Cape Small Atlesh is located in the Tarkhankut Nature Park on the westernmost point of the Crimean Peninsula. The coastal cliffs of Atlesh with steep slopes rise 40 meters above the water. Small Atlesh and its underwater museum Alley of Leaders is the most famous diving spot in the whole Crimea.
The rock of Cape Small Atlesh protrudes 150 meters into the sea and forms a closed Dolphinarium Bay. In Soviet times, a Dolphinarium was created in this bay, where the military was engaged in dolphin training. The water in this bay, as in many other places of Cape Tarkhankut, has a bright azure color in the sun. From the opposite shore of the bay there is a beautiful view of the through cave, which passes under the Small Atlesh rock.
This cave is one of the most famous attractions on Cape Tarkhankut. The length of the cave reaches 98 meters and boats float freely through it. In the center of the cave, fishermen have cut a well through which they can lift the fish catch up. There is also an underwater cave near the through cave. It can only be seen by divers, as the entrance to it is located at a depth of 10 meters below sea level.
In 1992, 100 meters from the shore in the Dolphinarium Bay, the underwater museum Alley of Leaders was created at Cape Small Atlesh. The sculptures are located at a depth of 15-20 meters under water. This museum was created by Vladimir Borumensky, a diver from Donetsk.
He installed monuments of Soviet leaders at the bottom of the sea. There are numerous sculptures of Lenin, Stalin, Dzerzhinsky and many other figures of the Soviet era. Later sculptures of Pushkin, Yesenin, Egyptian pharaoh, Soviet miner and many others were added to them. After 30 years, they were covered with shells and algae. Now this museum is of great interest to divers.
