Novorossiysk Russia
Russia


Frequently Asked Questions

In the heart of the roadstead, in Tsemes Bay. This is Russia's main Black Sea port: you come ashore among tankers, grain carriers and cement silos, but the seafront promenade starts right there.
Yes, along the seafront. Admiral Serebryakov Embankment follows the curve of the bay for several kilometres, punctuated by monuments, fountains and benches. The museum cruiser and the Malaya Zemlya memorial connect to it.
The cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov on the seafront, then the Malaya Zemlya memorial at the end of the bay. If the ship offers it, the Abrau-Dyurso estate about twenty kilometres away provides a lighter counterpoint.
A museum ship of 210 metres of grey steel, launched in 1952 and permanently moored on the seafront. The guided tour covers decks, turrets and narrow passageways, from cramped galleys to gun positions: it gives a very concrete sense of Cold War naval life.
A monument shaped like a ship's bow bursting from the shore, at the end of the bay. It commemorates the 225 days in 1943 when a Soviet detachment landed at night and held a beachhead against German forces — the episode that earned Novorossiysk the title of Hero City.
A violent wind that falls from the mountains onto Tsemes Bay and can blow for days, even freezing rigging in winter. Sailors double their mooring lines when it rises. For a port call it mainly means packing a solid windbreaker.
A wine estate about twenty kilometres inland, beside Lake Abrau. Founded in 1870 to supply the imperial court, it has produced sparkling wines known across the country ever since. Vaulted 19th-century cellars, tastings and terraces beside surprisingly turquoise water.
Yes, about twenty kilometres separate the port from the lake. Ship excursions go there when offered; it is not an outing to improvise on foot or by taxi from the quay.
The Russian rouble and Russian. Bring cash, as foreign-issued cards cannot be relied on. English is not widely spoken outside tourist services.
Spring through autumn, when the Black Sea is calmer and the bora is rare. On summer evenings locals gather along the seafront promenade — the best time to walk it.