The Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum is located on Sverdlov Street near the Kerch Embankment. It contains numerous artifacts found during the excavations of the ancient Panticapaeum, as well as in other ancient Greek polis in the vicinity of Kerch. Here you can get acquainted with the history of the development of the oldest city in Russia.
For the first time, excavations on the Kerch Peninsula in 1810 were carried out by the French archaeologist-enthusiast Paul Debrusk. He was engaged in excavations not only of Mount Mithridates, but also of mounds on the Kerch Peninsula. He discovered the Royal Mound 8 kilometers north of the city. His collection formed the basis of the Museum of Antiquities, which was built in 1834.
The first Museum of Antiquities was located on the slope of Mount Mithridates. architect Georgy Toricelli from Odessa proposed to make it as an exact copy of the temple of Hephaestus in Athens. The Greek temple looked very beautiful on the mountainside and became a symbol of the city.
The first collection of Paul Debrusk was looted by the British during the Crimean War of 1853-56. Its most valuable exhibits can now be seen in the British Museum in London. The building of the Archaeological Museum of Antiquities on the mountainside was also destroyed. Later it was restored and a Christian church was organized in it. A century later it became dilapidated and in 1959 the most famous building of Kerch was demolished.
Nowadays, the Historical and Archaeological Museum is located in a 19th-century building, which does not look so impressive. However, you should definitely visit it, because there you can learn about the history of Kerch, which has 27 centuries. Despite the looting of the Debryusk collection, the excavations of the 20th century made it possible to find the same valuable artifacts in the Crimea, so the museum is of great interest.
The museum`s exposition is divided into several stages. Panticapaeum was founded in the 7th century BC. Later it became the richest Greek polis in the Black Sea and united under its authority all the polises on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas. Panticapaeum became the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom. In the 3rd century BC, the Bosporan Kingdom became part of the Kingdom of Pontus. It reached its peak in the 1st century BC, during the reign of King Mithridates VI Eupator. He was called the King of Asia. All these events are covered in detail in the expositions of the Historical and Archaeological Museum of Kerch.
The historical and ethnographic exposition is dedicated to the era of the Crimean Khanate and the subsequent incorporation of Crimea into the Russian Empire. The museum has an exposition dedicated to the events of the WWII and the defense of Russian soldiers in the Ajmushkai quarries.
