Recent heavy rains and thawing caused 1,069 landslides registered in the Crimea. A new one appeared on the 30th kilometer of the Simferopol-Yalta highway, threatening this route of national importance.
Some 40 landslide areas have been detected on Crimean highways, bringing the total to 300 threatening to "cut the ground from under the feet" of more than 300 private homes, numerous industrial and commercial structures as well power and communication lines.
Among the endangered structures are the Livadiya Palace in Yalta and century architectural sites. Five landslides in the park area may result in the loss of a gem of Ukrainian architecture and the birthplace of the United Nations, first agreed to at the Yalta Conference in 1945 when Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met in the Livadiya Palace.
Preserving Crimean beaches requires spending Hr 145 million on emergency repair of wave-breakers. About the same amount is needed for emergency work to prevent landslides on Crimean highways. Otherwise the Crimea may slide away from Ukraine out to sea as a sign of geological protest against the current economic situation.
