Anapa

Anapa (Russian: Ана́па) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: 58,983 (2010 Census preliminary results);^[3] 53,493 (2002 Census);^[4] 54,796 (1989 Census).^[7]

The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels. Anapa, Sochi, and several other cities along the Russian coast of the Black Sea have enjoyed a substantial increase in popularity since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which left traditional Soviet resort cities in Crimea and Abkhazia on the other side of the national border. Anapa is served by the Anapa Airport (AAQ).

Anapa, like the other Black Sea coast resorts, has a superb sunny summer climate. Anapa has beautiful, mostly sandy beaches. However, Anapa seldom attracts tourists from outside Russia due to its modest infrastructure and its inconvenient accessibility from Western Europe via Moscow or Krasnodar. Anapa remains an attractive and inexpensive option for Russians who prefer traditional Russian resorts to more expensive destinations.

History

The area around Anapa was settled in antiquity. It was at first a major port (Sinda) and then the capital of Sindica (Ancient Greek: Σινδική). The colony of Gorgippia (Γοργιππία) was built on the site of Sinda in the sixth century BCE by Pontic Greeks, who named it after a king of the Cimmerian Bosporus. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, Gorgippia flourished, as did its guild of shipowners, which controlled maritime trade in the eastern part of the Black Sea. A fine statue of Neokles (a local potentate, son of Herodoros) was unearthed by Russian archaeologists and is now on exhibit at the Russian Museum. Gorgippia was inhabited until the third century CE, when it was overrun by nomadic tribes. These tribes are a Circassian or Adyghe origin, gave Anapa its modern name. Anapa was part of Sarmatians, Ostrogoths, European Huns, Avars, Gokturks, Khazars, Circassians and Golden Horde.

Anapa was conquered by the Genoese in 1300 and was renamed as "Mapa". Genoese possession of it was lasted until Ottoman conquest in 1475. Ottomans completed a fortress for defense of it against Russian threat in 1791. The fortress was repeatedly attacked by the Russian Empire and was all but destroyed during its last siege in 1829. The town was passed to Russia after the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829. It was included in Black Sea Okrug of Kuban Oblast and was given town status in 1846.

It was occupied by Ottomans between 1853-1856 during Crimean War. It became part of the Black Sea Governorate in 1896. Elizabeth Pilenko, later named as a saint in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was the mayor during the Russian Revolution. It became part of the Kuban-Black Sea Oblast in 1920. During World War II it was occupied and totally demolished by Nazi Germany with the help of Romanian troops between August 30, 1942 and September 22, 1943.

Transport

Includes Anapa Airport, a railway station, an international passenger port (for small-tonnage ships), a bus station and a network of highways.^[8]

Administrative and municipal status

Administratively, along with one rural locality, it is incorporated as the Town of Anapa—an administrative unit with a status equal to that of the districts.

Municipally, the territories of the Town of Anapa and of Anapsky District are incorporated as Anapa Urban Okrug.^[1]

Climate

Anapa has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa)^[9] – Mediterranean-type, at the lower elevations. Its average annual temperature is 12.2 °C (54.0 °F): 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) during the day and 9.3 °C (48.7 °F) at night. Average annual precipitation is about 564 mm.

Culture

The Town Theater of Anapa is located on Krymskaya Street.It was opened after the reconstruction of the Town Cultural Center.^[11] There are twenty nine public libraries including four for children. In 2010 the libraries of Anapa received more than 8,000 books, and magazines and newspapers were ordered costing more than 1,000,000 roubles, in addition, nine hundred CDs were purchased.^[12]

There is museum of Local History (Краеведческий музей) on Protapova Street.^[13]

Architecture and sights

• The Gorgippia Archeological museum ^[14]
• Gates of Turkish fortress ^[15]
• Church of St. Onuphrius ^[16]
• Lighthouse ^[17]
• Wildlife preserve of Bolshoy Utrish south of Sukko^[18]

Climate

Anapa has a mild semi-arid climate with very warm dry summers and cool wet winters. The average temperature in January is 2 °C, and the average temperature in July is 22 °C. The annual precipitation averages only 400 mm.

List of mayors

• Maria Skobtsova^[19]
• Valentin Mashukov
• Germogen Korolyov^[20]
• Mikhail Boyur^[21]
• Vitaly Astapenko^[22]
• Vladimir Tsukanov^[23]
• Anatoliy Pakhomov^[24]
• Tatyana Yevsikova^[25]

Photos

Activities carried out in the town

• Kinoshock film festival ^[26]
• Blue-eyed Anapa song Festival

International relations

Twin towns/sister cities

Anapa is twinned with:

• Gomel, Belarus.^[27]
• Novy Urengoy, Russia.^[28]

References

Notes

Sources

• Законодательное Собрание Краснодарского края. Закон №676-КЗ от 1 апреля 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования город-курорт Анапа и наделении его статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №1756-КЗ от 3 июня 2009 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Краснодарского края об установлении границ муниципальных образований». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кубанские новости", №64–65, 17 апреля 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Krasnodar Krai. Law #676-KZ of April 1, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Resort City of Anapa and on Granting It the Status of an Urban Okrug, as amended by the Law #1756-KZ of June 3, 2009 On Amending Several Legislative Acts of Krasnodar Krai on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations. Effective as of the day of the official publication).
• Совет муниципального образования город-курорт Анапа. Решение №77 от 28 июня 2005 г. «Устав муниципального образования город-курорт Анапа», в ред. Решения №130 от 3 февраля 2011 г. Вступил в силу с 1 января 2006 г., за исключением положений, для которых установлены иные сроки вступления в силу. (Council of the Municipal Formaton of the Resort City of Anapa. Decision #77 of June 28, 2005 Charter of the Municipal Formation of the Resort City of Anapa, as amended by the Decision #130 of February 3, 2011. Effective as of January 1, 2006, with the exception of the clauses for which different dates of taking effect are specified).

External links

• (Russian) Anapa Information Portal (Russian)
• Official website of Anapa Urban Okrug (Russian)