Alushta is an ancient town on the Crimea’s Southern Coast. Alushta inherited its name from the Byzantine fortress of Aluston, which was built here in the 6^th century A.D. by order of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (483-565) who also rebuilt the church of St. Sophia at Constantinople. In the present-day you can look round the remains of the Byzantine fortress, its defense tower and part of a wall. Alushta attracts tourists by its unusual climate, pleasant beaches and picturesque surroundings.

It is not so hot here in summer as in Yalta because air flows ventilate the hollow.

At the end of the 19th century it became a health resort. The town is situated in the largest hollow on the Southern Coast. The territory from the mount Ayu-Dag (“Bear Mount”) to Privetnoye is called Greater Alushta. Its population is 40 thousand people. It is the second to Yalta in importance but is very popular among the holiday-makers.   More than 30 sanatoriums and holiday homes stand on its territory. The largest sanatorium is «Severnaya Dvina» (Northern Dvina). Most of the sanatoriums are concentrated in amazingly beautiful places like Rabochy Ugolok (“Worker’s Nook-village”), Utyos (“Cliff-village”) and Partenit.

Greater Alushta is famous for its vineyards of remarkable grapes such as Chaush (Superior), Shabash, Pink Taifi, Bastardo, Shaslu, Magarach and others.

Under the administrative authority of Greater Alushta there are six settlements and some villages.

Malorechenskoye (“Small River-village”) lies on the South Coast of the Crimea in the valley of the mountain small river — 25 kilometers from Alushta. In the outskirts of the settlement there are the Tauri burial grounds. There are the rests of 5 Middle Ages settlements, a castle, monastery and a burial ground. The Greeks founded here a settlement and called it Mikropotamos (“Small River”, in Tatar language it’s Kuchuk Uzen ) The farmers of Malorechenskoye grow vines and fruits.

Izobilnoye (“Abundant-village”) is situated 8 kilomiters from Alushta at the high way Simferopol-Yalta. The village came into being in the 15th century. Near the village there are the rests of the settling of the Late Stone Age. The farm center specializes in vine-growing.

Luchistoye /(“Ray-village”) lies 11 kilometers from Alushta.

In the VI century on the place of the village there was a settlement of smiths Funy, in the XIII century it was called Demerdzhi (“Smith”). There are the rests of two settlings of the Late Stone Age, settlings of the Age of Bronze, three Tauri burial grounds near the village. There are pictures ruins of the settlement of Funy with a fortress and a burial ground of VI-XV Cc .The center farm of Luchistoye is engaged in gardening and vine-growing.

Maly Mayak (“Small Lighthouse-village”) is 120 kilometers far from Alushta. The village came into being in the XIIIcentury. Near to the village there are the rests of settlings, of the Paleolithic Age and the Age of Bronze, the ruins of a monastery of the Х-ХП cc. The farm of the village is engaged in vine and essential oils growing.

Privetnoye “(Friendly-village”) lies between Alushta and Sudak. The settlement of Skuty is mentioned in the Genoese Acts of 1380. The farmers of the village are engaged in gardening and vine-growing.

Frunzenskoye (originally Partenit) is situated in the valley of Partenit 16 kilometers from Alushta. There are the rests of the Partenit basilica of the monastery of XIII-XV c.c. on the territory of the valley. There were the fortifications from which can be seen on the top of Ayu-Dag-mount. In the village there is a research farm of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The farmers grow decorative saplings mainly of subtropical origin.

Many outstanding poets and writers came to rest and work in Alushta. The great Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, travelling in the Crimea in 1825, visited Alushta. Impressions of this beautiful Crimean nook inspired him to write several sonnets.

The same year the author of the immortal comedy «Vow from Wisdom» A.S. Griboyedov was in Alushta and twice climbed Chatyr-Dag (“Marquee Mount”). In his letter to his friend he described the grandiose panorama which he had seen from the top of the mountain.

In 1896 the great Ukrainian writer Kotsyubynsky spent four months in the vicinity of Alushta being a member of a phylloxera-fighting expedition. Two short novels were written after his stay. Among the admirers of Alushta were Valery Bryusov, Alexander Kuprin, Maxim Gorky, and Konstantin Paustovsky. The name of a well-known writer Sergey Sergeyev-Tsensky is inseparably linked with the city. In 1961 a memorial museum was opened in the house where he lived and worked. Five years later a white marble monument to the writer was erected by the famous artist Nikolay Tomsky .

The residents of Alushta maintain close contacts with people and public organizations from other countries. The town is twinned with Capri (Italy), Janekoski (Finland), Santa Cruz (USA), Sinop (Turkey).