The ensemble of the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka consisting of five buildings was built in 1828-1848 upon the project of English architect Edward Blore for Count Mikhail Vorontsov, the Governor-General of Novorossiysk Territory. The staterooms of the palace decorated in the style of traditional English interiors have almost entirely retained their original finish. The finest stucco ornament of flowers and leaves imparts the inimitable peculiarity to the Blue Drawing Room. The decorative design of the Anteroom and the Parade Dining Room resembles the adornments of halls of knights in medieval castles. The halls display paintings and sculptures by Russian and West-European masters, and various articles of applied and decorative arts.
A part of the interior exposition is made of the House of Count A. Shuvalov, A Study of Count I. Vorontsov-Dashkov and A Study of the Custodian of the State Dacha, that provide an evidence of different periods in the life of the Palace and the Museum. They are located in the Shuvalov out-house and the Guest House. The southern terraces of the Palace are decorated with Florentine fountains and vases. Figures of lions carved from Carrara marble in the workshop of Italian sculptor V. Bonanni were originally installed on the diabase staircase leading to the sea.
The palace is surrounded by an ancient park stretching out over an area of more than 30 hectares. It successfully combines the peculiarities inherent in European largest landscape parks and the features induced by the mountainous terrain of Alupka. More than 200 species of exotic trees and plants grow here. Abundant mountain springs are used to create artificial lakes and numerous cascades. Vast glades offer picturesque views of the mountains. In 1834, a Pavilion in the classicism style, later named a Tea House, was built in the Lower Park near the sea.
According to the available archive evidence, in particular, the archive excerpt from the minutes of the meeting of the Presidium of the Crimean Council of People's Commissars No. 40 dated March 18, 1922, it was decreed to declare the Palace of the former Emir of Bukhara and the Small Livadia Palace of Alexander III, the Pushkin House in Gurzuf and the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka as museums in Yalta. Thus, in accordance with this excerpt from the archives, March 18, 1922, may be considered the birthday of the museum in Alupka. Since 1990, the Vorontsov Palace Museum has been part of the Alupka palace and park reserve museum.
The postage stamp provides an image of the Vorontsov Palace.
In addition to the issue of the postage stamp, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow, Sevastopol and Alupka of the Republic of Crimea, and a maxi-card.
Artist: S. Sviridov; Design: I. Ulyanovsky.
Face value: 50 rubles.
Stamp size: 37×37 mm, sheet size: 131×137 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 9 (3×3) stamps.
Quantity: 108 thousand stamps (12 thousand sheets).
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