Alushta ( Ukrainian and Russian: ; ; ) is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the

Crimean peninsula Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

which is within the

Autonomous Republic of Crimea The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is a ''de jure'' administrative division of Ukraine encompassing most of Crimea that was unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2014. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea occupies most of the peninsula,Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, but occupied by the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and incorporated as the Republic of Crimea. It is located along the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

coast on the road from

Gurzuf Gurzuf or Hurzuf (, , , ) is a resort town (urban-type settlement) in Yalta Municipality of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine but incorporated by Russia as the Republic of Cri ...

to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line. Population: The area is notable for its arid, rocky terrain due to its proximity to the Crimean mountains. During

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

times, the town was called ''Alouston'' (Ἄλουστον) meaning "Unwashed". Vestiges survive of a Byzantine defensive tower from a fortress from which the town's name was derived, as well as a 15th-century Genoese fortress. During Genoese rule, the name was modified to ''Lusta''.

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. He also largely influenced Ukra ...

dedicated two of his ''Crimean Sonnets'' to Alushta.

History

In 1910, 544 Jews lived in Alushta, comprising 13% of the town's population. By 1939, they made up only 2.3% of the town's overall population, numbering 251 individuals. On 4 November 1941, the Germans occupied the town. On 24 November 1941, a unit of

Sonderkommando ''Sonderkommandos'' (, ) were Extermination through labor, work units made up of Nazi Germany, German Nazi death camp prisoners. They were composed of prisoners, usually Jews, who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the di ...

10b murdered 30 Jews by shooting along with captured communists and partisans. In early December 1941, about 250 Jews from Alushta were shot to death by Sonderkommando 11b in the park of Trade Union Sanatorium No. 7, which is today part of the local center for children and creativity.

Geography

Climate

Alushta has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''Cfa'') that closely borders on a hot-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

: ''Csa'').

Demographics

Ethnic composition according to the Ukrainian national census in 2001:

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Alushta is twinned with: * Santa Cruz,

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

* Dzierżoniów,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Äänekoski Äänekoski () is a town in Finland, located in the Central Finland regions of Finland, region, about north of Jyväskylä, the region's capital city. Äänekoski has a population of , as of , and covers an area of of which , or 22%, is water. ...

Central Finland Central Finland (; ) is a Regions of Finland, region ( / ) in Finland. It borders the regions of Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Northern Savonia, North Savo, and Southern Savonia, South S ...

Jūrmala Jūrmala (; "seaside") is a state city in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, about west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and is sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River. It has a stretch of white-sand beach and is the ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Notable people

Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky Mykhailo Mykhailovych Kotsiubynsky (; 17 September 1864 – 25 April 1913) was a Ukrainian author whose writings described typical Ukrainian life at the start of the 20th century. Kotsiubynsky's early stories were described as examples of an e ...

(1864–1913), Ukrainian author *

Sabri Ülker Sabri Ülker (1920 – 12 June 2012) was a Turkish industrialist and businessman, and the founder of Ülker. Early life Sabri Ülker was born in 1920 in Crimea.Pelin TurgutÜlker: Ambitious confectioner snaps up Belgium's Godiva ''Financial Times ...

(1920–2012), Turkish businessman and founder of Ülker * Rustem Umerov (born 1982), Ukrainian politician and current Minister of Defense * Oleksandr Nedovyesov (born 1987), Ukrainian-Kazakhstani tennis player

Gallery

File:AlushtaFortress.jpeg, 15th century Genoese tower in Alushta File:Палац Алушта.JPG, Villa "Otrada" (Stakheev's dacha) File:Центр Алушта.JPG, Downtown Alushta File:ПаркАлушта.JPG, Park Alushti File:Алушта Парк1.JPG, Park Alushti File:Алушта12.JPG, Alushta Beach File:Алушта. Сезон-2014.JPG, In Alushta. Season-2014 File:Старинное здание винподвала.JPG, Alushta winery File:Alushta Feodora Stratilata church IMG 2874 01-103-0013.JPG, St. Theodore Church File:Aluštan keskustori.jpg, Main square File:Карло Боссоли. Алушта.jpg, Panorama of Alushta in the 1850s, by Carlo Bossoli File:Кастель. Алушта (30).JPG, Quay File:AlushtaFortress.jpeg, Remains of Aluston fortress File:Алушта2014.JPG, Alushta Beach. July 2014 File:Алушта-набережна-2014.JPG, Quay. 2014 File:Алушта121.JPG, On the way. 2015 File:Кінотеатр Шторм Алушта.JPG, Cinema "Storm" File:Братська могила радянських воїнів та кримських партизан та пам'ятний знак на честь односельців..jpg, Memorial sign in honor of the Crimean partisans in Alushta File:Aluštan kaupunginvaltuuston rakennus 2.jpg, Alushta City Council building File:Арка.jpg, one of the symbols of Alushta File:Крепость Алустон (IV-VI вв). Алушта. Крым. Июнь 2009 - panoramio.jpg, alt=, Aluston fortress (IV-VI centuries). In exchange. Crimea. June File:Monument to Liberators of Alushta.jpg, alt=, ''Soviet war monument in Alushta'' File:Alushta,synagogue.jpg, alt=, ''Kenesa in Alushta'' File:Kenesa in Alushta.jpg, alt=, ''Kenesa in Alushta'' AlushtaPanoram

References

{{Authority control Alushta Municipality Cities in Crimea Seaside resorts in Ukraine Seaside resorts in Russia Territories of the Republic of Genoa Port cities of the Black Sea Port cities and towns in Ukraine Port cities and towns in Russia Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Russia Holocaust locations in Ukraine