Golitsyn Trail (New World, Crimea): history of creation and attractions. Chaliapin's Grotto
One of the brightest and most memorable places in a small tourist the city of New World called - Golitsyn's grotto, another name for this place Chaliapin's Grotto. This amazing place created by nature itself, and complemented by the work and imagination of man.
Many thousands of years ago, under the pressure of the forces of nature in the rock Koba Kaya a grotto unique in its nature and location was formed. Its height was 30 meters, the width in some places reached 17 meters. Back in the Middle Ages, people appreciated this amazing place and built a cave monastery for hermit monks in it. Records have been preserved that on one of the rocks that served as the walls of the monastery, colorful paintings from the Bible were preserved. Unfortunately, today we can no longer see them.
Already in the 19th century in this holy place Prince Golitsyn creates its own unique wine collection. Thanks to its location, the grotto maintained a unique climate, which contributed to the preservation of champagne and wine in excellent condition. In addition, the prince ordered a pop stage to be built here, where they still give concerts!
The name of the famous grotto is double - it is called and Golitsyn's grotto And Chaliapin's grotto... It is clear that the first one was given in honor of a Russian nobleman Prince Golitsyn, who, thanks to a great idea - to build a nutria stage - made this place popular and famous. The grotto received its second name thanks to the famous maestro - Fyodor Chaliapin. According to legend, the singer performed on this stage and during a luxurious aria he broke a glass of champagne with his voice. Many people remembered this, so they nicknamed the Grotto in honor of the name of the famous artist.
It’s interesting that I was in this grotto myself Nicholas II, it was here that he gave the name to the city, which in those days was called Paradise... The Emperor, having drunk another glass of champagne inside the wine library, said that everything here seemed to him in a new, more beautiful light... And so the name of the city was born.
What does a tourist need to know?
Going on a hike in Chaliapin's grotto be sure to wear comfortable shoes– it will take a long time to walk, but it’s worth it. In addition, your path will follow Golitsyn's path. Which the prince specifically ordered to be cut through in order to admire the surroundings. This trail is true stone art!
Be sure to bring your camera - you will definitely have something to photograph! For more inspiration, you can take champagne or wine with you and drink it with friends right on the territory of the grotto. As Prince Golitsyn and the Emperor himself did.
Follow safety rules and always carry an first aid kit with you.
Enjoy your holiday! Enjoy every minute!
Where is: New World, st. Embankment, 3
Chaliapin (Golitsyn) Grotto coordinates (latitude, longitude): 44°49"22"N 34°55"05"E
How much does the ticket cost: 100 rub.
Chaliapin's Grotto is the pearl of the peninsula, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. The grotto is a unique cave about 20 meters deep. The origin of the grotto is natural and miraculous: a sea wave carved deep “apartments” into the slopes of Mount Koba-Kaya.
A little history of Chaliapin's grotto
For hundreds of years, this grotto has been actively used by people for various purposes. Tribes of ancient people lived here, worshiped deities in the Middle Ages, and the powers that be of past centuries rested and enjoyed the joys of life. Prince Golitsyn also used the unique microclimate of the grotto to store wines, and the acoustics for surround sound music and the voices of the best performers. The walls of the grotto contain echoes of those times: the remains of temple paintings, stone wine racks. The grotto received its name in connection with the story associated with Fyodor Chaliapin. They say that when he sang here, his voice, amplified by the acoustics of the walls, was capable of not only causing goosebumps on the skin of those listening, but also breaking glasses.
The beauty of Chaliapin's grotto
The stone grotto is pleasant because even on the hottest, hot day it is fresh and cool here. If the air temperature outside reaches +33 degrees Celsius, then in the depths of the grotto it may not rise more than +5. The inside is quite spacious and somehow solemn: ceilings, floors, walls are made of monolithic stone with unique natural imprints sea waves, unusual deep acoustics of voices, special air. The spring with cold fresh spring water that flows in the center of the grotto deserves special attention. This water is the first thing a traveler might wish for on a hot, hot day. Inside the grotto there are routes for climbers: two along the walls and one steep on the ceiling itself, but they are abandoned due to the constant presence of crowds of tourists in the grotto. There is a stage for concerts and festivals, as well as a wine cellar with delicious Crimean grape wines.
How to get to Chaliapin's grotto or Golitsyn trail
The road to the grotto is called the Golitsyn trail and consists of stone steps carved directly into the rock back in the 19th century. It is amazing what titanic efforts the workers had to make to cope with the hard monolithic stone, using only their physical strength and primitive tools, because the total length of the trail is 5400 meters. On steep cliffs the path was cut by workers suspended in special devices. There is a story about a case when people had to stay in such devices for two days due to the raging elements. There are sections of the trail that were created through blasting. Stone stairs have railings and observation decks. And the view here is wonderful: the boundless Black Sea, impressive majestic mountains in a bluish-gray haze.
To see the grotto with your own eyes, you need to get to Simferopol, then to Sudak, then by taxi or minibus to the village of Novy Svet. You can visit the attraction on your own, or as part of an organized group with a guide.
Modern life of Chaliapin's grotto
The grotto is not only part of a favorite tourist route, but also a venue for opera concerts and classical music festivals. The most talented performers and connoisseurs of their art come together to enjoy music in this unique place on the Black Sea coast. The Fyodor Chaliapin Festival is held here every summer, attracting many fans of high-quality classical music. The unique sound of instruments, deep surround sound, the beauty of local landscapes, and stone arched niches create indescribable emotions among visitors to these music festivals.
Before visiting the attraction
A visit to Chaliapin's grotto requires little preparation, especially if traveling with children. Wear comfortable sports shoes, put on a hat, bring warm sweaters and swimsuits, and equipment for photography. The ideal time to visit the grotto, as well as the entire peninsula, is from May to October. The resulting impressions will more than repay the time and money spent.
(New World) is not just a tourist route. This is an unusual and very attractive way to get acquainted with Crimean nature. It was created more than a hundred years ago by the caring hand of Prince Lev Golitsyn.
New World, Crimea: the Golitsyn trail and its history
A unique walking route was laid out on the slope of Mount Koba-Kaya in 1912. The creator of the trail was the famous prince - the founder of the village of Novy Svet and Crimean winemaking. In this regard, for tourist route The name "Golitsyn's trail" was established.
Tsar Nicholas II visited the New World in 1912. It was he who became the first visitor to the paved trail. The Tsar really enjoyed the walk, after which he was also treated to champagne from Golitsyn’s cellars. “Now I see life in a new light,” said Nicholas II, after draining the second bottle of the fabulous drink. It was after this phrase that Lev Sergeevich’s estate received its modern name.
Golitsyn Trail (Crimea): photo and description of the route
The total length of the tourist route is 5.5 kilometers. The trail encircles then passes along the Blue Bay, goes around Cape Kapchik and ends in the Blue Bay. The entire route can be completed in 1.5-2 hours. It is worth taking a small supply of food and water with you.
Beautiful and slightly mysterious Eastern Crimea. This is where the Golitsyn (New World) trail is located. How to get to this tourist site?
The route starts near the western edge of the embankment resort village(within the so-called Green Bay). There is a checkpoint manned by foresters. They charge a small fee to enter the trail and keep order along the route.
The Golitsyn trail is quite narrow at the very beginning. In this section it is laid between a sheer cliff on one side and a steep cliff on the other. Here the route is equipped with concrete sides and railings for the safety of tourists.
First stop: Golitsyn's grotto
The first attraction on the trail is Golitsyn (or Chaliapin, as he is also called). A narrow path leads directly to this object. Prince Golitsyn built wine cellars in the grotto. To this day, niches (in the form of hollowed out arches) in the walls, in which exclusive bottles of wine lay, have been preserved. There is also a well in the grotto. Now it is dry, but in Golitsyn’s time there was water in it.
The grotto itself is a small cavity in the coastal rock, formed naturally (by the impacts of sea waves). Its height does not exceed thirty meters, and its width is about 18 meters. Archaeologists have established that in the Middle Ages there was a cave Orthodox monastery here. Ancient wall paintings could be seen back at the end of the 19th century. Later, Prince Golitsyn set up his wine library here.
The grotto is also often called Chaliapinsky. In the depths of the rock cavity you can actually see an improvised stone stage. According to some sources, the famous singer Fyodor Chaliapin once performed there. Moreover, his powerful voice, as the legend says, even broke a glass of wine. It is difficult to say that everything was exactly like this, and that the talented performer even visited the New World. Maybe it's just a legend. Nevertheless, musical concerts in Chaliapin's grotto are sometimes held today. The acoustics of this cave are simply excellent!
Second stop: Cape Kapchik
After the Chaliapin grotto, the Golitsyn trail, along the southern slope of Mount Koba-Kaya, leads the traveler to the shores of the Blue Bay. It is also known as the Robber's, because during the Ancient Greece Pirate ships were hiding here. From the west, the Blue Bay is bordered by Cape Kapchik, where the route leads further.
From the Turkic language, “kapchik” is an elongated small bag worn on the belt. Kapchik is a cape that is connected to land by a narrow isthmus. At the same time, it separates the Blue and Blue Bays. Cape Kapchik is nothing more than an ancient coral reef. With its silhouette it resembles a giant stone lizard.
The outlines of the cape are very recognizable to many tourists. After all, Kapchik “starred” in a number of Soviet feature films. These are “Pirates of the 20th Century”, “Amphibian Man”, “Treasure Island” and many others. The camp of the main characters of the popular film "Sportloto-82" was also located here.
From Cape Kapchik there is a beautiful view of Tsarsky Beach and Blue Bay - the next stop on the trail.
Third stop: Tsarsky Beach
Having passed Cape Kapchik, the Golitsyn trail leads tourists to the beautiful Blue Bay. It is bounded by Mount Karaul-Oba on one side and the already mentioned cape on the other.
The main attraction of the bay is the so-called Tsarsky Beach. It is called that for a reason: monarchs chose this section of the Crimean coast a very long time ago. Today, Tsarsky Beach is geographically part of the New World nature reserve, so access here is limited.
Finally...
Created at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Golitsyn trail today is one of the most popular tourist sites in Eastern Crimea. There are excursions here every day. This route allows guests of the peninsula to experience all the diversity of the local nature and landscapes of the Crimean coast.
The total length of the trail is 5500 meters. Along the way, tourists can see a lot of interesting things: Chaliapin's grotto, Blue and Blue Bays, Cape Kapchik, Tsarsky Beach and other excursion sites.
How did the grotto get this? unusual name? Prince L.S. Golitsyn was in love with Crimea. He was fascinated by the Crimean nature, giving preference to the production of local wines. One day the Count decided to build an estate in one of the most beautiful places Crimea, and gave the village the name Novosvetskoe. One day, the count's servant went fishing to the Cave Rock. And while walking along the mountain I came across a natural depression, which was carved by the waves of the black sea. Upon returning to the estate, he told Golitsyn that he had discovered the grotto. It was not in vain that the servant told about his discovery, since the count not only found a use for the grotto, but also glorified it.
This grotto can be considered a unique place, because in the middle of the recess there is a well, which constantly contains ordinary drinking water. Despite the fact that there is a salty sea ten meters away, this means that underground water does not flow here quite normally.
The second amazing property of the natural depression is the temperature is 9 degrees and it is constant all year round. This temperature is typical for storing champagne. For this reason, Golitsyn built a tunnel that connected to his winery. In the grotto he made storage for the champagne produced and, due to its size, it could accommodate about ten thousand bottles of the famous Crimean drink.
The third advantage of the grotto is its impeccable dimensions. It is 27 meters long and 16 meters wide. Such parameters create a good acoustic atmosphere and therefore Count Golitsyn loved to invite acquaintances, people from high society, and held concerts, parties and balls for them. Not a single event was complete without musical accompaniment. The count’s friend, Fyodor Chaliapin, was supposed to participate in one of these events, but unfortunately, he did not come, but the event was surrounded by legends and for a long time it was believed that he was here. The musician at that time amazed everyone around him with his amazing voice. At one of his performances, Chaliapin surpassed himself, and Count Golitsyn was so amazed by the singing of his friend, Fyodor Ivanovich. That at that very moment I decided to name the grotto in honor of Fyodor Chaliapin.
Many scientists and artists admired the beauty of Crimea and left memories of themselves in Crimean natural monuments. One of them is Chaliapin’s grotto. There is an opinion that in the Middle Ages there were cave temples in this place. Proof of this is a small painting on the wall of the grotto; it was noticeable back in the 19th century.
The cave is about 20 m long, 5-8 m high - this is what Golitsyn’s grotto is. There is a small well in the center. Prince Lev Sergeevich Golitsyn was engaged in the equipment of this grotto. A stone wall divides it into two parts; the inner part was intended for storing wines - niches were made there where collectible vintage wines were stored. This wine collection has survived to this day. In the left far corner the arch is visible. The grotto was connected to a tunnel that led to the wine cellars of the plant.
Guests often came here to visit Golitsyn. This grotto has amazing acoustics. A large chandelier was used for lighting. A stone terrace built on the front platform was used for special occasions.
A new stage in the history of the grotto begins in the twentieth century. The most famous people visited the grotto, in particular Nicholas II. There is a legend that says that Nicholas II, having tasted wine in the grotto, said that everything now seemed to him in a new way, or “in a new light.” This is where the name “New World” came from. In memory of Golitsyn, the path that leads to the cave is named.
The famous opera singer Chaliapin often visited Golitsyn. On one of these visits, Chaliapin gave a concert in the grotto. Everything was prepared for the concert: the stage for the artist, tables for the audience. When the singer began to sing, everyone trembled. Chaliapin's voice was so strong that the resonance in his hand broke the glass.
And today opera festivals and concerts are held in the grotto, because the acoustics in this natural room are unique. During performances, candles are lit in the grotto and the impression of the concert remains unforgettable.
Thousands of tourists visit the grotto every day. They come here along the Golitsyn path and go further - to Tsarskoye Beach. Several people used to pass through the grotto climbing routes(one walked along the ceiling, two along the walls of the cave). But now, due to the huge flow of tourists, these routes are not in demand.
