Materials for the Crimean studies lesson “researchers of Crimea”. Outstanding scientists who glorified Crimea

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Since 1774, Crimea, separated from the Turkish Empire, became available for research. In 1782, V. Zuev crossed the Steppe Crimea from Perekop to the city of Karasubazar (now Belogorsk) at the northern foot Crimean mountains. Zuev got acquainted with the Mountainous Crimea briefly, visiting only some areas; He summarized the basic information from the words of people who had “experienced there.” But he was the first to draw attention to the asymmetry of the advanced part of the Crimean Mountains (the so-called cuesta): “The layers of the main mountains correspond... to the advanced ones and rise from the north by noon, rising at an angle of 17 degrees from the horizon.” And he noted that most of the Crimean rivers originate on the northern slopes of the mountains, and the Chatyrdag massif is a watershed: to the east of it the rivers flow into the Sivash, to the west into the Black Sea.
In 1783, Crimea was included in Russia and Karl Ivanovich Gablitz was appointed vice-governor of the new Tauride province. For two years he explored the peninsula in detail and compiled its first scientific description. Gablitz correctly distinguished three orographic regions there: “flat”, mountainous and flat-hilly Kerch Peninsula with steep and high banks. He was the first to propose a three-part division of the Crimean Mountains, now generally accepted: the Northern, or External (according to the Table, “advanced”) ridges, the Middle, or Internal, and the Southern, or Main. The southern slopes are steeper than the northern ones, and there are open valleys between the mountains. The southern ridge in the Chatyrdag region is divided into two parts by a transverse valley; in the ridge he discovered traces of volcanic activity. K. Gablitz explored the Crimean rivers, noting their large slopes and the presence of waterfalls. He also described minerals, including Kerch iron ores.
Immediately after the annexation of Crimea, by order of Catherine II, a frigate under the command of military sailor Ivan Mikhailovich Bersenev headed to the peninsula to select a harbor off the southwestern coast. Having inspected the bay near the village of Akhtiar in April 1783 (in ancient times the city of Chersonesus-Tavrichesky was located here, see Vol. 1, Chapter 5), I. Bersenev recommended it as a base for the ships of the future Black Sea Fleet. Soon a fortress and a port were founded on its shores, which in 1784 were named by Catherine II as the “Majestic City” (Sevastopol). In the same year, I. Bersenev, commanding four ships, described the western and southern coasts of Crimea from Cape Tarkhankut to the Kerch Strait (500 km). In 1786 and 1787 K. Gablitz published two works about Crimea, adding to the second four maps of the south of European Russia. On them, the outlines of the peninsula are close to modern ones: probably K. Tablits used materials from I. Bersenev.
In 1793-1795 Crimea was visited by P. S. Pallas. He described the Southern Ridge in much more detail than K. Tables and identified the highest part of it - from Balaklava to Alushta. He considered the highest point of the ridge to be Chatyrdag (1527 m; now Roman-Kosh, 1545 m). Then P.S. Pallas crossed to the Taman Peninsula and gave his first detailed description: “Taman is a torn terrain, covered with hills and planes... Various branches of the Kuban and many bays and lowlands covered with water make Taman a real island. The central [its] part... between the Kuban and Temryuk estuaries is more elevated...” P. S. Pallas described the mud hills of Taman and noted the presence of oil in some.
The work of I. Bersenev was continued by the English sailor in the British and then Russian service, Joseph (Iosif Iosifovich) Billings, a participant in D. Cook’s third circumnavigation of the world. After the completion of the North-Eastern expedition (see Chapter 17), in the summer of 1797, I. Billings carried out hydrographic work off the Taman Peninsula, off the southern and western coasts of Crimea. And in the summer of the following year, he described the northwestern coast of Crimea and the Black Sea coast of European Russia from Tarkhankut to the Dniester estuary and back - a section about 1 thousand km long, which at that time was of paramount importance for the Russian state. In 1799, I. Billings published the Atlas of the Black Sea; the maps he compiled were significantly superior to their predecessors in accuracy, as they were based on numerous astronomical points he identified.

The fairly extensive information available about the city allows us to reconstruct the biography of Old Crimea, starting from its infancy and ending with our time. This information has been collected and accumulated over many centuries; it is the result of interest in this city both from professional researchers and simply curious people.

The first reliable written sources about Old Crimea date back to the second half of the 13th century, their authors were Arab historians, travelers, writers and diplomats, and Italian merchants. Their southern neighbors established political, trade, and missionary contacts with the young state - the Golden Horde. And the first on the path of all these delegations and representations was Old Crimea - as the administrative center of the peninsula.

The first recorded mention of the city dates back to 1263 and belongs to Ibn Abdez-Zahir, an Arab chronicler and secretary of the Sultan of Egypt Baybars. The administrative and political life of the city at that time - the period of its heyday - is also known from reports of other authors: Abulgazi, El-Mufaradal, Ennu-Weiri, Abu-l-Fida, Ibn Jozai, Ibn Battuta, Ibrahim Moghultay, El-Omari and others. At the same time, the famous Italian Marco Polo wrote about Old Crimea. Information about the city during its decline was brought to us by Arab historians and writers El-Muhibbi, Ibn-Al-Farat, El-Aini, El-Makrizi, the Lithuanian diplomat De Lanois, the Polish diplomat and traveler Martin Bronevsky, the Dominican monk Dorotelli d'Ascoli.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, an in-depth study of the history of Crimea began, in which the medieval Old Crimea occupied a significant place. The city is mentioned in the scientific works of the French writer and historian of the 18th century Joseph Deguigne, in the works of Russian scientists S. Sestrentsevich-Bogush, N. M. Karamzin, V. Kh. Kondaraki, P.I. Keppen, V. Grigoriev, V. P. Tizenhausen.

A. L. Berthier-Delagarde, an outstanding Crimean archaeologist, historian, numismatist, engineer, devoted a lot of attention and time to studying the history of Old Crimea. Born in Sevastopol into a family of hereditary military men. He graduated from the Military Engineering Academy and was engaged in military-civil construction. In 1887, he retired with the rank of major general and built ports in Odessa, Yalta, Feodosia and Rostov, a railway to Feodosia, and water pipelines in Yalta and Alushta.

Then he began to engage in historical and scientific activities, exploring the architecture of medieval Crimea and cave cities. He participates in archaeological excavations, collects a rich library, unique collections of Crimean Tatar antiquities, coins and other archaeological finds. Berthier-Delagarde was vice-president of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities, a member of the Moscow Archaeological Society, and the Tauride Scientific Archival Commission. He died and was buried in Yalta. Carefully examining written sources and archaeological materials, he described the medieval city in detail.

In the middle of the 19th century, archaeological research of the Old Crimea began, the pioneer of which is G. Spassky. He described local surviving medieval monuments. In 1886, his work was continued by Professor V.L. Smirnov, who, on behalf of the Russian Archaeological Society, compiled a description of the Old Crimean monuments. Epigraphic research in Old Crimea on behalf of the Taurida Scientific Archival Commission in 1886 and 1892. was taught by Professor A.I. Markevich. At the very end of the 19th century, Professor Yu.L. Kulakovsky conducted archaeological excavations in the city, the results of which were published in 1898 in the Notes of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society.

The first long-term and thorough archaeological survey of Old Crimea was carried out in 1925-1928. The excavations, which were aimed at examining Muslim architectural antiquities, were carried out by an archaeological expedition of the Crimean People's Commissariat, the Crimean Central Executive Committee and the Scientific Association of Oriental Studies of the USSR. A real constellation of scientists took part in the work of this expedition, which was led by Professor I. N. Borozdin, who received the title “poet of history” and devoted many years to studying the history, culture and life of the Crimean Tatars. In addition to him, the following people worked in Old Crimea: Professor A. S. Bashkirov, Director of the Bakhchisarai Museum Usein Bodaninsky, Curator of the Central Museum of Taurida P. I. Gollandsky, teacher of the Crimean Pedagogical Institute Osman Akchokrakly, architect of the Main Science V. N. Zasypkin.

In 1949 defensive walls medieval city examined by I.I. Babkov, which made it possible to establish its borders. In 1956-1959. the famous researcher of ancient rural settlements of south-eastern Crimea I. T. Krutikova conducted reconnaissance in the area of Old Crimea and its surroundings, discovering clear traces of ancient settlements here, starting from the 9th century. BC. and completing the 3rd century. AD Data on the settlement of the 8th-9th centuries were obtained in 1967-1969. expedition of the Crimean department of the Institute of Archeology of the Ukrainian SSR.

Crimean archaeologists O.I. Dombrovsky and V.A. Sidorenko in 1973-1976. conducted research Armenian monasteries Surb-Khach and Surb-Stepanos, architectural and archaeological monuments of the Old Crimea. Their joint work is reflected in the book “Solkhat and Surb-Khach”, published in 1978 in the series “Archaeological Monuments of Crimea”. The book is interesting not only for its description of the objects studied, but also for its presentation of many historical events associated with these ancient monuments. The economic life of Old Crimea was studied by M.K. Starokadomskaya. Among other Soviet historians, it should be noted A.L. Yakobson and V.A. Mikaelyan, who dealt with the problem of Armenians in Crimea.

The study of the history of Old Crimea - the most voluminous and thorough - continues to this day. From 1978 to the present, an expedition from the State Hermitage Department of the East has been working in the city and its environs under the leadership of Doctor of Historical Sciences M. G. Kramarovsky. Many exhibits discovered in Old Crimea joined the exhibitions of the largest museum in the world. Since 1993, senior researcher of the department “Sudak Fortress” of the state reserve “Sofia of Kiev”, candidate of historical sciences A. V. Gavrilov, has been exploring the rural district of ancient Feodosia. His finds on the territory of Old Crimea and its surroundings confirmed assumptions about the existence of settlements here back in ancient times.

Old Crimea continues to be intensively researched, and there is no doubt that these studies will help to learn a lot of interesting things about this ancient city.

Researchers of Crimea

Crimea is a part of the earth’s land, where many things are unique, original, inimitable, no matter in what aspect of local history we consider the peninsula. Geographical location and climate, seas and lakes, landscapes and mineral resources, vegetable world and animal. Some of you know, for example, mountainous country The Urals, others - the steppes of Kazakhstan, the third - the Baltic beaches, the fourth - the pine forests of central Russia, the fifth - the subtropics of the Caucasus, the sixth - the gardens, wheat and rice fields of the Kuban, the seventh - the vineyards of Moldova... Crimea has it all! And also waterfalls, caves, relict groves, rare medicinal plants, a frozen ancient volcano, a four-hundred-kilometer water channel, a wide variety of minerals, healing mud, mineral springs... Since ancient times, the Crimean peninsula has appeared in the works of ancient Greek and Roman authors - Herodotus, Strabo, Pliny the Elder and others. To collect sufficiently detailed information about natural resources Crimea, it took many decades of hard work by hundreds of geologists, geographers, botanists, soil scientists, and zoologists. They drilled wells and collected collections of rocks, determined heights and drew up geographical maps, observed weather changes, the condition of rivers and lakes, described plant and animal world, explored complex natural landscape complexes. This is how knowledge about Crimea accumulated. On geographical map Crimea's grateful descendants have captured the glorious names of many discoverers of its natural resources: the Stevenovsky hills, the Golovkinsky waterfall, the village of Dokuchaevo, Morozovskaya grove, the Obruchevsky spring and mud hill, the Vernadsky hill, the Zernov phyllophora field, the village of Fersmanovo...
The beginning of the geographical study of Crimea by Russian researchers would be rightly associated with the name of the academician Vasily Fedorovich Zuev(1754-1794). Back in 1782, V.F. Zuev, at the head of a small academic expedition, undertook a trip to Crimea. Over the course of several months, he managed to visit Perekop, the lowland and mountainous parts of Crimea, and the Kerch Peninsula and noticed their main geographical features. In the “flat” and “treeless” northern part of the peninsula, according to the observations of V.F. Zuev, the soil is almost the same everywhere - gray-reddish loam, “mixed with chernozem” in low places. This is the first scientific mention of the Crimean black soil. Speaking about the forested Crimean mountains, he was the first to suggest the possibility of their geological connection with the Balkan and Caucasus mountains. V.F. Zuev presented the results of his research in a small work “Extract from travel notes relating to the Crimean peninsula.” This work, published about 200 years ago, can rightfully be called the first scientific and geographical description of the peninsula.
A few years later, a new, more detailed work about the nature of Crimea appeared. Its author is Karl Ivanovich Gablitz(1752-1821), Russian scientist, geographer and naturalist, appointed in 1783. Vice-Governor of Crimea. In a short time, he traveled around the Sivash region and Central Crimea, the Tarkhankut and Kerch peninsulas, mountains and the southern coast to explore the relief, climate, vegetation and wildlife of Taurida. The result of these studies was the “Physical description of the Tauride region according to its location and all three kingdoms of nature,” published in St. Petersburg in 1785. Compared with the small notes of V. F. Zuev, the book by K. I. Gablitz was a solid work, When you read it, you are convinced that many characteristics: geographical objects characteristic of the nature of modern Crimea, in general outline first outlined by K.I. Gablitz.
Following these first, far from complete, geographical descriptions of the Crimean Peninsula, the works of the Russian academician appear Peter Simon Pallas(1741-1811). Studying the nature of Crimea for many years (from 1793 to 1810), Pallas visited literally all corners of Taurida, including the most inaccessible places of the mountainous Crimea. He not only explored the nature of Crimea, but also enthusiastically promoted its agricultural development. Already in his first book, “A Brief Physical and Topographic Description of the Tauride Region,” published in 1795, the scientist gave highest degree accurate and complete for that time geographical description peninsula, characterized its salt lakes, mud hills, plants and animals.
In 1797, the work of P. S. Pallas “List of wild plants of the Crimea” was published, which lists 969 species. It was from this time, according to the famous Soviet botanist S.S. Stankov, that the history of the study of the Crimean flora began, for Pallas for the first time gave a completely correct and brilliant description vegetation cover of the Crimean peninsula and a comprehensive list of it for its time wild plants. In 1799-1801 The scientist published his famous work “Travel to the Southern Provinces of the Russian State.” The second volume of this work is a thorough description of the nature of Crimea. The works of P. S. Pallas contain detailed information about the climate, rivers, soils, flora and fauna of the Crimean Peninsula, descriptions of many historical places (Mangup, Ai-Todor, Ayu-Dag, Sudak and others). Using the works of the scientist, we find answers to many questions about the history of the development of the vegetation cover of Crimea, which help solve economic problems today, in particular in the matter of afforestation. The works of P. S. Pallas about the Crimea were the pinnacle of his scientific creativity. In memory of these studies and in honor of the geographer, one of the species of pine growing in the mountainous Crimea is named Pallas pine.
"Nestor of the Botanists" - that's what they called Christian Christianovich Steven(1781-1863) his students and contemporaries. The Russian academician, an outstanding botanist of the 19th century, the founder and first director of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, the author of the first special work on the flora of Crimea, lived up to this flattering name.
The creation of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which began in 1812, proceeded slowly: there were not enough gardeners, workers, planting material, money. But thanks to the director’s persistence, work did not stop for a day. For 14 years, when X. X. Steven was at the head of the garden, it was possible to collect up to 450 species exotic trees and shrubs, including cedars, pines, plane trees, cypresses, cork oak and others. In the first seven years of the botanical garden’s existence alone, 175,000 ornamental and fruit trees. After many years of reflection and detailed analysis of factual material in 1856-1857. in the bulletins of the Moscow Society of Natural Scientists, X.X. Steven publishes his main job: "List of plants growing wild on the Crimean Peninsula." In it, the scientist describes 1654 plant species (now 2400 species are known in Crimea), and, according to X.X. Steven, 136 of them are Crimean endemics, i.e. nowhere except Crimea, in natural state no longer grow. The last circumstance, according to the author, indicates the island origin of the Crimean flora. Plants growing on the peninsula are named after “Nestor of Botanists”: Steven’s maple, endemic to the Crimea, Steven’s sunflower, Steven’s mantle, Steven’s hogweed, Steven’s woodruff.
In the second half of the 19th century, research into the geological structure, hydrogeological features and soil cover of the peninsula began in Crimea. They were conducted by an outstanding Russian geographer Vasily Vasilievich Dokuchaev(1846-1903) and his students. V.V. Dokuchaev arrived in Crimea in the summer of 1878. It was during this period that he accumulated scientific material for his now world-famous work “Russian Chernozem”. Work that laid the foundation not just for “chernozem science”, but for a completely new science - soil science. The observations and scientific materials collected by V.V. Dokuchaev during his trip to Crimea became a significant contribution to the emerging science of the “fourth kingdom of nature,” which, according to the scientist, is soil. Having explored the “marly lands” of the southern coast of Crimea and humus-rich soils “on flat high plateaus” (yayla), having visited the vicinity of Sevastopol and the foothills on the way to Simferopol, the scientist did not find the real “king of soils” anywhere - chernozem. And only in the vicinity of Simferopol did he manage to see " vegetable soil, up to 1/1-1/2, feet thick, dark gray with a chestnut tint." This was the same “king of soils” for which he came to Crimea. North of Simferopol V.V. Dokuchaev took his samples and later, in the laboratory, he very accurately determined that the amount of organic matter contained in this soil - humus (humus reaches 4.5%. V.V. Dokuchaev was the first to prove the widespread distribution of chernozems in the central plain part of Crimea. In his diaries, and then and in his writings, the scientist wrote that here “chocolate-gray chernozems lie thirty-forty-centimeter thick, containing about 3% humus." He also established that the thickness of chernozem soils in Crimea decreases from south to north. Changes in humus content in soils B V. Dokuchaev linked it with the characteristics of the relief, climate and vegetation cover. In 1895, V. V. Dokuchaev visited the Crimea for the second time, again crossed all its soil zones. The Crimean expedition and, in particular, the study of “Simferopol type” black soils helped V. V. Dokuchaev to substantiate his view on the origin of chernozems and other soils.
It is important to note that in Crimea V.V. Dokuchaev studied not only soils, but also other components of the geographical environment. He divided the entire peninsula into three stripes and gave them a brief natural and geographical description. One of the villages of the Crimean plain, where the great soil scientist conducted research, is now called Dokuchaevo. Geological and soil research in Crimea, carried out by V.V. Dokuchaev, laid the foundation for extensive research by many geologists and geographers. Particularly fruitful were the studies of hydrogeologist Professor N. A. Golovkinsky(1834-1897), a major progressive scientist. Since 1886, Nikolai Alekseevich Golovkinsky devoted himself to the hydrogeological study of Crimea. Occupying the post of chief hydrogeologist of the Tauride province, he makes numerous trips and explores every corner of the peninsula. The scientist saw that as a result of unmanaged logging, unsystematic grazing of livestock, and unplanned plowing of land, Crimea is gradually losing water reserves and “drying out.” N. L. Golovkinsky did a lot to discover and preserve water resources Crimea, made great efforts to organize their proper use. He paid especially great attention to hydrogeological research in the lowland Crimea, which remained almost unstudied in this regard. He discovered significant reserves of artesian water here. Major hydrogeological studies were carried out by N. A. Golovkinsky everywhere and in the mountainous Crimea: from Feodosia to Balaklava. In particular, he owned the first works on the sources of Chatyr-Dage and Babugan. N.A. Golovkinsky was the first to draw attention to the waterfall on the slope of Babugan-yayla, emphasizing that there are few places in Crimea that could compete with it in beauty. In memory of the scientist’s research, this waterfall now bears the name of Golovkinsky. Of course, there can be no talk of the “drying out” of Crimea, which N.A. Golovkinsky spoke about in the last century. Thanks to measures to transform the nature of Crimea, its water resources have been enriched: the North Crimean Canal alone brings more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of water annually!
A student of V.V. Dokuchaev, an outstanding mineralogist and geochemist academician, devoted many years of his life and research work to Crimea Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky(1863-1945). In the summer of 1899, V.I. Vernadsky, at that time a professor of mineralogy at Moscow University, visited the Crimean Peninsula with a group of colleagues. On the trip he was accompanied by geologists, later famous Crimean scientists V.V. Arshinov, S.P. Popov, N.I. Andrusov and others. During the trip, much attention was paid to the study of the mud hills of the Kerch Peninsula. V.I. Vernadsky was the first in Russia to discover the presence of boron in the emissions of mud volcanoes. Investigating the origin of the hills, he rightly pointed out that their formation is not an accidental phenomenon; the hills serve as outlets for gas (methane) jets in oil-bearing areas. Crimean research allowed V.I. Vernadsky to establish a number of deposits of certain types of mineral raw materials. In 1920, V.I. Vernadsky became a professor at the Tauride University in Simferopol. The profound and meaningful lectures of the outstanding scientist, as well as the mineralogical laboratory created with his participation, contributed to the rallying around V.I. Vernadsky of talented students interested in mineralogy and geochemistry. In 1920-1921 IN AND. Vernadsky was the rector of Tauride University, the first Soviet higher educational institution in Crimea, which today bears his name.
It is no coincidence that the name of the geologist and geographer academician is imprinted on the map of the peninsula Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev(1863-1956). The scientist is known throughout the world as an outstanding researcher of Central Asia and Siberia, the author of multi-volume works on geology and geography, fascinating science fiction novels “Plutonia”, “Sannikov Land” and others. The first Crimean works of V. A. Obruchev were written seventy years ago, but have not yet lost their scientific significance. In 1908, V. A. Obruchev, then a professor at the Tomsk Technological Institute, visited Crimea, where he studied the methods and causes of sediment movement off the coast of the peninsula . The peculiar nature of the mountainous Crimea attracted the attention of the scientist in subsequent years. V. A. Obruchev is the discoverer of mineral carbon dioxide springs in the Crimean foothills. Working here in the spring of 1916 and summer of 1917, the researcher discovered such a source (Burun-Kaya) in the valley of the Kachi River, ten kilometers south of Bakhchisarai. V. A. Obruchev combined the study of the natural resources of Crimea with teaching. In 1919-1922 he was a professor at Tauride University in Simferopol. During these years, having studied the Beshuiskoye coal deposit, he gave the first estimate of its reserves, explored deposits of oil and combustible gases on the Kerch Peninsula and determined the possibilities of their economic use. Scientists such as Academician V. A. Obruchev paved the way for further research into the nature of Crimea. The mineral spring he discovered in the valley of the Kacha River is now called Obruchevsky. One of the large (up to 30 m high) mud hills of the Kerch Peninsula also bears the name of Obruchev.
For some time, an outstanding forest scientist and geographer worked in Crimea Georgy Fedorovich Morozov(1867-1920). In 1917, he came to Yalta for treatment, but as soon as his health improved a little, he accepted an offer to work as a professor in the department of forestry and forestry at Tauride University. In Simferopol G.F. Morozov continued and scientific activity. It was here, based on his lecture course given at Taurida University, that he prepared for publication the book “Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Forests.” This classic work, published for the first time and most fully in Simferopol in 1920, went through dozens of editions in our country in subsequent years (under the title “The Doctrine of the Forest”). G.F. Morozov worked and did not let go of the books until the end of his life. He died in 1920 and was buried in the Sal-girka park in Simferopol. Near the monument, foresters of Crimea laid out a memorial Morozov grove, and the botanical garden of the Taurida National University is being created and its merit.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the life of the Black Sea was fruitfully studied. When talking about these studies, one cannot fail to mention the name of the academician Sergei Alekseevich Zernov(1871-1945). For some time after the royal exile for revolutionary activities, he worked as a curator in the natural history museum of the city of Simferopol and studied fish in the freshwater reservoirs of Crimea. In 1901, S. A. Zernov became director of the Sevastopol Biological Station. For 12 years, he studied the hydrobiological conditions of the Black Sea, accumulating materials for his famous work on marine biocenoses (communities of organisms). He laid the foundations of the then nascent science - hydrobiology. S. A. Zernov’s many years of research culminated in the publication in 1913 of the classic scientific work “On the Question of Studying the Life of the Black Sea.” In it, he introduced the term “biocenosis” into science and for the first time described the 10 main biocenoses of the Black Sea, indicating their animal and plant composition and distribution on the map. S. A. Zernov holds the honor of discovering (1908) in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, west of the Crimea, a colossal accumulation of the red alga Phyllophora with an area of more than 10,000 square meters. km (almost half the area of Crimea!). In honor of the discoverer, these thickets are named “Zernov’s phyllophoric field.”
There are people whose names are associated with important events and achievements of an entire historical era. In Soviet science, such people can rightfully include the outstanding scientist and tireless seeker of the natural resources of our Motherland, academician Alexander Evgenievich Fersman(1883-1945).
As a scientist, A.E. Fersman was born in Crimea. His first steps into science are connected with the Crimean land - then he was 7-10 years old. On a small rocky hill in the Salgir valley, southeast of Simferopol, inquisitive children spent whole days. There was something to be interested in and even make a small and, most importantly, independent discovery. Here is the first find - a vein of rock crystal in gray-green diabase rocks. The first success is followed by more and more discoveries. “For many years in a row, our little town near Simferopol occupied us,” Academician A.E. Fersman later wrote about his childhood and youth.
Years passed. Love for stone, passion for mineralogy, like a magnet, drew the future scientist further and further from home. Over time, small excursions for stones gave way to long hikes and trips around the Crimea: to the outcrops of volcanic rocks at Cape Feolent near Balaklava, to the ancient Karadag volcano near Koktebel (Planerskoye), to Mount Kastel near Alushta, to Feodosia, Kerch, Evpatoria, Saki. In 1905, working under the guidance of academician V.I. Vernadsky, Moscow University student A. Fersman published his first scientific work with a description of the minerals of Crimea. It is followed by a whole series of articles about barite and palygorskite, leongardite and laumontite from the vicinity of Simferopol, Welshite and zeolites. Having already become a professor, A.E. Fersman continues to study the riches of Crimea: he explores the salt lakes of the peninsula (he, in particular, was the first to establish the geological chronology of Lake Saki), Kerch iron ore deposits, mud volcanoes, and deposits of Crimean clubroot clay. Based on geological and mineralogical analysis, he solves important scientific problems related to the economic use of the natural resources of Crimea. During the years of socialist industrialization of our country, the scientist’s ability to use the results was especially evident scientific research for solutions practical problems. Even when the activities of Academician A.E. Fersman were not directly related to Crimea, he often came here. In 1939, he carried out geochemical studies of Crimean mineral deposits. In the same year, his work “On the Geochemistry and Mineralogy of the Crimea” was published in the “Reports of the USSR Academy of Sciences”. Until the end of his life, A.E. Fersman did not lose scientific interest in the Crimean Peninsula. In 1944, rejoicing at the liberation of Crimea from the fascist occupiers and trying to help quickly restore its economy, destroyed by the war, he published an article in the journal Nature about the fossil riches of Crimea. She summarized the information accumulated by that time about the mineral resources of the peninsula. In the article, A.E. Fersman poses the task of active protection and rational use of the wonderful Crimean nature. In conclusion, the scientist-patriot prophetically wrote: “And now, when our beautiful Crimea has survived the difficult years of barbarian invasion and occupation, it, with its life-giving sun and sea, will soon be able to heal its wounds, and again Crimea will turn into a hotbed of culture, into a rich museum of nature, into a source of new ideas and new love for Taurida." In memory of the remarkable scientist, one of the settlements of Crimea near Simferopol is called the village of Fersmanovo.

Modern research into the nature, population and economy of Crimea is carried out by the leading educational and scientific institution of the peninsula - Tavrichesky national university named after V.I. Vernadsky. Today, many faculties of this institution study the history, geography, and nature of our sunny peninsula. The local history direction is represented at the Faculty of History (department of the history of Ukraine and special auxiliary historical disciplines), where the history of Crimea and the culture of the peoples of the peninsula are studied. At the Faculty of Biology, flora and fauna are studied, problems of ecology and protection of the flora and fauna of Crimea, problems of restoration of beech and oak forests, anthropogenic influence on living organisms, and a collection of scientific works “Ecosystems of Crimea, their protection and optimization” is published. The Faculty of Geography has been operating since 1934. At the origins of which stood: V.I. Vernadsky, V.A. Obruchev, N.I. Andrusov, D.I. Shcherbakov. Since 1960, more than 60 graduates of the faculty have defended their PhD theses, many of which are devoted to the study of Crimea. The faculty has created three scientific schools: recreational geography (founded by Professor I.T. Tverdokhlebov), karstology (founded by Professor V.N. Dublyansky) and geoecology (founded by Professor V.A. Bokov). Many graduates (more than 5,000 people in total) devoted their work to studying the nature, population and economy of our peninsula. Among them: professors S.V. Albov, N.V. Bagrov, V.G. Ena, N.I. Lysenko, P.D. Podgorodetsky and others. The main directions of scientific research are: problems of rational environmental management, landscape science, karst science, geology, geomorphology, economics, social and recreational geography of Crimea. Today, dozens of scientific institutions and large teams of scientists continue to explore the nature of Crimea, determining ways for its rational use and protection.

After the abolition of serfdom, from the 60s of the 19th century, capitalism began to develop rapidly in Crimea. Was built Railway, connecting Sevastopol, Feodosia, Kerch and Evpatoria with other cities of Russia. Resort construction revived, various industries began to develop (36, p.42)

After the revolution, civil war, and then the Great Patriotic War, socio-economic development in Crimea began to take on a modern look.

The first step towards restoring the economy was the resettlement of people to Crimea from Ukraine, Don, Kuban and the central regions of Russia.

Over the years, industry and agriculture on the peninsula reached pre-war levels. Cities were restored. Since the 50s, the formation of modern mass viticulture began; continued to cultivate essential oil crops. After the construction of the North Crimean Canal, the area of irrigated land quickly increased. Industry was concentrated in large cities. Machine-building, processing plants, and chemical plants were built.

Gradually, Crimea is beginning to become an industrial-agrarian region with developed industry, agriculture and transport. The economic complex of Crimea specializes in mechanical engineering and metalworking, chemistry and petrochemistry, military, food, light industry, production of building materials, recreational facilities, various agriculture and transport (5, p. 162, 187).

2. Toponymy of Crimea.

Toponymy (from Greek - place, name) is a branch of knowledge that comprehensively studies geographical names - their origin, semantic meanings, change in spelling, pronunciation, etc. (13, p. 309).

Interest in the origin of geographical names arose a long time ago. In the works, etc., there are already attempts at an analytical interpretation of toponyms. The historian believed that the study of geography and history should begin with a geographical map. He wrote: “Toponymy is the language of the Earth, and the Earth is a book where human history is recorded in geographical nomenclature.” The Russian philologist believed that “a topographical name is never accidental and devoid of any meaning...” (28, p. 167).

Nowadays, we constantly come across geographical names - toponyms. These include the names of islands and peninsulas, cities, towns, villages, mounds, fortresses, capes, and roads. From toponyms, hydronyms emerged (from the Greek “gidor” - water). These include the names of: seas, bays, bays, rivers, lakes, springs, waterfalls, fountains, reservoirs. Oronyms were also formed (from the Greek - “oros” - mountain), i.e. names of various relief forms.

IN different time Cimmerians, Taurians, Scythians, Greeks, Romans, Sarmatians, Alans, Goths, Khazars, Karaites, Crimeans, Mongols, Tatars, Turks, Armenians and other peoples lived in Crimea. They left a memory of themselves in certain geographical names.

Crimea - kyrym - ditch. Cities:

1. Alushta - in the 6th century. Aluston - fortress (Greek): unwashed, unredeemed.

2.Alupka (Greek): fox.

3. Balaklava - a city within the boundaries of Sevastopol (Turkic): balyklava - a fish tank.

4. Bakhchisarai (pers.): melon - garden, barn - palace; garden city, garden palace.

5. Belogorsk (Karasu - Bazar) - city: Karasu - source (Turk.) and pazar - bazaar (Persian); source at the bazaar.

6. Dzhankoy - city: jan - soul (Persian) and koy - village (Turkic)

7. Evpatoria (Greek): eupatoris - born of a glorious father or noble. The city is named after the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. Among the Turkic peoples it was called Gözlev.

8. Inkerman (Kalamita) (Turkic): in – cave and kerman – fortress; cave fortress.

9. Kerch - Pantikapaion - among the ancient Greeks, in early middle ages– Bosporos, in Russian chronicles – Korchev, during the period of the Crimean Khanate – Gerch, among the Genoese – Cherchio.

10. Sevastopol (Greek): sevastos - majestic, respectable, worthy of respect and polis - city; city of glory, majestic city.

11.Simferopol (Greek): simfero – collecting; simferon - benefit and polis - city, gathering city, city of benefit.

12. Old Crimea - the oldest name of Solkhat (Turkic): sol - left and khat - side. The Mongols called it Kyrym - ditch; from the 16th century – Eski-Kyrym – Old Crimea.

13.Pike perch from 212 among the Alans - Sugdeya, later among the Genoese - Soldaya, in Russian sources - Surozh, among the Turks - Sudak.

14.Theodosius (Greek): geos – god and dosis – gift; God's gift.

15.Yalta (Yalita, Jalita) – (Greek): yalos – shore.

Hydronyms:

1. Sea of Azov (Turkic): Azak Deniz - deniz - sea.

2.Black Sea: among the ancient Persians - Akhshaina - dark blue; among the ancient Greeks - Pont Axenos - a hospitable sea; at Turkic peoples– Kara-Deniz: kara – black, deniz – sea.

3. Karkinitsky Strait (Greek): kolpos - bay.

4. Kerch Bay (Bosporus, Yenikalsky): bosporus - bull crossing (Greek); Yeni (Turk.) – new and Kale (Arabic) – fortress.

Rivers:

5.r. Salgir (Baba - Salgyr), baba - father (Turkic), Salgyr - Turkic husband. Name; Father Salgir.

6.r. Small Salgir (bala - Salgir) - (Turk.): bala - child, child and Salgir - husband. Name; child of Salgir.

7.r. Alma (Alma, Elma), alma – apple (Turkic).

8.r. Auzun – Uzen (Turkic): azvuz – mouth, mouth and ozen – river; river - mouth.

9.r. Beshterek (Turkic): besh – five; terek – poplar; five poplars.

10. Belbek - bell - gorge, bek - rapids river.

11.r. Biyuk-Karasu (Turkic): buyuk - big, kara - black, su - source, spring; big black spring.

12.r. Bulganak (Western, Eastern) (Turkic): bumanuk - muddy, dirty.

13.r. Derekoika – dere – valley (Persian), koi – village (Turkic).

14.r. Sary-Su (Turkic): Sary – red, su – water; red water.

15.r. Black (Chorchun, Kazykly - Ozen) (Turkic): kazyk - stake and ozen - a river whose banks are fortified with wattle fence.

16.r. Churuk-Su (Turk.): churun - rotten, spoiled, su - water; spoiled water.

17.r. Kacha (Turkic) – means husband. Name.

18. Elm - elm tree.

19. Kizil-Koba - Kyzyl is red, koba is a cave.

20. rub. Suuk – Su (Turkic): suuk – cold and su – water; cold water.

21.r. Ulu - Uzen (Ulu - Ozen, Mega - Potam) (Turk.): ulu - big, ozen - river; mega – big, potami – river (Greek); big river.

Lakes:

22. Aktash (Turkic): ak – white, tash – stone; White stone.

23. Dzharylgach - split, cracked.

24. Donuzlav - Donguzli - a division of the Salor tribe.

25. Karagol (Turk.): kara – black, gol – lake; black lake.

26. Red - ass - the name of the ancient Alans.

27. Kizlyar (Kyzyl - Yar) (Turk.): kyzyl - red, yar - cliff; red cliff.

28. Moinak (Turkic): moinak – isthmus.

29. Sak - Sak - ancient people.

30. Sasyk - Sivash (Turkic): sasyk - smelly, Sivash - dirt; stinking dirt.

31. Tobechinskoe - tobe - hillock, top, chik - small.

32. Uzunlar (Turk.): uzunlar – long.

33. Chokrak (Turkic): Chokrak – source.

34. Yarylgach (Turk.): yarylgash - salvation, deliverance, victory, triumph.

Waterfalls:

27. Jur – Jur (Turkic) – imitation of the sound of flowing water, the sound of imitation.

28. Uchan – Su (Turk.): uchan – volatile and su – water; in Greek Cremasto - Nero - hanging water.

Oronyms:

1. Adalary - islands (Turk.): adalary - island.

2. Ai – Petri (Greek): Saint Peter.

3. Ai – Todor (Greek): Saint Feodor.

4. Ak – Kaya (Turk.): ak – white, kaya – rock; white rock.

5. Ayu-Dag (Greek): ayu - bear, dag - mountain; bear mountain

6. Demerdzhi (Greek): demerdzhi – blacksmith; blacksmith mountain

7. Karadag (Turkic): kara – black, dag – mountain; black Mountain.

8. Kizil - Koba (Turk.): kyzyr - red, koba - cave; red cave.

10. Mount Opuk (Turkic): opuk – hoopoe – bird.

11.Supun – mountain (Arabic): sabun – soap, keel; soap mountain.

12. Mount Tepe-Kermen (Turk.): tepe - peak, kerman - fortress; fortress on top.

13.Chatyrdag (Turk.): chatyr – tent, dag – mountain; tent mountain

14. Chufut - Kale (Kyrk -Or, Kyrk - Er) - mountain: Chufut - Jews, Juf - couple (Turk.) and Kale - fortress (Arabic); Jewish, or double, fortress.

15.Eklisi - Burun - mountain: eclisia - church (Greek), Burun - cliff (Turkic); church cliff.

16.Eski - Kermen - city (Turkic): eski - old and kermen - fortress; old fortress.

17. Kazantip – peninsula and cape (Turkic): kazan – cauldron, type – bottom; bottom of the cauldron.

18. Kara – Burun – cape (Turkic): kara – black and burun – cape; black cape

20.Cape Plaka (Greek): flat stone (37, p.264-269).

3. Explorers of Crimea

The beginning of the geographical study of Crimea by Russian researchers would be rightly associated with the name of the academician Vasily Fedorovich Zuev().Back in 1782, at the head of a small academic expedition, he undertook a trip to Crimea. Over the course of several months, he managed to visit Perekop, the lowland and mountainous parts of Crimea, and the Kerch Peninsula and noticed their main geographical features. In the “flat” and “treeless” northern part of the peninsula, according to observations, the soil is almost the same everywhere - gray-reddish loam, “mixed with chernozem” in low places. This is the first scientific mention of the Crimean black soil. Speaking about the forested Crimean mountains, he was the first to suggest the possibility of their geological connection with the Balkan and Caucasus mountains. The results of his research were presented in a small work, “Extract from travel notes relating to the Crimean peninsula.” This work, published about 200 years ago, can rightfully be called the first scientific and geographical description of the peninsula.

A few years later, a new, more detailed work about the nature of Crimea appeared. Its author is Karl Ivanovich Gablitz(), Russian scientist, geographer-naturalist, appointed in 1783. Vice-Governor of Crimea. In a short time, he traveled around the Sivash region and Central Crimea, the Tarkhankut and Kerch peninsulas, mountains and the southern coast to explore the relief, climate, vegetation and wildlife of Taurida. The result of these studies was the “Physical description of the Tauride region according to its location and all three kingdoms of nature,” published in St. Petersburg in 1785. Compared to the small notes, the book was a solid work. When you read it, you are convinced that many characteristics: geographical objects characteristic of the nature of modern Crimea are outlined in general terms for the first time.

Following these first, far from complete, geographical descriptions of the Crimean Peninsula, the works of the Russian academician () appear. Studying the nature of Crimea for many years (from 1793 to 1810), Pallas visited literally all corners of Taurida, including the most inaccessible places of the mountainous Crimea. He not only explored the nature of Crimea, but also enthusiastically promoted its agricultural development. Already in his first book, “A Brief Physical and Topographical Description of the Tauride Region,” published in 1795, the scientist gave a highly accurate and complete geographical description of the peninsula for that time, characterizing its salt lakes, mud hills, plants and animals.

In 1797, the work “List of Wild Plants of the Crimea” was published, which lists 969 species. It was from this time, according to the famous Soviet botanist, that the history of the study of the Crimean flora began, for Pallas for the first time gave a completely correct and brilliant description of the vegetation cover of the Crimean Peninsula and an exhaustive list of its wild plants for his time. In The scientist published his famous work “Travel to the Southern Provinces of the Russian State.” The second volume of this work is a thorough description of the nature of Crimea. The works contain detailed information about the climate, rivers, soils, flora and fauna of the Crimean Peninsula, descriptions of many historical places (Mangup, Ai-Todor, Ayu-Dag, Sudak and others). Using the works of the scientist, we find answers to many questions about the history of the development of the vegetation cover of Crimea, which help solve economic problems today, in particular in the matter of afforestation. His works on Crimea were the pinnacle of his scientific creativity. In memory of these studies and in honor of the geographer, one of the species of pine growing in the mountainous Crimea is named Pallas pine.

"Nestor of the Botanists" - that's what they called Christian Christianovich Steven() his students and contemporaries. The Russian academician, an outstanding botanist of the 19th century, the founder and first director of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, the author of the first special work on the flora of Crimea, lived up to this flattering name.

The creation of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, which began in 1812, proceeded slowly: there were not enough gardeners, workers, planting material, and money. But thanks to the director’s persistence, work did not stop for a day. For 14 years, when X. X. Steven was at the head of the garden, it was possible to collect up to 450 species of exotic trees and shrubs, including cedars, pines, plane trees, cypresses, cork oak and others. In the first seven years of the botanical garden’s existence alone, 175,000 ornamental and fruit trees were planted here. After many years of reflection and detailed analysis of factual material in the years. in the bulletins of the Moscow Society of Naturalists, X. X. Steven publishes his main work: “List of plants growing wild on the Crimean Peninsula.” In it, the scientist describes 1,654 plant species (now 2,400 species are known in Crimea), and, according to X. H. Steven, 136 of them are Crimean endemics, that is, they no longer grow in their natural state anywhere except Crimea. The last circumstance, according to the author, indicates the island origin of the Crimean flora. Plants growing on the peninsula are named after “Nestor of Botanists”: Steven’s maple, endemic to the Crimea, Steven’s sunflower, Steven’s mantle, Steven’s hogweed, Steven’s woodruff.

In the second half of the 19th century, research into the geological structure, hydrogeological features and soil cover of the peninsula began in Crimea. They were conducted by an outstanding Russian geographer Vasily Vasilievich Dokuchaev() and his students. He arrived in Crimea in the summer of 1878. It was during this period that he accumulated scientific material for his now world-famous work “Russian Black Earth”. Work that laid the foundation not just for “chernozem science”, but for a completely new science - soil science. Observations and scientific materials collected during a trip to Crimea became a significant contribution to the emerging science of the “fourth kingdom of nature,” which, according to the scientist, is soil. Having explored the “marly lands” of the southern coast of Crimea and humus-rich soils “on flat high plateaus” (yayla), having visited the vicinity of Sevastopol and the foothills on the way to Simferopol, the scientist did not find the real “king of soils” anywhere - chernozem. And only in the vicinity of Simferopol did he manage to see “vegetable soil, up to 1/1-1/2 feet thick, dark gray with a chestnut tint.” This was the same “king of soils” for whom he came to Crimea. To the north, Dokuchaev took samples of it and later, in the laboratory, very accurately determined that the amount of organic matter contained in this soil - humus (humus) reaches 4.5%. He was the first to prove the widespread distribution of chernozems in the central plain part of Crimea. In his diaries, and Then, in his writings, the scientist wrote that here “chocolate-gray chernozems lie thirty-forty-centimeter thick, containing about 3% humus." He also established that the thickness of chernozem soils in the Crimea decreases in the direction from south to north. Changes in the content of humus in soils linked to the characteristics of the relief, climate and vegetation. In 1895, he visited Crimea for the second time, again crossing all its soil zones. The Crimean expedition and, in particular, the study of “Simferopol type” chernozems helped substantiate his view on the origin of chernozems and other soils.

It is important to note that in Crimea he studied not only soils, but also other components of the geographical environment. He divided the entire peninsula into three stripes and gave them a brief natural and geographical description. One of the villages of the Crimean plain, where the great soil scientist conducted research, is now called Dokuchaevo. Geological and soil research carried out in Crimea marked the beginning of extensive research by many geologists and geographers. Particularly fruitful were the studies of the hydrogeologist Professor (), a major progressive scientist. Since 1886, Nikolai Alekseevich Golovkinsky devoted himself to the hydrogeological study of Crimea. Occupying the post of chief hydrogeologist of the Tauride province, he makes numerous trips and explores every corner of the peninsula. The scientist saw that as a result of unmanaged logging, unsystematic grazing of livestock, and unplanned plowing of land, Crimea is gradually losing water reserves and “drying out.” did a lot to discover and preserve the water resources of Crimea, and made great efforts to organize their proper use. He paid especially great attention to hydrogeological research in the lowland Crimea, which remained almost unstudied in this regard. He discovered significant reserves of artesian water here. Major hydrogeological studies were carried out everywhere and in the mountainous Crimea: from Feodosia to Balaklava. In particular, he owned the first works on the sources of Chatyr-Dage and Babugan. was the first to draw attention to the waterfall on the slope of Babugan-yayla, emphasizing that there are few places in Crimea that could compete with it in beauty. In memory of the scientist’s research, this waterfall now bears the name of Golovkinsky. Of course, the “drying out” of Crimea, which was talked about in the last century, is out of the question. Thanks to measures to transform the nature of Crimea, its water resources have been enriched: the North Crimean Canal alone brings more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of water annually!

A student, an outstanding mineralogist and geochemist, academician devoted many years of his life and research work to Crimea Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky(). In the summer of 1899, at that time a professor of mineralogy at Moscow University, with a group of colleagues visited the Crimean peninsula. On the trip he was accompanied by geologists, later famous Crimean scientists, and others. During the trip, much attention was paid to the study of the mud hills of the Kerch Peninsula. was the first in Russia to discover the presence of boron in the emissions of mud volcanoes. Investigating the origin of the hills, he rightly pointed out that their formation is not an accidental phenomenon; the hills serve as outlets for gas (methane) jets in oil-bearing areas. Crimean research made it possible to establish a number of deposits of certain types of mineral raw materials. In 1920 he became a professor at the Tauride University in Simferopol. The profound and meaningful lectures of the outstanding scientist, as well as the mineralogical laboratory created with his participation, contributed to the unity around talented students interested in mineralogy and geochemistry. In was the rector of Tauride University - the first Soviet higher educational institution in Crimea, which today bears his name.

It is no coincidence that the name of the geologist and geographer academician is imprinted on the map of the peninsula Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev(). The scientist is known throughout the world as an outstanding researcher of Central Asia and Siberia, the author of multi-volume works on geology and geography, fascinating science fiction novels “Plutonia”, “Sannikov Land” and others. The first Crimean works were written seventy years ago, but have not yet lost their scientific significance. In 1908, then a professor at the Tomsk Technological Institute, visited Crimea, where he studied the methods and reasons for the movement of sediments off the coast of the peninsula. The peculiar nature of the mountainous Crimea attracted the attention of the scientist in subsequent years. is the discoverer of mineral carbon dioxide springs in the Crimean foothills. Working here in the spring of 1916 and summer of 1917, the researcher discovered such a source (Burun-Kaya) in the valley of the Kachi River, ten kilometers south of Bakhchisarai. He combined the study of the natural resources of Crimea with teaching. In he was a professor at Tauride University in Simferopol. During these years, having studied the Beshuiskoye coal deposit, he gave the first estimate of its reserves, explored deposits of oil and combustible gases on the Kerch Peninsula and determined the possibilities of their economic use. Scientists such as the academician paved the way for further research into the nature of Crimea. The mineral spring he discovered in the valley of the Kacha River is now called Obruchevsky. One of the large (up to 30 m high) mud hills of the Kerch Peninsula also bears the name of Obruchev.

For some time, an outstanding forest scientist and geographer worked in Crimea Georgy Fedorovich Morozov(). In 1917, he came to Yalta for treatment, but as soon as his health improved a little, he accepted an offer to work as a professor in the department of forestry and forestry at Tauride University. He continued his scientific activities in Simferopol. It was here, based on his lecture course given at Taurida University, that he prepared for publication the book “Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Forests.” This classic work, published for the first time and most fully in Simferopol in 1920, went through dozens of editions in our country in subsequent years (under the title “The Doctrine of the Forest”). He worked and did not let go of the books until the end of his life. He died in 1920 and was buried in the Sal-girka park in Simferopol. Near the monument, foresters of Crimea laid out a memorial Morozov grove, and the botanical garden of the Taurida National University is being created and its merit.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the life of the Black Sea was fruitfully studied. When talking about these studies, one cannot fail to mention the name of the academician Sergei Alekseevich Zernov(). For some time after the royal exile for revolutionary activities, he worked as a curator in the natural history museum of the city of Simferopol and studied fish in the freshwater reservoirs of Crimea. In 1901 he became director of the Sevastopol Biological Station. For 12 years, he studied the hydrobiological conditions of the Black Sea, accumulating materials for his famous work on marine biocenoses (communities of organisms). He laid the foundations of the then nascent science - hydrobiology. Many years of research culminated in the publication in 1913 of the classic scientific work “On the Question of Studying the Life of the Black Sea.” In it, he introduced the term “biocenosis” into science and for the first time described the 10 main biocenoses of the Black Sea, indicating their animal and plant composition and distribution on the map. belongs to the honor of the discovery (1908) in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, west of the Crimea, of a colossal accumulation of the red algae phyllophora with an area of more than 10,000 square meters. km (almost half the area of Crimea!). In honor of the discoverer, these thickets are named “Zernov’s phyllophoric field.”

There are people whose names are associated with important events and achievements of an entire historical era. In Soviet science, such people can rightfully include the outstanding scientist and tireless seeker of the natural resources of our Motherland, academician Alexander Evgenievich Fersman ().

As a scientist, he was born in Crimea. His first steps into science are connected with the Crimean land - then he was 7-10 years old. On a small rocky hill in the Salgir valley, southeast of Simferopol, inquisitive children spent whole days. There was something to be interested in and even make a small and, most importantly, independent discovery. Here is the first find - a vein of rock crystal in gray-green diabase rocks. The first success is followed by more and more discoveries. “For many years in a row our little town near Simferopol occupied us,” the academician later wrote about his childhood and youth.

Years passed. Love for stone, passion for mineralogy, like a magnet, drew the future scientist further and further from home. Over time, small excursions for stones gave way to long hikes and trips around the Crimea: to the outcrops of volcanic rocks at Cape Feolent near Balaklava, to the ancient Karadag volcano near Koktebel (Planerskoye), to Mount Kastel near Alushta, to Feodosia, Kerch, Evpatoria, Saki. In 1905, working under the guidance of an academician, Moscow University student A. Fersman published his first scientific work describing the minerals of the Crimea. It is followed by a whole series of articles about barite and palygorskite, leongardite and laumontite from the vicinity of Simferopol, Welshite and zeolites. Having already become a professor, he continues to study the riches of Crimea: he explores the salt lakes of the peninsula (he, in particular, was the first to establish the geological chronology of Lake Saki), Kerch iron ore deposits, mud volcanoes, and deposits of Crimean clubroot clay. Based on geological and mineralogical analysis, he solves important scientific problems related to the economic use of the natural resources of Crimea. During the years of socialist industrialization of our country, the scientist’s ability to use the results of scientific research to solve practical problems was especially evident. Even when the academician’s activities were not directly related to Crimea, he often came here. In 1939, he carried out geochemical studies of Crimean mineral deposits. In the same year, his work “On the Geochemistry and Mineralogy of the Crimea” was published in the “Reports of the USSR Academy of Sciences”. Until the end of his life he did not lose scientific interest in the Crimean Peninsula. In 1944, rejoicing at the liberation of Crimea from the fascist occupiers and trying to help quickly restore its economy, destroyed by the war, he published an article in the journal Nature about the fossil riches of Crimea. She summarized the information accumulated by that time about the mineral resources of the peninsula. The article sets the task of active protection and rational use of the wonderful Crimean nature. In conclusion, the scientist-patriot prophetically wrote: “And now, when our beautiful Crimea has survived the difficult years of barbarian invasion and occupation, it, with its life-giving sun and sea, will soon be able to heal its wounds, and again Crimea will turn into a hotbed of culture, into a rich museum of nature, into a source of new ideas and new love for Taurida." In memory of the remarkable scientist, one of the settlements of Crimea near Simferopol is called the village of Fersmanovo.

Modern studies of the nature, population and economy of Crimea are carried out by the leading educational and scientific institution of the peninsula - Tauride National University named after. Today, many faculties of this institution study the history, geography, and nature of our sunny peninsula. The local history direction is represented at the Faculty of History (department of the history of Ukraine and special auxiliary historical disciplines), where the history of Crimea and the culture of the peoples of the peninsula are studied. At the Faculty of Biology, flora and fauna are studied, problems of ecology and protection of the flora and fauna of Crimea, problems of restoration of beech and oak forests, anthropogenic influence on living organisms, and a collection of scientific works “Ecosystems of Crimea, their protection and optimization” is published. The Faculty of Geography has been operating since 1934. The origins of which were: , . Since 1960, more than 60 graduates of the faculty have defended their PhD theses, many of which are devoted to the study of Crimea. Three scientific schools have been created at the faculty: recreational geography (founded by a professor), karst science (founded by a professor) and geoecology (founded by a professor). Many graduates (more than 5,000 people in total) devoted their work to studying the nature, population and economy of our peninsula. Among them: professors, etc. The main directions of scientific research are: problems of rational environmental management, landscape science, karst science, geology, geomorphology, economics, social and recreational geography of Crimea. Today, dozens of scientific institutions and large teams of scientists continue to explore the nature of Crimea, determining ways for its rational use and protection (37, pp. 44-54).

Topic No. 2 Features of the nature of Crimea.

1. Geographical location of Crimea

Physical-geographical position of Crimea

The Crimean Peninsula is located in the south of Ukraine and occupies a small area - 27 thousand square meters. km (including the territory of Sevastopol). With its shape, Crimea resembles a distorted rhombus - “the most magnificent medal on the chest of the Earth,” as the Chilean poet Pablo Nerude said about it. The extreme northern point of the peninsula - the Perekop Isthmus (46`15`N latitude) is 207 km away from the extreme southern point - Cape Sarych (44`23`N latitude). The extreme western point - Cape Kara-Mrun on the Tarkhankut Peninsula (32`30`E) is 324 km away from the extreme eastern point - Cape Fonar on the Kerch Peninsula (36`40`E). Narrow, 7 km. part of the land in the north connects the peninsula with the mainland, and 5 km. - the width of the Kerch Strait in the east, separating it from the Taman Peninsula of Russia. The total length of Crimea's borders exceeds 2,500 km. In general, the coasts of Crimea are slightly indented and the seas form several bays. The Black Sea: Karkinitsky, Kalamitsky and Feodosia, and the Sea of Azov: Kazantipsky, Arabatsky and Sivashsky (Rotten Sea). Crimea is located at an equidistant distance from the North Pole and the Equator, which makes it possible to receive a large number of solar radiation. The almost “island” geographical position enhances the isolation of the peninsula, which is reflected in its flora and fauna (many endemics and endemics). Island features are manifested in the distribution of climatic phenomena: the central parts of the peninsula differ from the coastal parts in the amount of precipitation, duration of sunshine, and the influence of breezes. The unique position of Crimea contributes to the formation of the features of the temperate and subtropical zones, and the alternation of flat and mountainous areas surrounded by seas determines the diversity of landscapes and their mosaic distribution. Thus, the physical and geographical position of Crimea can be considered unique and advantageous.

Economic and geographical position of Crimea

Physiographic location has an impact strong influence on the economic and geographical position of the peninsula. The predominance of sea boundaries, the relatively warm Black and Azov seas promotes the formation of trade relations with the countries of the Black Sea-Azov region and the Mediterranean countries. The presence of seas also determines the specialization of the Crimean economy. The proximity of Russia allows us to maintain reliable economic ties, and the presence of neighboring countries means having diverse and diverse relationships. The Crimean peninsula is located in a favorable territorial and geographical position at the intersection of transport routes between the countries of Asia and Europe, which contributes to the development of international recreational activities. Through the Danube and Dnieper rivers there is access to the ports of the countries Central Europe, Baltic and Scandinavia, and through the Don and the canal system of European Russia - to the Baltic and White seas, Caspian states. Through airspace, Crimea is connected with many neighboring countries. A favorable feature of the economic and geographical position can be considered the proximity of Crimea to fairly developed economically Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine, as well as with the Krasnodar region of Russia. In relation to fuel and raw material bases, Crimea has many positive traits. Thus, the peninsula is located close to the ore and coal bases of Ukraine, to the oil fields of the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus and the Middle East, to the gas fields of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Thus, the economic and geographical position of the Crimean Peninsula can be considered favorable and economically advantageous (12, pp. 4-5).

2. Tectonic structure, relief and minerals of Crimea

The relief of any territory is formed long time and depends on the tectonic structure, fluctuations in sea and ocean levels, modern relief-forming processes, and time. A number of authors (,) propose to divide the geological history of Crimea into five major stages.
The first - Precambrian and Paleozoic (up to 240 million years ago) - the foundation of the Scythian plate begins to form.
The second stage is the Early Mesozoic (up to 176 million years ago) - the time of accumulation of sedimentary rocks of the lower folded floor. During this stage, mountains formed within the Crimean plain, which were gradually destroyed and lowered until the formation of depressions.
The third stage - the Middle Mesozoic (up to 105 million years ago) - the mountainous Crimea rises and the upper folded floor is formed, and the Scythian platform falls below sea level.
The fourth stage (up to 12 million years ago) - the middle of the Cretaceous and until the end of the Miocene - is characterized by the formation of the meganticlinorium of the mountainous Crimea with numerous folds and faults
The fifth stage from the end of the Miocene (the last 12 million years) formed the modern features of the peninsula: relief, soils, flora and fauna, and other components (33, pp. 25-27). Thus, the Crimean peninsula can be divided into two large tectonic structures: Scythian plate and Alpine geosynclinal folded region.

Travelers, explorers

At the end of the 18th century, the Crimean peninsula remained an unknown land, which scientists had yet to explore and describe. It took many decades of hard work by hundreds of scientists - geographers, botanists, zoologists, soil scientists, and geologists - to collect sufficiently detailed information about the natural resources of the peninsula.

One of the first explorers of Crimea was geographer-naturalist Karl Ivanovich Gablitz. In 1786, Gablitz, who by that time had already completed the work “Physical Description of the Tauride Region,” was granted a garden in Sudak, and then a dacha in Chorgun.

In 1787, Empress Catherine II made a trip to Taurida, accompanied by a magnificent retinue, which included many crowned and noble persons. It was also planned to visit Sudak, but due to lack of time, the ceremonial cortege headed from Simferopol through Belogorsk to Feodosia. In the memoirs of Comte de Segur, a participant in the trip, about Sudak it is said that it is “... quite a sizable pier for ships. The city... is built on a high and lonely rock, near the sea. The rock is surrounded on three sides by mountains and very deep chasms; I liked this view for its diversity and majesty. Sudak grapes are considered the best in Crimea; it spread across the valley for almost 12 miles. Fruitful vines grow along with many fruit trees and thus make up a natural garden that pleasantly strikes the eye, especially in its contrast with the surrounding high mountains, rustling waterfalls and gloomy groves.”

By the beginning of the 19th century, the coast of Crimea from Sevastopol to Sudak and Feodosia was described by few travelers. In 1787, Prince de Ligne and Nassau Siegen traveled from Massandra and Partenit to Sudak and Old Crimea. In 1799 along the same route, but in reverse side, Pavel Sumarokov made the trip. In his descriptions, he more fully illuminated the history of these places, nature, topography, and crafts. In 1811, the favorite of Emperor Alexander I, Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, traveled along the Southern Coast with her daughter and a huge retinue, and in 1815, the Feodosia mayor Semyon Mikhailovich Bronevsky and his nephew Vladimir Bronevsky.

In 1816, Andrei Mikhailovich Fadeev, an employee of the office of foreign settlements in the Novorossiysk region, made his first trip to Crimea. The meaning of his work was to survey the colonies of foreign settlers, organize their lives, and find land for new settlers, which required frequent travel. In Sudak, Fadeev and his wife spent several days in a German colony, next to the fortress. “And in our subsequent visits to Crimea, we sometimes lived in it for several weeks, in the pleasant company of Kapnist, Baron Bode and his family.” Acquaintances with Sudak landowners - P.V. Kapnist, Jung left Fadeev with pleasant impressions and memories.

Visiting Crimea annually on duty, Fadeev observed with his own eyes the transformations taking place on the peninsula. But the first trip left the most indelible impression:

“The southern coast of Crimea... has not yet presented to the traveler’s gaze either luxurious palaces or magnificent gardens; but, in my eyes, it looked in its primitive form: I found it incomparably more interesting given its wildness, simplicity and unartificial paths, and it was still not possible to travel everywhere on horseback without difficulty and danger.”

Prominent scientists, researchers of the nature of the Crimean Peninsula P. S. Pallas and X. X. Steven lived in Sudak for many years.

Peter Simon Pallas first visited Sudak in 1793, when he was traveling through the Crimea. Acquaintance with the picturesque nature of the Sudak Valley, with its gardens and vineyards, wonderful wines, and numerous historical monuments, probably influenced the academician’s decision to settle in Crimea forever. In 1795, the scientist was granted two estates in Crimea, including land with a vineyard in Sudak. Pallas lived in Crimea for 15 years - until 1810. He retained his academic salary, subject to the continuation of scientific studies.

In Sudak, Pallas was engaged in practical viticulture and winemaking, and wrote new scientific works. Here he worked on one of his last major works: “Zoographia Rosso-asiatica”.

In the Sudak estate in 1807, the scientist was visited by the botanist Christian Christianovich Steven, who at that time served as assistant to the chief inspector of sericulture in the south of Russia and the Caucasus. Pallas warmly received his young fellow scientist and told many interesting stories from his many travels around Russia. Stephen treasured his acquaintance with the famous naturalist until the end of his life.

Stephen was destined to become the continuer of scientific research and traditions of Pallas in Crimea. After his marriage in 1835 to Maria Karlovna Gartsevich, Stephen often spent summer and autumn in Sudak, on his wife’s estate located in the Ai-Sava Valley, and winter in Simferopol. In September 1855, he completed his main work in Sudak - “List of wild plants on the Crimean Peninsula,” published in 1855–1857. The “List” lists 1,654 species of plants growing in Crimea, which is 735 more species than in Pallas’s list.

Steven's house, both in Simferopol and Sudak, has always been open to researchers and travelers. The scientist provided all kinds of help and assistance to his colleagues and was constantly at the center of scientific research not only in Crimea, but throughout the south of Russia. Of the major scientists of their time, Steven's acquaintances, M. G. Rathke, K. F. Kessler, A. D. Nordman visited Sudak.

Martin Heinrich Rathke, a German biologist, while a professor at the University of Dorpat, organized an expedition to the south of Russia in 1833 to study the fauna of the Black Sea. He visited Sevastopol, Evpatoria, Kerch, Feodosia, Sudak and other places. Working conditions were unfavorable. The spring and summer of 1833 turned out to be quite cold, and the fish stayed away from the shores. All crossings and trips to sea were carried out using sails or oars. Rathke did not know Russian, but had to deal with different people: Ukrainians, Greeks, Tatars, Turks. Nevertheless, he perfectly navigated his new conditions. The material collected and processed by the researcher served as the basis for books and articles published in German.

In September 1858, Kyiv University professor Karl Fedorovich Kessler, who studied fish of the Black Sea and local fisheries in the Black Sea, arrived in Sudak to meet with Steven. In the book “Travel for zoological purposes to the northern shore of the Black Sea and to the Crimea in 1858.” The scientist vividly describes his journey, provides interesting information about the nature of the peninsula, ethnographic and everyday details.

So, approaching Sudak, Kessler for the first time in his life saw buffalo grazing freely. “It is not known by whom and when the buffaloes were bred in Crimea. They are now found almost exclusively only in the wooded valleys of the eastern Crimean mountains and are very small in size, probably due to living conditions that are not entirely favorable for them. The Tatars keep buffaloes partly for milk, since buffalo cows are distinguished by their milk production, and partly for transporting heavy loads along steep mountainous roads, because these broad-hoofed animals are even better suited for these purposes than ordinary oxen.

Two-wheeled Tatar carts, drawn by a pair of buffalos or oxen, met me that day at almost every step. These clumsy carts have the form of narrow, long boxes, the front end of which rests on the drawbar, so that the oxen or buffaloes are, as it were, harnessed to them from the sides. The terrible creaking of unoiled and not covered with iron wheels always announces from afar the approach of such a cart. The Tatars say that in this way everyone already knows in advance that an honest person is coming to meet him, but only frequent meetings with such honest people can be extremely unpleasant.”

Steven decided to donate his rich herbarium to the University of Helsingfors (Helsinki). In 1860, Steven’s old friend, Professor Alexander Nordman, came to Sudak to pick him up. In his memoirs, Nordman describes happy Days, spent at Steven’s Sudak estate, filled with interesting excursions around the surrounding area and pleasant conversations at the table with hospitable hosts and their guests. Here Nordmann experienced a joyful event, about which he wrote on August 30: “A telegram arrived from Paris with the stunning news that the French Institute (i.e., the Academy), after my old teacher Ehrenberg took the vacant seat of Humboldt, elected me as its foreign member. I mention this event only because it first became known in such a remote corner as Sudak.”

According to contemporaries, in Europe the Crimean Peninsula was often known only because X. X. Steven lived here.

Beginning in 1884, the Russian scientist Nikolai Ivanovich Andrusov studied natural terraces in the Sudak region. He distinguished between marine and continental terraces; the latter included four tiers, corresponding, according to the scientist, to the ice ages. Table-shaped terraces are clearly visible east of Sudak, some of them are now covered with vineyards. The work on the Sudak terraces was published in 1912 and served as a prerequisite for further geomorphological research in Crimea.

This far from complete list needs to be supplemented by scientists who conducted historical and archaeological research in Sudak.

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