Livadia (White) Palace, Yalta Conference, Yalta

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Anyone interested in WWII history would have heard of the Yalta (or Crimean) Conference. It was here at the Livadia Palace that Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met to negotiate how post-war Europe was to be carved up.

Tsar Nikolas II and family

The Palace was originally built in 1911 as a summer palace for Tsar Nikolas II. Tuberculosis was the scourge in the early centuries and Yalta’s sunny climate was recommended as being conducive for recuperation. There is a beautiful garden at the palace and a pathway that stretches some 7 km to the Swallow’s Nest. The family’s physician recommended that going for walks in the sunshine was beneficial for the Tsar’s family.

In several of the rooms there are portraits of the Tsar and his family including the last picture that was taken before he abdicated. His abdication did not appease the Bolsheviks who murdered the entire family in July 1918.

Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, Yalta

In the Palace there are also lots of black and white pictures of the proceedings during the Yalta Conference, including this famous shot of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. The white meeting room is stunning. During the Conference, which ran over 8 days from February 4 - 11, 1945, the delegations from the three nations were accommodated in three different palaces. The U.S. delegation stayed at this palace, the British were accommodated at Alupka Palace, whilst the USSR delegation was accommodated at the Koreiz Palace.

Livadia (White) Palace

At the back of the Palace is the Romanov Family Chapel. Nikolas II took an oath of faithfulness to the Russian throne here and his bride, Princess Alisa von Hessen was confirmed into the Orthodox Church and given the name Alexandra Feodorovna. When we visited there was some refurbishment being carried out inside. Photography is not allowed inside the Chapel and if you so much as raise your camera hand, the nuns who run the place will quickly tap you on the shoulder. I actually didn’t see the no photography sign outside. Livadia Palace is certainly worth a visit as the place is steeped with history.

Yalta Conference - Livadia Palace, Ukraine

Even if you've not been a keen follower of war histories, a visit to a place like the Livadia Palace will certainly stimulate your interest as to the wheeling and dealing that went on during the Conference. Some interesting things we learned about the Yalta Conference include: The choice of Yalta

Alupka Palace (Vorontsov Palace) Yalta, Ukraine

The Alupka Palace is better known as the Vorontsov Palace to the locals. It was built for Count Michael Vorontsov and it took 23 years to build. The Palace is very interesting from an architectural design perspective. Interesting facts about the Palace include: [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Northern Gothic facade"][/caption] - The eminent

Things to do in Yalta - Cable car ride

When we were doing our trip out to Livadia Palace, we saw these colourful cable cars criss-crossing each other in the skyline. We subsequently found out that the base station was just opposite from where our boat was moored. We were warned that these chairlifts don't stop at all and

Sun, Pebbles & Sea - Yalta’s Beaches

At dinner time on the cruise, it's common for fellow travellers to share stories about their activities and discoveries of the day and recommend to each other interesting things that they had done. A couple of our friends had ventured in the direction of Primorksy Park and came across the beach and

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Yalta

Walking around Yalta town, one of the sights that you will not miss is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Even during the bright daylight, its onion domes light the skyline like giant high-powered golden light bulbs and make for great photo opportunities. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Yalta"][/caption] If you've been