Old mansions bought up in occupied Crimea

In Crimea, old mansions and other historic buildings on the waterfront, where the construction of a yacht marina is underway, are being bought up en masse. Some of the objects have already been removed from the list of cultural heritage monuments, which opens the way for new development on the coast.

This was reported by Krym. Realii.

Balaklava is actively buying up old mansions and buildings of historical value. The vast majority of them are located on Tavriyska and Nazukina embankments, near the bay, where a large-scale construction of a yacht marina is currently underway.

In recent years, Port Lamos Limited Liability Company has bought a number of architectural monuments, including Dr. Pedkov's Dacha, Shcherbyna's Dacha, Actress Sokolova's Dacha, Micheli's House, and the former Rodina Cinema. The company also became the owner of Prince Yusupov's hunting lodge. Under the terms of the agreements, the new owner has to restore the buildings in accordance with historical photos.

In 2023, customers associated with Port Lamos organized archaeological surveys on the sites where the old mansions and the former city power plant of the early 20th century are located. This may indicate that the sites are already privately owned.

Local historians suggest that the active purchase of historic buildings is related to plans to reconstruct the coast. According to them, the future look of Balaklava will depend on how the owners treat the preservation of cultural heritage: either they will recreate the authentic look of old mansions or turn the historic part of the city into a commercial tourist complex.

Previously, hotels built by companies associated with the family of the former Ukrainian president were located near Balaklava Bay. After the change of ownership, these properties lost their cultural heritage status, which opens up opportunities for new development.

Today, according to the approved master plan, the historic zone of Tavriya Embankment is officially designated as a recreation area. This allows modern hotels and entertainment complexes to be built next to the former architectural monuments.

Also on the temporarily occupied peninsula, the Church of the Seven Holy Martyrs of Chersonese in Sevastopol was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church for free use. This building, built in the 1850s, is considered an important part of the religious and cultural heritage of Crimea, which was looted and destroyed by the Bolsheviks after 1924.

Анна Бальчінос