Description
The Crimean peninsula has not always been a peninsula. Once there was no jumper connecting this small part of the land with the mainland, and he freely floated in the Black Sea, which then did not yet have a name. For many thousands, even tens of thousands of years, peoples inhabiting these forests and mountains replaced each other, were born, flourished for a short time, and states disintegrated. Many were attracted here by the lagoons, convenient for piers, fertile open spaces, and amazingly beautiful mountains. But no one managed to stay here for a long time — Crimea, as if he himself decided how to live and what to be. And it is probably no coincidence that even today many people are sure that Crimea is not just a beautiful place on planet Earth, Crimea is a Place of Power. I would like to believe it.
Even by the beginning of the III millennium, most of the territory of Crimea was not inhabited by people. Officially, these are nature reserves, but most likely the matter is in the peculiarities of the landscape — in the labyrinth of low and destroyed mountains for thousands of years it is not so easy to pave a road, it is not easy even to tread a path in the winding river valleys. Local residents are unlikely to show you the shortest way to the nearest city through the forest and mountains. And the more interesting it is to look for her — one on one with the spirits inhabiting these rivers, lakes, groves and meadows, one on one with time and space.
Somewhere in such lost places in the middle of the last century, a city was built. Not quite ordinary. It was specially founded in the depths of the forests, tens of kilometers from the nearest village. Its future inhabitants — scientists studying the stars — needed night darkness and solitude. Crimea could provide all this in abundance, and for an astronomical observatory it was the best piece of the planet. On the top and slopes of one of the mountains, white towers, houses for space explorers, and an institute building have grown. Soon the largest telescope in Europe was brought here and the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory became the astronomical capital of the USSR.
But, as the history of Crimea has shown more than once, in these places not much exists forever. The collapse of the vast country was reflected in the observatory. In turbulent times, not many remain loyal to the stars. The city of astronomers — the village of Nauchny — began to thin out its inhabitants. Many dispersed and sold their houses. The towers opened their doors less and less to meet the starlight. But the Observatory survived and remained a scientific center. Probably the spirit of Crimea is supportive of science. Among abandoned gardens, dilapidated huts, the white domes of observatories still shine — on a sunny day they can be seen from tens of kilometers away.
Several years ago, the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory opened its doors to astronomy lovers — people in love with the sky. And now, every summer, the annual Astro-meetup "Southern Nights" is held at Nauchny. Once I was lucky enough to attend this festival, visit the Observatory and the magical places around it. Many warm, starry and sleepless nights, difficult mountain hikes, peaceful contemplation of nature and the desire to absorb this amazing atmosphere — all this was embodied in sounds, melodies, rhythms. This album became the result of my Crimean trip. I started working on it back at the Observatory, with only one modest synthesizer at my disposal. Now that the work is finished and you can throw off the veil from this musical picture, I want to wish all of you, my listeners, that if fate ever takes you to Crimea, be sure to visit the Observatory — take a walk in these places, look into the sky. It is quite possible that you will hear the same music that sounds in this album.
