Kerch

The city of Kerch is located in the eastern part of Crimea, on the shore of the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea and the coast of the Caucasus. There are many beach resorts in Crimea, where millions of tourists come every summer, but Kerch does not belong to them. However, Kerch is the oldest city in Russia, and it is worth coming here to see the numerous sights of the city.

The Greek polis Panticapaeum on Mount Mithridates was founded in the 7th century BC, since then life at this place has not been interrupted, so many monuments of the ancient era have been preserved in Kerch. They are of great interest. Kerch is also a Hero City. There are memorials dedicated to the events of the WWII. 

History of Kerch 

The city of Panticapaeum was founded by ancient Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC. After that, life in the city was not interrupted, so Kerch is considered the oldest city in Russia. Russia itself did not exist at that time. The state of the Slavic tribes began to form 1500 years later, in the 8th century AD.  

The geographical location of Panticapaeum is very convenient for the development of trade. Therefore, Panticapaeum was able to rise above other Greek polis in the Crimea at first. In 480 BC, the kings of Panticapaeum united under their rule all the Greek polises on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas. So the Bosporan Kingdom was formed. It was the time of Panticapaeum`s prosperity as an independent state.  

Modern artists recreated the appearance of Panticapaeum in their pictures. The acropolis was located on the high Mithridates Mountain, and residential quarters were located around it. The fortress wall of Panticapaeum surpassed the fortifications of Athens.  

In the 2nd century BC, the Bosporan kingdom became part of the Kingdom of Pontus, which was created by King Mithridates I Ktistes on the territory of modern Turkey. He was a descendant of Seleucus, one of the commanders of Alexander the Great. The Kingdom of Pontus combined the culture of Greece and Persia.  

In 370 AD, the city of Panticapaeum, like all other Greek colonies in the Crimea, was subjected to a devastating raid by the Huns. However, unlike Chersonesos (Sevastopol) and Kerkenitida (Yevpatoria), life in Panticapaeum continued. Soon it was revived as a rich trading city on the Black Sea during the era of Byzantine rule. At that time it was called the city of Vospro.  

The Genoese called the city Cerchio. In the era of the Crimean Khanate, it was called Korchev, and during the Russian Empire, the city was called Kerch. Since the 19th century Kerch has become one of the key Russian trading and fishing ports on the Black Sea.  

Sights of Kerch 

Most of the attractions of Kerch are located near Mount Mithridates. All of them are connected with the history of the city, since Kerch has never been a beach resort. In this Kerch is similar to Sevastopol. A lot of tourists also come there, but not for recreation, but for excursions to historical places. 

Lenin Square in Kerch is the center of the Old City. It is located at the foot of Mount Mithridates. From here it is best to start walking tours of the city, since most of the attractions are within walking distance from it. On Lenin Square, you should definitely visit the Church of John the Baptist – the oldest Christian church in Russia. It was built in the 10th century, but part of the walls and the foundation of the church dates back to the 6th century.  

In ancient times, the palace of the Bosporan kings, temples and fortifications of Panticapaeum were located on Mount Mithridates. You can climb to its top by the Great Mithridates Staircase. It is one of the most famous architectural monuments not only of Kerch, but also of the whole Crimea. The length of the Great Mithridates Staircase is 423 steps. In its monumentality and length, it can be compared with the Chkalovsky Staircase in Nizhny Novgorod. Its length reaches 442 steps. These two stairs are the longest of the monumental city stairs in Russian cities. 

A Stele of Glory dedicated to the liberation of Kerch in 1944 was installed on the top of Mount Mithridates in August 1944. There is a viewing point with a beautiful view of the terminals of the Kerch port, as well as the Kerch Embankment. On the northern slope of Mount Mithridates are the ruins of the ancient Panticapaeum. Here you can see the foundations of the palace of the Bosporan kings, the fortress wall, towers, two wine distilleries and other houses.   

Going down the stairs back, you have to visit the Kerch museums. Near the stairs there is an Art gallery of Kerch. If you walk along the embankment to the south, then you can visit the Historical and Archaeological Museum of Kerch, as well as the Museum of Marine Flora and Fauna. 

A few kilometers north of the city center there are important archaeological sites: the Royal Mound and the Crypt of Demeter. The Kerch Lapidarium is also located here. This is one of the most interesting museums in Crimea, where you can see an exposition of stone tombstones, sarcophagi, sculptures and decorative elements of buildings. Lapidarium specialists are engaged in research of epigraphy: a science that studies the form and content of inscriptions (or inscriptions) on stones.  

800 meters from the mound, you should definitely visit the Museum of the Ajimushkai Quarries, dedicated to the tragic events of the defense of Kerch in 1942. On the shore of the Kerch Bay, the Turkish fortress of Yenikale, built in the early 18th century, has been preserved.