Partenit

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Partenit
Партенiт
Партенит
Partenit
Partenit (Crimea)
Partenit
Partenit
Location of Partenit within the Crimea, Ukraine
Coordinates: 44°34′35″N 34°20′23″E / 44.57639, 34.33972
Country Flag of Ukraine Ukraine
Territory Crimea
Region Alushta
Local council Partenit
Elevation 30 m (98 ft)
Population (2001)
 - Total 6,391
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 98542 — 98544
Area code(s) +380-6560
Former name Frunzenskoye (1945 - 1991)

Partenit (Ukrainian: Партенiт, Russian: Партенит, Crimean Tatar: Partenit) is a seaside townlet in the southern part of Crimea, Ukraine. The name has its origins in the Greek "Parthenon." Lying just east of a mountain which Turkish speakers named Ayu Dag (Russian: Медведь-гора; which means Bear Mountain), Partenit is on a fairly flat coastal plot of land, although the elevation quickly rises the further away one goes from the sea. Much of the architecture of the city is in the Soviet realist style. The current permanent-resident population is largely Ukrainian, with a significant influx of Tatars and Armenians.

View of Partenit from the Black Sea.
View of Partenit from the Black Sea.

[edit] History

Partenit is an ancient settlement. It has been settled or invaded by Greeks, Goths, Turks, Genoese, Tatars, and Nazis. It is in wine country; the nearby Massandra winery is famous for its production of Bastardo and other wines. When the Nazis invaded, a local vintner released all of his wine from barrels so the Nazis couldn't profit from it, making a lake full of wine. The Nazis stayed and got drunk at the "wine lake" for three days.

[edit] Tourist Attraction

Partenit has two beaches. One is the public beach which is free. The other is on the property of the military resort and much bigger. Most tourists rent an apartment from a local rentor, and the going rate in recent years has been about $20/day for an apartment within a 10 minute walk of the beach.

There are several businesses offering excursions, set up for tourists between the bazaar and the beach, to different parts of Crimea, including to Massandra and Livadia, as well as waterfalls. A local tour goes through Ayu Dag, tracing its history through earthquakes and past ruins of ancient churches of the Goths. One of the first national parks in Ukraine was established to protect Ayu Dag.