Feodosia (“Given by God”) is known from the 6^th century. It was a settlement of the Tauri and was named Ardabda –“The town of the Seven Gods».

The Genoeses called it Kafa and the Turkish — ‘Kuchuk-lstanbul’ (“Small Istanbul”).

In 1783 after the annexation of Crimea the town got its original Greek name — Feodosia.

The Genoese consolidated their position in Feodosia in 1266. They built stone walls with 25 round towers which surrounded the city.

The Constantine Tower built in 1382-1445 has come down to the present time.

The arcature band and stone merlons of the Tower are very expressive. In the 17th century a stone bastion was attached to the Tower. The Genoese built a citadel on the coast of the bay where later a quarantine was established and several Armenian churches and Turkish baths were built.

The Armenian Church of St. Sergius was erected in the 14th century; its entrance was decorated with carved crosses on both sides. The walls are ornamented with delicate stone carving.

On August 16, 1820 Alexander Pushkin visited Feodosia and stayed with Governor of Feodosia S.M. Bronevsky, who established the first Crimean archeological museum. A grotto of the S.M.Bronevsky’s estate has been preserved, a structure with an arched entrance flanked by Doric columns. Read more…

In 1848 the world-famous painter I.K. Aivazovsky, who lived almost all his long life in Feodosia, built a house and a studio on the sea coast after his own design. In 1880 an exhibition hall was attached to them. Here the artist painted his numerous and famous canvases/ One of his most famous pictures «The Tenth Wave» is exposed in St. Peterburg art museum. The house of I.K. Aivazovsky was visited by M.A. Voloshin, A.P. Chekhov, A.G. Rubinshtein and other noted men of culture.

In 1930 the monument to I.K. Aivazovsky was installed at the front of the building of the picture gallery which the artist donated to his native city.

http://gallery.crimea.ua/ru/feodosiya.php

The monument faces the sea, the main theme of the artist’s creativity. The bronze statue was made by sculptor I. Ginsburg; the pedestal is designed by architect P. Gollandsky.

Armenian by nationality, I.K. Aivazovsky was buried near the bell-tower of St. Sergius’ Church in 1900. The white marble sarcophagus was made by Italian sculptor Biogiolli in 1901.

The Russian writer A.S Grin (Grinevsky) (1860-1932) lived six years (1924-1930) in Feodosia where he wrote many of his novels including «The Running Across the Waves» and «The Road to Nowhere».

In the house on 10 Galereinaya Street where the writer lived in 1924-1928 a literary-memorial museum was opened. The entrance to the museum is decorated with attributes of the riggings of a sailing vessel. In its rooms an atmosphere of the magic world of heroes of the great romanticist was created after sketches by artist S.Brodsky.

In 1909 in Feodosia two villas were founded. The Stamboli villa is located in picturesque surroundings on a seacoast. The asymmetrical composition is emphasized by domed terminations, arched galleries and a tower. The interiors are also ornately adorned. The expressive silhouette of the Stamboli villa harmonizes with festive decorations in the Moresque style.

The two-storeyed Milos villa was constructed in 1911. In the solution of its forms the influence of antique architecture can be traced. All the facades are executed according to order canons.

Feodosia includes five settlements and six villages under the district authority.

Morskoye (“Sea-village”) lies at the Black Sea cost 70 km from Feodosia. Near to the village there are the rests of a settling of the 8-15th cc, 6 km from the village there are the ruins of the fortress Choban-Kale.

Its original Greek name was Kapsikhor /Burnt Lake/. The farmers of the village farm center are traditionally engaged in vine growing and wine-making especially Ports.

Sudak(originally Sugdeya and later Surozh and Sudak – “Water Mount”) is a settlement on the Black Sea coast 57 km from Feodosia. There are many archeological monuments in the vicinity of Sudak: settlings of the Paleolithic Age, and the Age of Bronze, the Tauri settlings of the first millennium ВС.

In the Sudak fortress the treasures of Bosphoran coins were unearthed by the archeologists.            In the written documents it is mentioned that the fortress of Sugdeya was built in 212.

In the IX century Prince of Novgorod Bravlin with his troops took the field along the Crimean coast and captured the fortress.

In the 13th century Sudak was such a famous port that even the Black Sea in Old Russian was called the Sea of Surozh. The population of the settlement was more than 8000 people. They had to give contribution to Khan Batu.

In 1475 the Turks captured the fortress and stayed there for many years.

The traditional occupation of the villagers was vine-growing and gardening.

In 1783 after the annexation of the Crimea Prince Potyomkin took a lot of lands here. It was intended to make Sudak the capital of the Crimea. Since 1799 Sudak began producing Champaign.

In 1880 Prince L.S.Golitsyn laid a winery in the next to Sudak village Novy Svet (“New World”). The Champaign «Novy Svet» produced here won Grand Priz in Paris. On the vineyards of Sudak are famous for their grapes, such as Kokur, Muskat, Aligote, and Semilyon. The production of the farm center was highly estimated at the international exhibitions. «Kokur Surozh» won five gold and one silver medal.

Shchebetovka (originally Otuz –“Thirty”) is a settlement situated in a picturesque valley of the Otuzka River — 4 km from the Black Sea. In the vicinity of the settlement there are the rests of the settlings of the Late Stone Age. On the Kara-Dag Mount the tools of the Age of Copper were unearthed. The farmers of the farm center ‘Koktebel» grow 40 sorts of grapes. Its winery is famous for the cognacs and wines «Madera» and «Risling».

Planerskoye is a climatic sea resort at the foothill of Kara-Dag. The resort was founded by Professor Yunge (1833-1898). The farmers of the farm center «Koktebel» are engade in vine-growing and wine-making.

Solnechnaya Dolina (“Sunny Valley”) is a village 46 km from Feodosia. In the vicinity of the village there are the ruins of a Genoese church of XIII-XV cc. The farm center ‘Solnechnaya Dolina » is specialized in vine-growing and wine-making.