As a matter of fact, starting yesterday, the purely geographical reunification of Crimea with the rest of Russia can be considered officially completed. The branded railway train Tavria No. 007A (once the legendary “seven”), which departed from the Moscow station of the Baltic capital of Russia the hero city of St. Petersburg to the Crimea on December 23, arrived on Wednesday, December 25 at the terminal station - the railway station Sevastopol, the city of Russian Black Sea glory.

And so, as you like, but this was some kind of special symbolism.

It may be that if the rest of Crimea, as a result of the heroic “spring of Crimea” for the Crimean people, finally returned to Russia long awaited, then Sevastopol, together with the Russian Black Sea Fleet, did not seem to leave it: it is really a special region, in which, despite the beautiful sea, magnificent historical excavations and beautiful views, there is not much resort. I once fell in love with him because of this.

Strict city. Naval.

Nevertheless, for me personally, probably one of the best tourist experiences (and I traveled a lot around the world) is a mug of light, light and cool beer, drunk leisurely on a hot spring day in a summer cafe overlooking Grafskaya Marina. In society, if sclerosis does not change me, the good poet Igor Karaulov, with whom, by the way, we "virtualized" at some literary festival. It was not long after the reunion, the embankment was old-fashioned with naval men and girls in bright short dresses, and the cold and unfriendly Black Sea in spring remembered everything indifferently.

It was just like a sudden return to the homeland, but not the glorious city of Sevastopol. And it’s just (sorry, my personal) that we, together with Crimea and Sevastopol, were returning to our country.

And before that I also visited Chersonesus, the last time I was, even when we were digging there, in distant student days.

And so you want, but even to me, a natural Muscovite, it was clear and, if you like, “right” why the first train to the Crimea on a new, unique bridge, even purely symbolically, had to come from the naval St. Petersburg to the military Sevastopol. And why in the winter.

Tourism, which for the region returning to its homeland, is certainly no less important than the naval component - tourism will come later. This paradise peninsula has always been too serious not only a tourist prize, but also a geopolitical prize, it was not by chance that so much blood was spilled for it by a wide variety of peoples and in a wide variety of times: even the legendary and not sung tragic British light cavalry attack happened here. And if we really returned here and do not intend to change this status quo, then security issues will be primary for us. In addition, warships in Sevastopol do not interfere with tourists at all, but, to put it mildly, to the annoyance of many strict local residents, it is rather the other way around.

But this is all so, the lyrics.

But seriously, an event, in other, more romantic times, which would certainly have been called the construction of the century, really fundamentally changes the situation in the region, even purely geographically: now Crimea can again and finally be considered a peninsula, not just Ukrainian, but across the bridge directly connected with the big , mainland Russia.

The transport corridor is finally broken, the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are now purely logistically just ordinary (albeit with their own unique characteristics) regions of a large country. From this we must now proceed.

And, by the way, introduce federal management standards: with this in the Crimea (the Crimean authorities themselves admit this) the situation is far from the way we would like. But that is another question.

In the meantime, the main economic issue for the region sounds much more pleasant, but it is only at first glance: this year the peninsula sets another record for the number of tourists. The December data is, of course, not yet ready, but it is already known that 7.2 million people rested in Crimea in January-November 2019 and these figures are approximately 10% higher than in the same period in 2018.

And now the question is: is the current Crimean resort infrastructure ready for such a sharp increase in tourist flows? Moreover, which is obvious in the family and budget sectors. Which among specialists, of course, are considered, on the one hand, the most reliable, long-term and grateful. But on the other - demanding, pragmatic and generally the most difficult to work with. This is an ordinary spa man slammed a glass of cold white Massandra and went to the beach to sunbathe, swim and get acquainted with the girls. And a family, especially with young children, has a slightly different set of requirements for a comfortable rest, and this should be very clearly and extremely strictly understood.

And the next, 2020, plus another 2021, perhaps, is seen here as a real test for the Crimean tourist and resort infrastructure: it is precisely over these years that tourist flows to the region should more or less finally take shape. Further extensive development will no longer be possible. But is the region ready for full-fledged (even domestic) competition (Anapa with Gelendzhik and Kabardinka are also on the alert, and Sochi has already gone so far ahead that it’s pointless to chase it, and some other Russian regions have already managed to get a taste of easy tourist money and so simply they will not give their piece to anyone) - a very big question. The answer to which we are about this time, the above time, and we should probably get.

In principle, on the one hand, Crimea has everything to become a real tourist haven not only for our country: a mild and healthy climate (Chekhov left for Yalta, recall, not for pleasure, but to be treated for consumption). Clean, gentle sea. Great food and drink. By the way, this is important: for the same Anglo-Saxons, for example, this is almost the main criterion for choosing a place to stay. They cook on their island disgusting, people can be understood.

And then you have a choice - from red mullet to the famous Crimean Tatar lamb, through various Kerch herrings, Crimean red onions and other pasties. And the fault is, frankly, excellent.

A magnificent, incredibly interesting story, which only in the medieval period contained both insidious Byzantine Romans, Gothic kings, ferocious Russian princes from the near Tmutarakan, and romantic Genoese robbers, the ruins of gloomy castles which still pleasantly variegate the joyful local scenery. Both the Tatar khans and the troops of the brilliant Russian Empress Catherine the Great who defeated them completely.

And all, as Sevastopol is proudly saying now, is the three defenses of the great Russian sea city: the Crimean, the Great Patriotic and now that they, as they consider, have preserved themselves and the city for Russia. And what is justly proud.

And there is also the ancient Chersonesos, the ruins of which I once dug. Yes, there are a lot of things, including first of all proud Russian people, Russians - regardless of ethnic and / or religious affiliation, who really retained, as far as possible, this region for large Russia. And it’s somehow strange to call them differently after that.

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Just remember that all natural, historical, human resources are not the final result, but only the source material for the necessary real development of the region.

And whether the current regional authorities, and the current entrepreneurial and business structures, can cope with this, many of which have (this is not their fault - it’s a misfortune, really) Ukrainian experience in doing business is a question that I personally have for now, Unfortunately, there is no answer.

And do not cope simply do not have the right. Because they are also now, with the final commissioning of the Crimean bridge, a full-fledged part of Russia. And this is not only a special pride, but also a special demand.

The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.