The Crimean land is full of myths, and the characters of these legends in bronze and stone sculptures come to life in parks so that the legends passed from mouth to mouth for centuries continue to live. And "Aivazovsky" is no exception. You can get to the park by booking an excursion here.
One of them is about the son of Kefis, the god of rivers, and his beloved nymph Lavriona - narcissistic proud Narcissus. Once a young man got lost in the thicket of the forest while hunting, the mountain nymph Echo and other forest fairies stretched out their hands to him, but he did not succumb to the charms of the deities, rejected their gifts and love.
Then one of the offended wished him to love himself, so that the one who takes possession of his heart and mind would not reciprocate. One day, wandering through the forest, he wanted to get drunk, bent down to the stream, saw his reflection in the water and fell madly in love with himself. He could not take his eyes off the beauty worthy of love, did not eat, did not drink and did not sleep, slowly fading away, and so he died.
That was the punishment of Aphrodite who unleashed her anger. Mourning the handsome man, the nymphs were going to bury him, but they did not find the body of the slender young man. And where his head touched the grass, a tender Narcissus blossomed there, which became the flower of death.
Among the divine population of a small pond dwells a goat-footed Pan, on whose appearance nature has clearly rested. Seeing a hairy newborn with horns and a beard, even Dryod's mother was horrified, and Hermes and the Olympian gods only laughed and called the spirit of the wild nature, forests and fields Pan.
The patron saint of shepherds and cattle breeders, who was in the retinue of Dionysus along with the demons of the elements, silenus and satyrs, was playful and cheerful in disposition, loved wine, dragged after nymphs. Syringa, one of them, turned into a reed out of fear of the forest monster, so he whittled a pipe out of it and its sound terrified honest people.
Here (in the park) the ardently in love Pan and waylaid the beautiful naiad - the nymph of the spring, which is called the "Well of Temptation". It has other names - "the source of passion" or "the well of desires". And in order for the wish to come true, as the Crimeans assure, it is necessary to keep your hand in icy water as long as possible, so the desired will come true sooner.
The god of the seas — Poseidon (among the ancient Greeks) or Neptune (in ancient Roman mythology), surrounded by dolphins and entourage, can often be found decorating fountains. In the park "Aivazovskoe" there is no such for the lord of the waters of the earth, but there is a formidable deity, revered since antiquity by all fishermen, merchants and navigators, almost at the foot of the park near the sea (even a restaurant nearby is named after him "Poseidon").
The ruler of the seas and oceans, unbridled in disposition, who was the son of the supreme god Kronos and the mother of the Olympian gods Rhea, was related to Zeus, the thunder god. He could open the earth with a blow of a trident in anger and calm the storm at sea with a wave of his hand. The consolation of the sea lord was one of the Nereids - the beautiful Amphitrite. To him, in order to appease the terrible Poseidon, and sacrifices were brought. They have remained in the legends, but even now visitors and vacationers of the Aivazovsky LOCK do not bypass the bronze deity with their attention.
Sculptures all over the park from angels to legendary gods and goddesses also give birth to traditions, to rub some of their parts - to fulfill desires. And tourists are trying hard.
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