Modern art and souvenir markets

To a large extent creative art and craft products have only a small connection with national traditions. The exceptions are several Crimean Tatar artists, although even these have been influenced by both Russian and western European avant garde.

On the whole classical Russian traditions going back to antiquity are very strong. The beauty of Crimea still inspires art realists.

The exhibition halls of the Union of artists are in Yalta, Sevastopol, and Simferopol, where it is possible to buy pictures, sculptures, and ornaments of jewellery at both museum and cottage level. Exhibitions of works of art are held at the Feodosia picture gallery and some palaces museums like at Alupka, Livadia, and Bakhchisarai.

Large markets of souvenirs and pictures are situated on the embankments of Yalta, at Primorsky boulevard in Sevastopol, at Victory park in Simferopol, near Ayvazovsky's gallery in Feodosiya, at the Bakhchsarai palace, and at the Swallow's Nest. In Sevastopol, close to the theatre, works of art meeting strict western tastes can be found for sale. Yalta caters for the tastes of mass market holidaymakers, Feodosiya specializes in sea landscapes, whilst Simferopol is most interesting during the "dead season", when the artists come back from the now empty coastal resorts.

Local artists sell landscapes on the quays of small resorts. In the same place can be found costume jewellers selling Crimean semi-precious stones and valuable sorts of tree.