Massandra

Massandra Массандра — Масандра
Country	Template:In Crimea
Republic	Crimea
Region	Yalta municipality
Elevation	300 m (1,000 ft)
Population  (2001)
• Total	7,358
Time zone	UTC+4 (MSK)
Postal code	98650, 98651
Area code	+380-654

Massandra or Masandra (Template:Lang-uk; Template:Lang-ru; Template:Lang-crh) is an urban-type settlement in the Yalta municipality of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and incorporated by Russia as the Republic of Crimea. Population: 8,571 (2013 est.).

Occupying the spot of an ancient Greek settlement (Tavrida-Ταυρίδα), Masandra was acquired by Counts Potocki in 1783.

In the mid-19th century, it passed to Prince Vorontsov Jr, whose father was the governor of New Russia. Enraptured by a picturesque setting, Vorontsov in 1881 engaged a team of French architects to design for him a château in the Louis XIII style. He died the following year and construction work was suspended until 1889, when the messuage was purchased by Alexander III of Russia. The tsar asked architect Maximilian Messmacher to finish the palace for his own use but he did not live to see it completed in 1900. During the Soviet years, the palace was employed by Joseph Stalin as his dacha.

Today, Masandra is known for its agricultural production, namely fortified wines.

• 
  View of Masandra Palace.
• 
  Another side of the palace.
• 
  The palace interior, year 2008.

See also

• Euxinograd near Varna, the site of a similar seaside château, commissioned by Ferdinand I of Bulgaria

External links

• Masandra Palace Photoalbum
• Media related to Masandra at Wikimedia Commons