Amber and Massandra - that's where you need to go to relax on the beach. It is there, according to international experts of the Blue Flag award, that the best beach areas in Russia are located. The rest of the Russian beaches, it turns out, f *** o?
Looking at the rating and the number of world-class beaches in other countries, it is striking that there are so few of them in Russia. Even on / in Ukraine there are already 10 such beaches (!!!).

By the way, according to the official data of the award, the beach in the village of Yantarny (Kalingrad region) is generally the only one in Russia awarded this prestigious quality mark, because Massandra is considered Ukrainian in Europe (the Massandrovsky beach in Yalta received its first Blue Flag back in 2010, and in this it's in Once again confirmed).

In the top three in the world beach top: Spain (579 beaches), Greece (485 beaches) and Turkey (454 beaches). The top 10 also includes France (390), Italy (342), Portugal (320), Denmark (225), Croatia (99), Ireland (81) and England (68). In total, there are 43 countries with 3662 beaches in the top. Yacht marinas and boat stations are evaluated separately - Russia is not in these lists yet. For comparison: there are 10 Blue Flag beaches in Ukraine - in Kiev and Odessa.

Blue Flag is the highest quality standard for beaches. To raise it above the coastal zone, one desire is not enough and pure water infrastructure is needed. The international commission certifies the place according to 33 criteria, and every year the requirements grow. The main ones are:
access to the beach is free;
the water is clean and tested weekly;
garbage is collected and sand is cleaned at the end of the day;
lifeguards work on the beach;
emergency assistance is provided on the spot;
there are showers;
motor vehicles do not drive along the beach;
pets use another beach.
In fact, Blue Flag is an environmental program based on respect and conservation of the surrounding ecosystem, natural phenomena and biological diversity.

As for the Massandra beach.
It was he who became the first owner of the Blue Flag in the "Russian-speaking" countries former USSR” (a phrase from the Blue Flag release). In addition, it is considered the best equipped beach in Yalta and the entire South Coast for the disabled.
Length beach complex Massandrovskiy 460 m. It is divided by concrete breakwaters into seven sectors: with free access and VIP zones from 8 to 10 euros. The beach is equipped with several cafes and restaurants, a sports club, a playground, a swimming pool with running water, a shower and a toilet.
The useful territory of the beach has been expanded through the use of the so-called "terraces" - special buildings located above the groins. Part of it is given over to sunbathing areas, part of it is for walking, some of them serve cafe visitors.

The beach is pebbly, but you can walk to the water along specially equipped wooden paths. Entrance to the territory is free. Sun loungers, umbrellas and other equipment are available for rent for an additional fee. There are designated areas for smokers

By the way, Massandrovsky is not the only one in the Crimea who raised the Blue Flag on the flagpole. A similar award in 2013 and 2014 was received by the beach of the Aquamarine Hotel in Sevastopol, but ... everything flows, everything changes, someone loses, and someone gains, and the flags are handed over to the best of the best.

Officially, the first Blue Flag award in Russia in 2016 was received (and confirmed in this) by the coastal zone in the village of Yantarny, Kaliningrad Region - sand beach Anna Mine.

A wooden bridge leads to it. viewing platforms. The length of the beach complex is about 500 m. Electricity, water supply, sewerage are provided in the recreation area, changing cabins and toilets are installed.

The beach is equipped with showers and drinking water taps. In addition, children's and sports grounds have been installed. Behind the dunes on the lake, there is a separate place for children to swim. For a fee, you can rent umbrellas, comfortable sunbeds of various types and price categories. There are several cafes and a restaurant on the beach. The post of rescuers is equipped with communication with the police, ambulance and administration of the village.

And what happens, in the whole of Russia there is no one else and there is nothing to equip resorts for a NORMAL vacation? Indeed, diamonds are not handed out on these beaches or a UFO lands - only people are resting, but they are resting, and not running in search of water or a toilet ...

The Blue Flag is an international award given annually since 1987 by the non-profit organization Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The birthplace of the award is France, where the first award took place in 1985.
The blue flag is awarded to the beach for one swimming season in the current year. In a year, the coastal area must re-prove high quality provided services. The renewal time for Blue Flag certificates in the Northern Hemisphere is annually at the end of May - beginning of June.

According to materials:

Beach holidays are perhaps one of the most popular types of recreation in the world. Many people prefer to vacation in seaside cities to be able to enjoy the warm sun and gentle sea. But how not to make a mistake in choosing such a place? The quality mark of the beaches, the Blue Flag award, will help in this matter.

This is an award that is given annually to beaches and marinas (piers) for meeting water quality and cleanliness standards designed for safe swimming. This status is a non-profit non-state award, which is managed by the Environmental Education Foundation.

A bit of history. France is considered the birthplace of the Blue Flag beach quality mark. It was here that the first award took place in 1985. And since 1987, it began to be awarded around the world. Today, 48 countries are already participating in the award, and every year the number of participants is growing steadily.

The award takes place on June 5 for countries located in the Northern Hemisphere and on November 1 for countries located in the Southern Hemisphere. This year, more than 3,700 beaches and marinas in 48 countries received this status. In 2012, Spain became the leader in the number of beaches on which this flag flaunts, there are 539 beaches and 83 berths, in the upcoming season this number reaches 550 beaches and 97 berths.

Russia also boasts of having a "Blue Flag" on its beaches and piers on the Black Sea coast - these are five in Yalta, five in Evpatoria, one each in Ilyichevsk and Sevastopol. And also the "Tsar's Quay" in Sevastopol also received a quality mark. Also, another berth of the Terijoki yacht club in St. Petersburg received a quality mark.

What guarantees this status? The beach on which this flag proudly flies guarantees vacationers:

free entrance;
weekly testing of water for purity;
sand is periodically cleaned and garbage is collected;
the beach has its own rescue and surveillance service;
if required, first aid can be provided directly on the beach;
the presence of showers;
lack of motor transport;
pets use the private beach.

Today, the following countries can boast of having this beach quality mark: Canada, Croatia, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Brazil, Denmark, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, England, Wales, France, Finland, Greece, Germany, Italy, Poland, Norway, Turkey, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Morocco, Malta, Tunisia, Belgium and many others.

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Flight: Aviasales is looking for the best tickets, you can also find promotions and sales of airlines in Aviadiscounter;
Trains: reliable service for finding railway tickets ZHDBILET.COM ;
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Movements: you can order an inexpensive transfer to and from the airport, you can also rent a car at (Economybookings). In some countries, renting a car can be cheaper than public transport(eg, in Portugal);
Entertainment: excursions from local Russian-speaking guides around the world book on

How many met the Blue Flag on the beach? What does it mean? Apparently, not many people know this. Therefore, it is worth figuring out what a special flag means and whether it makes sense to look for beaches marked in this way in advance.

beach holiday

Many people cannot imagine their vacation without the gentle sun and sea. Therefore, annually warm southern resorts receive a huge number of tourists who tend to the beaches. But their requests differ: someone likes a calm sea, while others like small waves and wind. For some, it is critical pebble beach or sandy, but there are people in general with special requests. But be that as it may, everyone understands that you need to relax on the other side, which is completely safe, where there is all the necessary equipment.

Many beaches around the world have a special system of colored flags, which shows that, for example, there are dangerous creatures in the sea, or the waves are too big, and therefore swimming is prohibited. But the same colors are not always used, so it is easy to get confused in the notation. But there is also an international sign - the Blue Flag on the beach. What does it mean?

blue flags

The problem of assessing the quality of beaches has become relevant for a long time, and already in 1985 a special system began its work. Initially, it operated only within Europe, but in 2001, the organization involved in the certification of holiday destinations by the sea became worldwide. Today it has about 50 member countries in Eurasia, Africa, Oceania, North and South America. Initially, the blue flag on the beach meant high quality sea water(according to several parameters), today only those places that meet almost 30 different criteria are marked with it. Obviously, this sign is very prestigious, and such beaches attract more tourists. That is why every year the requirements are tightened, but more and more recreation areas receive these awards, and more and more countries join a kind of club. Certification of beaches in the Eastern Hemisphere is carried out in May-June, and - in early November.

Award Criteria

Before each season, the beaches of the countries participating in the project are certified. Many parameters are taken into account, divided into the following categories.

1. Water quality:

Compliance with the requirements adopted by the EU Directive.
No discharge of industrial wastewater.
Availability of local or regional action plans in case of pollution from accidents.
Preventing the accumulation of algae in recreation areas.
Meeting the requirements of urban wastewater treatment.

2. Environmental awareness:

Availability of at least 5 educational programs.
Timely informing about the accomplished or alleged pollution of the beach.
Providing visitors with information about applicable laws and codes, as well as rules of conduct.
Informing about dangerous areas near the coast, including habitats of local flora and fauna, representatives of which can cause harm to humans.
The presence of a special educational center.
Timely updating and updating of all information provided.

3. Environmental management:

The presence of a sufficient number of garbage cans that are regularly serviced and emptied.
Carrying out regular, and if necessary, daily cleaning of the beach area.
Existence of a plan for land use and development of the coastal zone separately or on a regional scale.
Full transport without special permission, unauthorized camping, dumping and car or motorcycle racing on the beach.
Having secure access.
Active promotion of environmentally friendly safe species transport to visit the coastal zone.

4. Security:

Availability of all first aid equipment on the beach.
Strict implementation of state laws regarding the stay in the recreation area of various animals.
The presence of lifeguards and the necessary equipment on the beach and / or another way to ensure safety and prevent accidents.
Access to a source of drinking water.
The presence of a working phone, in case lifeguards are not working on the beach.
All buildings and structures must be kept in order and clean.

Not all of the above criteria are mandatory, some of them are advisory in nature. And yet, to get top marks- blue flag - every year the authorities try to make the beaches better and better. And many succeed: in 2015, there were 4,159 places on the world map that were awarded this quality mark. The Blue Flag beaches received a huge number of tourists during the summer, while maintaining the necessary level of safety and cleanliness. The prestige of this award is so high that many people even plan their holidays, focusing on the most highly rated recreation areas by experts. So where are most of them located?

Spain

Every year the Blue Flag is awarded to a huge number of beaches. In 2015, Spain became the first in terms of the number of such places - 577 certified sections of sea coasts were counted on its map. Most of the beaches, ecological purity and safety of which are confirmed, are located in Galicia. In second place was Valencia, and in third - Catalonia. Let's see if Spain will be able to keep the lead in 2016 and possibly improve the result? In the meantime, it is much more difficult for an inexperienced tourist to get to a beach that is not marked with a flag, and soon it will probably be completely impossible.

Turkey

In the spring of 2015, it turned out that another popular southern country received "silver" in the competition for the number of certified beaches. Turkey became it with a score of 436. Most of the marked beaches are located in the regions traditionally popular with Russians - Bodrum, Kemer, Antalya, Marmaris. And there is hope that next year more more places will receive a badge of distinction - the Blue Flag.

Greece

Hellas moved to third place from last year's second, with a result of 395 recreation areas, losing as many as 13 marked coasts. Obviously, the crisis that affected Greece was the reason, among other things, that the government focused on more burning topics. Most of local beaches, over which the Blue Flag flutters, is concentrated in traditional resort places - in Crete and the Chalkidiki peninsula.

France

The country that spawned the Blue Flag movement was the fourth largest in 2015. France lagged behind Greece quite a bit - on its territory there are 379 beaches that meet all the criteria for environmental cleanliness and safety. Places for recreation, marked with the Blue Flag, are located on the coast quite evenly. A sufficient number of them are located both at the English Channel and at mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cyprus

Another country enduringly loved by northern latitudes, it received 57 awards in 2015, the same as last year, and almost all of them are concentrated in the southern part of the island. This may seem like a small number compared to hundreds in previous countries. However, let's not forget about the small size of the island. By the way, it is worth mentioning that Cyprus is a kind of record holder: firstly, there are marked vacation spots in terms of per capita, and secondly, the largest number of them per unit length coastline. Mostly with the Blue Flag are located in the areas of Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa and Famagusta.

Russia

Despite the fact that the Russian Federation does not have many warm places with beaches, for several years now it has been participating in the Blue Flag program. Unfortunately, during all this time only a couple of yacht clubs have been awarded the prestigious award, but not a single beach has been certified to European standards. However, let's not lose heart: perhaps in the coming years the situation will change for the better.

The Blue Flag is a certificate that is awarded annually the best beaches and piers around the world. The presence of such a flag means that the coastal areas meet certain environmental and safety criteria. In Russia, only Yantarny beach in the Kaliningrad region managed to obtain such a certificate.

On the beach of the village of Yantarny, which has been awarded the international Blue Flag sign. Photo: RIA Novosti / Igor Zarembo

Who evaluates the safety of beaches?

The safety of beaches is assessed by experts from the Federation for Environmental Education - FEO (Foundation for Environmental Education - FEE). The blue flag quality certificate was first established by the French in 1985.

The blue flag is awarded to the beach for one swimming season in the current year. In a year, the coastal area must again prove the high quality of the services provided.

The renewal time for Blue Flag certificates in the Northern Hemisphere is annually at the end of May - beginning of June.

By what criteria are beaches evaluated?

The evaluation of beaches is carried out on the basis of compliance with 32 criteria, which reflect 4 main aspects:

1. Environmental education and information

Information about the "Blue Flag" must be displayed on the territory.
Ecological and educational activities should be carried out with visitors to this beach.
Bathing water quality information should be displayed.
Information about the local ecosystem and environmental phenomena should be displayed.
There should be a map of the beach with the available objects marked on it.
Information about the rules of conduct and stay on the beach and adjacent areas in accordance with applicable laws.

2. Water quality

The beach must fully comply with the requirements for the frequency of sampling for water quality.
The beach must fully comply with water quality standards based on the analysis of samples taken.
No industrial and waste water discharges affecting the beach area.
The beach must meet the requirements of the "Blue Flag" for microbiological parameters of the content of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci / streptococci.
The beach must meet the requirements of the "Blue Flag" in terms of physical and chemical parameters.

3. Environmental management

Local beach managers or owners must have a beach management committee (administration).
Local managers or owners of the beach are obliged to comply with all regulatory documents for the arrangement and operation of the beach.
The beach must be clean.
Algae, vegetation or other natural debris must not be left on the beach.
Garbage bins/receptacles must be available on the beach in sufficient quantity and must be serviced regularly.
The beach should have containers for segregated waste collection for subsequent recycling.
There should be a sufficient number of toilets on the beach.
Toilets or latrines must be kept clean.
Toilets or latrines must be equipped with sewage.
There should be no unauthorized release or dumping of waste on the beach.
All buildings and beach equipment must be kept in good order.
Coral reefs in close proximity to the beach should be monitored.
Parking Vehicle should not be carried out in the beach area.

4. Security and services

A sufficient number of lifeguards and lifesaving equipment must be available on the beach.
First aid equipment medical care should be available on the beach.
There must be emergency plans and plans to deal with the risk of environmental pollution.
The administration should take measures to prevent and prevent conflict situations and accidents with beach visitors.
There must be security measures in place to protect beach visitors.
The beach must have drinking water.
At least one of the Blue Flag beaches in each municipality must have wheelchairs and special equipment to accommodate the disabled.
At least one of the Blue Flag beaches in each municipality must be able to accommodate wheelchair users and people with disabilities.

Thus, the beach, over which the blue flag flutters, guarantees vacationers that

access to the beach is free,
the water is clean and tested weekly,
the garbage is collected and the sand is cleaned,
on the beach there are showers, a surveillance and rescue service,
if necessary, emergency assistance can be provided right on the beach,
there is no motor transport on the beach,
there are no pets on the beach,
on the beach there are conditions for people with disabilities.

In everything that concerns beach holiday, one can argue about tastes for a very long time: someone likes to bask on the sand, and someone sincerely loves pebbles, someone visits only the closed beaches of five-star hotels, and someone even goes to nudist ones. But there is one single criterion that is important for everyone - the purity of the water and the coast.

How to find a truly eco-friendly beach? Faithful assistants in this matter are international certificates. Since 1987, the Blue Flag has been the main marker of purity in this matter. Blue flag on the beach: what does it mean The Blue Flag is a prestigious international award that confirms the suitability of a beach, harbor or pier highest standards quality.

The initiative belongs to France, and the non-profit non-governmental organization Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) manages the procedure. European beaches are annually certified before the start of the swimming season, the award is held on June 5th. In total, 3.6 thousand beaches and 677 harbors in 45 countries can boast of Blue Flags in the world, including such popular tourist destinations like Cyprus, Tunisia, Israel, etc.

In 2018, only one beach was awarded the prestigious mark in Russia. It is located in the village of Yantarny, Kaliningrad Region, and has received the award for the third time in a row. Nevertheless, the beaches of Yalta already fell into the nomination, and last year the beach areas of Sochi joined the fight. The beaches marked with a blue flag have been certified on 27 points, including water quality, safety level, environmental management, the availability of ramps and toilets for wheelchair users, etc.

Other flags on the beach: to avoid confusion

Flags of other colors are used to indicate the degree of danger on the water. The international safety alert system has been adopted in all countries of the world.

✔ red color, as you might guess, indicate danger - swimming for one reason or another is prohibited. The double red flag signals heightened danger. These include not only sharks and all kinds of fauna, but also powerful ebb currents that can carry them into the open sea, quicksand, whirlpools.

What does blue flag mean. What does the Blue Flag on the beach mean? double red flag