Ever since Catherine the Great, when Crimea became a part of the Russian Empire, the peninsula became not only a popular resort, but also a destination for creative people. Famous artists, poets and musicians went there to improve their health and be inspired by the local scenery: the mountains and the Black Sea.
Today, Crimea is still a mecca for people of arts and, in 2015, the ‘Tavrida’ (‘Taurida’ is Crimea’s ancient name) art cluster opened there, attracting thousands of creative young people from all over the country. They take part in educational forums, art residencies, as well as young art festivals.
In 2019, in Kapsel Bay near the city of Sudak, an art park also called ‘Tavrida’ appeared on a 30-hectare area. Every year, it is updated with new art objects and installations created by young designers, architects and artists.
Below are some of the most interesting!
One of the highlights of the art park is the 2019 work of artist Sergei Pauker-Bravin. The 15-meter-high installation symbolizes all the creative people looking for inspiration before a new beginning.
In 2020, Assol, the heroine of the Soviet novel ‘Scarlet Sails’, was reimagined as a sculpture. The 13-meter-tall girl was made by the same author as ‘A Man Staring at the Sea’ and she stands right next to him. According to the artist’s idea, it is a metaphor of a happy future and the fulfilling of dreams. At night, both sculptures are illuminated.
Two giant masks of Apollo and Venus, symbolizing art and beauty, are the work of the ‘DAP’ (design architecture placement) art group. The sculptural composition is a gateway to the art park.
Another work of the ‘DAP’ art group is reminiscent of England’s Stonehenge, but made of industrial barrels. The artists raised the problem of street art and the damage of architectural monuments, so they invited everyone to leave a mark on this art object, instead.
This art object was created by artists Gleb Ivanov and Alexander Funtov with the help of scientists from the Radio Astronomy Observatory. The light installation shines like a lighthouse, imitating the radiation of astrophysical pulsars.
The ‘DAP’ art group combined several meanings and symbols in one art object. It is a tree of life, a crossroads of many roads (and creative paths) and also a magic crystal that answers important questions for everyone – you just need to press a button.
The idea for this work was born during a workshop at the ‘Tavrida’ art festival. Anyone can beat a huge drum and create their own rhythm, which resonates across the Black Sea. According to the authors (the ‘Cashew’ creative association), it is a metaphor for the pulsation of new creative energy.
Another work made by the participants of the workshop under the guidance of Sergei Pauker-Bravin. The nine-meter clock face shows not the time, but the whole history of the universe, from the origin of life to the present!
A gothic castle not far from Crimea’s Yalta is a popular tourist attraction and, due to its location on the edge of a protruding rock, it is nicknamed ‘Swallow’s Nest’. The ‘DAP’ art group reinterpreted the recognizable landmark and made an industrial version of it.
At first glance, the tower made by the ‘Megabudka’ bureau seems to be a monument to industrial art and an imitation of metal structures of the early 20th century. But, in fact, the bars of the tower form an ornament that refers to the Kemi-Obin culture of the 3rd millennium BC. These relics of the Early Bronze Age were found by archaeologists in the Crimea in 1957.
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