The Art of the glass: Russia's first wine city, Bely Mys, becomes a new industry development center

A place appeared on the shores of the Black Sea that had never existed in Russia before — the Lev Golitsyn Wine Museum and the Bely Cape wine city opened in Gelendzhik. This is a space where wine becomes not just a drink, but a meaning. The creators formulate his task simply: to fall in love. To fall in love with Russian wine, culture, the sea, and the atmosphere. The project, implemented on an area of more than 42 thousand square meters, is able to receive over 5 thousand guests, and the local wine collection has more than 8 thousand copies – there is no such thing anywhere in the world. The White Cape has become a symbol of the revival of the centuries—old traditions of Russian winemaking, an industry that has risen from the ruins after many decades of decline, and is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. Experts believe that thanks to the wine city of Gelendzhik, it can become a new center of attraction, where people will come not only for the sea and the sun, but also for a new cultural experience, which will double the tourism industry. About how Russia regained its sovereignty in winemaking and the changes that the new project will bring to the economy of the region and the whole country — in the material of Izvestia.

The new center of Russian winemaking

Bely Cape is located on the first coastline in the area of the Thin Cape, just a 10-20-minute drive from Gelendzhik Airport. The project, implemented by the ROSSIYA Joint-Stock Bank Group, covered an area of 4.2 hectares. More than 5,000 guests can stay here at the same time, and the complex itself creates more than 700 jobs. This is an example of how large investment projects are changing the territory in which they appeared. They are changing it, returning to the country the history that was once lost, returning to traditions and their right to be the first.

It is a full-fledged "city within a city" where gastronomy, culture, education and industry combine into a single system around Russian wine. There are 28 locations on the territory, including 15 restaurants and bars, a museum, an enoteca, a testing and laboratory center, educational spaces, an expocenter, a theater, and even a registry office overlooking the sea. You can spend a whole day here and never repeat the scenario.

In recent years, Russian winemaking has grown significantly, both in terms of quality and ambition. But until now, there was no space that could bring this industry together at one point and tell a wide audience about it. "White Cape" claims exactly this role.

The interactive Lev Golitsyn Wine Museum became the central element of the city — the prince was the founder of Russian winemaking. This is the country's first large-scale three-level exhibition dedicated to the history of industrial winemaking. The history of an industry that until recently practically did not exist, being in such a deplorable state that there was no question of the sovereignty of Russian winemaking — or indeed of winemaking in the country.

The space with a total area of more than 3 thousand square meters tells a story through the fate of people, technology and cultural contexts. Among the objects is an exact replica of the gates of the Novy Svet estate. To recreate it, the stone was specially brought from the Crimea, achieving maximum similarity with the original.

The exposition is built as a multi-sensory route: sound, light, scents and tactile elements create the effect of total immersion. Here, in the original, you can see Golitsyn's personal household items: clothes from the 1860s and 1880s, a passport, a personal seal, and a playing card autographed by the prince. One of the halls is a kind of wine cellar of the legendary Crimean Massandra.

A special place in the space is occupied by the bronze monument to Lev Golitsyn, which has become a symbol of the continuity of Russian wine-making traditions. Its opening is an important event that starts the wine city's own history. It is symbolic that the ceremony was attended by people who have devoted decades to the industry themselves. Those who worked at Massandra created the history of the New World and developed wine tourism in southern Russia. For them, it's not just a monument. It is a sign of respect for the profession and for the whole era. Because without respect for your own history, traditions and roots, it is impossible to create something truly your own.

Here you can learn all about the classic champagne technology in the Crimean mountain tunnels. Or another recipe from the Soviet past, it was approved back in the late 1930s. Among the exhibits there is also a reconstruction of a Soviet brakerage machine — in the USSR, the operator used it to detect a defect on the line. The exhibits were collected all over the world.

The creation of the museum is a landmark event not only for the industry, but for the whole country, said Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev.

"Finally, there is a space that tells people broadly and interestingly that Russian winemaking has deep roots," he said. — After all, many people still perceive it as something new, although in fact there is a great tradition, strong names and a whole culture behind it. Russia has always been a wine country and confidently continues to be one. Thanks to the adoption of the law on wine, today domestic winemaking is an independent, established and dynamically developing industry.

The return of Russian winemaking is the return of an industry whose work is important not only for many regions of Russia, but also for the whole country. And it is here that traditions play a huge role: the state in which Russian winemaking was located until recently speaks volumes about what the rejection of its sovereignty leads to.

It is not for nothing that Yulia Soykina, the guide of the institute, considers the museum to be the heart and even the soul of the Bely Cape wine city.

"We keep the most important thing — our heritage, the Russian wine heritage," she says. — We pass it on to the next generations, talk about it openly, introduce new things, and study what has been done before us for a long time. And we just want this heritage to be a key part of our culture.

The logical continuation of the exhibition is the enoteca, which contains perhaps the most complete collection of Russian wine. Its uniqueness is determined not only by the number of bottles, but above all by the completeness of its geography: almost all wine regions of the country are represented here — from the largest producers to small family farms. Rounded shelves form a kind of maze, allowing visitors to slowly get acquainted with the variety of Russian wines and the history of their origin.

"This is a breakthrough for both the producer and the guest, because they gain a new experience by enjoying wine in a completely different form," says Anastasia Butskaya, director of the Bely Mys Enoteca.

Statistics show that Russia is increasingly choosing domestic wine, added Zhanna Belovol, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia.

— It is especially pleasant that our internal wine culture is developing in parallel. The most striking illustration of this is the opening of the White Cape, which looks like a showcase for the entire industry, and Gelendzhik is becoming the wine capital of the country, she is sure.

The viticulture and wine industry in the Krasnodar Territory has reached a new level in recent years and has become a full-fledged industry, a real pride of the region, said the Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratiev.

"Today we continue to develop it, actively supporting related areas such as ecotourism and gastronomic tours, and various agricultural industries that are interesting for vacationers," he said. — Thanks to this, holidays on the Black Sea and Azov coasts become more diverse and intense, allowing everyone to find something to their liking.

According to him, more than 100 rural tourism facilities are open to tourists in the region, including 35 wineries offering a wide range of services — from restaurants of author's cuisine to gastronomic evenings, holidays and festivals.

— I am convinced that one of the central places in all this diversity will be occupied by the new Wine city "White Cape" in Gelendzhik, — said Veniamin Kondratiev. — This is a unique object, which has no analogues in the world. The country's largest collection of domestic wine, an interactive museum, a research center, a cinema, restaurants and much more will be available to guests on an area of over 42 thousand square meters.

Despite the scale of the project, its creators are deliberately moving away from elitism. The wine city is equally open to professionals, connoisseurs, and those who are just starting to get acquainted with wine. For the industry, there is a Testing and laboratory center, a Wine Academy, as well as a representative office of the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia. There are dozens of venues for guests, from classic tastings to experimental formats such as tastings in the dark or making your own wine. The philosophy is simple: not to teach, but to captivate.

Bely Cape is a unique project, because here, for the first time in the world, the history of Russian winemaking is revealed so comprehensively and comprehensively, said Dmitry Levitsky, a restaurateur and project manager.

— For me personally, this is both a great pride and a great responsibility. It's not just about a beautiful space, but about a new cultural attraction of Gelendzhik, where we welcome guests all year round. Everything is done to ensure that visitors come back here again and again, and leave not only with a strong impression, but also with a deeper, personal attitude to Russian wine," he concluded.

Gastronomy as a language of impressions

A separate "chapter" of the wine city is gastronomy. There are more than 15 establishments in Bely Cape, each with its own character, cuisine and mood. The heart of the project were several restaurants that launched domestic wine brands, including Novy Svet, Massandra, Inkerman, Divnomorskoye, Krinitsa and Fanagoria. These restaurants offer a well–thought-out palette of conditions: from cozy family spaces to social gatherings.

Here you can start the day with coffee and homemade pastries by the sea, continue with tastings and lectures, dine on pasta with a Kuban accent or seafood with sparkling wine, and end the evening on the panoramic terrace with original dishes and rare wines.

The gastronomy here is part of the overall concept. Many restaurants work in partnership with wineries, creating a food—wine—history bond. As you move through the territory, everything changes: the cuisine, the atmosphere, the music, and even the inner state of the guest.

A specially created theater here, a branch of the famous Leningrad Center, will be responsible for the cultural program of the White Cape.

More than a tourist attraction

Even without a glass of wine, the White Cape remains a place worth visiting. The architecture of the city is made in the biotech style: smooth shapes, absence of right angles, buildings resembling a wave or a vine. The space develops like a natural landscape and literally merges with the environment. This solution was developed in 2020-2021 by the English architectural firm Dyer under the leadership of Philip Ball. Then, during the implementation, the project was finalized by Russian architectural bureaus.

Marina Shpilko became the project manager for the development of architectural solutions for the White Cape from the Moscow office of Dyer. She has been working at the international studio Dyer for more than 10 years. Her team has extensive experience working with complex global projects. Among them, for example, Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, the Ludwig Museum in Budapest, the Surfing Center in Bristol and others.

For architects, the starting point of every project is a deep dive into the context. The team explores the territory to capture the character of the place and its hidden meanings. This approach formed the basis of the Gelendzhik project: it is conceived as an organic continuation of the local urban environment, based on the natural landscape, local materials and marine relief.

Special attention is paid to ecology: the architects have preserved the maximum amount of existing flora, including rare Pitsunda pines. An Enotheca has even been built around a hundred-year-old poplar tree named Anatoly. And this tree is of great value to the entire Wine City, Anastasia Butskaya noted.

— The whole city was built around him. He was really saved. It's a tribute to nature and age. Despite the fact that poplars don't live long, we are currently having a whole operation to make him feel comfortable. And when we came here for the first time with our team, we even thought that it would be nice to dedicate wine to the townspeople in this place, because it is valuable to us," said the head of the Enoteca.

The route through the city itself is intentionally non—linear. Every turn opens up a new scenario: a restaurant, an exhibition, a bar, a view of the sea or a quiet space for relaxation.

The White Cape is a living space united by a common idea. The Expocenter, theater and outdoor venues form a rich event agenda: exhibitions, concerts, gastronomic festivals, lectures, master classes. Each visit promises a new experience, which makes the project a year-round center of attraction.

A new point on the map of the country

The world's wine regions — Bordeaux, Tuscany, Napa — have long become not only production centers, but also tourist centers. Russia is only forming such a map. And the White Cape will become the first point where the wine culture of the country is manifested on a full scale — from science and history to emotions and impressions.

This is a place where people go not only across the sea. People come here for a fortune — for the opportunity to slow down, try new things, learn more, and maybe fall in love. And if Gelendzhik used to be associated primarily with beach holidays, now it has a new identity — the city where the wine culture of modern Russia is born. This is a rare example of an infrastructure project in the country, where several trends converged at once: the development of tourism, a love of winemaking and a demand for high-quality urban spaces. But the main thing is emotion. Here you can fall in love with wine, discover new gastronomy, hold an important event, or just spend a day by the sea filled with meaning.

The opening of the Wine City has become a landmark and long-awaited event for the Russian wine industry, says Alexander Stavtsev, Vice President of the Russian Association of Retail Market Experts and head of the Wine Retail Information Center. According to him, "White Cape" is the quintessence and laboratory of all domestic winemaking. Therefore, its launch will be another opportunity to convince many that Russian wine is suitable for different world cuisines, the expert believes. And the largest enoteca can become a research center for consumer preferences — a "store of the future" that helps to better present domestic brands.

The emergence of such a center of attraction in the country is a very optimistic event for the Russian wine industry, as a result of which the volume of tourist tourism in the Russian Federation may double, according to the Committee on gastronomic Tourism of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT). Travelers' interest in wine is only growing, and domestic wineries are ready to show and tell.

Today Gelendzhik is undergoing a massive transformation, implementing landmark and unique projects that determine the future of not only the city itself, but also the whole country. Among these is the center for medical and wellness tourism "My Medical Center". This is the leading multidisciplinary clinic with the latest equipment on the coast, the only private medical institution in the region to which the Ministry of Health annually allocates quotas for high-tech compulsory health care.

— Despite the fact that our clinic is a surgical center where high—tech medical care is provided, we follow the global trend and develop diagnostic techniques aimed at preventing the development of diseases, - said Evgeny Tokarenko, the chief physician of the center.

But there is also the Gelendzhik Arena, where small and large halls can be quickly adapted to any event – from sporting events to concerts and circus performances. Another landmark object is Gelendzhik Marina. This is the largest yacht parking complex in Russia, located in the bay of the city. It can accommodate 300 vessels of different sizes. Protected from the winds, the water area provides comfortable access to the sea, and panoramic views of the embankment and modern buildings form one of the most expressive viewing points of Gelendzhik.

The new ultra-modern airport, thought out to the smallest detail, has played a special role in the development of the city. Built in just 18 months, it has become an example of modern architecture where technology works for the image. The main visual accent is the "floating" roof, assembled from 2.5 thousand unique steel spheres: there is no such solution at any other airport in the country, and you can evaluate it already upon landing. Weighing 1,000 tons, it does not put pressure on the facade, but is supported by 13 columns and can withstand an earthquake of up to eight points. This ceiling can adjust to the time of day — it shows the dawn, the daytime sky or the sea wave, which changes to the Russian tricolor.

The view of the building refers to a bird hovering over Gelendzhik Bay: soft, flowing lines create a feeling of movement and lightness. This effect is enhanced by the facade, which is an almost transparent shell of curved glass made using a rare technology available only to one manufacturer in Russia. The investor of the project is Joint Stock Bank ROSSIYA. And when the airport opened a year ago, it has already changed both transport logistics and the tourism industry. And it has become a tourist attraction itself. Groups come on excursions.

Gelendzhik Airport's route network has doubled over the past year, said its executive director Sergey Dyakin.

— Now we fly to such destinations as Tyumen, Surgut, Kazan, Samara, Yekaterinburg. Starting in June, we will also start flying to Ufa, Norilsk, and Krasnoyarsk. Our route network will include more than 10 destinations. For Gelendzhik Airport, for a small regional airport, taking into account the current conditions, this is a great success," Sergey Dyaykin believes.

The launch of the wine city gives Gelendzhik the opportunity to strengthen its status as an All-Russian year-round resort, which attracts the attention of not only domestic but also foreign travelers. This is a showcase of Russian winemaking, a new business cluster and the cultural code of southern Russia. This is an opportunity for the industry to make itself known to a wide audience and strengthen interest in Russian wine. And for guests, it's a rare format of space where you can not only relax, but also get a new experience that will stay with you much longer than the impressions of your vacation here.