Gengorka, Kirillovka and Schastlivtsevo are three small towns with populations ranging from 500 to 1500. Their main attraction is that they are located on Arabat Spit, narrow and long, a hundred kilometers on a strip of land that separates the Sea of Azov and the Bay of Sivash. It seemed that, standing in the middle of the tongue, he would see the sea on the right, and the surface of the lake water on the left. In fact, the width of the spit reaches eight kilometers. There are also 300-meter isthmuses, but we did not reach them, it seemed risky to travel during the shelling still possible.
Gengorka itself is calm and safe. An asphalt road runs through the entire village, on both sides of which there are country houses, private hotels and quite nice hotels. I liked that they are not in the same style: and even bus stops, all in the form of fabulous cabins. Unfortunately many of the hotels are still closed; owners are likely changing. But those that work are full, there are no places, some are detained by military personnel. Therefore, it is better to book a hotel in advance. The transitional period also affects documentation. I pay in hotels, in cash, and documents will still not be given to you here, if you suddenly need to organize a business trip. Under Ukraine, people got used to working under a black flag, so there were no accounting documents, receipts, and even less stamps. Now all the companies are becoming legal, but the process takes time.
The hotels have all the comforts, splits, TV and hot and cold water in the shower. By the way, the water in the spit is excellent, from local artesian sources. In each courtyard there are beautiful gardens, flowers and a pool where you can swim (unlike the sea), parking for cars. Only breakfasts and lunches are not included. However, there is a kitchen where they will help you cook whatever you want. There are no problems with groceries – there are supermarkets along the street.
The cost of a hotel room is pleasantly surprising – from 1.5 to 2 thousand rubles per day.
From the hotel to the beach, about seven minutes on foot. We pass through the usual “corridor” of any beach: rows of commercial pavilions and tents. About how it was here before, or how it will be, perhaps, already the next season, so far you can only vividly imagine. The tents, alas, are closed, boarded up, the remains of wires and festive lighting hang down, and there is garbage. But of course you can close your eyes to this, and opening them you can see the sea.
Photo: Infographic “RG” / Alexander Chistov / Alexander Belyaev
The eternal sea splashes at your feet, the wide sandy beach is free. On one side there are sun loungers under awnings, where several couples with children rest. The music plays softly. The rest of the infrastructure suffered the same fate as the commercial pavilions. But the sea remained the same: carefree, cool and welcoming. Of course, we answer his call. It’s unbelievably hot, 30 degrees F. There is the finest sand under your feet, and no matter how you walk on it, the water barely reaches your knees. When you try to dive into the oncoming wave, you stick your hands into the very sand. The depth starts around a hundred meters.
The entire eastern part of the spit is a continuous beach of sand and shells on the shore of the shallowest sea in the world. Due to the shallowness of the water, they heat up very quickly, and the swimming season begins in May and lasts until October, six months. According to scientists, in warm water, under the influence of the sun, the activity of microorganisms occurs faster, and sediment deposits are formed at the bottom, saturated with microelements and minerals. During a storm, silt rises from the bottom and, mixing with seawater, becomes even more useful. Even the air, saturated with bromine and iodine ions, its smell here is not comparable to that on the Black Sea coast. And in the western part of the spit, another natural work is in full swing. Through the Tonkiy Strait, 12 million tons of valuable salts and minerals enter Lake Sivash with seawater every year. In the Sivash “sinkhole”, due to natural evaporation, the salt concentration increases by about 16 times – a real factory for the production of salt.
It is no coincidence that mineral waters were discovered on the Arabat Spit. In some places, they rise to the surface in the form of hot springs (+40 C in Genicheska Gorka and 70 C in Strelkovoe). Hydropathic clinics and balneo-resorts were built near them, you can also relax in the “wild” way.
15 km from Gengorka – Schastlivtsevo. The infrastructure dates back to Soviet times, they remind of the development of departmental pensions. But the center is built with modern private housing.
The real sea begins only in Strelkovoe – there are shoals, overflows, and the bottom relief is constantly changing, which makes swimming quite dangerous. But we don’t need to go there. Strelkovoe, by the will of history, turned out to be on the border with Crimea, and here a funny story walks: when Crimea joined Russia, the villagers, seeking to enter the Russian Federation, sneakily moved the border posts at night.
Appointment
Volodymyr Saldo, Acting Head of the Kherson Region
“These are the lost corners that were hidden from a large number of eyes. Therefore, the Kherson region, which has a large expanse of the coastal zone, these are the Black and Azov seas, makes it possible to develop an even further direction. tour”.
By the way
how to get there
Autotourists must go through Melitopol. From the highway to Crimea (M-18), you need to turn left (towards Genichesk) on the outskirts of Novoalekseevka. From Genichesk – along the only concrete road to Genichesk Gorka. The entire 130 km journey will take two hours.
Help “RG”
Until March 1955, Arabat Spit was part of the Crimean Region of the RSFSR. After the decree of NS Khrushchev on the annexation of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR, the northern part of the spit came under the jurisdiction of the Kherson region. After the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation, the border of the Republic of Crimea with the Kherson region actually became the Russian-Ukrainian border and ran along the southern outskirts of the village of Strelkovoe. Later, when the Crimean border with Ukraine received full delimitation, he moved away from the village at the request of the Ukrainian side.
what to see
Taste, color and character
Among the places for tourists to visit are the Zyablovskoye and Genicheskoe salt lakes. A large amount of therapeutic mud was also found in Lake Salkovo, in the Crooked Arm Strait, located next to the tourist center “Genichesk”. And, of course, the most beautiful sight will be Lake Sivash, which in July-August acquires an unusual pinkish color, thanks to the beta-carotene secreted by the unique Dunaliella algae.
Church of St. George the Victorious on Genicheskaya Gorka, next to the monument to the defenders of the Crimea in 1941. Photo: Wikipedia
The remains of the Arabat Turkish-Tatar fortress, built in the 15th century at the very base of the arrow, are also interesting. The fortification was taken by Russian troops by storm in 1771. The ruined walls are located near the village of Kamenskoye.
Future sights on the Arabatskaya spit will include: an ostrich farm at the Valok recreation center; safari park in the village of Schastlivtsevo; reserve “Askania-Nova”; national natural park “Azov-Sivash”. Meanwhile, in Genichesk, it is worth visiting the local history museum, visiting the temple of St. George the Victorious. Fans of outdoor activities can practice kitesurfing.
Finally, fishing can also attract tourists: gobies, mullets, anchovies, pelengas and shrimp are found in the warm Sea of Azov. But it is difficult to fish from the shore with a bait. For a good catch, you need to rent a fishing boat from local residents or take an inflatable boat with you.
