Crimea is an autonomous republic within Ukraine. It enjoys this special status as a result of its history. When it became part of the Russian empire in the early 18th century, large numbers of Russians moved to Crimea, attracted by the warm climate and encouraged by Catherine the Great and her successors, who had political reasons for wanting to ensure that their newest acquisition became well and truly Russian. This process continued throughout the 19th and well into the 20th century. The result is that the majority of those now living in Crimea speak Russian as their first language. Most Tatars and Ukrainians living in the region speak Russian as well as their own language. Signs are in Russian, in contrast with the rest of Ukraine, where the Ukrainian language is the norm.

Russian is written in Cyrillic script, which has strong similarities with the Greek alphabet, although there are additional letters to represent Slavonic sounds not found in Greek.

Many younger Crimeans will have learnt English at school, while the older generation are more likely to have learnt some German, reflecting the significant numbers of East german tourists who visited the region during the Soviet era. Today there is a lively interest in learning western european languages, now that the political barriers to travel have disappeared, although the economic barriers still make it too expensive, in practice, for many people to be able to afford a holiday abroad.

Since the re-unification of Germany the number of German visitors has fallen, and restaurant menus, guidebooks and brochures are now beginning to be translated into English, in anticipation of a hoped for increase in visitors from the UK and other EU countries, and also the US, Canada and Australasia.

If you don't speak Russian, here are some tips for coping easily with the language challenge!

The Blacksea-crimea.com guidebook

If you book your accommodation with us, you will receive a copy of the first English-language Guidebook to the region, included in the price. It's packed with information and tips on how to get the most out of your stay, including a section on the Russian alphabet, and a list of the most useful words and phrases - and how to pronounce them.

Interpreter / Guide

Of course, if you'd rather be sure you understand everything, you can hire an interpreter for €20 Euros for a day.

Ivan Ukhov, our local business partner, can act as interpreter or as guide as well, depending on your requirements. He speaks excellent English and is a mine of information about the local area and how to find the places you want to see.