Alushta

Alushta
  • Алушта
  • Aluşta
City
Flag of Alushta
Flag
Coat of arms of Alushta
Coat of arms
Interactive map of Alushta
Alushta is located in Crimea
Alushta
Alushta
Location of Alushta within Crimea
Alushta is located in Ukraine
Alushta
Alushta
Alushta (Ukraine)
Coordinates: 44°40′2″N 34°23′52″E / 44.66722°N 34.39778°E / 44.66722; 34.39778
CountryUkraine Ukraine (occupied by Russia)
Autonomous republicCrimea
MunicipalityAlushta Municipality
Area
 • Total
6.983 km2 (2.696 sq mi)
Elevation
50 m (160 ft)
Population
 (2025)
 • Total
29,641
 • Density4,245/km2 (10,990/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (MSK)
Postal code
98500 — 98519
Area code+380-6560
Former nameAluston ('till the 15th century)
ClimateCfa

Alushta or Aluşta is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula which is within the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a region internationally recognised as territory of Ukraine, but occupied by the Russian Federation and incorporated as the Republic of Crimea. It is located along the Black Sea coast on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line. According to the 2014 Census, Alushta had a population of 29,078.

The area is notable for its arid, rocky terrain due to its proximity to the Crimean Mountains. During Byzantine times, the town was called Alouston (Ἄλουστον) meaning "Unwashed". Vestiges survive of a Byzantine defensive tower from a fortress from which the town's name was derived, as well as a 15th-century Genoese fortress. During Genoese rule, the name was modified to Lusta. Adam Mickiewicz dedicated two of his Crimean Sonnets to Alushta.

History

In 1910, 544 Jews lived in Alushta, comprising 13% of the town's population. By 1939, they made up only 2.3% of the town's overall population, numbering 251 individuals. On 4 November 1941, the Germans occupied the town. On 24 November 1941, a unit of SS-Sonderkommando 10b murdered 30 Jews by shooting along with captured communists and partisans. In early December 1941, about 250 Jews from Alushta were shot to death by SS-Sonderkommando 11b in the park of Trade Union Sanatorium No. 7, which is today part of the local center for children and creativity.

Geography

Climate

Alushta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) that closely borders on a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa).

Climate data for Alushta (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 9.2
(48.6)		 13.9
(57.0)		 19.6
(67.3)		 24.6
(76.3)		 28.0
(82.4)		 27.9
(82.2)		 23.3
(73.9)		 17.7
(63.9)		 12.2
(54.0)		 8.4
(47.1)		 16.5
(61.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.6
(38.5)		 3.1
(37.6)		 5.4
(41.7)		 10.1
(50.2)		 15.3
(59.5)		 20.2
(68.4)		 23.4
(74.1)		 23.4
(74.1)		 18.5
(65.3)		 13.2
(55.8)		 8.2
(46.8)		 5.0
(41.0)		 12.5
(54.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.8
(33.4)		 0.1
(32.2)		 2.2
(36.0)		 6.7
(44.1)		 11.3
(52.3)		 15.9
(60.6)		 19.0
(66.2)		 18.5
(65.3)		 14.0
(57.2)		 9.3
(48.7)		 4.8
(40.6)		 2.1
(35.8)		 8.7
(47.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 46.9
(1.85)		 42.5
(1.67)		 37.9
(1.49)		 29.5
(1.16)		 24.3
(0.96)		 39.4
(1.55)		 32.4
(1.28)		 41.4
(1.63)		 34.2
(1.35)		 38.0
(1.50)		 44.4
(1.75)		 52.6
(2.07)		 463.5
(18.25)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 8.0 7.1 6.8 5.6 5.7 5.7 4.1 4.3 4.2 4.9 7.0 8.2 71.6
Average relative humidity (%) 78.7 77.5 77.1 77.1 74.7 71.3 65.5 64.7 70.0 75.6 78.9 78.5 74.1
Source: NCEI

Demographics

Ethnic composition according to the Ukrainian national census in 2001:

Ethnic groups in Alushta
percent
Russians
 
 57.09%
Ukrainians
 
 32.96%
Crimean Tatars
 
 5.90%
Belarusians
 
 1.42%
Armenians
 
 0.43%
Moldovans
 
 0.20%
Azerbaijanis
 
 0.20%
Tatars
 
 0.18%
Poles
 
 0.16%
Ashkenazi Jews
 
 0.14%

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Alushta is twinned with:

Notable people

Panorama of the city

References

  1. ↑ Ukrainian and Russian: Алушта; Crimean Tatar: Aluşta; Greek: Ἄλουστον, romanized: Álouston
  1. ↑ Variants are Ἄλουστος (masc.), Ἀλοῦστον (neu.), Ἀλούστα (fem.) The feminine form, Alusta, is consistent with application to a city rather than a fortress. The anhydrous climate likely gave rise to a satirical, anthropomorphic appellation of “unwashed” to the place from resident(s). Χαραλαμπάκης, Παντελής. “Σκέψεισγια δυο Μεσαιωνικα Τοπωνυμια της Κριμαιαs, (Αλουστου, Παρθενιται)” [Reflections on two medieval names of Crimea (Aloustou, Parthenitai], Βυζαντινά Σύμμεικτα 23 (2013): 201–216; esp. 203, note 7.
  2. ↑ The murder of the Jews of Alushta during World War II, at Yad Vashem website
  3. ↑ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1981–2010" (XLS). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original (XLS) on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "Національний склад міст".
  5. ↑ "Sadraudzības pilsētas". jurmala.lv. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2014. (in Latvian and English)