I first visited Russia in 2005 and 2008 with my wife and travel companion Natalya; we spent many days touring the region of Moscow that contains so many of its historical holly places and cities that where part of the various duchies that birthed Russia. We also toured the Saint Petersburg area as well as Novgorod and a few other cities that have earned great historical signification in both the Rurik and Romanov dynasties. However I have long dreamed of learning more about another region just as important, which has long played a major role in Russia’s complexe history, from the birth of its main religion to its modern day geopolitical role.

Crimea is a peninsula located on the northern coast of the Black Sea and is almost completely surrounded by both the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. It is now connected directly to Russia across the Isthmus of Perekop, by the Russian engineering feat, the rail and car Crimean Bridge since 2018.

Crimea or Tauric Peninsula, as it was called from antiquity has historically been at the boundary between the Europe and the Caspian steppes. Its southern fringe was colonized by the Greeks, the Persians, the Byzantine Empire, the Genoese and the Ottoman Empire; many adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century. In 1783, Crimea was annexed by the Russian Empire as the result of the Russo-Turkish War. Russian's Black Sea Fleet was eventually headquartered in Sevastopol during the years of the Soviet Union right up to this day.

In the historical year of 2014, Crimea has democratically chosen to be reunited with Russia and its people has spoken loud and clear that it would want the same rule for itself. This is not an uncommon situation, as Crimea has long been part of Russia in the past and their common history is very much linked. It thus seems to us an ideal multimedia project to tackle. Visit key cities and historical places and see Crimea as the Russian see it, but by foot….a walking tour of approximately 550km!

In The Crimean Tour, lasting some four months (see logistics below), I will visit by walking, a dozen major cities and many other points of interest along the way within the Crimean peninsula. They are of great importance in the history of Russia. Birth place for the Russian Eastern Orthodoxy in Chersonesus (Sevastopol today) the region also witnessed many of the historical events that shaped Russia’s history and commercial clout to this very day; one has only to think of the unique Massandra wines, the well know soviet ARTEK school for youth living on to this day and of course the Yalta Conference which closed WW2 in 1945.

The tour is to be a reflection on the status of Crimea within Russia and how, looking in the past through the prism of art and history, it might help us bring about better understanding of the choice made by its people in 2014.

KERCH strait, the starting point !

I would like to start my walking peregrination, at the point which has been the key physical reuniting point with Russia; the landing place of the world famous Kerch bridge, an engineering masterpiece that ties the Crimean peninsula with the Russian main land. Kerch is also a city of historical significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of the Crimea. It was founded 2,600 years ago as an ancient Greek colony, and is considered to be one of the most ancient cities in Crimea. From the 6th century the city was under the control of the Byzantine Empire and was the centre of Orthodox Christianity. In the 13th century, the city was invaded by Mongols for a while and after them, the city became the Genoese colony of Cherkio renowned for its fisheries.

Looking at the map below, The Crimean Tour begins in Eastern corner of the peninsula at the Kerch bridge reuniting it with the Russian main land. A major engineering feat, walking across the bridge will allow me to reflect into the history, religious and political issues that have forged the lives of its people.

Moving from East to West

The tour will go through nine (9) major cities in order to capture as much as possible of the points of interest:

• Taman to Kerch
• Kerch to Feodosiya
• Feodosiya to Massandra and Hurzuf
• Hurzuf to Yalta and Livadia
• Livadia to Sevastopol and Chersonesus
• Sevastopol to Backchisarai
• Backchisarai to Simferopol
• Simferopol to Yevpatiya

As the walking tour progresses we will of course add many other stopping points along the way to learn all that we can about this great peninsula, now part of the Russian Federation.

Time of year

The Crimean Tour is scheduled to start in mid Mai 2022 and end in Septembre the same year, approximately 18 weeks or 120 days

Area

The Crimean Tour traverses the Crimean peninsula from East to West. By Google Earth calculation the total walking distance should be a minimum of 550 kilometres; but of course, this calculation does not account for variations, changes in course, unexpected visits and other imponderables.

Distance

My actual walking estimate is around 650 km from launch point Kerch to finish point Yevpatoriya Adding 2-3 days every 4-5 days for rest, video editing and, of course, visiting main places, this would sum up like this:

• Total Km: 650
• Average per day: 12
• Total walk days: 55
• Total rest days: 65
• Total number of tour days: 120
• Total months: 4
• Total months: 5