I’m still not sure after the trip whether it was good value for money or if we were mugged. I think it was the former. Our host spoke excellent English, knew a lot about the area, and gave us an insight into the changes that were going on. He told us how it had been difficult to live within the Communist regime, and now how Ukraine was trying to develop into a Capitalist way of life. He complained that it seemed like 10% of the population had 90% of the wealth. Hmmmmm, I don’t think he realises this is quite normal...... But he was very knowledgeable and provided all sorts of information.
Livadia Palace was originally built quite recently (1912) by the last of the Tsars as a holiday home for himself and his family. They only visited four times before the communist revolution. The story of the demise of the Russian Tsars and the brutal murder of the last Russian royal family is well known.
The palace went through a stage of being a convalescent home, and was also occupied by the Germans during WWII who stripped it of its wealth when they retreated. Livadia’s real fame lies in the fact that it is the place where Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt met just before the end of the war to decide on the future of Europe. There are historic photographs of the meeting and for 6 ½ Euros, you can visit inside, and see the table used to decide the fate of Germany and the occupied countries. We chose not to do that, but I wish I had now.
We had a wander around the grounds, admired the view, caught a glimpse of a private concert in the gardens, and visited the little chapel at the back built for the Tsars family. The Tsar, his wife, four daughters and son, are now Saints in Ukrainian religion because they died for their faith it seems. The Communist regime decided atheism was the way to go. Cathedrals and places of worship were closed and Christians could not worship or show their faith. For the Ukraine people, Glasnost didn't come soon enough.
After the Livadia Palace we stopped at a viewing point to get some pictures of the Swallow’s Nest Castle, (now an Italian restaurant, which destroys any ideas of a romantic history), and spent money in the souvenir shops.
After an entertaining little trip, we returned to Yalta and visited the cathedral before taking the cable car up the mountain. The cathedral was beautiful on the outside, all white and gold, but inside was very dark, all the wall paintings were very dark, and it didn’t have the same appeal as many of the others we’ve seen.
The cable car was a bit of an adventure in itself. The cars are tiny, only just big enough for two, and like a ski lift, the cable doesn’t stop to let you on, you have to make a bit of a dash for it. Bearing in mind you have to navigate doors to get to the seats, it’s all a bit hairy. Getting off is very similar and the whole experience certainly caused a few giggles. The cable car only goes about a third of the way up the mountain, and from it we had to find our way to the War Memorial. Although the memorial is quite massive, it was also kind of understated, with expansive views of the city and its surroundings.
Towards the end of our day, we took a walk along the sea front absorbing the atmosphere and eating ice cream. At the port end of the sea front, a statue of Lenin, founder of the Communist Republics, surveys his legacy with pride. With a sense of poetic justice, the governors of Yalta have allowed a McDonalds to be opened directly in front of his gaze. Cool irony huh?
Yalta is a pretty city, clean and obviously one of the places to visit if you are a Ukrainian. The mountains make a magnificent backdrop and sort of reminded us of Madeira. All in all a nice place to visit and we had a good day.
Tomorrow is Istanbul, I have no idea what to expect, just something completely different.............
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