Koreiz -- Designed by Nicholas Krazov for the Yusupov family
Security at the entrance to Koreiz is extremely tight, but once we were past the guard post it was like a step back in time... The winding drive to the palace, through gorgeous well-tended grounds, is very impressive. The facade and front gardens are in excellent condition, clearly much money is being spent on upkeep. At present this property is solely for the use of the President of the Ukraine and his family members. We were permitted to enter the palace, saw the foyer, the White Dining Room where the parents of Irina and Felix met to discuss the marriage plans, and the billiard room, still furnished with a huge hulk of a pool table and large overstuffed ‘60s laz-e-boy chairs left from KGB Soviet days. Very dark and gloomy. Then came the apartments of Princess Zenaida, Felix’s mother, where guests were in residence and invited us in to have a look. The large sitting room leads out to terraces overlooking the rear gardens and the appearance is much the same as it was before the Revolution. Lush and verdant, almost like a dream scene...
We walked out the side entrance of the apartments and wandered around the adjoining gardens -- lots of crenellated stonework with tiny paths and stairways hidden from view -- and then beyond, beautiful views of the sea. I got a glimpse of the entrance to an underground bunker erected for Stalin back in the cold war days... sent an icy shiver up my spine!
*images are posted below
