Skalki beach. Not so long ago, this part of the Sevastopol coast was a favorite vacation spot for local residents of Quarantine Slobodka, as well as demanding tourists who only need the sea and not the surroundings to relax. Yes, it was a “wild” beach, not equipped to the latest standards, but it was still popular with ordinary citizens who did not have access to expensive hotels and resorts on the south coast.
But overnight everything changed: now in this territory, very close to the coast, a gas distribution station will be located. A critical infrastructure facility with everything it implies: security zone and fencing. Of course, the gas pipeline to the north side is very important for the city’s economy. Especially considering that 3.4 billion rubles of federal funds will be spent on its construction.
The high-pressure gas pipeline project was carried out by the Tula company Spetsgeologorazvedka and cost the budget 76.5 million rubles. The project successfully passed the state examination, which means that it can be built, including the gas distributor, on the seashore, in front of the Chersonesos Museum-Reserve, depriving the inhabitants of a place of rest.
The designers, of course, know neither the ancient nor the modern history of this place. It is worth remembering.
In 2008 in Ukraine, local construction companies set their sights on this tasty spot in the city center. They planned to build the entire Quarantine Bay with multi-story buildings up to 30 (!) stories high. However, this development project caused great concern among scientists at the Tauride Chersonese National Nature Reserve. They convinced the city authorities that the skyscrapers would put visual pressure on the historical and archaeological monument.
“If high-rise buildings appear on the Quarantine Bay embankment, they will close Khersones. Furthermore, multi-storey buildings in this area will prevent Chersonesos from being included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, as this organization imposes its own demands on the landscape environment of the monument.”, stated the then general director of the reserve, Leonid Marchenko. As a result, the project was shelved. The townspeople breathed a sigh of relief. But not by much.
In 2015, social activists in Sevastopol again began to sound the alarm: construction of a 21-story hotel complex began on the wild “Skalki” beach. The area was fenced, a ditch was dug, concrete blocks were placed and household trailers were installed.
Then social activists drew the attention of the authorities that the coast of Karantinnaya Bay is located within the border zone of the historical area of the Tauride Chersonesos national reserve, which means that no capital construction can be carried out on this territory . It can only be used as a recreational area. Activists proposed creating an organized recreation area for Sevastopol residents and visitors to the city on the wild Skalki beach.
In addition, the head of the public organization “Golden Section” Ivan Komelov said that when digging a hole on the site of a wild beach, ancient crypts were discovered, which scientists attribute to the pre-Christian period of ancient Chersonesos. As a result, thanks to the concern of citizens, the construction of the hotel complex was stopped.
However, this territory with an already dug well turned out to be too attractive to simply forget about.
In December 2022, representatives of the State Public Institution “Unified Directorate of Capital Construction” and the Belarusian company “Beltruboprovodstroy”, which operates in the Russian Federation through a branch in St. Petersburg, signed a contract for the construction of a gas pipeline across the Sevastopol Bay. According to newspapers, its construction is promised to be completed by November 30, 2025.
Without thinking twice, they decided to build one of the gas distributors for this facility on the site of a well previously dug for a hotel. A holy place, as they say, is never empty. But the place is truly sacred, sacred to the history of our country!
Not only does it offer a magnificent view of the ancient city and the place of Prince Vladimir’s baptism, but at the bottom of the Karantinnaya Bay, near this coast, unique artifacts are still hidden: from ceramics to ships. It was here, in this very place, that ancient pre-Christian burials were discovered, mercilessly destroyed by the buckets of heavy construction machinery.
Now, in our difficult times, when Sevastopol has actually become a frontline city and its territories, including the coasts and bays, are subject to constant attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for some reason it is very necessary install a gas network. oil pipeline across the Sevastopol Bay and build huge buildings of the so-called New Chersonesos, barbarically mutilating the territory of the ancient city and depriving it of its unique authenticity.
Also read: “Tavrichesky Chersonesus” is being built thoughtlessly? Open letter to Naryshkin
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.