | | | ago renamed “The Black Price” in order to |
| along the coast, and from the Golden Symbol you | | | | make the intrigue more exiting. |
| can get a variety of boat trips, from sea fishing to | | | | One more wonder of Crimea’s underwater realm |
| dolphin spotting. | | | | is an English frigate, whose name still remains in |
| There are three swimming beaches along the | | | | mystery, which went to the bottom with a cargo no |
| Balaklava inlet, but the locals will advise you to walk | | | | less precious than that of the “Price”, |
| the extra distance to the far side of the Genoese | | | | numerous bottles of wine and cognac, which caused |
| fortress, where the beach faces the open sea - or | | | | divers to christen it in “The Drunken Jack”. |
| to get a boatsman to take you to a wild beach along | | | | Today in the wreckage of the ship, you can find a |
| the coast, accessible only from the sea (but make | | | | bottle of wine or cognac that has already been |
| sure he remembers to come and collect you!) or to | | | | maturing for more than a century. At depths from 6 |
| swim in one of the numerous sea caves which | | | | to 15 meters, one can finds the eternal resting place |
| abound under the cliffs. | | | | of other heroes of the Crimean War: the legendary |
| A submarine turned by its bow to the shore and | | | | “Lord Reglan” and his fair lady the |
| went with a slow speed towards the rock. The rock | | | | “Duchess of Glendaloge” and the majestic |
| parted and hid the black-deck cabin at first, then the | | | | warriors “Gung”, “Pyrenees” and |
| entire submarine. | | | | “London”. |