Partenit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Partenit | |
|---|---|
| Партенiт Партенит Partenit |
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| Region of Crimea: | Alushta |
| Location: | |
| Altitude: | ~30 m |
| Area: | ? km² |
| Population: | 6,391 (2001) |
| Density: | ? /km² |
| Postal codes: | 98542 — 98544 |
| Phone prefix: | +380-6560 |
| Time zone: | EET: UTC+2 |
| Previous name: | ? |
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| [ official web-site] | |
Partenit (Ukrainian: Партенiт, Russian: Партенит, Crimean Tatar: Partenit) is a seaside city in the southern part of Crimea, Ukraine. The name has its origins in the Greek "Parthenon." Lying just east of a mountain which Turkish speakers named Ayu Dag (Russian: Медвед Гора; which means Bear Mountain), Partenit is on a fairly flat coastal plot of land, although the elevation quickly rises the further away one goes from the sea. Much of the architecture of the city is in the Soviet realist style. The current permanent-resident population is largely Ukrainian, with a significant influx of Tatars and Armenians.
[edit] History
Partenit is an ancient city. It has been settled or invaded by Greeks, Goths, Turks, Genoese, Tatars, and Nazis. It is in wine country; the nearby Massandra winery is famous for its production of Bastardo and other wines. When the Nazis invaded, a local vintner released all of his wine from barrels so the Nazis couldn't profit from it, making a lake full of wine. The Nazis stayed and got drunk at the "wine lake" for three days.
[edit] Tourist Attraction
Partenit has two beaches. One is the public beach which is free. The other is on the property of the military resort and much bigger. Most tourists rent an apartment from a local rentor, and the going rate in recent years has been about $20/day for an apartment within a 10 minute walk of the beach. There are several businesses offering excursions, set up for tourists between the bazaar and the beach, to different parts of Crimea, including to Alexander III's palace, Nikolai II's palace (which also served as Stalin's dacha), and waterfalls. A local tour goes through Ayu Dag, tracing its history through earthquakes and past ruins of ancient churches of the Goths. One of the first national parks in Ukraine was established to protect Ayu Dag.
