Crimean Legend - Adalary Twin Rocks

Once upon a time there was a gorgeous castle on the top of Bear Mountain. Twin brothers lived there in harmony, fought side by side and protected each other. The princes had a faithful servant - old Nympholis. One day Nympholis gave each of the brothers a nacreous casket and said:

- You will comprehend the secret of life, you will learn how the world is arranged. But remember, never use this gift for mercenary motives! Only for the joy of knowledge...

In the first casket there was an ivory rod with an inscription on it: 'Raise it - and the sea will part, lower it - and you will learn about everything that is in the deep.' In another casket there were two silver wings with an inscription as well: 'Attach them - and they will carry you to a place you desire and you will learn about everything you wish.'

The life of two brothers became very interesting, they began to explore the world.

One day the brothers learnt that one prince had two twin sisters.

The brothers should have come with peace and kindness to deserve love and respect, but they behaved in a different way, an evil one. The brothers forced the sisters to go to their castle, but love and violence never get on together. And in the 'cage' nothing was left in the sisters' souls but emptiness. Two beauties felt hatred and contempt toward the brothers.

The brothers wished to buy the love of the two sisters at any price, so they decided to surprise them with Nympholis's gifts.

- He won't condemn us, - said George. - He does know how much we need these women's friendship. It is not for mercenary motives but for our happiness that we have decided to use the old servant's gifts.

The next day George fastened the wings to his horse, the brothers and the sisters mounted it and they rose upwards. Suddenly old Nympholis's voice resounded:

- 'Come back!'

George shuddered, grew pale for the first time in his life and turned his horse back. The sisters spoke to him scornfully and audaciously:

- 'You could not raise us to the sun, you ran away like a faint-hearted hare.'

Another day Peter yoked the horses into a chariot and all of them went to the stormy sea. Peter raised the rod and the sea parted and they rushed into the deep. Hardly had they set off when Nympholis appeared before Peter, invisible to the beauties, and said:

- 'Peter, you have descended into the deep with dishonorable intentions. I order you to return if you do not wish to perish and to destroy the other lives.'

Peter didn't answer but whipped the quick horses. The Sea Lord got angry, struck with his trident for the first time - and killed the brothers, struck for the second time - and killed the sisters. But they didn't perish. Their bodies came to the surface and united forever in stone.

And people saw the Adalary twin rocks in the sea. These rocks tell us about attempts to get something from a human soul by force, which end in sorrow.

The twin rocks are situated at some distance from the sea coast, opposite Artek.

Crimea is temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. For now it is not a place for tourism.