New Chersonesos: why you should visit the museum and temple complex

The project was launched on the initiative of the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, and the implementation of the plan was carried out by the My History Foundation with the support of Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea. The New Chersonesos museum and temple complex is located close to the Tauride Chersonesos – the top attraction of the Crimean Peninsula. More than two thousand years ago, this all was the territory, or rather the southern outskirts, of the ancient polis. Therefore, it took two years of archaeological excavations before the construction, during which more than 6 million artefacts were discovered. The New Chersonesos occupies 24 hectares with about 30 different objects, many of which are unique. Below we will tell you about the most interesting sights of the complex.

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The World's First Museum of Christianity

The museum exhibits present the history of Chersonesos and its chora from the baptism of Rus (ancient Russia) to the present day. The bronze statues of gryphons at the entrance deserve special attention. They hold a chrism – a monogram of Christ name. It also decorates the dome of the building. The authors of the project emphasized in this way the importance of the spiritual heritage of the ancient city. Bas-reliefs are installed on the façade of the museum, showing the metaphorical history of Christianity from the early Christian period to the present day. They were made in the workshops of Vitaly Shanov ‒ the author of the Alexander Nevskiy and His Squad sculpture in the Pskov region.

One of the key architectural features of the building is its majestic dome, 31 m in diameter, the prototype of which was the dome of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. At the top of the building there is an open observation point with an incredible view of the entire museum and temple complex and St. Vladimir's Cathedral. Symmetrical semicircle ramps allow you to gradually ascend, enjoying a multimedia exhibition on the history of Christianity. But for now, the museum is not open for visitors.

Incredible open-air temple and park

The temple is in the very heart of the complex. Services are held there at different times of the day. The project according to which this Orthodox church was built is the only one of the kind. In the center, instead of a vault, a special sliding system is installed. It creates shade during the day and, if necessary, can be opened in the evening so that the starry sky can be seen.

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The unusual temple has the shape of a basilica. On the sides there are naves with icons of saints. There are four sculptures of the apostles-evangelists on four sides of the perimeter: Matthew ‒ as an angel, Mark ‒ as a lion, Luke ‒ as a calf and John ‒ as an eagle. The openwork structures of the temple-park will be spread with decorative maiden grapes, which, according to the idea of the territory designers, will soon create a pleasant shade in this central place of the complex.

Multimedia Museum of Crimea and Novorossiya

This space hosts 25 multimedia exhibition halls with touchpads. Having visited the place, the viewer will be immersed into that very turning point in history that marked the acquisition of Novorossiya and the Crimean Peninsula by Russia. These interactive exhibitions will allow you to feel the atmosphere of past events not only through images and texts, but also through your own feelings thanks to realistic 5D video and sound.

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This museum has halls presenting the Black Sea Fleet ‒ the naval power of the Russian Empire in the Black Sea. Guests will look at ship models, battle maps and personal items of officers. All this will create a convincing narrative about the life and battles of the Fleet. The key role belongs the “From Peter I to Catherine II” exposition, which, among other things, tells about the Tauride Voyage of the Empress. A journey through the corridors of time will take about three hours. The building's façade deserves special attention, which is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting important events in the history of Crimea.

Gryphon Arena ‒ the only modern amphitheater in Russia

The 1.2 thousand seating capacity modern amphitheater, built in the Byzantine style resembles an antique stadium. The stands with granite finishing, are furnished with larch seats. Two entrance rotundas, the central part and the staircase have artistic lighting which emphasizes architectural forms. The technical equipment of the Gryphon Arena deserves special attention. Light, sound, laser installations and projectors are the most modern and make this venue one of the best on the peninsula for performances.

Museum of Antiquity and Byzantium

There, on 20 thousand square meters, the artefacts, that were excavated in different periods on the territory of Chersonesos, will be exposed in the course of time. According to experts, there are more than 6 million of items, and most of the exhibits are of high artistic and historical value.

For now, the museum is not open for visitors yet.

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The ancient Heraon river

The underground river-bed on the territory of the New Chersonesos was discovered at the time of preparatory construction works and when an archaeological expedition was working there. Researchers assume that the river was initially above ground, and it was this river on the arid peninsula that determined the choice of place to set up the ancient Chersonesos.

Experts managed to bring the flow up to the ground surface again and restore the river-bed. Now the river, like thousands of years ago, carries its cool waters, in which decorative koi carp now splash. By the way, the Heraon water is used to irrigate the entire complex and feeds all the fountains of New Chersonesos.

Byzantine Crafts Quarter

This is an exact copy of the ancient Chersonesos urban development. This is approximately the city, which Prince Vladimir saw, when he was baptized there in the distant year of 988 A.D.

There are four objects on the territory of the new quarter: the Mint, craft workshops, an antique estate and a winemaker's estate. Here you can learn pottery, doing mosaics, minting coins. Nearby there is a huge tavern, where guests will be treated to dishes of Roman, Greek, Tatar and Byzantine cuisine.

Catherine Park of Sculptures

On the territory, where 65 species of trees and shrubs from nurseries in Tula, St. Petersburg and Moscow grow now, there are sculptures of famous poets, writers and other figures of Russian arts: Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gumilyov, Nikolai Gogol, Anna Akhmatova, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Aivazovskiy. The collection of sculptures will be expanded.