Last year, I journeyed to Crimea to visit the palaces of Imperial Russia. This was when I encountered the home of the Vorontsov family, which I reckon is the most beautiful palace in this area.

As Russian history buffs know very well, Crimea was a favourite holiday destination for Nicholas II and his family. Nicholas II was the last czar of Russia, as far as many historians are concerned.

THE ABDICATION OF NICHOLAS II

In truth, when he abdicated for himself and his son Alexei in Pskov in 1917, he transferred his power to his brother Michael. But Michael refused to take the crown and never took his oath as czar. This is why many historians consider Nicholas II the real last czar.

Anyhow, Crimea was also a favorite of previous generations of Romanovs. In fact, the father of Nicholas II died in his palace in Yalta. This was a wooden palace on the Livadia estate which I understand has not survived intact.

LIVADIA PALACE IN YALTA

Then Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra built the white palace of Livadia. Through this connection and the fact that the Yalta Summit of 1945 was held here, Livadia Palace became the most famous building in the Crimea.

I visited Livadia Palace twice. On this recent visit last year, the caretakers told me that sometimes they can hear the laughter of children on the second floor at night. This was quite a sad moment for me, and even now I feel a sense of heaviness when I think of Livadia Palace just outside the city Yalta.

THE BEAUTIFUL PALACES OF CRIMEA

Many Russian aristocrats and nobility also built their homes here. At that time, I personally think the Yusupov home was perhaps the most beautiful palace in Crimea. After all, the Yusupov family was among the wealthiest families in Russia. Also, Zenaida Yusupova was famous for her good taste and intelligence.

However, today the Yusupov home in Crimea is a government holiday facility that is not open to the public. I managed to visit it and very little remains of the grandeur of the Yusupov family.

THE INTERIORS OF VORONTSOV PALACE

In contrast, the public rooms of the Vorontsov Palace have been kept almost completely intact. This was a delight and a surprise for me, as we all know what the Bolsheviks did to many other Imperial Russia palaces.

Almost every piece of decor and furniture in the main rooms is original. The original wallpaper, carvings and statues have been preserved. Also the piano Sergei Rachmaninov reportedly played on is still in the sitting room, as is a wooden cabinet where letters from Pushkin were kept.

CRIMEA AND THE 1917 REVOLUTION

“How is it possible that the Vorontsov Palace is intact?” I asked my guides. It’s actually a very interesting story. The Vorontsov family owned this palace for generations.

Then, even after the 1917 Russian Revolution, Countess Elisaveta Vorontsova-Dashkova and the other members of the Vorontsov family who had managed to flee to Crimea continued to live in elegance and style in their home for about two years. This was due to the fact that the Bolsheviks did not reach Crimea immediately. It took two years for the Russian revolutionaries to make their way to Crimea.

ESCAPE OF THE ROMANOVS FROM RUSSIA

In 1919, the family members escaped Russia together with the Empress Dowager Marie Feodorovna and her retinue. The British government had sent a warship to rescue her and bring her to England. Almost all remaining aristocrats in the Crimea region sailed out on this ship into an unknown future.

In 1925, the Vorontsov Palace was made into a museum by the government in power. This was why it is the only palace that escaped the Russian Revolution intact. Every other palace, except for Massandra Palace, was turned into a government facility and the grandeur was lost.

PRIVATE VISIT TO VORONTSOV PALACE

The palace administrators were kind enough to give me access to the palace after regular hours. So I had the luxury of walking around the palace without anyone around. It gave me a feel of what it was like in the old days of Imperial Russia.

Several details especially impressed me. I loved the wood-panelled dining room with a marble fountain. Apparently, the Vorontsov family would have ice taken down from the Ai Petri mountain and then they would use the marble fountain as a giant champagne bucket.

The palace also has a beautiful greenhouse filled with plants and the most exquisite white marble statues. Many visitors to this palace especially love these statues.

THE FAMOUS VORONTSOV LIBRARY

The sitting room is also well preserved. The wall coverings are absolutely beautiful. However, the piece de resistance here is a room not usually open to the public. The Vorontsov family were not only wealthy but also very learned, so they kept an impressive library that remains intact to this date.

Many ancient books about the world and about strategies for war were on the shelves when I visited. The shelves are installed from floor to ceiling and completely covered with books. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos of the library, but even today, I can still remember how beautiful it was, with the sun shining at exactly the right point through the window.

Read more about our travels around Russia in Travelife Magazine.

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In beautiful Crimea until just last week, living a Travelife, I drove from Yalta to the naval city of Sevastopol.  This is considered to be the most Russian city on the Crimean peninsula.

This is obvious from its history and its architecture and even from the look of the average person on the street. To me, the locals here looked quite different from the locals in other cities in Crimea.

FINDING A GOOD RESTAURANT IN SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA

It was lunch by the time we reached this Russian city so we decided to find a place to eat. “Let’s go to the best restaurant in Sevastopol,” I requested of my companions. “It doesn’t have to be the fanciest, but it must be the restaurant with the best food. I don’t care where we go as long as the food is good.”

My companion googled good restaurants on his phone and he found one that suited my request. He said: “This restaurant is by the sea. It’s not luxurious, but the food is delicious. I’ve eaten here before.”

DRIVING TO SEVASTOPOL HARBOR

Done deal. So off we drove towards the port, and this restaurant was right in the harbor area. But first, before going to the restaurant, I had to walk straight to edge of the harbor to take about a dozen photographs.

This Russian city is so beautiful. On a fine day, this scene could be in the south of France or southern Italy. I could not believe I was in Crimea because the entire vibe of the harbor area was fashionable, relaxed and sophisticated.

THE VIBE OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Then we entered the restaurant and immediately I felt like we were in the south of France. The restaurant was casual, but it had live seafood and its waitstaff were all wearing nautical t-shirts. I knew immediately that this was the right choice.

We looked at the menu. The food sounded simple but good. I ordered oysters with a glass of sparkling wine and some seafood appetizers to share. Then we had fish soup and I had a seafood pasta.

PASTA IN CRIMEA

I’d been ordering pasta everywhere in Crimea. Every pasta that came my way so far had been very good. This was a big surprise for me, considering we were a long way from Italy.

When the food came, everything was way above my expectations. The dishes were arranged in a simple but stylish way, and everything tasted fresh and good. It was hard to believe I was in this Russian city and not somewhere along the Mediterranean coast.

SAILING IN SEVASTOPOL HARBOR

After such an enjoyable lunch, I wanted to see more of this beautiful city. So we hired a boat to go around harbor. 

The boat captain even allowed me to drive the boat along the way. Who would’ve thought I would have so much fun in a Russian naval city like this in Crimea, living a #Travelife?

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Last week, I was in Crimea to see all the major sightseeing spots in Yalta, Sevastopol, and Fyodosia. I also went to see the Crimean Bridge which just opened, linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russia mainland. On the way back, we stopped at a Tatar neighborhood store to try camca. Camca is a Crimean Tatar delicacy that is really popular among Crimean Tatars and also among the other people who live in Crimea.

The drive back from Kerch to Yalta took around four hours. Along the way, I got hungry. “What’s good to eat in Crimea?” I asked Mikhail, my official escort from the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Crimea.

A CRIMEAN TATAR DELICACY

Without hesitating, he said: “How would you like to taste the food of the Crimean Tatars? There’s a snack they make which is called camca (pronounced “samsa”) and I myself like it very much.”

“Let’s try it!” I said. “But I have one condition. It should be the best we can possible find.”

A REAL CRIMEAN TATAR OVEN

Mikhail said: “To do that, we must look for a Tatar shop by the road with a real Tatar oven.” So we drove a few kilometers along the highway towards Yalta until we found a wooden shack with a few round tables and chairs.

Mikhail said: “I see the Tatar oven. Let’s go to this one.”

I got down from the car and walked over to see a cylindrical oven made of brick and mud, and fired with wood. When the man from the shop lifted the cover of the oven, I saw inside several round bread that resembled pies.

HOT TEA OR COLD TOMATO JUICE?

Mikhail and I each ordered a spicy camca and to drink we were recommended to have the camca with hot tea or cold tomato juice. I ordered the tomato juice.

What a delicious treat this turned out to be. These were piping hot. And when I bit into mine, juices and meat oozed out. To give it an extra kick, we put lots of onion sauce into it.

I’m now in Moscow, getting ready to return to Asia. But still I am dreaming about that camca I ate, on the day I crossed the Crimean Bridge and then drove back to Yalta, living a #Travelife.

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