In 1778 Count Semyon Vorontsov, the owner of Massandra estate and the son of former Governor Michael Vorontsov, decided to build a hunting house in
Massandra. The first architect was Etien Bushar. The construction worcs, when only interior finishing was left
to be done, had to be stopped becouse of the customer`s death.
In 1889 the Massandra Palace and estate was purchased by the Ministry
for the Emperor Court and Apanages. Another architect was invited by new owner - Maximilian Mesmakher. Alas, sovereign Alexander ІІІ did
not happen to live in this spot which was so much to his liking - in the
1894 the Russian Tsar died just a bit away from Massandra, in the
Livadia Palace.
All empires stem from conquests. The Russian Empire was founded by Peter the Great who declared Russia the Empire and proclaimed himself its Emperor after winning the Northern War of 1721. Thus he switched the ancient estate- representative monarchy into an absolute monarchy following models of Western European countries like Prussia, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Russian absolutism as a mode was first recorded in Ihe Martial Arts Rules: "His Majesty is the autocratic monarch who reports to no one in the world." Pillars of the Umpire, noblemen were structured in accordance with the Table of Ranks. Laws were changed, the army and police - strengthened, the vertical power - enhanced across huge territories from the North Sea to the Black Sea, and from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Thus, above all, Western countries treated Russian tsars' new title as marking a significant increase of Russia's foreign policy. States struggling for dominance in Europe would not ignore Russia's brand new status any longer.
One day all empires come to an end. The history of any empire tells a history of warfare.
Only under the rule of Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker Russia was not involved in hostilities for nearly 15 years. As Fate would have it, Alexander III passed away in Livadia. His son Nikolai II was destined to rule and die as the last Emperor marking the fall of the Russian Empire that existed for nearly 200 years.
Massandra Palace has witnessed the
govenor-general Michael Vorontsov, Tsar-Peacemaker
Alexander ІІІ, Tsar-Martyr Nicolas ІІ, blood-thirsty Josef Stalin,
executioner Lavrentiy Beria, the most eccentric Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchov, Leonid Brezhnev, the father of Perestroika Michael
Gorbachev.
For many years the Massandra Palace had been thor-oughly guarded and not
only foreigners, but most of Crimeans knew nothing about it. It was
opened in 1992.
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