Genoese fortress in Sudak - on the ruins of Soldaya. Genoese fortress in Sudak - an ancient fortification structure of the Middle Ages

How many medieval fortresses do you know built on a coral reef? I think not.
Genoese fortress in Sudak. It rises on an ancient fossilized coral reef, which today is a cone-shaped mountain. The mountain has several names, the oldest mention is Kyz-Kulle-Burun, the most frequent mention is Mount Fortress, there is also a Tatar name - Dzhenevez-Kaya.
This is a former military base of the Genoese colony of Soldaya, considered almost impregnable. The fortress was built for almost 100 years - from 1371 to 1469. And in 1475 it was taken by the Turks...

2. The first defensive structures on the site of the modern fortress appeared in the 6th century. The Allans, Khazars, Polovtsians, Byzantines, and Golden Horde ruled here alternately. In XII, envoys of the Byzantine state appeared on the shores of the Black Sea - Venetians, Pisans and Genoese. They actively begin to trade with Russian, Polovtsian and Central Asian merchants. Gradually, it was the Genoese who captured the entire coast from the Bosporus (Kerch) to Chersonesus (the present-day region of Sevastopol). Kafa (Feodosia) became the capital of their colony in Crimea, and Sudak became a military base.

3. The Genoese united all the separate defensive structures available here at that time into one complex. Thus began the construction of the now world-famous Genoese fortress.
The fortress occupied an area of about 30 hectares, and had two tiers of defense - lower and upper. The lower tier was protected by a wall approximately 6-8 meters high and 1.5-2 meters thick. The fortress wall was fortified with fourteen battle towers up to 15 meters high and the Main Gate complex.

4. At the foot of one of the battle towers.

5. Each of the towers bore the name of one of the consuls under whom this tower was built, as evidenced by the slabs with heraldic symbols and inscriptions in medieval Latin preserved on the towers. Unfortunately, these slabs have not been preserved on all towers, nor have the towers themselves. Some of the surviving towers: Giovanni Marione, Pasquale Gedice, Corrado Cicalo, Frederico Astagvera...

6. Khachkar in the wall of one of their towers

7. Main gate complex. It consists of two gate towers - the western Jacobo Torsello and the eastern Bernabo di Franchi di Pagano. The bottom of the western tower is reinforced by a gentle slope, a buttress, which served both the engineering function of strengthening the base of the tower and the combat one. The combat function of the buttress was that the stones thrown down by the defenders of the Sudak fortress bounced off it, and this increased the area and the possibility of hitting the enemy.
Loopholes are cut into the combat tier of the tower; on the tier above there are rectangular embrasures that expand outward. Inside the tower there are niches where bombards or ballistas were installed.
The eastern tower appeared somewhat later than the western one. The tower has loopholes and four embrasure windows, the same as in the Jacobo Torsello tower. There are crosses carved on the wall on the side of the gate. WITH south side At the base of the tower, the remains of steps of a staircase are visible, along which, apparently, the guards climbed the tower and walls. Both towers are connected by a stone bridge with a loophole window.

8. There was a city inside the fortress. At the main gate of Soldaya there was a small trading area, where the main city institutions were concentrated. Greek cathedral Hagia Sophia, the Catholic Cathedral of the Virgin Mary, the market, the building of the loggia of the commune (town hall) and customs.

10. The entire space inside the fortress, which is empty today, in ancient times was built up with religious buildings and residential buildings. On the territory of the city, no more than 20 hectares in size, plus the suburbs adjacent to the fortress walls from the northeast and north, about 8 thousand people lived. This is known for sure, because The census of 1249 has been preserved. For the Middle Ages this is a large figure.

11. The houses of the inhabitants of medieval Sudak were built on terraces. From south to north, the city had five streets with narrow alleys.

12. Remains of the western wall. Today, no more than a meter remains from the former height of several meters

13. Loophole closed with shutter

14. View of the upper tier with the Consular Castle and the Maiden Tower, considered the most ancient.

15. Not all visitors decide to climb to the highest point of the fortress - the Maiden Tower. This is prevented by the gentle, smooth slope of the rock on which the tower is located.
But it's worth climbing it. From here you have simply incredible views in all directions. It’s not for nothing that this tower has a second name - Watchtower.

16. View from the Maiden Tower to the territory of the fortress and present-day Sudak

17. West Bank

18. Eastern coast, where Sudak and its beaches are now located.
The wall of the second tier and the Consular Castle are also visible.

19. Consular Castle

20. Inner courtyard of the Consular Castle.
The castle itself consisted of three towers connected by fortress walls. In the Middle Ages, it also served as the home and residence of the Genoese consul - the head of the Genoese administration of Soldai.
The structure of the consular castle consists of a donjon and a courtyard, which is joined from the north-west by a portico and a corner tower added later. The courtyard is enclosed within thick walls with loopholes. The width of the courtyard is 8.6 m, the length is 15.5 m. To this day, on the eastern side of the courtyard, the remains of a staircase can be seen, along which one could go out to a fighting platform with a ledge, where secret doors are still walled up. Where a barely noticeable path goes down the rock. This exit was used when there was a siege of the fortress for escape or communication with the outside world. The only way to enter the castle courtyard was through a gate protected by a rectangular barbican.
The consular tower served not only as a headquarters, but also as an arsenal, and could be isolated from the rest of the fortress.
Water tanks with a total volume of about 40 cubic meters were installed in the tower in case of a siege. This is evidenced by traces of waterproof plaster and two ceramic pipes.

21. As mentioned above, in the Middle Ages the consular castle served as the home and residence of the Genoese consul - the head of the Genoese administration of Soldai. Usually the consul was elected for a term of one year and received a very high salary for the performance of his office.
The position of consul, as a rule, was occupied by representatives of the nobility from the Genoese families. Before taking office, the consul was not supposed to be in Soldaya. This rule was considered important to ensure that the ruler could not use his official position for personal gain. The consul did not have his own housing in the city, which is why his military residence was the consular castle.

22. The room where the consuls of Soldai lived - a throne, a fireplace, skins... Maybachs of that time

24. The building of the mosque, which is now a museum, and in official documents referred to as the Arcade Building. This is the only perfectly preserved building on the territory of the fortress.
There are several theories about the purpose of this building. One of them says that initially it was a Christian temple and after the capture of Sudak by the Tatars it was converted into a mosque. According to another version, the building was built by the Genoese in 1365 and later converted into a mosque. There is also a version that this domed building was built by the Tatars or Seljuk Turks as a mosque, and the Genoese converted it into a Catholic church.
Excavations carried out in 1962 outside and inside the domed building indicate that it was originally built as a mosque. Firstly, no traces of previous Christian temple and no accompanying burials. Secondly, this is confirmed by the fact that the foundations of the previously existing galleries and minaret are folded into a band with the foundation of the building.

25. Arched and domed entrance to the mosque building.

26. Today, the central part of the museum is a cubic structure. The building is covered with a spherical dome resting on the so-called corrugated tromps.
The spherical dome without a drum goes into the walls of the mosque with the help of corrugated “sails”. A similar structure of spherical domes is typical of the architecture of Ottoman Turkey, which was influenced by Byzantium.

27. The most important architectural components of the building - vaults, corners, columns and window casings - are made of solid blocks and decorated with carved ornaments. This ornament is most often defined in the literature as Seljuk.

28. The greatest controversy is caused by a fragment of a fresco on the western pilaster of the internal arcade of the building. A fragment of the painting was discovered in 1958, when the plaster was peeling off. A figure in a reddish robe with a covered head appears against a light gray background. O. Dombrovsky believes that this is a male figure depicting a saint with a halo. Other researchers believe that the fresco depicts a woman. For example, art critic I. F. Trotskaya states that this is definitely female image. Proof of this is a scarf or a kind of hood on the head of the person depicted.

29. Nowadays, some traces of Soldaya found on the territory of the fortress are exhibited in the museum premises - frescoes, pithos, heraldic plates, etc.

30.

31. Tiled ceiling of the tank room and view of the Consular Castle

32. Stylized "medieval retro" dry closets. True, they do not work at the height of the tourist season in mid-summer. Which, however, is not surprising.

33. In conclusion, the story about the Genoese fortress - views from different parts of it.
Sokol and Cape Kapchik in the distance

34. Sudak, Alchak-Kaya and Meganom. View from the Maiden Tower

35. Sudak, Karagach and Karadzha

36. Tree of wishes

The history of the Genoese fortress is short. After that, it was captured by the Turks in 1475. The towers and defensive walls were not repaired. In 1783 the fortifications became the property of Russian Empire and the fortress began to decline.
In our time, due to its picturesqueness, good preservation of ancient buildings and easy accessibility, the Sudak fortress was often used as a colorful setting in historical, adventure and fairy-tale films.
More than forty films were filmed here, such as “Amphibian Man”, “Othello”, “The Rings of Almanzor”, “Solo Voyage”, “Pirates of the Twentieth Century”, “Chief of Chukotka”, “Umbrella for the Bridal”, “Primordial Rus'”, “The Odyssey of Captain Blood”, “The Master and Margarita”, “Socrates”, “Hamlet”, “Marco Polo” and others.
In addition, a historical festival dedicated to the art of chivalry is held annually on the territory of the fortress.

My previous photo reports and photo stories:

And places that deserve the attention of tourists. The first on their list is the Genoese fortress. I decided to dedicate this post to her.

Location

There is a defensive structure on Fortress Mountain. It used to be a coral reef. Today it enters Sudak Bay. It's very beautiful places. You can see the famous and other attractions of the surrounding area.

Founding history

Construction of the fortress began back in 242 AD, simultaneously with the founding of the city. What was then a small settlement. It is difficult to say why it was named after the Genoese. After all, they started construction work far from out of nowhere, which, by the way, was ideal for this.

At the same time, historians claim that the first defensive structure was erected around the 7th century. Before the arrival of the Genoese, the Khazars, the Byzantines, and even Golden Horde. But it was the people after whom the fortress was named who built what we can admire today.

They began building fortification walls in 1371. Some buildings were altered and re-equipped. All the work took almost a hundred years. Construction was completed only in 1469. Six years later, Crimea was captured by the Ottoman Turks. In 1475, during the last siege, all the surviving defenders were burned. Along with the temple in which they tried to find refuge.

Almost three hundred years later, when Prince Dolgoruky came to the Sudak lands, the fortress walls were given to him without a fight. Already in Potemkin times, several additional barracks for soldiers were built here.

Today we can see the fortress in perfect condition thanks to large-scale reconstruction in the early seventies. Perhaps, if not for her, today this building would be little different from the one in Feodosia.

Features, description

The territory covered by the fortress walls is more than impressive - almost thirty hectares. Some fortifications are located on Cape Kyz-Kule-Burun. It has two lines of defense. The height of the walls is about 8 meters, and the thickness is 2. On its territory there are 18 fifteen-meter towers.

The entire fortress can be divided into three complexes. The Lower Complex contains the main gate, a battlemented defensive wall and 14 towers. I was most impressed by the main gate. They have a majestic view, impressive with the number of spectacular buildings:

The area in front of the gate is in the shape of a horseshoe;
Pivot type bridge;
Ditch (dry);
Lancet-type portal (arch) with two small turrets.

A battlement with two of the five surviving towers stretches towards the northwest. Towards the northeast, 4 towers have been preserved, including a semicircular structure with a chapel. In the upper complex - the citadel - there is a consular castle with a powerful line of defense, which formed a kind of courtyard.

There are not many buildings on the territory of the Inner Complex. But one of the most ancient structures has been preserved here - the Maiden Tower, built long before the Genoese fortress of Sudak itself. There are also the ruins of a temple on consoles. And also the Mosque, built during the rule of the Turks. Describe it amazing place possible ad infinitum. Moreover, there is still a functioning museum here. It is small, but it contains historically important finds obtained during excavations.

By the way, visiting the fortress is not free. But believe me, the price is affordable for everyone. Moreover, in comparison with the moral pleasure received, I would call it insignificant. In addition, from here there is a simply stunning view of Sudak, and another cape -.

Prices 2019, official website

Unfortunately, or maybe, on the contrary, fortunately, you won’t be able to come here whenever you want. Visiting hours are from 8 am to 6 pm. Naturally, there are no lunch breaks or days off. Only on the last Friday of every month you will not be able to visit the Temple with an Arcade Museum.

Children under 7 years of age and tourists of preferential categories are admitted free of charge;
Schoolchildren, as well as students, pensioners and residents of Sudak (district) - 75 rubles;
An adult ticket will cost 150 rubles.

If you wish, you can book a guided tour of the area. This way you will learn a lot more interesting things, but it will cost more – from 100 to 200 rubles per person.

Official website: http://sudak-museum.ru/
Phone number for inquiries: 8 978 894 08 50.

How to get to the Genoese fortress of Sudak

You can get here without any problems by any type of transport, including public transport. We need to sit on minibus No. 1 or 5. You reach the turn to the street of the same name (Utes stop). The fortress is only a few minutes walk away.

By the way, it is possible to get here on foot from the Sudak bus station. It’s even better to travel on a personal or borrowed one. You will find a detailed map and coordinates below.

Photo

How to get to the Genoese fortress in Sudak is now of interest to many, because this monument of Italian fortification craftsmanship really deserves attention. It stands out among other architectural sights of Crimea not only for its appearance, but also the spirit of the time, which fills everyone entering his territory. Visitors are captivated by the special atmosphere: it seems that everything here is literally imbued with medieval romance, the time of noble knights and beautiful ladies. At the same time, the Genoese fortress is the only such ancient monument of the peninsula that has been preserved in such good condition.

Where is the fortress located in Crimea?

In Crimea, the Genoese fortress is located in the southeastern part of the peninsula, in the resort. It rises on Fortress Mountain, which was once a coral reef, now jutting into Sudak Bay.

Sudak Genoese fortress on the map of Crimea

History of the attraction

The name Sudak Genoese fortress is historically not entirely fair - of course, it was built by the Genoese, but they did not do it from scratch. It is important that nature itself created all the prerequisites for the construction of defensive structures here.

The first fortification structure here was erected simultaneously with Sudak, then still a small Greek settlement, which arose in 242 AD and, thanks to simple fortifications, was practically impregnable. It must have been because of this that the expanding city changed its “registration” so often: already in the 4th century, Sudak became Byzantine, and in the 7th century it came under the rule of the Khazar Khaganate.

With the weakening of the latter in the 10th century, the Byzantines returned Crimea to their control and rebuilt the old fortress in Sudak, but in 1239 they were finally driven out of the peninsula by the Mongols.

Construction of a modern fortress

In the 14th century, trade interests brought two irreconcilable Italian republics – Venetian and Genoese – to the Crimean coast in the ensuing struggle for influence on the peninsula; the latter emerged victorious in 1365. Almost immediately after this, the Genoese, who had firmly taken root on the southern and southeastern coasts, began to build powerful defensive structures in Sugdea to protect their conquests.

The construction of the fortress, which absorbed the advanced technologies of European fortification craftsmanship, was carried out with special care and on an amazing scale, stretching for almost 100 years - from 1371 to 1469.

As can be seen from the results of their work, the Genoese intended to stay here, if not forever, then for a very long time, and this can also be judged by the significance of these lands for them. The fortress has an area of almost 30 hectares, surrounded by two lines of fortifications, its walls reach 8 m in height and up to 2 m in thickness, with a total of 18 towers 15 m high. From that time on, the Sudak fortress became actually Genoese.

The further fate of the fortress

But it did not remain Genoese for long: just 5 years after the completion of construction, in 1475, the bastion fell under the pressure of Turkish troops. But to the credit of its builders, it is worth noting that this did not happen as a result of an assault, but after a five-day siege, when the commandant, seeing the hopelessness of the situation, decided to surrender, having received guarantees safe care for the garrison. Following the Genoese, they began to gradually leave Sudak and its inhabitants, trade in the region froze, and the city itself early XVIII century, it was virtually depopulated; the Turkish garrison left the fortress even earlier - there was no longer any need for it. In 1771 during Russian-Turkish War Sudak surrendered to Russian troops without a fight, but no one defended the fortress itself.

When in 1783 the Sudak Genoese fortress, together with the city itself, became part of the Russian Empire, it never again had defensive significance. The internal structures gradually deteriorated and began to collapse, and when in 1813 the environs of Sudak were granted by Alexander I to the German colonists, they completely went to building material. Much belatedly, in 1863, the government of Alexander II declared it an architectural monument and transferred it to the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities. And with the establishment of Soviet power in Crimea, the fort became part of the Sofia of Kiev national reserve, which carried out restoration work here in 1928 and from 1968 to 1980.

What is attractive about the Genoese fortress?

All architectural ensemble The fortress consists of three complexes - Lower, Upper and Internal buildings. The lower fortress is represented by the Main Gate, a battlemented fortification wall and 14 towers, each of them bears the name of the consul Sugdeya, during whose reign it was built. The main gate looks
most picturesque and consist of a whole complex of structures:

barbican - a platform in front of the gate opening, shaped like a horseshoe;
a drawbridge leading to the entrance;
dry moat;
Battisto di Zoaglio - an arched portal with a lancet opening, bounded on both sides by turrets;
towers of Jacobo Torsello (western);
towers of Bernabo di Franchi di Pagano (eastern).

To the north-west of the Main Gate stretches a section of a battlemented fortress wall with 5 towers, but only two of them have survived, the rest are almost completely destroyed. Giovanni Marione and Baldo Guarco remained intact. In the north-east direction, out of 7 towers, 4 have survived - Pasquale Giudice, Luchini di Fieschi di Lavani, Corrado Chicapo, as well as a tower with a chapel, which has a semicircular shape.

The upper fortress is the last line of defense - the citadel, where the consul took refuge in case of danger, which is why it is also called the Consular Castle. In fact, this is also a tower, much larger than all the others, towering over the Genoese fortress in Sudak, or, more simply, a donjon. The castle is surrounded by a line of powerful walls, forming a courtyard with 4 towers - Upper, Nameless, Georgievskaya and Watch (Maiden).

The internal buildings are few in number - these are the ruins of the Temple on consoles, next to the Maiden Tower, built earlier than the Genoese fortress, which is the oldest building on its territory. also before the Genoese period, rebuilt during Turkish rule, two warehouse buildings and a cistern.

The Genoese fortress in Sudak is also interesting because, since 2001, the “Genoese Helmet” festival has been held here annually, gathering many participants and spectators, and numerous positive reviews. This battle-costume event is, in fact, a real knightly tournament. Excursions are constantly held on the territory of this attraction of Sudak - they are paid, but can be called symbolic.

How to get to the Sudak fortress?

How to get there? It's not even a question! From the side of the bus station, two minibuses travel at regular intervals - No. 1 and No. 5. You need to reach the turn onto the street. Genoese fortress, stop “Uyutnoye”, from where it’s just a few minutes on foot.

The easiest way to get to the Genoese fortress from the Sudak bus station is on foot or by car:

Note to tourists

Address: Genoese Fortress street, 1, Sudak, Crimea, Russia.
Coordinates: 44°50′30″N (44.84176), 34°57′30″E (34.95835).
Phone: +7-978-894-08-50.
Official website: http://sudak-museum.ru/
Opening hours: May-September – from 8:00 to 20:00, October-April – from 9:00 to 17:00.
Ticket prices: for adults - 150, for beneficiaries - 75 rubles, for children under 16 years old - free.

It is very difficult to answer the question why it is worth visiting the Sudak Genoese fortress. Probably simply because there could be a thousand reasons for this. And which one you like is a matter of taste! Finally, as always, watch the video about the attractions of Crimea described above. Enjoy watching!

The history of Balaclava goes back more than 3,000 thousand years. During this period, the territory of present Balaklava was owned by the Greeks, Taurians, Turks, Ottomans, Romans and Genoese. The very name of the place changed from Sumbolon Limen - from the ancient Greek bay of symbols, to the name consonant with Balaklava - Balyk Yuve from the Turkic fish nest. The bay received its first name from the Greeks, who for a long time guarded and traded with various countries from the Bay of Symbols.

A little history

Construction of the Chembalo fortress began in the 14th century. The Genoese thoroughly strengthened their positions and took root in Balaklava Bay. The historical inscription in Latin, dating back to the beginning of construction in 1357, has been preserved for certain. At the head of Genoa, Khan Tokhtamysh creates an entire state and concludes a peace treaty.

Fortress structure

The Chembalo fortress consists of two parts: the upper fortified city of St. Nicholas and the lower fortified city under the protection of St. George.

The rulers lived in the upper fortress city; it is called the citadel. All administrative issues were resolved here. Among the buildings we can note: the town hall, the consular castle, a small church, small rooms for security and servants. Upper part The city is separated by reliable means of defense: a retaining defensive wall, semi-towers, powerful chains and a guard of forty crossbowmen are installed at the entrance. You can also see an article on our website about the city located in the vicinity of the fortress.

The lower fortified city is inhabited by ordinary citizens different nations: Greeks, Tatars, Armenians. The main income came from the fishing trade. In the middle of the 14th century, an uprising took place in the fortress; Chembalo came under Feodorov’s rule. Then many civilians suffered, the city was almost completely looted. Since 1453, the fortress came under the dominance of Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans began to equip the fortress, a new three-story citadel tower appeared - a donjon. During the Second World War, in the Genoese Chembalo fortress, all that remained of the tower was a sign about the immortal battle against the Nazis. This can be seen in the photo in the article.

The end of the 14th century thoroughly consolidated Turkish dominance, introducing its name - Balyk Yuve (fish nest). Crimean Khans used Chembalo as a prison. The middle of the 16th century, the fortress was captured by the Zaporozhye Cossacks with lightning speed and expelled the Turkish fleet. By the middle of the 18th century, Orthodox residents and Muslims left Balaklava, the city was abandoned until the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Fortress today

During the First and Second times, the fortress served as a defensive structure; the donjon tower was destroyed. The modern Chembalo fortress is part of the Chersonese Tavricheski nature reserve in Sevastopol. Every year, archaeologists carry out excavations and restoration work near the Chembalo fortress. The fortress is imbued with powerful energy, leaving an indelible imprint of history, it is considered a place of internal charge. It is here that knightly tournaments are held annually, which inspire modern youth to new victories.

Holidays in the Crimean Sudak can be called calm. This resort is loved by families with children, for whom the main thing is to bathe their child in the sea, breathe in the healing air, rather than climb a thousand palaces or march into the mountains. But Sudak is not as simple as it seems. There may only be one significant attraction here, but what a one! The majestic Genoese fortress is located here. Isn’t it a familiar name from the pages of a school history textbook? I propose to understand its historical significance and external greatness.

Genoese fortress, Crimea

There are not many fortresses in Russia that are well preserved, and you won’t find one as large and ancient as the Genoese fortress during the day with fire. Just looking at the building of impressive size with 12 towers, the fortresses of Croatia and Crete, built by the Venetians and Italians, immediately came to mind. And exactly, to the Genoese fortress in its modern form It was the Italians who put their hands tightly together. As always happens, the fortress was built and rebuilt by different peoples, depending on who was pursuing what goals on the territory of modern Crimea.
->Download the fortress map
On the information signs I came across the name of this fortress - Sudak fortress, but I still like the Genoese one better. Eh, if only they could restore on its territory all the infrastructure that existed in the Middle Ages (forgive me cultural experts who think conservation better than any restoration)! Just imagine that you can find yourself in a medieval city with narrow streets, residential buildings, and religious institutions. Of course, now all this is not on the territory of the fortress, so we turn on our imagination and remember the surviving mosque and the Consular Castle, as well as various outbuildings of the 13-15 centuries. It’s not difficult to find them; information signs from Soviet times hang everywhere.
I’ve been to Istanbul several times, so I immediately recognized the water storage tank. We visited the most popular cistern, and there I bought a book about the reservoirs of the medieval Turks, which tells in detail about the storage and supply of water throughout the hilly city. It’s nice that a similar building has also been preserved in the Genoese fortress.
On the territory of the fortress there is a perfectly preserved mosque, which passed from hand to hand and became either Christian or Muslim again. Currently, there is an archaeological museum inside, which we enjoyed visiting (but that's a completely different story).
Although we walked around the fortress without a guide, we were able to notice the remains of the foundation and walls ancient temples. I was proud of myself that I didn’t run past without the guide’s instructions, taking pictures of the landscapes with the towers and myself against their background. Of course, I read about this on the Internet before our trip to Sudak, so we explored the fortress carefully and competently.

Genoese fortress, Crimea

I don't want to go into detailed history fortress, because it can be read on the well-known website. And for most tourists, the history of a place is not as important as the impressions and emotions received here - don’t forget the selfie stick.
Perhaps I will only say that the heyday of the city, enclosed within the walls of the fortress, ceased to exist after the conquest of Crimea by the Turks. The Gegnuez fortress lost its defensive function, and the city gradually moved beyond its walls.

Genoese fortress, Crimea

Finally, we reached the Consular Castle, one look at which leaves no options - the Venetians. You can go inside and see storage and living spaces. Although the fortification castle does not look like the Doges Palace in Venice, for some reason I immediately remembered it and those beautiful days, as we toured the various palazzos of modern Italy.
I am endlessly pleased that the powerful walls have withstood all the tests of man and nature, and we can still admire the power and uniqueness of the fortress. I’m generally a fan of any fortification buildings, so it’s difficult to convey my delight. If I have the opportunity to come to Sudak again, I will definitely go for a walk around the fortress, perhaps take a guide to learn something new, to pay attention to what I missed.

Genoese fortress, Crimea

How to get to the Genoese Fortress

Address: 298002, Republic of Crimea, Sudak, Genoese Fortress St. 1
Website: http://www.sudakfortress.ru/

Genoese fortress, Crimea

Cost of visiting the Genoese fortress

— Adult - 150 rub.
— Schoolchildren, students, pensioners, residents of the Sudak region* - 75 rubles.
— Children under seven years old are free.

Walking tour:
— Adult - 200 rub.
— Schoolchildren, students, pensioners, residents of the Sudak region *- 100 rubles.
Excursion groups are formed every half hour from 9:00 to 17:30.
The average duration of the excursion is 40 minutes.
There are also many categories of citizens for whom admission costs 1 ruble or is completely free (read the information at the checkout).
Operating mode:
May - September - from 8 to 19, October - April - from 9 to 17,
no days off or breaks, but the ticket office closes an hour earlier.