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, as most of the historical attractions are within walking distance from Lenin Square.
In ancient times, the palace of the Bosporan kings, the main temples and fortifications of Panticapaeum were located on Mount Mithridates. The Genoese made the city of Kafa (now Feodosia) the capital of their Black Sea possessions, so no buildings were erected in Kerch.
During the rule of the Crimean Khanate, which was under the protectorate of Turkey, the defensive fortifications of Kerch were significantly strengthened. In the narrowest place of the Kerch Strait, they built a powerful Fortress of Yenikale, which has survived to this day. On the site of the Lenin Square, the Turks built another fortress, which housed the garrison of the city.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Crimea was under the rule of the Russian Empire. The Turkish fortress in the center of the city was completely dismantled, and the place was cleared to create the main trade area of the city. It has changed its name several times: Stock, Tamanskaya, Prechistenskaya. With the advent of Soviet power, it was named after the writer Leo Tolstoy, and in the 1960s it was renamed Lenin Square. This name has survived to the present day. In the center of the square there is a Monument to Lenin, traditional for such places.
There are four small gardens on four sides of the Lenin Monument: Glory Garden, Peace Garden, Afghans Garden and Alenka Garden. Two squares are dedicated to the events of the WWII. The Eternal Flame is burning in the center of the Glory Garden. A playground has been built in Alenka Garden.
A Stele of Hero Cities is installed on Lenin Square. On its top there is a golden sculpture of a griffin. It is a mythical creature with the body of a lion and with the head and wings of an eagle. The griffin was minted on coins of the Bosporan Kingdom and has since become a symbol of Kerch
There are several interesting sights on Lenin Square. Near the Alenka Square there is the Church of John the Baptist. This is the oldest church in Russia, built by Byzantine craftsmen in the 10th century, with the foundation and part of the walls preserved from the 6th century Christian church. At the foot of Mount Mithridates on Lenin Square is the Kerch Art Gallery.
On Lenin Square begins the famous Great Mithridates Staircase, which rises to the top of Mount Mithridates on the western slope. This is a monumental architectural landmark of the city. The length of the staircase that ascends the western slope of Mount Mithridates is 423 steps.
