Cape Panagia, Trutaeva reef and the ruins of the fort. Cape Panagia: the picturesque beauties of Taman for savages Where is Cape Panagia
Cape Panagia (translated from Greek - "prosvira") is located in the south-west of the Taman Peninsula, at the Black Sea beginning of the Kerch Strait, 12 km from the village of Taman. Opposite him, in the middle of the sea, a chain of high and narrow rocks turns white, "at sunset, resembling the wake column of sailing frigates."
The cape, about 30 m high, is composed of limestone of the Meotic age. This is an ancient reef of the sea, consisting of delicate skeletons of colonies of bryozoans. On both sides of it, the coast is composed of layered clays, in which gypsum occurs in interlayers, while the chain of rocks, stretching from the cape for 1.5 km, again consists of moss limestones. These reefs, formed in the warm Maeotic sea, were then buried under clay deposits, and in the modern era, the sea "digs out" the ancient relief.
The coastal cliffs of Panagia are destroyed not only under the impact of sea waves, they are also subject to karst processes.
The formation of the cape and rocky islands is explained not so much by the presence of limestone (especially since they are highly cavernous and relatively easily destroyed), but by the large difference in the mechanical stability of clay and limestone in relation to the action of sea waves. The clayey shore erodes even faster than the limestone, and the shore recedes at great speed, leaving a chain of limestone rocks in the sea.
Between the capes Panagia and Tuzla 2000 years ago there was the Greek city of Korokondamma. It has long been destroyed by the sea, which since then has "eaten" 2000 m of the coast (an average of 1 m per year). This is indicated by the rocks in the middle of the sea, as well as the geological structure of the seabed and coast.
In the past, dozens of prominent scientists came to Cape Panagia - academicians Andrusov, Gubkin, Arkhangelsky and others, to personally verify such an intensive advance of the sea on land.
Why is it happening? As shown by underwater archaeological excavations in Phanagoria, carried out by V. D. Blavatsky in 1958, the remains of the ancient structures of Phanagoria are now located in places at the bottom of the Taman Bay, 3 - 4 m below the modern sea level. These finds undeniably testify that since the time of the Bosporan Kingdom, that is, over the past 2 - 2.5 thousand years, there has been a significant rise in sea level relative to land or a sinking of land relative to sea level. That is why the sea is advancing on land.
The heroic events of the battles of the Great Patriotic War are connected with Cape Panagia. Here, in 1943-1944, the 743rd battery from the cruiser Komintern, Lieutenant Commander S.F. Siakhov, was stationed, which fired at the fascist invaders who settled on the Kerch coast. A modest obelisk was erected in honor of the artillery sailors on a low ridge adjacent to the cape.
Cape Panagia and the shore adjacent to it can be turned into a kind of testing ground for studying the dynamics of the coastal zone. It can also be used as a natural excursion object in organizing field practices for students of geography and school excursions in local history. It is clear that he needs strict protection.
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This is a description of the attraction Cape Panagia 36.2 km southeast of Kerch, Krasnodar Krai (Russia). As well as photos, reviews and a map of the surroundings. Find out the history, coordinates, where it is located and how to get there. Check out other locations on our interactive map for more details. Know the world better.
Cape Panagia (translated from Greek - "prosvira") is located in the south-west of the Taman Peninsula, at the Black Sea beginning of the Kerch Strait, 12 km from the village of Taman. Opposite him, in the middle of the sea, a chain of high and narrow rocks turns white, "at sunset, resembling the wake column of sailing frigates."
The cape, about 30 m high, is composed of limestone of the Meotic age. This is an ancient reef of the sea, consisting of delicate skeletons of colonies of bryozoans. On both sides of it, the coast is composed of layered clays, in which gypsum occurs in interlayers, while the chain of rocks, stretching from the cape for 1.5 km, again consists of moss limestones. These reefs, formed in the warm Maeotic sea, were then buried under clay deposits, and in the modern era, the sea "digs out" the ancient relief.
The coastal cliffs of Panagia are destroyed not only under the impact of sea waves, they are also subject to karst processes.
The formation of the cape and rocky islands is explained not so much by the presence of limestone (especially since they are highly cavernous and relatively easily destroyed), but by the large difference in the mechanical stability of clay and limestone in relation to the action of sea waves. The clayey shore erodes even faster than the limestone, and the shore recedes at great speed, leaving a chain of limestone rocks in the sea.
Between the capes Panagia and Tuzla 2000 years ago there was the Greek city of Korokondamma. It has long been destroyed by the sea, which since then has "eaten" 2000 m of the coast (an average of 1 m per year). This is indicated by the rocks in the middle of the sea, as well as the geological structure of the seabed and coast.
In the past, dozens of prominent scientists came to Cape Panagia - academicians Andrusov, Gubkin, Arkhangelsky and others, to personally verify such an intensive advance of the sea on land.
Why is it happening? As shown by underwater archaeological excavations in Phanagoria, carried out by V. D. Blavatsky in 1958, the remains of the ancient structures of Phanagoria are now located in places at the bottom of the Taman Bay, 3 - 4 m below the modern sea level. These finds undeniably testify that since the time of the Bosporan Kingdom, that is, over the past 2 - 2.5 thousand years, there has been a significant rise in sea level relative to land or a sinking of land relative to sea level. That is why the sea is advancing on land.
The heroic events of the battles of the Great Patriotic War are connected with Cape Panagia. Here, in 1943-1944, the 743rd battery from the cruiser Komintern, Lieutenant Commander S.F. Siakhov, was stationed, which fired at the fascist invaders who settled on the Kerch coast. A modest obelisk was erected in honor of the artillery sailors on a low ridge adjacent to the cape.
Cape Panagia and the shore adjacent to it can be turned into a kind of testing ground for studying the dynamics of the coastal zone. It can also be used as a natural excursion object in organizing field practices for students of geography and school excursions in local history. It is clear that he needs strict protection.
"... Cape Panagia (translated from Greek -" prosvir ") is located in the south-west of the Taman Peninsula, at the Black Sea beginning of the Kerch Strait, 12 km from the village of Taman. Opposite it, in the middle of the sea, a chain of high and narrow rocks whitens, "at sunset, sailing frigates resembling a wake column."
The cape, about 30 m high, is composed of limestone of the Meotic age. This is an ancient reef of the sea, consisting of delicate skeletons of colonies of bryozoans. On both sides of it, the coast is composed of layered clays, in which gypsum occurs in interlayers, while the chain of rocks, stretching from the cape for 1.5 km, again consists of moss limestones. These reefs, formed in the warm Maeotic sea, were then buried under clay deposits, and in the modern era, the sea "digs out" the ancient relief.
The coastal cliffs of Panagia are destroyed not only under the impact of sea waves, they are also subject to karst processes.
The formation of the cape and rocky islands is explained not so much by the presence of limestone (especially since they are highly cavernous and relatively easily destroyed), but by the large difference in the mechanical stability of clay and limestone in relation to the action of sea waves. The clayey shore erodes even faster than the limestone, and the shore recedes at great speed, leaving a chain of limestone rocks in the sea.
Between the capes Panagia and Tuzla 2000 years ago there was the Greek city of Korokondamma. It has long been destroyed by the sea, which since then has "eaten" 2000 m of the coast (an average of 1 m per year). This is indicated by the rocks in the middle of the sea, as well as the geological structure of the seabed and coast. In the past, dozens of prominent scientists came to Cape Panagia - academicians Andrusov, Gubkin, Arkhangelsky and others, to personally verify such an intense advance of the sea on land. As shown underwater archaeological excavations in Phanagoria, carried out by V. D. Blavatsky in 1958, the remains of the ancient structures of Phanagoria are now located in places at the bottom of the Taman Bay, 3 - 4 m below the current sea level. These finds undeniably testify that since the time of the Bosporan Kingdom, that is, over the past 2 - 2.5 thousand years, there has been a significant rise in sea level relative to land or a sinking of land relative to sea level. That is why the sea is advancing on land.
The heroic events of the battles of the Great Patriotic War are connected with Cape Panagia. Here, in 1943-1944, the 743rd battery of 130mm guns from the fallen cruiser Komintern, Lieutenant Commander S.F. Spakhov, was stationed, which fired at the fascist invaders who occupied the Kerch coast. A modest obelisk was erected in honor of the artillery sailors on a low ridge adjacent to the cape.
Cape Panagia and the shore adjacent to it can be turned into a kind of testing ground for studying the dynamics of the coastal zone. It can also be used as a natural excursion object in organizing field practices for students of geography and school excursions in local history. Cape Panagia has been given the status of a natural monument."
Taman land has a rich and interesting history, and Cape Panagia in the southern part of the peninsula (12 km from Taman) is one of the places where the saturation with historical events is greatest. Some of these events have practically left nothing to testify to them, and some still remind of themselves.
2000 years ago, on this land, near Cape Tuzla, there was a large city of Korokondama - one of the cities of the Bosporan state. Ancient anchors, fragments of ancient amphoras, various ceramics were found under water near Panagia.
There is a version that Cape Panagia is the birthplace of Christianity on Russian soil. The very name of the cape comes from the Greek "all-holy" and originally belongs to the image of the Mother of God. The penetration of Christianity into the Northern Black Sea region is associated with the preaching of Christianity in the North Caucasus by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the 1st century BC. n. e.
Cape Panagia is also inscribed in the history of the Great Patriotic War. It was here that from the end of the thirties until 1942 the 33rd battery of the Kerch naval base under the command of Captain B.E. Petrov, equipped with 203 mm guns, was located, and later the 743rd battery of Lieutenant Commander S.F. Spakhov was located. The remains of the latter are quite well preserved to this day.
743rd battery was relocated here from near Tuapse, and four 130 mm battery guns were dismantled from the cruiser Komintern, which died in 1942. The cruiser was built in 1881 and carried eight 130 mm deck guns. In July 1942, during a massive air raid by German aircraft, the cruiser received a direct hit by a bomb, and two weeks later, in another port, during another air raid, an unexploded air bomb pierced the ship through and through. In the absence of a repair base, it was decided to disarm and flood the badly damaged, outdated and worn-out ship.
The battery was relocated to the Taman Peninsula immediately after the liberation of Novorossiysk. At this time, two more batteries also arrived here - the 723rd - near the village of Krotkovo and the 770th, included in the 163rd separate artillery division, - on the Tuzla Spit. Work on dismantling from old positions and building and equipping new ones were carried out in record time. At the firing position of the old blown-up battery (half a kilometer north along the coast), it was decided to arrange a false one. Subsequently, the enemy dropped a lot of bombs and shells on it, which is evidenced by the terrain to this day. 45 mm anti-aircraft guns were installed near the main guns to protect the battery from air strikes.
The battery fired at enemy positions on the Crimean peninsula, but was ready to fire at targets on the water - at fascist ships in the Kerch Strait and in enemy ports. Due to the most advantageous position, the 743rd actively participated in the artillery preparation during the landing in the Crimea on November 1, 1943, and also covered the further build-up of forces, and in December 1943, a German high-speed landing barge was sunk by coordinated fire from the 663rd battery.
Today, the gun yards, an observation post on a cliff, several pillboxes, underground rooms and passages are left from the battery. The lighthouse has a modest obelisk. In this place, the sea actively comes ashore, eating about 1 meter annually. The underground part of the observation post is already hanging over the cliff. When visiting the site, try not to approach the cliff - landslides are not uncommon here.
The Western Caucasus ends with a lowland, and that with the Taman Peninsula. Cape Panagia is the southeastern "start" of this ledge. It is worth knowing that this location is not just a steep coast, but also historical, natural attractions. Our short review will tell about Panagia.
Where is Cape Panagia located?
The physical map clearly shows us that the indicated land protrusion stretches along the watershed line of the Black and Azov Seas, as if marking the beginning of the Kerch Strait. To the beach village Volna go from here 6 km, to the road "- Taman" go 12 km (along the dirt road).
On the map of the region, Panagia is located like this:
Origin and geography
The history of the reef built by bryozoans - and that is what Panagia is - goes back to the times when protostomes (bryozoans) prevailed in the sea. There was no man yet. It was their colonies, layering one on top of the other for hundreds of years, that formed this ledge of the “border” Riviera. We are talking about the petrified skeletons of these creatures, buried under clay for many millennia. Now the water advancing here every year takes away about a meter of the described land. And the layer of bryozoans is exposed more and more.
The name "Panagia" is associated with the Greek idiom "All Saints". With the image of Mother Panagia - one of the first Christian saints - the West Caucasian region got acquainted thanks to the missionary work of St. Andrew the First-Called. On this patch of coast there was one of the secret temples dedicated to her.
The legend says that even a full-fledged temple operated on the cape: now it, most likely, already rests on the bottom, carried away by the disaster. In the 1st century, Christianity did not have a division into Eastern and Western churches. As a result, it turns out that this location is the very first place of general Christian worship on the territory of the modern Russian Federation. But there are local historians who claim that "panagia" is a synonym for the word prosphora, that is, a bun for communion. It is she who is reminiscent of the rocks corroded by the surf opposite the cape.
Holidays at Cape Panagia: in the amazing paradise of Taman
The coastal zone at the turn of the Kerch Strait and the Black Sea warms up faster and stronger than all other water areas of the Russian Black Sea. And therefore, the settlement located in its zone - the village of Volna - is the "earliest" resort. It is comfortable to swim here already in the last decade of May, which is phenomenal.
Unfortunately, Cape Panagia lies a few kilometers northwest of this place - in the territory. The local coastline is continuous high cliffs. It is better not to swim here, but to make an excursion to the highest coast - its height above sea level is 30 m. To this point - it, in fact, was dubbed Panagia - is quite a tolerable primer.
By the way, it crosses the construction site of new mooring malls - here, unfortunately, it is blocked by embankments of building materials. Next, you will pass sections of the edge where underwater archaeologists have discovered many early Christian rarities: three-dimensional images of lambs, crosses, altars, the foundations of a religious building, the fish symbol, and so on.
You will still notice rocky formations separated from the land from afar. They denote that part of the coastline that could not resist the daily battle with the sea. The largest "flake" even earned a name among the natives - because of the shape it was called the Sail. Such a landscape stretches for 1.5 km of the local coast. Migratory birds live on such rocks.
Near the south side of the cape, in 1943, the 743rd artillery battery, taken from the Soviet cruiser Komintern, operated: there is a modest obelisk in honor of the artillerymen. On the roadstead, which passes just here, daily (during the navigation period) you can see cargo ships and barges. The place is absolutely unkempt, so look under your feet.
Oddly enough, under some ravines there is a narrow strip of sandy shore. Extreme campers can still go swimming here or at least take sunbaths. There is a plus: the "beaches" are perfectly protected from the northeast winds, therefore, it is very warm here even at night.
How to get (drive)?
So, you have reached cozy Taman. Cape Panagia is connected to this village by a 12-kilometer section of the Taman-Volna dirt track. From Anapa, this settlement can be reached using the A-290 highway, a highway on and a 12-km dirt road - you will have to drive 90 km along these three roads. In the off-season it is easier to come here by sea.
Here is how the car route to the destination looks like on the map:
Note to the tourist
- Address: pos. Volna, Taman, Temryuk district, Krasnodar region, Russia.
- GPS coordinates: 45.140571, 36.633511.