rimea — the ancient Tavrida — is a unique spot of land. Representatives of many nations, ethnic groups and tribes left the traces of their life here: Taurs, Scythians, Greeks, Sarmats, Goths in the Antique Epoch, Huns, Khasars, Bulgarians, Armenians, Jews, Venetians, Genoveses, Tatars and Turks - in the Medieval Ages. Taurs were the oldest dwellers of this territory. They left to the ancestors big stone boxes - graves (dolmens) and traces of their primitive houses in the Ayu-Dag (the Bear Mountain) depression.

In the Medieval Ages the area between the Ayu-Dag and Ai-Danil (a settlement about 8 miles from the Bear Mountain along the coast) was densely populated. Archeologists have found traces of many villages. In VI a.d. the ancient fortress Gorzuvity on the Genevez-Kaya Rock was restored by the Byzantine Emperor Yustinian. In XVI Gurzuf (a town near «Artek») was owned by Genovese merchants-knights who rebuilt the fortress after it had been destroyed by Khazars. In XV a.d. the Genevez-Kaya fortress was completely ruined by the Turks and never restored again.

The Gurzuf region with the ravines of Ai-Danil, Gugush, Khasars, Artek, Akhelach, Kyzyl-Tash (Red Rock) was one of the largest administrative, economic and trade centers of the Southern Coast of Crimea. The ancient Trade Way to the old towns of Khersones, Bakhchisarai, Mangup, and further to Europe was passing through the Gurzuf Saddle. It has been proven by the sensational archeological finds of the last years - excavation of the ancient sanctuary on the Gurzuf Saddle.

Crimea happened to be on the way of the Great Migration of Peoples which were moving in the early medieval centuries along the coasts of the northern Black Sea. Political and cultural ties were being realized through Crimea - with the ancient Greeks, then with the Roman Empire, Byzantine and Oriental countries, both Christian and Moslems, then with the trading republics of Italy.

Artek ravine is situated in a convenient Black Sea harbor and surrounded by the ancient Crimean Mountains. Long time ago the local tribes gave this place the name ARTEK (orteki - quail, Old-Greek) after the birds which would rest in great numbers in the ravine during their fall migration. Nowhere on the coast such large quantities of quails could be found Another source says it was the name of an ancient tribe that inhabited the area near Ayu-Dag. The remains of their settlement were discovered in 1968 during exploratory archeological excavations.

After the Turkish invasion in 1475 the economical and cultural life in Crimea came to decline. Only the joining Crimea to Russia in 1783 caused the revival of the peninsula. Settlers from the Russian Empire contributed to the development of grain farming, industrial production and crafts, converted the coastal areas of Crimea to the magnificent resorts.

Crimea always attracted attention of many outstanding people. First private estates appeared in the Gurzuf area in the beginning of the XIX century. In 1820 a great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived in Gurzuf for three weeks, in 1825 well-known Russian writer Griboyedov and a Polish poet-democrat Adam Mizkevich met and spent some time here. In 1837 Prince Alexander, the future Emperor Alexander the II, visited one of the Artek's estates.

In 1897 an architect Berezin and his wife Solovyova bought an estate in the Artek ravine and organized here one of the first resorts of the Southern Coast named «Suuk-Su» (cold water, Turks.), which was opened on August, 1, 1903. In the first quarter of the XX century famous writers Bunin, Kuprin, Chehov, and artists Surikov and Korovin rested here. In 1914 Emperor Nicolay the II visited the «Suuk-Su» resort. The Artek resort estate has been also visited by the Emir of Bukhara, world-known singer Fyodor Shalyapin, and many other prominent personalities.

As a center for rest and recreation, the All-Union Children camp-sanatorium «Artek» was founded on June, 16, 1925 by Zinovy Soloviev, a well-known expert of medicine and the Vice-Chairman of the Russian Red Cross