Alushta

Alushta (Ukrainian and Russian: Алушта; 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. Population:

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.

It is also the home of Seyit the Wolf in the Turkish drama, Kurt Seyit ve Sura.

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 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 Sonderkommando 11b in the park of Trade Union Sanatorium No. 7, which is today part of the local center for children and creativity.

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

Twin towns — Sister cities
Alushta is twinned with:
 * 🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, United States
 * 🇵🇱 Dzierżoniów, Poland
 * 🇫🇮 Äänekoski, Central Finland
 * Jūrmala, Latvia

Notable people

 * Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky (1864-1913), Ukrainian author
 * Rustem Umerov (born 1982), Ukrainian politician and current Minister of Defense
 * Roman Mamasuyev (1983-2016), Ukrainian soldier awarded with the Order for Courage