The city of Inkerman, 16 kilometers from Sevastopol, was originally built as a fortress. Back in the sixth century, the Genoese began to build it to strengthen the coastal borders of Chersonesos. Only in the 20th century did it acquire the status of a workers’ settlement.
The center of Inkerman does not have something remarkable, but its surroundings … Driving along the serpentine by car, you are involuntarily distracted by the snow-white rocks overgrown with rare plants.
Inkerman has two beaches. One is located next to the city park, where the passenger ships dock. Despite its small size (only 50 meters long), the beach is quite cozy. For beauty and convenience, river sand was brought here.
The second swimming place is a picturesque white quarry with turquoise water that changes color depending on the season and weather. According to legend, Saint Clement, who was sent into exile to the quarries of Inkerman, one day discovered a spring with water. It’s a miracle how a spring could appear in a dry land, turning into a beautiful lake.
Interesting Facts of Inkerman
No wonder they say about Sevastopol that it is white stone. It was from the white stone mined in Inkerman that the city was built, reviving it after the destruction during the Great Patriotic War. By the way, the ancient Chersonesos is made of it. Actually, Inkerman himself was called Belokamensk for 15 years (from 1976 to 1991).
The surroundings of the city attract filmmakers with their color. Here took place the shooting of the film “Driver for Vera” with Igor Petrenko and Alena Babenko in the lead roles. Filming an episode of Inhabited Island.
French actor Gerard Depardieu came here to taste the Crimean wine.
What to see
Tourists go to Inkerman for the sake of three main attractions: the winery, the St. Clement cave monastery and the Kalamita fortress.
Start your acquaintance with Inkerman with a visit to the St. Clement Monastery, located in the rocks. Its name says that it was built in honor of the preaching Christianity of the Roman bishop Clement. For these sermons, the Romans exiled the unfortunate man to the Crimea, so that he knocked the “crap out of his head” while working in the quarries.
In the 8th century, after the death of Clement, the monks began to build a monastery. Then they connected the halls, carving out passages in the rock. The altar and benches were also made of stone. Today, here you can see the wrought iron railings on the stairs, but they fit so well into the overall appearance of the room that modern “inserts” are not striking.
Don’t forget to bring your headdress to visit the monastery. Photographing of the territory is allowed, but not of monks and employees. Visiting the St. Clement Monastery is free. Before the entrance, skirts are handed out for women who came to the monastery in trousers.
Nearby are the caves where the Taurus lived. From the characteristic black traces of the fireplaces on the walls in the cave, one can guess where the Taurus cooked their food. The caves look like a honeycomb, archaeologists call this place “Zagaytanskoe fortification”.
The Byzantine fortress of Kalamita
The Byzantine fortress of Kalamita is not very well preserved and looks like just a reminder of past years. But a walk in its surroundings is really a pleasure. Advice for the curious: you should still take a tour of the monastery, fortress and caves accompanied by a guide in order to enjoy not only aesthetically, examining everything on your own, but also to learn a lot of interesting things.
End your trip to Inkerman with a visit to the wine cellars where one of the best Crimean wines is born. The length of the basements is 55 thousand square meters. Huge oak barrels, glass pipes, through which “white” and “red” pass, mold on the walls – a living organism, wine maturation will not do without it. And finally, the bottles are in a separate room, covered with a layer of dust. The tour lasts an hour and a half, but you won’t even notice this time. It should be borne in mind that it is very cold in the basements, so take a warm jacket or light jacket even in summer.
The plant is located at: st. Malinovsky, 20, a few blocks from the bus station. The main landmark is the city school №12. Tours run from Monday to Friday at 10.00, 13.00, 15.00 – from October to April. In summer, visiting hours are extended.