Southern Coast (Crimea)

The Southern Coast (Crimean Tatar: Yalı Boyu; Ukrainian: Півде́нний бе́рег, romanized: Pivdennyi bereg; Russian: Ю́жный бе́рег, romanized: Yuzhny bereg), also referred to as the Crimean Riviera,[1] is a geographic region located in southern Crimea, a region internationally recognised as part of Ukraine but currently controlled by Russia.

Stretching from Cape Aya to Kara Dag Mountain, the Southern Coast has a total length of about 180 km (110 mi).

A variety of palm trees is also cultivated in the region, for instance species like Trachycarpus fortunei, Washingtonia robusta and Phoenix canariensis.

In addition to its buildings, resorts, and nature reserves, the Southern Coast is home to several "health paths", in line with the proposals of Russian clinician Sergey Botkin.

A nudist beach opened in the urban-type settlement of Simeiz during Soviet times, and was followed after the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine by Hedgehogs, a bar and night club.

Prior to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Hedgehogs served as a popular location for homosexuals from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia to gather, bringing about 4,000 tourists annually.

A similar incident occurred earlier in the same year when another gay man living on the Southern Coast was taken into custody and later died in prison.