Evening star., 1915-05-23
PLAYCROUNDSOF RUSSIA
DESERTED THIS SEASON
Crimea Finds Few Persons in the
Mighty Empire Now Have Time
for Visit There.
Riviera" Fairyland of Mild Sun
shine, Delightful Scenery and
Luxurious Fruitfulness.

''Crimea is deserted: for Crimea IL
the Fairgrounds OF Russia, and there
are few in the mighty empire who now
have time for play" says a bulletin is
sued by the National Geographic So
ciety today. "A bower OF fairest fruits
and most beautiful fiowers"-the state
ment continues-"Crimea, the sunny
peninsula jutting into the northern wa
ters of the Black sea is the loveliest
gem in the Russian diadem of con-
quered lands. The Tartar dwellers In
Crimea call this land the Little Para
disc. while tho world al large speaks
of It as the Russian Riviera 1t is a
fairyland OF mild sunshine. delightful
scenery and luxurious fruitfulness
The Russian Riviera reaches along
the southeast coast from Cape Sarych
to Feodosiya. and the way is strewn
with summer bathing resorts. enchant-
Ing gardens. reposeful parks. inviting
promenades. coZy. picturesque villas
and fine palaces of the Russian i'm
perial family and Of Russian mobiles.
The season of these resorts-Alupka
Yalta. Gursuv. Alushta. Sudak. Feo-
dosiya-fs now just in the dawning.
This strip OF coastland, sloping from
the green SIN othered mountain ribs
behind into the tideless waters of the
Black sea, Is putting on its Garden of
Eden dress. Crimea, also. has a winter
season.
Put in Order at This Time.
About this time in May in the years
before the war the Crimea Riviera
coast has been in the midst of its prep
aratfons for the new seasons enter
tainment; garden and parks were being
trimmed and planted. villas and hotels
and pensions were being painted and
a nj ira
the coast were being put in order.
Ancient ruins. Greek and medieval
nestle in the hills back from the water.
and around them and before them
spread groves of bays. expresses. null
berries. figs. olives. pomegranates and
many sorts of nut trees. while DEEPER
| toned forests of oak, beech, elm, pine
and fir form rich background to the
picture; And. in profuse abandon.
magnolias. oleanders. tulip trees, the
Japanese plum and cherry, bignonias.
myrtles camellias, mimosas and MANY
varieties of fruit trees grow in the
| public gardens. brighten the private
parks and cluster about the isolated
villas
The Crmean peninsula. covering an
area OF 300 square miles. is about the
size of New Hampshire. Its northern
part. where 1t Joins the mainland. ts
steppe. and in summer is often scorch-
ed and dreary. The peninsula meas
ures zoo miles from east to west ana
llo miles from north to south between
the most widely separated points.
sevastopol, the great military port at
| the southwestern toe of Crimea, Ia
about 900 miles south of Moscow, with
| which 1t is connected by a trunklfne
| railway Where the steppe ceases and
the hill country begins is the boundary
of the famous play country. The moun-
tain scenery of Crimea is very beauti-
ful, In parts widely rent and rfven.
and surmounted here and there by
peaks Of 5000 feet or more.
Land With Historic Past.
"Crfmea Is treasure trove for his.
torians. Psychologists and anthropolo.
gists. Its story can be followed back
through twenty-four centuries, though
there are blank chapters here and
| there. Thousands of small caverns in
some Of its mountain groups suggest
prehistoric dwellers. Crimea is men,
| toned in the Homerian songs. who
speaks of a lonely land and gloomy
| cells and of a dusty nation of Cim.
merians.' Scythians. Asiatics, were es-
tablished here, when Herodotus. the
prince of Greek travellers. came to Cn-
mea around the year 400 B. C.
Southern Crimea is a garden land
Its fruits are famous in the northern
Russian markets. and from its grapes
| a full-bodied, spicy wine is made. Vine
yards cover more than 1900 acres of
| the Crimea, and from them about g.
100000 gallons of fine quality wine 10
made each year The waters around
| the peninsula abound in delicate fish,
such as red and gray mullet. herring,
| mackerel. turbot, soles. plaice, whiting,
Dream, haddock. pilchard, a species of
pike, whitebait, eels. salmon and stur-
geon. Much of the Crimean fish take is
put up in cans and sold throughout the
empire. WOOL leather. meat. grains and
| some minerals are produced in Crimea
and moderate amount of manufactur-
ing Is done. In general. however, Rus
sia has reserved this delightful coun-
try as place to rest in between hard
tasks, as a place wherein to forget the
sacrifices demanded by progress in q
vacations careless play"