Hero City, the oldest city in Russia. It's all about Kerch. Today it is the eastern gate of Crimea, through which most tourists come there. And Kerch is ready to show its guests many interesting sights, unveil the secrets of its rich past and show how it can be modern.
Covered with heroic glory, keeping the memories of its ancient, medieval and modern history, Kerch today is the eastern gate of the Russian Crimean peninsula. After the opening of automobile traffic across the Crimean bridge, Kerch is the first Crimean city that tourists enter when they come to the peninsula. And, according to official figures, the majority of tourists come this way. Staying in this Hero city for at least a day, you will not regret it. Because interesting sights are concentrated there. These are ancient settlements that tell about the greatness of the Bosporan kingdom, and monuments that remind us of the steadfastness and courage of our ancestors during the Great Patriotic War, and modern buildings instead of war ruins that say that the impossible is possible.
So, going to Crimea, be sure to plan at least a one-day tour of Kerch. And in our material we will tell you what you can see in this beautiful city in such a short period of time.
Today it is impossible to imagine Kerch without this modern structure that connected the Crimean and Caucasian coasts. Ideas to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait used to arise from time to time since long time ago, and it has become possible to implement the ideas only now.
The 19-kilometer transport crossing, opened in the spring of 2018, has become not only a convenient way to travel for tourists, but also an ID card of the entire peninsula. Now almost every vacationer dreams of driving along the Crimean bridge. And it is a desire of many to be photographed with it in the background or to sail under it on a yacht.
Adzhimushkay quarries
This is one of the most significant monuments of the military glory of Kerch. In the Adzhimushkay quarries in May-October 1942, Soviet soldiers and local residents fought against German troops. 13 thousand people − officers, soldiers, civilians defended their positions in the quarries. Among them were women with children.
Later, a memorial complex was opened at this place. While there, it is difficult to hold back tears, because the underground museum is a witness of real human heroism. Even the entrance there is a symbol of the courage and resilience of ordinary people. It is made in the form of a huge monument, divided into two parts: figures of Soviet soldiers, sailors and partisans are carved on the one side, and civilians of Kerch on the other side. They are frozen in stone forever. With determination on their faces, ready to go into battle and defend their land to the last. Such were the defenders of the Adzhimushkay quarries.
The museum will tell you how people lived and defended there, how they got water and performed surgical operations. There is also a room in which little Kerchians were buried. There are lots of flowers and children's toys that visitors bring there.
The tomb of one of the Bosporan kings of the 4th century BC is located not far, just 800 meters from the Adzhimushkay quarries. Now the tomb is empty, plundered in antiquity. The majestic entrance to this crypt has survived to this day, against which tourists like to take pictures.
On the territory of this museum there is an exhibition where you can learn the history of the mound and the chronology of its archaeological research.
It is worth considering that both the Adzhimushkay quarries and the King's mound are located on the outskirts of Kerch. You can get there by private car or public transport. And during the high holiday season, the war memorial is very popular, sometimes visitors have to wait in line for at least an hour.
Mount Mithridates
One of the places popular with tourists is in the center of Kerch. On a 90-meter hill the ancient Greeks at the end of the 7th century BC built the capital of the Bosporan kingdom − Panticapaeum. Remains of this polis are still visible there. And fragments of the ancient colonnade are a recognizable landmark of Kerch.
An important monument on Mount Mithridates is the Obelisk of Glory. It was erected shortly after the liberation of Kerch in 1944. Three Soviet ZIS-3 cannons are a part of this monument, and around it there are commemorative plates dedicated to all hero cities. The names of 146 Heroes of the Soviet Union who fought for the city are carved on the memorial plaque of the monument, and there is also a list of military units awarded the honorary title of Kerch. In 1959, the Eternal Flame was lit next to the obelisk.
And on the hill there is the "Crimean Bridge" bench, on which tourists like to take pictures − right against the background of this grandiose project. The Mithridates Stairs, built in the 1830s in the classical style, consists of 432 steps, which lead to the top of the hill. The staircase is currently under renovation. You can ascend the hill from other parts of the city.
Square of Glory, Lenin Square and Church of John the Baptist
Not far from Mount Mithridates, there is the public Garden of Glory, which also reminds of the exploits of Kerch in war. The Eternal Flame burns on its territory, walls with the names of military units are installed, and the names of the Heroes of the Soviet Union who fought in Kerch are engraved on granite slabs. You can stroll there, listening to the sounds of the seaside town, relax on a bench, admire the fountains and beautiful buildings, the Pushkin Theater and the Korolénko Gymnasium among them.
Lenin Square adjoins the public garden with a monument of the proletarian leader. From the square the Kerch port can be seen. This promenade is very popular with residents and guests of Kerch.
Also next to the square there is the oldest of the existing temples of Crimea − the Church of John the Baptist. Built in the 6th century, the religious building is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. The temple is partially an ancient structure with the walls of rows of white stone and flat red brick. Later, in the 19th century, vestibules and a bell tower were added to the temple.
Kerch Fortress
This fortification, also known as Fort Totleben, is located on the outskirts of Kerch and it takes a long time to come there.
The fortress stretched out in the narrowest part of Cape Ak-Burun. It was built in the 19th century to protect the southern borders of the Russian Empire. But it became a place of hostilities only during the Great Patriotic War.
Here you will be told about the construction of the fort and its military history, guided through the underground passages, shown the premises in which the soldiers lived, and much more. The fortress offers a panoramic view of the Kerch Strait and the Crimean Bridge.
This is not all that hospitable Kerch offers tourists. A variety of museums is also worthy of attention, including the history of the war-time Eltigen landing, a lapidarium, an art gallery and many others. It is worth seeing the monuments that tell about the scorched by fire pages of Kerch history. These are monuments to the pioneer-hero Volodya Dubinin and women navigators, monuments dedicated to the children of Kerch − victims of the enemy invasion of Great Patriotic War and naval landing forces… And of course, do not forget about the ancient heritage of the city − ancient settlements, including Mirmekiy and Tiritaka, crypts and burial mounds.
Therefore, when planning a trip to Kerch, make an itinerary map in advance in order to have time to see what you want. And the emotions and impressions that you get from visiting this Crimean Hero-city will stay with you for a long time.
