Staryi Krym (Ukrainian: Старий Крим, Russian: Старый Крым, Crimean Tatar: Eski Qırım) is a small historical town in the Eastern Crimea, approximately 25 km (15 mi.) west of Theodosia. The population of Staryi Krym in 2001 was 9,960 people.

The town has a long history. It was probably founded in the first half of the thirteenth century when Crimea was taken by Batu Khan. The Mongols fortified the city and thereafter it became a capital of the Crimean Yurt (Crimean province of the Golden Horde) and a home for the Emir of Crimea. During that period the city had two names at the same time: Turkic-speaking inhabitants of the Crimean Yurt named it Qırım (Crimean Tatar: qırım - my hill), while Italian traders usually called it Solcati (Italian: solcata - furrow, ditch). Solkhat is a turkified form of the Italian name.

Another theory given on the etymology of the town's name is that it was a corruption of the name of an Armenian monastic complex in Staryi Krym, built in 1338 and known in Armenian as "Surb Khach," Armenian: Սուրբ Խաչ or Holy Cross.

Sergey Balovin (5 July 1984, Voronezh, Russia) is an artist and curator. Over the last several years he has participated and actively organized numerous art projects throughout Russia as well as other countries. Balovin currently lives and works in Shanghai.