Church of St. Nicholas in Malorechenskoye

The Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas of Myra in the village of Malorechenskoye is a very interesting attraction of the Crimea. It is built on the high shore of the Black Sea, and its own height reaches 65 meters. There is a lighthouse inside the small dome of the church, and at the foot you can visit the Museum of Shipwrecks. The village of Malorechenskoye, where the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra was built, is located 25 kilometers from Alushta. 

The resorts of Sudak and Novy Svet are 50 kilometers from the church. The idea of building such an unusual church belongs to the Ukrainian artist Anatoly Gaydamaka. He found funding for this and construction began in 2004. The lighthouse-church of St. Nicholas of Myra in Malorechenskoye was consecrated in 2007. On the four walls of the church you can see huge frescoes depicting saints. The size of each fresco is 15 meters. 

The architecture of the St. Nicholas of Myra is quite unusual for Orthodox churches, although in general, it repeats the composition of Russian tower churches. The Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye Park in Moscow was built in the same style in 1528. Its height is 42 meters. In 1994, the church was included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Lists. 

The lighthouse lantern in the St. Nicholas of Myra is installed inside a gilded ball that symbolizes our planet. The functions of the lighthouse can also be performed by the Foros Church, which is located at the Baydar Gate at an altitude of 412 meters.

However, the possibilities of lighthouses in these churches are not used for navigation. In other regions of Russia there are churches that are included in shipping maps as lighthouses. For example, on the Solovetsky Islands, the Church of the Ascension of Christ is located at the highest point of the Sekirnaya Mountain.    

There is a viewing deck on the high bank in front of the St. Nicholas of Myra, which offers a beautiful view of the Black Sea coast and the village of Malorechenskoye. Under this viewing deck there is a Museum of Shipwrecks. Its exposition is dedicated to maritime navigation and major shipwrecks at sea. In the 14 halls of the museum you can see many objects found on sunken ships.