Rossikos (Russian Bay) Beach, Poros

Welcome to Russian Bay ...

Sheltered, warm and sunny, Russian Bay is the square site of the old pre-1917 Russian naval base, abandoned now for nearly a century. Its modern reputation is as one of the most scenic and beautiful beaches on the island of Kalavria in Poros. The beach is unusually sandy and shelving gently from the sea's edge out to deeper water offshore. This makes it excellent for families with non-swimmers and young children, as it is safe, clean and warm. The sunbeds on the beach are possibly the best on Poros.

Whilst the ruins themselves are a charming setting amongst the pines and sand, the view across Poros Harbour is a rather special one and very photogenic. The hills beyond the Harbour were once the classical city of Troezene (modern Trizina) the birthplace of the Greek hero Theseus, ancient King of Athens. With the grey-green olives, the pines and the lighter shades of orange and lemon trees, the hills have a beauty of green to go with their paler stone. Between Russian Bay and the far shore is the Harbour of Poros, generally blue except where crossed by the white wakes of boats and ferries or (in winter) with a few white-caps on the sheltered waves.

How to get to Russian Bay...

To get to Russian Bay you can walk there in about half an hour from Kanali, by following the coast road west through Megalo Neorio. Alternatively, the bus costs 1.2 Euro and runs from the Kanali Bridge at about ten past the hour or quarter to the hour although occasionally delayed by traffic in summer. Taxis from anywhere in Poros or Kanali to or from Russian Bay cost 5 Euros and are clean, reliable and quick. Bikes, motor bikes (mikaniki) and cars can be hired locally in Kanali or Askeli. The writer and his wife tended to take the bus there and to walk back.

Memorial to Admiral Login Geyden

The Cantina...

Maria Gnitsou is one of those hard-working and efficient Greek ladies whose good-natured friendship makes Greece function smoothly. Russian Bay is just one of her 'children' for she has daughters to raise and life to live. The Cantina supplies chilled and hot drinks and a wide range of snacks competitively priced; a lemon tea or a cake and a ham toastie were the favored choices of the writer and his wife.

Beside the Cantina an array of tables and chairs wait for the visitor to talk, watch the view or simply to sit and enjoy a drink or food. Very sensibly, Maria provides toilets, showers and waste bins, so all needs can be satisfied. But Maria herself is a wonderful conversationalist and a great lady; the writer found he spent much time in pleasant talk setting the world to rights and just discussing life in general.

An Excellent Venue...

The historic ruins of the old Russian base have been a backdrop for various celebrations over the years, with the advantage that the site can be reached by boat as well as by road; there is parking for thirty cars, ample room to set up marquees for weddings, with the little Greek Orthodox chapel on Daskalio Island for religious weddings in that faith. Whether weddings, birthdays or other functions, the Bay can host them all.

Possible Arsenal

The Imperial Russian Naval Base (1838 - 1917) :
The images above summarise the writer's research. The entire flat ground - a sixty metres square - appears to have been surrounded by a wall and to be the site of the Russian base. The forebuilding has features which indicate its ground floor use for storage of naval supplies (slots for timber racking) the fragments of the upper storey suggesting its use as barracks and offices. The well's use is self-evident; it apparently was present on a French naval chart of the 1700s. The bakehouse (one is said to be onsite) is located in the northeast corner beside surviving sections of the wall. The subdivision of this building into small cells indicated that ovens and fuel stores may have been part of it. The arsenal was a surprise; the interior of this compound towards the north side of the site had a single central building along the north wall, flanked by long double-layer roofed lean-tos of quite flimsy construction, with curious semicircular raised sections of the south wall. This construction reminded the writer of similar roofs and blast-walls at gunpowder works in Britain, so the lean-tos may have been gunpowder stores and the building at the north end of the compound may have secured arms such as guns and muskets.

Constructed in 1838 as a replacement for the joint Graeco-Russian naval base near where the Naval Academy now stands, the base at Rossikos was built using forced labour by Poriotes who had rebelled against the Capodistrias regime and were defeated with massive Russian assistance from Admiral Richord. After nearly eighty years, the Rossikos base was abandoned by Communist mutineers in 1917; it is said that they took over the two light cruisers stationed there, and wrecked the base with shellfire before sailing back up through the Aegean, the Dardanelles and the Black Sea, to return to Russia. This gesture cost Russia its one and only warm-water naval base in the Mediterranean, so despite efforts to to commemorate it and the erection of a monument by Russia, the Greeks have not let them return. The monument was dedicated to Rear Admiral Login L. Geyden , who in 1827 was commander of a Russian Squadron at the Battle of Navarino. It consisted of a stone plinth supporting a wooden tower with a star on it; although erected in only the last two years, the plinth no longer has its wooden tower and star. In the interests of accuracy, the writer must state that Geyden returned to Russia soon after Navarino and was never stationed at Poros when Rossikos was the Russian base.

Local Links :
These are to businesses and websites in the Poros area that may be of use to you :-

• Saga Hotel, Kanali, Poros : Website on the Saga Hotel, Poros, valuable as a base to visit local attractions or to get married from.
• Poros 2006, Poros 2007 and Poros 2010 Blogs : The visits to Poros and the Saga Hotel, with candid and humorous assessments of local attractions and tavernas.