Discover the South of Russia for yourself from a new side thanks to the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom tourist route. It was laid in places where the ancient kingdom’s heritage has been preserved: in the towns of Crimea, Krasnodar and Rostov Regions.
Longreads
The Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom: all about a unique project
The name of the project combines a reference to the famous Golden Ring of Russia route and to the ancient state that emerged on this land in 480 BC. This is a truly unique project linking several regions of Russia by one historical thread and telling facts unknown about them before.
Where does the route go
The Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom is a cross-regional tourist route jointly developed by the relevant departments of the Krasnodar region, the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol and the Rostov Region
The project unites the cities: Gelendzhik (formerly Torik), Novorossiysk (Bata), Anapa (Gorgippia), Taman (Hermonassa), Kerch (Panticapaeum − the capital of the Bosporus Kingdom), Theodosia, Eupatoria (Kerkinitida), Simferopol (Neapolis Scythian), Sevastopol (Chersonesos Taureka), Azov (Tanais) and Sochi (Ampsalis). Each of them has its own story, rooted in antiquity and extremely interesting to study. That is why it was decided to combine them so that everyone who travels along the tourist route would have the most complete picture of the ancient heritage of the South of Russia.
What to see
Having set off on the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom route, each tourist makes a journey not only in space but also in time. The objects to visit on the way tell about the unique ancient heritage of our country, great archaeological discoveries, priceless finds, and also allow to plunge into the unique atmosphere of the ancient Bosporus.
So, what will tourists see when they go on an unusual sightseeing tour? In the mentioned regions they will visit more than 35 sites − museums, excavations of ancient settlements, parks, interactive sites, tourist attractions, thematically related to the history of the Bosporus.
For example, the Roman Empire interactive historical park and the Greek Cultural Center in Gelendzhik, the Panticapaeum Acropolis, the Royal Mound and the Golden Pantry in Kerch, the Gorgippia Archaeological Museum in Anapa, the Museum of Underwater Archaeology and the Museum of Antiquities at Theodosia, the museum-reserve Chersonesos Taureka in Sevastopol, the Loho temple in Sochi and many other objects.
Tours along the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom vary in duration from 3 to 14 days and suggest a free choice of transport − bus, car and even cruise ship. What kind of transport to choose for the absorbing expedition − everyone decides for himself.
Priority and model project
The Federal Tourism Agency has included the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom route in the TOP-10 priority projects focused on inbound tourism. And tourists, according to the survey, called it the most interesting cross-regional route in Russia. It provides an opportunity not only to the inhabitants of this country to learn more about the history of their homeland, but also to position Russia in the international arena.
The overall coordination of the project is carried out by the Russian Geographical Society with the support of the Federal Tourism Agency. In April President Vladimir Putin mentioned the route as an example of demonstrating the diversity of Russian history.
"Sails of the Bosporus"
You can explore the heritage of the Bosporus Kingdom not only by land, but also by water. The sea part of the project is represented by the Prince Vladimir liner, cruising between Sochi and Sevastopol, three sea routes along the Black Sea coasts for sightseeing groups, and the Sails of the Bosporus − new tourist sea route for yachtsmen.
See also
The Sails of the Bosporus is the first tour route that connected Crimea and the Kuban by sea. It was developed after a unique sailing regatta "The Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom". The route is designed for 5-8 days, the ports of call are the resort places of Gelendzhik, Anapa, Kerch, Yalta, Balaklava, Sevastopol. The length is 200 nautical miles (about 360 km). The journey can be started from any of the route ends.
A peculiarity of the route is the ability to combine the romance of the sea trip with absorbing excursions to the objects of cultural heritage of Russia and the opportunity to plunge into the study of history. The trip includes nights at sea and a passage under the Crimean Bridge. In each port of call the sea travelers will visit the landmarks that tell about the history of the Bosporus Kingdom and after they will have a rest and go on.
"Wine Roads of the Bosporus Kingdom"
"Wine roads" is another interesting aspect of the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom, which was highly praised by the first Russian and foreign tourists from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Japan and a number of other countries.
This route also passes through four regions of our country, from Sevastopol in Crimea through the Kuban region to the mouth of the Don river in the Rostov Region. As it was emphasized in the Russian Geographical Society, amphoras, pythoses, and other artefacts of ancient winemaking that are still found in the excavations of ancient Greek polices (Chersonese, Phanagoria, Hermonassa, Tanais), "indicate a high level of local culture of wine making and consumption in ancient times".
More than 12 farms of Crimea, Kuban and Free Don became participants in the Wine Roads of the Bosporus Kingdom project. Tour operators already include routes along the Wine Roads in their programs for private and corporate clients, including those from abroad. Integration of wine routes into the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom will allow creating complex cross-regional tourist products, positioning Russia as one of the world centers of antique and wine culture.
