Swallow’s Nest, Crimea, Russia by Fr Maxim Massalitin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Swallow’s Nest hangs precariously over a cliff above the Black Sea, however, it didn’t always do so. Located in Yalta, Ukraine its origin dates back to about 1895. The first owner is said to have been a former general who constructed a small wooden dwelling there. Later it was owned by A.K. Tobin, doctor to the Tsar. It was then purchased by Baron von Stiengel who had the current Gothic style castle built.
Later it changed hands again and an Italian restaurant was opened inside. A strong earthquake in 1927 damaged the cliff and caused part of it to collapse into the sea. The Swallow’s Nest was closed and left in disrepair for 40 years. It was renovated at the end of the 1960s. One idea was to number all of the stones and move the entire castle to a more stable location. Ultimately, it was decided not to move the castle and instead, engineers inserted a concrete plate into the cliff to fix a crack left by the earthquake.
Swallow’s Nest by Fr Maxim Massalitin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Leonid Sherwood designed the castle. It sits on a small foundation approximately 32 feet wide by 65 feet long. The castle is about 39 feet high. It is well liked locally and has appeared in various films. Currently, it is an exhibition space.
Check out my posts on the Lonely Castle, Mystery Castle, and Solomon’s Castle to see more unique and wonderful castles.
