The opening of a restored rotunda in Crimea was canceled due to a scandal
In the temporarily occupied city of Alushta, an attempt to restore one of the city’s main architectural landmarks—the famous rotunda on the waterfront—ended in a major scandal.
Despite promises by the occupying authorities to open the site by City Day on May 31, residents and tourists saw only an unfinished structure surrounded by a fence.
Earlier, the Russian city administration had assured that work was proceeding according to schedule and would be completed on time. However, the completion date had already been postponed several times.
Initially, the rotunda was promised to open by the May holidays; later, the date was moved to City Day. However, this deadline was also not met.
As of early June, the area around the structure remains fenced off, with construction trailers and materials nearby. An official opening ceremony never took place.
The appearance of the renovated structure caused the greatest dissatisfaction among local residents.
The occupying authorities claimed that the rotunda’s historical architectural appearance would be fully preserved during the renovation. However, after the main work was completed, it turned out that one of the key details had been altered.
Instead of the inscription “Alushta – Resort,” which had adorned the rotunda for decades, a Soviet-era quote reappeared on the pediment: “Citizens of the USSR have the right to rest.”
It is this decision that has become the subject of heated debate and criticism among the local community.
Some residents are convinced that due to the change in the inscription and the overall approach to the renovation, the rotunda has lost its recognizability and tourist appeal.
The rotunda on the Alushta waterfront is considered one of the city’s most famous landmarks. The snow-white semi-rotunda with six columns was built in 1951 according to a design by engineer Alexander Gryzo and has the status of a cultural heritage site.
Interestingly, the structure originally did indeed feature an inscription from the Constitution of the USSR: “Citizens of the USSR have the right to rest.” It was later replaced with the more modern and tourist-friendly inscription “Alushta – Resort.”
The occupying authorities planned to spend nearly 10 million rubles on the monument’s renovation, but the results of the work have already become the subject of public criticism and debate.
As a reminder, the fuel situation in occupied Crimea continues to deteriorate. Lines at gas stations are now measured not by the number of cars, but by kilometers.
Problems have arisen with the operation of banking services and payment terminals on the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula. Local residents report that cashless payments are increasingly becoming unavailable due to glitches in the payment system.
