Tsemes Bay. Tsemes Bay - the Bermuda Triangle of the Black Sea Tsemes Bay of the Black Sea

Tsemes Bay (or Novorossiysk) is located in the north of the Black Sea coast, and received its name from the Tsemes River, which flows into it.

The length of Tsemes Bay is 15 kilometers, the width at its entrance is nine, and the depth ranges between 21 and 27 meters. The entrance to the bay is limited from the north-western part by the island of Sudzhuk, and from the south-eastern part - by Cape Doob. In the north-west of the bay there is a seaport and the city of Novorossiysk, from which the second name of the reservoir comes.

In the eastern part of Novorossiysk Bay there is the village of Kabardinka, which is subordinate to the administration of Gelendzhik. On August 31, 1986, a collision occurred here between the ferry Admiral Nakhimov and the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev. A year later, at the site of the accident, on Cape Doob, a sign was erected - a tribute to the memory of the deceased crew members and passengers.

Tsemes Bay

Tsemes Bay (Novorossiysk Bay) is a bay in the northern part of the Russian Black Sea coast. It got its name from the Tsemes River flowing into it. Length 15 km, width at the entrance 9 km, in the middle part 4.6 km, depth 21-27 m , which allows any oceangoing vessels to enter the bay.

In the northwestern part of the bay is the hero city of Novorossiysk.

Tsemes Bay(Also Novorossiysk Bay) - an ice-free bay in the northern part of the Russian Black Sea coast. The second most important bay in the Russian waters of the Black Sea basin after Sevastopol Bay. The bay became part of the Russian Empire in 1829, after another Russian-Turkish war. Since then, it has been actively used for military, trade and passenger needs of the region and primarily the city of Novorossiysk. In good weather (from March to November) it is suitable for anchoring ships of all classes. In winter, the territory adjacent to the bay is characterized by a rather severe wind regime with a maximum wind pressure force of the VI category for North Kazakhstan.

Geography

It got its name from the Tsemes River flowing into it. The western wing of the bay forms the low-mountain Abrau Peninsula. On the right it is framed by the higher Markotkhsky ridge. Coastline length - 15 km, extends into the land for 7 km, width at the entrance - 9 km, in the middle part - 4.6 km, fairway - 11.0 - 12.4 m, anchorage depth - 9.4 - 10 .9 m, maximum depth - 27 m, which allows any ocean-going ships to enter the bay. The shores in the southwest are lowland, in the northeast they are elevated and poorly indented. The entrance to the bay is limited from the northwest by Sudzhuk Island, and from the southeast by Cape Doob. In the middle of the bay, opposite Cape Penai, there are the Penai Banks with a minimum depth of 5-6 m. In the northwestern part of the bay is the hero city of Novorossiysk and the seaport; in the east - the village of Kabardinka, which is subordinate to the city administration of Gelendzhik. In autumn and winter, hurricane-force winds - nor'easter (bora) - pose a great danger to navigation. The force of wind pressure of the VI category on the territory adjacent to the bay is maximum for the North Ossetia region.

Navigation terms

Tsemes Bay is not easy to navigate for a number of reasons. Although the entrance to the bay is quite wide, the rather extensive Penai Banks lie right in the middle of it. Sunken ships, their parts and other underwater obstacles also pose a certain danger. In addition, the shores of the bay are fringed by reefs that run parallel to the coastline at a distance of 1.5 - 2.0 cable lengths from it. Pilotage is mandatory. The depths of the bay increase gradually; near the shore they are sharply reduced, which forces port operations to be transferred to less protected areas of the open coast. The size of the harbor itself is small; the type of harbor is coastal with breakwaters; the slipway in the port is small, and there is no dry dock at all. The collapse of the USSR led to an increase in transport crowding in Tsemes Bay: civil, military and merchant fleets were forced to coexist here. The annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation made it possible to solve the problem of the location of the military fleet. The branched and deeper Sevastopol Bay took on naval specialization while assigning Tsemes a reserve role with a main focus on trade operations.

Climate

The amount of precipitation over the bay during the cold period, as in the Mediterranean, exceeds its amount during the warm period. The slopes of the bay are dry in summer and covered with xerophytic vegetation. The duration of sunshine over Novorossiysk Bay reaches 2,300 hours a year, and the temperature of its water, even in the coldest month - February - usually does not fall below +6 °C. As a result of heat transfer from the sea that has warmed up over the summer, even in the winter months, the air temperature above the bay during the day is +5 °C and above, and at night it fluctuates around 0 °C. Being located in the regime of dry subtropics of the Mediterranean type, the waters of the bay practically do not freeze. However, the roadsteads of Tsemes Bay do not provide shelter from the northeast, southeast and south winds. From November to March, strong northeast winds reach the strength of a hurricane (or severe storm) with wind speeds exceeding 29 m/sec. and sea waves up to 12 points. For comparison: in Sevastopol, even at the most unfavorable times, the wind over the bay does not rise above the “strong” category (8-12 m/sec), which corresponds to a sea state of 5-6 points. Bora can last for several days a year and is accompanied by the “soaring” of the sea and the “graying” of the mountain tops. The air temperature can drop by 10-15 degrees in a couple of hours. Bora in general is difficult to predict and dramatically complicates the work of the port in general and the problem of ensuring the safety of ships and people in particular. During the bora, ships are covered with a thick crust of ice dust on the windward side and capsize under the force of gravity.

Tsemes Bay is a natural harbor located in the northeast of the Black Sea coast. In the northwestern part of the bay there is the hero city of Novorossiysk and the seaport. This is the second most important bay in the Russian Federation after Sevastopol. Piers, piers, breakwaters, factories, cargo, commercial and military ships - all this makes the bay unattractive from a resort point of view. However, the bay is extremely interesting for its history and natural features.

Tsemes Bay is formed by the Sudzhuk Spit and Cape Doob. In the west of the bay is the Abrau Peninsula, in the east - the Markhot Range. The length of the coastline is 15 km, the bay extends into the land for 7 km.

The maximum depth of the bay is 27 meters. However, the passage of ships is complicated by the reefs bordering the shores, the Penai banks (shoals at the entrance with a depth of 5-6 meters), as well as the remains of sunken ships.

The water temperature in winter does not drop below +5, making the bay navigable throughout the year. But from November to March the bay is subject to Nord-Ostam (Boram), when the wind speed can reach 40 m/s, and the sea state can reach 12 points. Bora (boreh) is a cold north wind. Such winds usually form in regions where warm seas are adjacent to low mountain ranges. In Novorossiysk, this is the Markkhotsky Range or the Varada Range. Residents of Novorossiysk can predict the imminent appearance of bora by the thick clouds on the mountain tops, which are called “beards”. Boron contributes to a sharp drop in temperature, the formation of an ice crust and sometimes the appearance of tornadoes. During the bora, ships go out to the open sea or sit at anchor in the calm waters of the neighboring village of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka, 12 km from Novorossiysk. Such forests are observed on the shores of the Adriatic Sea of ​​the Balkan Peninsula, on Novaya Zemlya, on the shores of Lake Baikal.

Description of the bora in Novorossiysk in the story of K. Paustovsky "The Black Sea":

“For the first time, our sailors learned what the Black Sea bora is in 1848. This was ten years after the foundation of the Novorossiysk fortification on the shore of Tsemes Bay, at the foot of the dark and treeless mountains.”

“How does bora begin? Above the bare ridge of Varada, white wisps of clouds appear. They look like torn cotton wool. The clouds roll over the ridge and fall towards the sea, but never reach it. Halfway up the mountainside, they dissolve into the air.”

“The first gusts of wind hit the decks of ships. Tornadoes rise into the sea. The wind quickly gains full strength, and after two or three hours a fierce hurricane is already lashing from the mountains to the bay and the city. He raises the water in the bay and carries it to the houses in showers. The sea is bubbling, as if trying to explode. The wind throws heavy stones, throws freight trains down slopes, rolls iron roofs into thin tubes, shakes the walls of houses.”

Why Tsemesskaya?

It is named after the river of the same name Tsemes (Tsemez), which flows into the bay. The source of the river is located on the northeastern slope of Gudzev (425.6 m). From the Adyghe "tsemez" means "forest of insects", "rotten forest". In the Natukhai dialect it is also translated as “forest with a lot of insects.”

The river flows through the industrial part of the city of Novorossiysk and flows into the bay in the Tsemes Grove area. The river was navigable until 1921, when the forest along the mountain slopes was cut down.

Sugar loaf and cement factories

If you are in Novorossiysk, you may hear about Sugarloaf. This is the highest point of the Markotkh ridge (558 m), so named because of its cone-shaped shape. By the way, the characteristic peak in Rio de Janeiro is also called Sugarloaf.

Height Markotkh ridge ranges from 400 to 800 meters above sea level, it is composed of sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous period. The name of the ridge comes from the Adyghe “markotkh”, which translates as “blackberry places”. There really are a lot of berries here, however, the main “wealth” is not blackberries, but marl, which is used for the production of high-strength cement. Therefore, the slopes of the ridge are disfigured by marl quarries, and Sugarloaf “melts” every year. At the foot there are cement factories, which does not add to the ecology of Novorossiysk.

Wrecks

Tsemes Bay has become notorious due to events related to the loss of ships and a number of anomalous phenomena. Many people call the bay the “Bermuda Triangle of the Black Sea”, where ships, divers and divers are drawn. According to one version, the bay is a crater of a cooled volcano, and therefore magnetic anomalies occur during tectonic activity and earthquakes. These phenomena are also associated with the presence of iron ores at the bottom of Tsemes Bay. According to another version, there is nothing anomalous in the bay, and all incidents are associated only with high shipping traffic. Divers still find wrecks of ancient ships in the bay.

When mentioning Tsemes Bay, they first of all remember the event of June 1918, when a squadron of ships of the Black Sea Fleet was scuttled in order to avoid its capture by the Germans. On the 12th kilometer of the Sukhumi highway above Tsemes Bay in 1980, in memory of this tragic event, an ensemble was erected "In memory of the sunken ships of the Black Sea Fleet". A 12-meter granite kneeling sailor with the inscription: “To the sailors of the revolution” is facing the Tsemes Bay. Opposite, on the observation deck there is a granite "Cube-sight", symbolizing a sinking ship.

There is an inscription on the cube: “On June 18, 1918, in Tsemes Bay, in the name of the Revolution, courageous Black Sea sailors sank warships so that they would not fall to the Kaiser’s Germany.” On the other side: “In view of the hopelessness of the situation, proven by the highest military authorities, the fleet should be destroyed immediately. Prev. SNK V. Ulyanov (Lenin)." There is a composition along the edge "Silhouettes of sunken ships" with a picture (where known) and the name of each ship, the direction and distance to the place of its sinking. In the 1920s, some of the sunken ships were raised and restored.

View of Cape Doob and the resort village of Kabardinka from the monument to sunken ships

Tsemes Bay(Also Novorossiysk Bay) - an ice-free bay in the northern part of the Russian Black Sea coast. The second most important bay in the Russian waters of the Black Sea basin after Sevastopol Bay. The bay became part of the Russian Empire in 1829, after another Russian-Turkish war. Since then, it has been actively used for military, trade and passenger needs of the region and primarily the city of Novorossiysk. In good weather (from March to November) it is suitable for anchoring ships of all classes. In winter, the territory adjacent to the bay is characterized by a rather severe wind regime with a maximum wind pressure force of the VI category for North Kazakhstan.

Geography

It got its name from the Tsemes River flowing into it. The western wing of the bay forms the low-mountain Abrau Peninsula. On the right it is framed by the higher Markotkhsky ridge. Coastline length - 15 km, extends into the land for 7 km, width at the entrance - 9 km, in the middle part - 4.6 km, fairway - 11.0 - 12.4 m, anchorage depth - 9.4 - 10 .9 m, maximum depth - 27 m, which allows any ocean-going ships to enter the bay. The shores in the southwest are lowland, in the northeast they are elevated and poorly indented. The entrance to the bay is limited from the northwest by Sudzhuk Island, and from the southeast by Cape Doob. In the middle of the bay, opposite Cape Penai, there are the Penai Banks with a minimum depth of 5-6 m. In the northwestern part of the bay is the hero city of Novorossiysk and the seaport; in the east - the village of Kabardinka, which is subordinate to the city administration of Gelendzhik. In autumn and winter, hurricane-force winds - nor'easter (bora) - pose a great danger to navigation. The force of wind pressure of the VI category on the territory adjacent to the bay is maximum for the North Ossetia region.

Navigation terms

Tsemes Bay is not easy to navigate for a number of reasons. Although the entrance to the bay is quite wide, the rather extensive Penai Banks lie right in the middle of it. Sunken ships, their parts and other underwater obstacles also pose a certain danger. In addition, the shores of the bay are fringed by reefs that run parallel to the coastline at a distance of 1.5 - 2.0 cable lengths from it. Pilotage is mandatory. The depths of the bay increase gradually; near the shore they are sharply reduced, which forces port operations to be transferred to less protected areas of the open coast. The size of the harbor itself is small; the type of harbor is coastal with breakwaters; the slipway in the port is small, and there is no dry dock at all. The collapse of the USSR led to an increase in transport crowding in Tsemes Bay: civil, military and merchant fleets were forced to coexist here. The annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation made it possible to solve the problem of the location of the military fleet. The branched and deeper Sevastopol Bay took on naval specialization while assigning Tsemes a reserve role with a main focus on trade operations.

Climate

The amount of precipitation over the bay during the cold period, as in the Mediterranean, exceeds its amount during the warm period. The slopes of the bay are dry in summer and covered with xerophytic vegetation. The duration of sunshine over Novorossiysk Bay reaches 2,300 hours a year, and the temperature of its water, even in the coldest month - February - usually does not fall below +6 °C. As a result of heat transfer from the sea that has warmed up over the summer, even in the winter months, the air temperature above the bay during the day is +5 °C and above, and at night it fluctuates around 0 °C. Being located in the regime of dry subtropics of the Mediterranean type, the waters of the bay practically do not freeze. However, the roadsteads of Tsemes Bay do not provide shelter from the northeast, southeast and south winds. From November to March, strong northeast winds reach the strength of a hurricane (or severe storm) with wind speeds exceeding 29 m/sec. and sea waves up to 12 points. For comparison: in Sevastopol, even at the most unfavorable times, the wind over the bay does not rise above the “strong” category (8-12 m/sec), which corresponds to a sea state of 5-6 points. Bora can last for several days a year and is accompanied by the “soaring” of the sea and the “graying” of the mountain tops. The air temperature can drop by 10-15 degrees in a couple of hours. Bora in general is difficult to predict and dramatically complicates the work of the port in general and the problem of ensuring the safety of ships and people in particular. During the bora, ships are covered with a thick crust of ice dust on the windward side and capsize under the force of gravity.

Tsemes Bay is a small part of the Black Sea near Novorossiysk, separated from the winds and open waters by land. It got its name from the Tsemes River carrying its waters; it is a unique natural structure that combines two functions at once - practical and aesthetic. Considered one of the main ways of connecting the district center with the outside world, it is rightfully considered the largest repository of the city’s monuments.

Where is Tsemes Bay?

Its location is the northeast of the Black Sea region. The nearest settlements, besides Novorossiysk, are Myskhako and Kabardinka.

On the map Tsemes Bay is located as follows:

Historical facts and legends

Tsemes Bay has always been valued by the Russian fleet - it is the largest harbor in terms of military importance after Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula. It became part of the Russian Empire only in 1829, having been given to the state as a reward for victory in the war with the Ottoman Turks.

Since then, it has been actively exploited: from March to October, ships of various sizes and purposes - from military to commercial - ply along it, serving the needs of Novorossiysk. This harbor does not freeze even in winter, but in the cold months it is dominated by winds: storms can be so strong that sailors do not risk setting sail during this period.

The length of the coastline of Tsemes Bay is 15 km, it is formed from the west by the Abrau Peninsula, from the north-west by the island, and in the east is the village of Kabardinka. The maximum depth of the local waters is 27 m, an impressive figure that makes it possible for even ocean liners to enter here.

Myths and legends

Hunters of paranormal phenomena and seekers of anomalous zones all over the planet have long given this unique natural attraction its own name - the Russian Bermuda Triangle. In 1917, it was here that the new government of the country decided to sink more than a dozen ships, organizing a kind of ship graveyard against the enemy.

Interestingly, none of the numerous ships were subsequently found: many times divers dived to the bottom, but did not find any large ship parts, with the exception of their wreckage. Since then, the bay has entailed a series of tragic events, increasing the underwater cemetery. And many claim that they saw a ghost ship here: the vision appears at dusk, when fog falls on the ground.

Local residents are sure that the mystical ship is the Admiral Nakhimov, which sank in 1986 as a result of a collision with another ship. At one time, the tragedy caused a lot of noise; mystics associated this catastrophe with the bad reputation of the area. And now the cruiser is forced to travel along its route again and again, transporting people who have long been no longer in the world of the living.

Tsemes Bay: sightseeing tour

Tsemes Bay is not only a place with a rich history and a large port, but also a real cluster of monuments and attractions. A walk along the coastline will give a tourist many wonderful hours and even days: it is not possible to cover all 15 km in 24 hours.

At the entrance to Novorossiysk there is a Monument to the Sailors of the Revolution. Opened in 1980, it was supposed to become part of an entire complex dedicated to the heroes of the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War. But funding for the project stopped; only this memorial sign was completed. It is magnificent: 12 m in height, the memorial depicts a kneeling sailor, bowing his head in a moment of mourning for his dead comrades. In one hand he holds his own peakless cap, and in the other - the headdress of a comrade who did not return from the battle, carefully pressing all that is left of him to his heart. The composition is incredibly touching, many cry, peering into it more closely.

If you cross the road, you will come out to a large observation deck that offers a magnificent view of the sea: here you will get breathtaking panoramic photos; Tsemes Bay is a picturesque place. There is also an original “Cube-visor” sign, made in memory of the ships that sank in the harbor. Such an abstract interpretation of the tragedy makes it even more attractive; you want to stop and admire it longer.

One of the most interesting excursions here is a visit. In the middle of the 20th century, the ship took part in hostilities in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, traveling to the shores of Egypt and Syria. Thanks to its technical characteristics, which were ahead of most ships of those years, it entered the TOP 10 best of its time. But time makes itself felt: the cruiser no longer sails the seas, but it gives every visitor a chance to become better acquainted with maritime affairs and learn about the great history of Russia over the past 100 years. More than 200 m long and 20 m wide, it has preserved unique reminders of the past on board. Having bought a ticket for a symbolic price, a tourist receives fascinating information and a walk on the sea on a legendary ship.

Naval glory of the city-city

Another magnificent example of majestic sculpture is the Sea Glory stele. The authors - Suvorov and Apollonov - put all their strength and talent into it. The total height is 7.5 m, because of this it had to be created not entirely, but in particles: the first to cast was the figure of a girl angel, under whose feet the entire planet is located, in her hands she holds a sailboat, protecting the ship from misfortunes and troubles. Then a granite column was erected, on which a figure was placed, visible long before entering Tsemes Bay. The sailors, having seen the monument, unmistakably determine that they have arrived in the glorious hero city of Novorossiysk.

It’s also interesting to walk around: among the huge dry cargo ships with multi-ton cargo, unprecedented equipment and human bustle, you feel like just a grain of sand. Due to its size, the port is divided into four areas: military, passenger, oil and cargo. Only the passenger part is accessible for inspection, but with proper dexterity you can get into the other departments.

- a monumental sculpture in the form of a warship with sailors preparing to go into battle. Right inside there is a museum containing bas-relief portraits of heroes of the Soviet Union.

How to get there (get there)?

Getting to the harbor is not difficult - many transport routes running between Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik go near it. City minibuses and buses also approach it.

From the center of Novorossiysk you can get to Tsemes Bay like this: