Simeiz Сімеїз | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Simeiz Location of Simeiz in Crimea Show map of Crimea Simeiz Simeiz (Ukraine) Show map of Ukraine | |
| Coordinates:44°24′21″N33°59′24″E / 44.40583°N 33.99000°E /44.40583; 33.99000 | |
| Republic | Crimea |
| Municipality | Yalta Municipality |
| Local council | Simeiz |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mykola Makarenko |
| Elevation | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 2,604 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (MSK) |
| Postal code | 98680 — 98682 |
| Area code | +380-654 |
| Climate | Cfa |
Simeiz (Ukrainian:Сімеїз;Russian:Симеиз;Crimean Tatar:Simeiz) is aresort town, anurban-type settlement inYalta Municipality in theAutonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part ofUkraine and incorporated byRussia as theRepublic of Crimea. Its name is of Greek origin (σημαία 'flag' + -εις, a plural suffix). The town is located by the southern slopes of the main range ofCrimean Mountains at the base ofMount Kosh-Kaya, 18 kilometers (11 mi) west fromYalta. Population:2,604 (2014 Census).[1]
There are prehistoricdolmens and fortifications nearby; in the Middle Ages the area was under the control of theByzantine Empire, which built a fortified monastery in the vicinity (and may have given the town its name). As the Byzantine power weakened, the area fell under the control ofGenoa, which in its turn gave way to theOttoman Empire; under the Ottomans the village was ruled fromMangup.[citation needed] By 1778, with thedeparture of the Christian population, the village was almost entirely depopulated.[2]
In 1828 Simeiz came into the ownership of Ivan Akimovich Maltsov, who started vineyards in the area. In 1900, Maltsov, who was an amateur astronomer, founded theSimeiz Observatory. It would later be developed and expanded over the following decades.[2]
In the early 20th century, Maltsov's descendants created a resort, Novy Simoiz.[2] Novy Simoiz quickly became one of the most prestigious resorts in the Crimea. This period saw the construction of a park and a number of villas which remain to this day. In 1912Nicholas II visited with his family.[citation needed] After theOctober Revolution, Simeiz was nationalized and public sanatoriums were created, mainly specializing in tuberculosis.[2] In 1927 Simeiz was visited by around 10,000 people.[citation needed]
DuringWorld War II, the Germans occupied Simeiz beginning on November 8, 1941, causing much death and destruction; the town was liberated by the Red Army on April 16, 1944. During the occupation, the Simeiz Observatory was heavily damaged.[2] On May 18, 1944, Soviet dictatorJoseph Stalin ordered the beginning of thedeportation of the Crimean Tatars across the entire peninsula, including Simeiz. As a result, theCrimean Tatars, anindigenous people of Crimea, were exiled toCentral Asia under the grounds of allegedly collaborating with Nazi Germany.[3]
After the war, the resort experienced a rebirth, and the ruins were gone by 1955.[citation needed] The Simeiz Observatory was rebuilt, and continued to be important in the field of astronomy.[2]
Before the 2014annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Simeiz was known in thepost-Soviet space as a "gay resort".[4] Homosexual couples from countries of the former USSR would commonly go to Simeiz for summer vacations. Couples walked hand in hand, starting from the bus station. No one threw stones, no one created any obstacles, except for everyday hooliganism, which is everywhere. According to Denis Kratt, a local art director, the gay community was very visible in the town, saying that gay couples could hold hands in public without fear of harassment or violence. However, after Russia's takeover of the peninsula in 2014, the new occupation government enforced homophobic policies in Crimea, largely destroying the vibrant gay scene. LGBT community leaders were forced to flee or go underground. Local art director said that for active LGBT representatives in Crimea, "it is impossible to live there".[5] In 2018, journalists described a bar in Simeiz as "the last gay bar on the peninsula".[6]
As of 1926, Simeiz had a population of 622 people.[2] 431 of these wereCrimean Tatars, 119Russians, 31Greeks, and 25Ukrainians.[citation needed] By 2014, the population of Simeiz had risen to 3,501.[1]
| Climate data for Simeiz | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8 (46) | 7 (45) | 12 (54) | 15 (59) | 21 (70) | 26 (79) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 25 (77) | 22 (72) | 16 (61) | 10 (50) | 15 (59) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4 (39) | 4 (39) | 6 (43) | 11 (52) | 15 (59) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | 13 (55) | 9 (48) | 6 (43) | 12 (54) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2 (36) | 1 (34) | 3 (37) | 8 (46) | 12 (54) | 17 (63) | 20 (68) | 19 (66) | 15 (59) | 11 (52) | 6 (43) | 3 (37) | 10 (50) |
| Average precipitation days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 124 |
| Source: Simeiz.net[7] | |||||||||||||
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