Located in Yalta -- considered the Russian empire's answer to the Mediterranean Riviera -- this historic property of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II is in need of restoration.
The Massandra Palace, Neglected Jewel Of Crimea
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The history of the Massandra Palace on Crimea's southern coast has intrigued visitors and history buffs for generations. Formerly a residence of the last Romanov emperor, it is now a crumbling museum.
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Prince Semyon Vorontsov commissioned French architect Etienne Bouchard in 1879 to construct a palace on lands that were originally granted by Empress Catherine II to a French aristocrat who never lived there. But two years later the architect died, followed by Vorontsov himself, and the estate was abandoned.
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In 1889, the unfinished palace was bought on behalf of Russian Emperor Alexander III with the intent to modernize the design.
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But Alexander died before seeing the project finished.
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In memory of his father, Nicholas II (seen here with his wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna) finished building the palace. Even though Massandra was considered an imperial residence, no royals ever lived there; instead, they chose the larger and more oppulent Livadia Palace nearby.
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After the Bolshevik Revolution and before World War II, the residence was used as a government sanatorium before being requisitioned for Josef Stalin as his summer house.
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The furniture was created specifically for public visits with no common design concept; instead, a mixture of several styles can be seen.
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Stalin visited but did not stay at the palace. It was later visited by Nikita Khruschev and Leonid Brezhnev. In 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a museum was opened.
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Though the facades are quite striking, upon closer inspection, the deterioration of the landmark is especially noticeable, such as the closed porch of the southern entrance as seen from above.
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The original sculptures of chimeras and a satyr playing the flute also show signs of neglect.
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In Greek mythology, satyrs were considered fertility demons and made up the retinue of the god Dionysus.
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Danger signs such as this one marking a location on the third-floor balcony are seen throughout.
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Stone column fragments and a vase litter the grounds.
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A statue of a female sphinx holding a ball is one of the 28 historical sculptures that are to be restored.
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Crimea is a part of Ukraine that was illegally occupied by Russia in 2014. A bronze bust, commissioned from the sculptor Apollonov, was unveiled in 2017 to commemorate the life of Tsar Alexander III.
