Kerch

 Mount Mithridat or Mitridates (Kerch)

Kerch is located in the eastern part of Crimea, on the coast of the Kerch Strait. In the past - the capital of the Bosporus kingdom. And also - the city-hero of the Great Patriotic War, awarded the highest awards of the USSR - the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

The city stretches along the coast for more than 42 km. Mount Mithridates rises in the center of the city.

The symbol of the city is the griffin (a mythical animal with the head and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion). The griffin has been depicted on the city coat of arms since the time of Panticapaeum. According to legend, the Griffin guards the key to the Black and Azov Seas.

The climate is temperate continental, close to subtropical. January average temperature: 0.6'C, July average temperature: 23.4'C.

 

Travel Destinations in Kerch

Mount Mithridates (Center)

 

Great Mithridatic stairs

Mount Mithridates is the geographical center of the city. Climbing the mountain is a tradition of all Kerch residents and guests of the city. From the top of the mountain there is an excellent view of the city and its surroundings, as well as the Kerch Bay and the Kerch Strait. The mountain is named after King Mithridates VI Eupator, at the head of which the Bosporan kingdom opposed the Roman Empire for a long time.

1  Great Mithridatic stairs. It was built in 1833-1840 according to the design of the Italian architect A. Digby. The staircase leads to the top of Mount Mithridates and consists of 432 steps.
2  Obelisk of Glory, on top of the mountain. Monument to the soldiers who liberated Kerch from the Nazi invaders and the Eternal Flame. The author is the architect Alexey Dmitrievich Kiselev. Opened on August 8, 1944. The first monument dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War on the territory of the USSR.
3 Technological model of the Crypt of Demeter (In 2019, due to the repair of the Great Mithridates Stairs, the object is closed to the public). Wikidata element The technological model was created due to the fact that the original crypt of the 1st century AD, found in 1895, was badly damaged for 120 years, therefore it is forever closed to the public. The crypt got its name from the main plot theme of the painting - the image of the goddess Demeter. Surprisingly, the crypt was opened unlooted, the priestesses of the goddess Demeter were buried in it, burials took place several times. The bodies lay in wooden sarcophagi, next to which were painted glass vessels, bronze candelabra, and gold jewelry.
4  Pantikapey settlement , st. Chekhov, 1a. ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Free admission. Excavations of the capital of the Bosporan kingdom of the ancient city of Panticapaeum. 7th century BC e.—III century AD.
5 Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The temple is active and is one of the oldest Christian churches in the CIS. Buildings of the 10th century. It has an original architecture typical of early Christian churches. Panticapaeum amphorae are embedded in the dome of the temple (to improve acoustics).
6 Synagogue of Progressive Judaism, st. Tsiolkovsky, 6. ☎ +7 (36561) 20356, +7 (36561) 25592. Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00. The building is a symmetrical composition with five windows, decorated with semi-columns and columns. Since 2000, the synagogue has been transferred to a religious organization. The synagogue hall is designed for 250 seats. The building houses the Museum "Jews of Kerch", dedicated to famous Jews who lived in Kerch. Tours are conducted by a guide by appointment on Wednesday and Thursday from 11:00 to 13:00 lasting 30 - 50 minutes.
7  City embankment. Driving along the embankment is prohibited. In the waterfront area there are several cafes, small hotels and the restaurant "Galeon". And in summer, a yacht and a speedboat await visitors at the embankment. edit
8  The building of the former women's gymnasium, st. Theatrical, 34A. Mid 19th century.
9 Roman Catholic Church, st. Theater, 32. Built in 1831–1840.

 

The modern part of the city

10  Melek-Chesmensky mound  (on the square of the city bus station). ☎ +7 (36561) 2-50-61. Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. 50 rub. Monument of funerary architecture of the 4th c. BC, 8 m high and up to 200 m in circumference. It was plundered in antiquity. The remains of a child, jewelry, dishes, boards of the sarcophagus were found.
✦  Crypt of 1891 (Closed to the public). The painted crypt was opened on August 6, 1891. (It is he who is called the "Crypt of 1891"). Research on behalf of the Imperial Archaeological Commission was carried out by Yu.A. Kulakovsky. After the description and removal of drawings, the entrance was filled up again.
11  Juma-jami Mosque, up. Pushkin, 8A. The mosque was built in the 18th century. Initially, the building had two minarets, later destroyed, one of them was restored in 2018.

 

Kerch crossing area

12  Fortress "Yeni-Kale" , st. Repina, 12 (Relatively close to the port of Crimea. Travel from the bus station by routes No. 1, 18 to the stop "Stroygorodok" (journey time 25 minutes) and then on foot). It was built by the Turks in 1699-1703, it was of great strategic importance as it is located on the shore of the narrowest point of the Kerch Strait. Several years ago, a treasure trove of silver coins was found in the fortress. The thickness of the fortress wall is impressive. Enikale offers an excellent view of the Kerch Strait and the Chushka Spit.
You can try to climb into the cave of Solomon 12 under the fortress wall.

13 Cape Lantern, Relatively close to the port of Crimea. (Small bus 18 Bus Station-Mayak, payment by credit card). Top view of the ferry crossing Crimea-Caucasus. On the elevated part of the cape, the Yenikal lighthouse 14 is installed.
15  The ancient settlement of Mirmekiy. ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. An ancient city founded by the Ionian Greeks in the middle of the 6th century BC. e., was part of the Bosporan kingdom. In its southern part it ends with the Molodyozhny beach 16
17  Picturesque rocks in the sea near the Moscow beach, Moskovskaya st., access to the beach (near the ancient settlement of Mirmekiy). A cluster of picturesque rocks against the backdrop of the Kerch Strait. There is a version that the famous ancient hero Achilles was from these places.

 

Arshintsevo

City area south of downtown. It is separated from the central part of the city by a fairly large undeveloped area. Until the 1960s, it was a separate village.

18  Tiritaka hill fort. ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Excavations of the Bosporan settlement founded by the Ionian Greeks around the 6th century BC. e. Now you can see dozens of fish salting baths, the rest of the defensive walls, residential buildings, 7 wineries (2 Hellenistic, 2 - II - III centuries AD and 3 - III - IV centuries)
19 Starokarantinsky quarries, near the village of Stary Karantin. According to some reports, the quarry was developed even before the birth of Christ. The length of the tunnels is 40-50 km, they consist of 3 levels of different periods and different mining methods. Currently abandoned.

 

What to do

Museums
Fort Kerch (Fort Totleben), the right end of the Kerch Bay, Cape Ak Burun (White Rock) (by bus 28 from the bus station, the terminal "Oleg Koshevoy" and walk towards the cape along the road. In 2021 the road will be asphalted, it will be possible to take a taxi ). ☎ +7 (36561) 25061. Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00. Tour hours 10:00 - 14:30. The box office is open until 14:30. Group tours at 10:00 and 14:30. short routes (Citadel of Fort Totleben, counter-mine galleries) 200 rubles, 45 minutes. Long routes (Vilna lunette, Ak-Burun. Beginning, Coastal structures of the Kerch fortress), 600 rubles, 2-2.5 hours. For a visit, a group of at least 5-10 people should be formed. A unique monument of fortification construction of the 19th century. Relatively well preserved due to inaccessibility for visiting in Soviet times (there were warehouses of the Black Sea Fleet and a disciplinary battalion). The fortress occupies a large territory all indented with secret underground passages, lunettes and manholes. In some places, inscriptions in the Old Slavonic language have been preserved on the walls. Well, the Wehrmacht soldiers left their graffiti. The history of the fortress is shrouded in rumors and stories. They even talk about an underground passage under the Kerch Strait. Amazing place and unforgettable experience. Visit only with guided tours. Behind the fortress there is a small sandy beach 2 .
Historical and Archaeological Museum, st. Sverdlova, 22 (from the city bus station by buses No. 5, 6, 19. Stop "Museum"). ☎ +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Entrance ticket 120 rubles, excursion 550 rubles. The museum was founded in 1826; a building was built for it on Mount Mithridates in the form of the Athenian temple of Hephaestion. However, during the Crimean War (1853-1856), the building was destroyed, and the exposition was looted, the most valuable exhibits were taken to England, the main part of the Kerch exhibits of that time is now stored in the British Museum. Since 1922, the museum has been housed in the Mesaksudi House, a grand-type mansion in the Art Nouveau style of the late 19th century. The expositions of the museum occupy a very small area: four rooms on the first floor (where the permanent exhibition is located) and two very tiny rooms on the second floor (for temporary exhibitions). The main exposition presents an extensive collection of artifacts from Panticapaeum and other ancient cities of the Kerch Peninsula.
Golden vault. 10:00–14:00. 300 rubles, the price includes excursion service. A group of at least 5-10 people must be formed to visit.
Pottery. Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. 50 rubles, master classes and excursion services are paid separately. A group of at least 5-10 people must be formed to visit. At master classes, they offer to mold a pot or a vase, as was done in ancient Panticapaeum.
Ichthyological Museum of Fisheries and Oceanography, st. Sverdlova, 2. ☎ +7 (36561) 21012. Daily. For free. In the building of the institute, two floors are filled with representatives of the flora and fauna of the world's oceans. The museum operates as part of YugNIRO (Southern Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography).
5 Art Gallery named after N.Ya. Buta, st. Teatralnaya, 36 (from the city bus station by bus route No. 5, No. 6, No. 19. Stop "V.I. Lenin Square"). ☎ +7 (36561) 22086. Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00. Entrance ticket 120 rubles, excursion 550 rubles. Permanent exposition + exhibitions. There are not so many paintings: about half of the museum is occupied by models and materials dedicated to the construction of the Crimean bridge, another part shows finds from the excavations of ancient Greek cities.
Exhibition Hall of Kerch Artists, st. Koroleva, 14. ☎ +7 (36561) 22086. 9:00 am–5:00 pm: except Mondays. Permanent exhibition of Kerch artists 5 minutes walk from the bus station. There is an opportunity to purchase works that you like.

 

Microdistrict Geroevskoye (Etilgen)

Settlement of Nymphaeum. ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Archaeological excavations in the village of Geroevskoye (Eltigen). Founded around 570-560 BC. e. He acted as one of the main suppliers of grain to Athens, then the center of winemaking. Destroyed by the Goths in the 3rd century AD. e.
Memorial "Sail" (15 km from the city at the extreme southern point of the Kerch Bay). Monument to the Heroes of the Eltigen landing, from below it really looks like a sail.
Museum of the history of the Eltigen landing, st. Galina Petrova, 48 (from the city bus station by route No. 5 to the stop "Management of the ZhRK", transfer to route No. 15, stop "Museum of the History of the Eltigen Landing Forces"). ☎ +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Wed-Sun 9:00-18:00, Tue 11:00-20:00. 120 rubles, children free. Created to commemorate the landing on this site in 1943. The fighting continued here for 10 days, then the remaining paratroopers were evacuated. Of the 145 Heroes of the Soviet Union awarded this title in the battles for Kerch, 60 were "Eltigen".

 

Microdistrict Aji-Mushkay

Museum of the History of Defense of the Adjimuschkay Quarries, st. brothers Malchenko, house 34-36 (from the city bus station 20 minutes by bus number 4). ☎ +7 (36561) 54901. Tue–Sun 9:00–18:00, ticket office closes at 16:45. 400 rubles, the price includes excursion service in the underground museum 1.5 excursion hours. Only the exhibition "Weapons of 1941-1945" - 120 rubles. Excursions to the underground museum leave an unforgettable experience. Travelers should remember that they must have warm clothes with them, because underground, in the thickness of the stone, the temperature always stays below 10 degrees. It's also a good idea to have a flashlight with you, as tour guides often have a limited number of them. The length of the underground labyrinths reaches 130 km, the depth is several tens of meters. Sep 2019 edit
Royal mound, st. Scythian (from the city bus station by bus route No. 4, stop "Yagunova street"). ☎ +7 (36561) 5-47-13. Tue–Sun 9:00–18:00. 120 rub. Tomb of one of the Bosporan kings (4th century BC). The crypt was completely looted in antiquity.
Lapidarium (Exhibition of unique monuments of antiquity) , st. Rosy Luxembourg, 24/14 (from the bus station by bus number 19 to the stop "Kinoprokat"). ☎ +7 (36561) 6-77-17. Wed–Sun 9:00–18:00, Tue 11:00–20:00. Entrance ticket 120 rubles, excursion 550 rubles. By the number of Greek inscriptions, it ranks 12th among the repositories of classical epigraphic monuments in the world. The Kerch lapidary contains Bosporan ancient Greek inscriptions, sculpture and architectural details, as well as Hebraist and Turkic tombstones. Very informative and interesting.

 

Routes

Inspection is better to start with the ascent to Mount Mithridates.
Here, a few hundred meters on the slope of the mountain, there are excavations of the capital of the Bosporus kingdom, the ancient city of Panticapaeum. Found gold and silver coins, please donate to the Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum. This is exactly the place that you must also visit while in Kerch.
After visiting the museum and taking with you a vase made by yourself, you can walk along the city embankment, located a few steps from the museum.
Walking along the embankment in the direction of the city center, it is easy to go to the central city square. V. I. Lenin. In Kerch, they carefully treat their history. The monument to Vladimir Ilyich successfully survived the troubled 90s and the reckless Maidan period.
Near the square is the Temple of the Beheading of John the Baptist.
On the opposite side of the square is the geographical center of the city with a column and a statue of a Griffin guarding the key to the strait. Nearby is the main post office, a theater, a supermarket, and the main street of the city of Leninskaya (colloquial Tape) begins, on which there are a large number of cafes, bank branches, and shops. There are even a couple of anthropomorphic women. The street is pedestrian. Such a small Kerch Arbat.
While in Kerch, you should also definitely visit the Kerch Fortress.
The next attraction is the famous Adzhimushkay quarries. Not far from the entrance to the Adzhimushkay quarries is the Royal Mound. Tomb of one of the Bosporan kings. Silent witness of ancient times. It's worth looking at.
Returning back to the city, you can look at the Turkish fortress Yenikale. Finally, the most inquisitive can visit the Kerch Lapidarium. Well, the most extreme ones can go to observe the life of the Kerch mud volcanoes or book a tour of the Panticapaeum necropolis in the museum - feel like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones in one person. Pleasure is not cheap, but the sensations are still the same.

 

Beach

For fans of passive recreation in Kerch, there are a large number of sandy beaches on the Black and Azov Seas, as well as grandmothers with boiled corn and seeds. All beaches are free, mostly sandy and sandy-shell. The swimming season usually starts in the second half of May and lasts until the second half of September. The average sea water temperature in Kerch from May to September (for five months) is 21.2°С (May - 16°С, June - 22°С, July - 24°С, August - 24°С, September - 20°С WITH). The average annual number of sunny days is 300. The service on the beaches is usually not very well developed, but this is partly compensated by the clear sea and warm sea sand.

And if you get tired of just swimming and sunbathing, you can go fishing. The easiest way to catch in the depths of the sea is the most common Kerch fish - a goby.

And in August you can watch how the sea surf turns phosphorus at night ... and even swim at night and phosphorize along with marine life ... and then fry mussels on a fire, drink Crimean semi-sweet, look at the lights of passing ships and listen to the smell of waves and the singing of cicadas .

Central city beach (SunDali Beach), Arshintsevskaya Spit (Drive from the bus station by routes No. 5, 10, runs every 10 minutes, travel time 25 minutes). The entrance to this beach is free. Nice sandy beach with a very shallow bottom. A few years ago, 1 km of the beach was fenced off, cafes, volleyball courts, attractions, lockers, showers, toilets were built. They named the beach "SunDali". At night it turns into a nightclub.
Staro-Karantinsky beach.
Beach "Frigate" (Turtle). A small equipped beach, popular among the local population.
Arshintsevsky beach. Wide up to 40 m unequipped beach.
Smorzhevsky beach. The most equipped and adapted beach for recreation in the city.
Beach "Traps". Sandy unequipped beach 2.5 km long and up to 15 meters wide.
Beach in Geroevsky.

 

Festivals and holidays

If you come to Kerch on City Day (the second Saturday of September), you can watch the carnival passing through the central streets and a big concert at the city stadium with a big big festive fireworks.
The professional Day of the Fisherman (the second Sunday of July) is also widely celebrated for many Kerch residents. Mass festivities, libations, Neptune's show on the city embankment, concerts and free fried fish.
Unique in its kind is the torchlight procession to Mount Mithridates, which takes place annually on May 8 in memory of the liberators of the city from the Nazi invaders. On this evening, the citizens of the city gather with torches and rise like a living fiery river to Mount Mithridates to the Obelisk to the soldiers-liberators. Then there is a theatrical show and festive fireworks. This event is worth watching and participating. Torches are sold in shops in the city.
In early June, the city hosts the international festival of ancient art "Bosporan Agons" when various theater groups turn to the dramaturgy of Aristophanes, Euripides, Sophocles. Musicians, choreographers, artists and photographers, writers and authors of bard songs perform.
Also in the summer, windsurfing, arm wrestling and acrobatic rock and roll festivals are held.

 

Theatres, cinemas

Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin (currently closed for repairs), st. Lenina, 46. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-01-69. The repertoire combines classical and contemporary works.
DK "Ship". Currently the main stage of the city (2013).
Center of Culture. Bagatikov.
Cinema "Ukraine", st. Sovetskaya, 11. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-05-69, +7 (978) 895-11-21. It has three halls, one of them is 3D. Inside the building there is a cafe "ARTstyle".

 

Entertainment

Entertainment complex "Volcano", st. Sovetskaya, 20. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-00-60. Slot machines, billiards club, Western style bar. The club has five new 12-foot Buffalo tables, a pool, a VIP room. The bar offers excellent European cuisine. Every Tuesday and Thursday - Texas poker tournaments.
Ostrich farm Exotic, Podmayachny village near the port of Crimea ✉ ☎ Order excursions +79787218678. Entrance to the walking part of the farm - 50 rubles, riding a donkey and horses - 50 rubles one round, riding electric quad bikes (for children and teenagers) - 50 rubles for 5 minutes. On the farm, you can watch ostriches and other exotic animals. There is also a cafe serving ostrich meat dishes. You can order ostrich eggs (Attention! 1 ostrich egg = 23 chicken eggs) and buy various souvenirs. Tours are organized for groups. There is a sandy beach nearby.

 

Baths

The city has a large selection of Russian, Finnish and Turkish baths.

Bath complex "Laguna 3 in 1", st. Ordzhonikidze, 31 (not located in the center, but quite a decent institution). ☎ +7 978 70 55 800. 350 - 500 rubles/hour. Steam rooms: Finnish, Turkish. Capacity: up to 15 people. Pool: Finnish: 2x3, cold; Turkish: 2x3 warm; VIP: 2x2 cold and 3x6 warm with hydro massages. Relaxation rooms: Each sauna has a relaxation room, free Wi-Fi in the steam rooms.
Russian bath "Shark", st. Mayaka, 12. ☎ +7978 894 7101. 500 rub/hour. Steam rooms: Russian, Finnish Capacity: up to 15 people. Visitors are satisfied, leave positive feedback.
Bath "Barrel", Bolshaya St., 12. ☎ +7 978 0049 299.500 rub/hour. Steam rooms: Russian, Turkish, Capacity: up to 10 people. There are some pretty good reviews.

 

Getting here

By plane
The city has a small airport, but for a long time regular flights have not been made from it.

The nearest airports are located in Anapa (127 km from Kerch), Krasnodar (243 km), Simferopol (220 km).

By train
All trains connecting Russian cities with Crimea pass through Kerch. These trains do not call at the Kerch station, but stop at the new Kerch-Yuzhnaya station on the southern outskirts of the city. Long-distance trains connect Kerch with Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian cities. Also, by long-distance trains, you can get from Kerch to many cities of Crimea - Simferopol, Sevastopol, Evpatoria, but due to the configuration of the Crimean railway network, in most cases it will be faster by bus.

Suburban trains depart from the old Kerch station and connect it with Anapa (three times a day, 2 hours on the way), Feodosia (three times a day, 2.5-3 hours on the way) and Dzhankoy (three times a day, 4-5 hours on the way). way).

Railway station Kerch, pl. Privokzalnaya, 3. There is a waiting room with air conditioning, a good cafe and a left-luggage office.
Railway station Kerch-Yuzhnaya.
Railway station Bagerovo, Bagerovo settlement.

By bus
The bus station is a transit station for buses heading across the Crimean bridge: most of the buses going from Crimea to the Krasnodar Territory and back pass through it.

Direct communication with the cities of Crimea: Alushta, Bakhchisaray, Dzhankoy, Evpatoria, Krasnoperekopsk, Saki, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Sudak, Feodosia, Yalta, and Russia: Anapa, Krasnodar, Krymsk, Novorossiysk. There is no passenger communication with the cities of Ukraine.

Bus station, st. Eremenko, 30. ☎ +7 (36561) 4-05-72. around the clock. In the building of the bus station you can find a shop, a pharmacy, an information desk, a newsstand, a left-luggage office, toilets and an ATM. Nearby there are many shops and a large central market. E-tickets can be purchased on the carrier's website gosbus.ru.

By car
The E97 highway passes through Kerch, with which the P260 road from the Crimean side and the A290 road from the Kuban side connect.

On the ship
Before the construction of the Crimean bridge to the port of Crimea in Kerch, it was possible to get through the Kerch ferry. Currently, due to lack of demand, there is no sea communication.

Marine station, Kirova street, 20. ☎ +7 (36561) 1-93-39.

 

Transport

As public transport in the city, mainly city buses are used (the fare is 13 - 15 rubles). There are also 3 trolleybus lines (fare 16 rubles).

A feature of Kerch is that most city routes start, end or intersect at the city bus station. Thus, from the bus station it is easier to get to any part of the city and nearby villages.

A useful resource for creating routes around the city EasyWay.

Taxi
Tariffs: 80-100 rubles for landing (up to 2 km), each subsequent km 15-20 rubles.

Taxi-Kerch +7 (36561) 6-10-10, 95 10 +7 (978) 710 95 10, 51 01 +7 (978) 830 51 01
Up Taxi 45 15 +7 (978) 045 45 15, 66 06 +7 (988) 382 66 06, 51 86 +7 (861) 203 51 86
"Shark Taxi"
"Taxi Economy" 55 05 +7 (978) 207 55 05, 55 75 +7 (978) 207 55 75, 54 00 +7 (978) 914 54 00
Mega Taxi +7 (36561) 2-22-11, +7 (36561) 6-00-00, 22 07 +7 (978) 744 22 07, 22 08 +7 (978) 744 22 08, 52 22 +7 (978) 747 52 22
Taxi "Metro" 90 22 +7 (978) 101 90 22, 90 33 +7 (978) 101 90 33, 90 20 +7 (978) 101 90 20, 55 10 +7 (978) 010 55 10, 50 10 +7 (978) 010 50 10
"Favorite" taxi +7 (36561) 9-26-96, 02 00 +7 (978) 712 02 00

 

Shopping

The following chains are represented in the city: PUD, 4M, FRESH, SILPO, DOBROTSEN. There are also a large number of grocery stores and food markets. It is possible to pay with Mir, Visa, Mastercard, Ucb bank cards, but not Google Pay or Apple Pay.

Currency and banks
There are more than thirty bank branches, the largest of the banks represented: Rossiya, Kuban Credit, Krayinvestbank, RNCB, Genbank, Smolevich Bank, Baikal Bank, MAST Bank and others. Banks usually work on weekdays from 9.00 to 17.00, some branches work on Saturdays. Most of them are located in the central part of the city on Lenin, Sovetskaya, K. Marx, Kozlov streets.

There are ATMs in almost all bank branches, at the bus station, in large stores and in the city center.

local goods
What should you buy in Kerch? - of course, fish!... and definitely at the market, because it is poorly presented in stores. Smoked or sagging mackerel or sardines are especially good. Dried garfish, gobies and ram are also good. You can try fish dishes in city cafes.

The stores have a good selection of Crimean wines. Including collections. The main Crimean wine companies: Massandra, Inkerman, Solnechnaya Dolina, Novy Svet.

On the main street (at the end of the street) there is a shop "House of Crimean Masters", where you can buy paintings by Kerch and Crimean artists, as well as various souvenirs. You can also buy various souvenirs in the Nautilus store near the central city market and in the archaeological museum.

On weekends, across the road from the Central City Market behind the gas station, there is a "flea market" where you can buy some interesting things from the time of the ancient kingdom to the present day.

 

Restaurants

Cheap
For an inexpensive snack, you can buy pasties or pancakes with filling in small eateries in the central city market, as well as in several mini-cafes concentrated there.

✦  Pizzeria "Heat Pizza". You can eat relatively inexpensively at Zhar Pizza pizzerias, where in addition to pizza you can order salads, drinks and first courses. Tasty pizza. But nevertheless sometimes they complain about the quality of food. Free shipping. Mar 2015 edit
1   per. Cooperative 3. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-01-13, +7 (978) 705-71-11. 10:00 - 22:00.
2   st. Lenina, 20. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-12-01, +7 (978) 815-95-15. 10:00 - 23:00.
3 Cafe "Cheburashka", st. Kirov,. 50-100 rub. Typical fast food: hamburger, cheeseburger, nuggets, shawarma. But for all the nondescript menu, visitors nevertheless praise both the institution and the food.
4 Cafe Premiere, st. V. Dubinina, 23. ☎ +7 (36561) 23956. A small cafe with home-style unpretentious, but tasty and satisfying food. Cheap, big portions.
5 Pizzeria Pizza Italia, st. Lenina, 44. ☎ +7 (36561) 6-39-63, +7 (36561) 2-11-08. Italian Cuisine. Good pizzas.
Pub "Rendezvous", per. Soviet. 11:00 - 24:00. The pub is located next to the city prosecutor's office building. Relatively cheap beer, tasty and inexpensive food, own pastries. The design is made in the English style.

Average cost
6  Grill-bar «Inki», per. Cooperative, 3. ☎ +7 978 7057222. 11:00 - 24:00. Mexican restaurant. Free delivery available, large dishes, specialization in meat dishes, delicious cheese sticks, stylish place with decent cuisine. There is a summer terrace. WIFI. But, unfortunately, the food is of very different quality.
7 Cafe "Cherkio", st. Lenina, 37. ☎ +7 978 8586399. Cuisine: Italian, Crimean. Several positive reviews.
8  Café "Bon Aprétit", st. Lenina, 28. Good coffee, affordable prices, well-cooked meat dishes. Very high ratings from visitors.
9  Cafe "Taste of Life" , st. Aivazovsky, 7 (embankment, near the Ferris wheel). ☎ +7 978 83 59 444. Cozy, delicious rolls and desserts. Positive reviews. Mar 2015 edit
10  Sushi bar "Fuji" V Kontakte Russian V.png , st. V.Dubinina, 32. ☎ +7-978-819-70-34. 10:00 - 22:00. Good sushi but nothing out of the ordinary. WiFi.
11 "Orchid" club-restaurant, Arshintsevo, Ordzhonikidze st., 24/3 (stop Druzhba). ☎ +7 978 0335707. from 10:00 until the last client. Visitors praise the establishment and the food.

Expensive
12 "Your Veranda" restaurant, st. Lenina, 43. ☎ +7 (978) 815 9 516. 10:00 - 23:00. Second courses from 400 rubles. European cuisine is not the best. More positive reviews than negative. The same owners as the "Zhar Pizza", which, as it were, hints that you should not expect much.
13   Cafe Fishka, st. Theatrical, 42. ☎ +7 (36561) 6-68-09, +7 (978) 837-10-05. Prepare good meat steaks, stylish interior. Sometimes they complain about food and service.

coffee houses
14 Kae-bakery "Cinnamon", st. Marshal Eremenko, 30 (TC "Tair"). Good pastries, but there are complaints about the service.

 

Night life

1  Sport bar "BEERloga"  , Sverdlov, 12. ☎ +7 (36561) 2-35-45. 12:00 - 22:00. Average bill 35 gr. Number of seats 25.
2  Penguin brewery-pub , st. Lenina, 32. ☎ +7 (36561) 6-16-07. 11:00 - 23:00. Live beer, interesting interior, good meat with cherry sauce.
3 Wine bar "Grott", st. Theatrical, 37. The institution specializes in serving famous wines of various varieties from all over the world. You can try hookah on wine
4  Cafe-bar "Camelot" , st. Sverdlov, 7. ☎ +7 (978) 83 38 100.
12  Kiss strip club , Tavricheskaya square 1. 20:00 - 5:00. Strip bar.

Night clubs
5 Night club "KGB", st. Kirova, 11. Three-story nightclub.
6  Night club «CHERRY» , st. Sovetskaya, 20 (near the cinema "Ukraine"). ☎ +7 (989) 0853874!. from 18:00 to morning. Sun-Thurs free entry. Great mood, music, dancing until you drop, good drinks and treats, unique communication with friends and meeting new people.
7  Night club "Kokos" (on the city beach). during the summer period.

 

Hotels

Prices in hotels may vary depending on the season (seasonal factor). You can also rent housing in the private sector or an apartment, while prices are lower than hotel prices. Prices for rental housing in Kerch are much lower than the prices of resort towns on the southern coast of Crimea.

"Zaliv", st. Kurortnaya 6a (Arshintsevo district). ☎ +7 (36561) 6-34-94.
"Seaman", Gagarin St., 3. ☎ +7 (36561) 57-257, +7 (36561) 52-955.
"Quiet Courtyard", Kulakov St. 38. ☎ +7 (36561) 64583.
Eco-hotel "Korchma №1", st. General Kulakov, 81. ☎ 978) 058-59-66 +7 (978) 058-59-66.
Mini-hotel «Fishka», st. Theater, 42 (city center). ☎ +7 (36561) 6-68-09, +7-978-837-10-05. Large balcony overlooking the sea.

Cheap
Azure, st. Miroshnik 1st century ☎ +7 (36561) 5-20-04.
Guest house "Travel house". ☎ +7(978)701-77-95. standard 1200 rubles, deluxe 1900 rubles. The rooms have a TV, refrigerator, WiFi internet, air conditioning, a bathroom with hot and cold water around the clock. Additionally in the house: kitchen, laundry room with dryer, ping pong, cozy yard.
Hotel "Arabica", st. Gorbulsky, 34. ✉ ☎ +7 (36561) 90060, +7 (978) 010 92 10. Single 800 rubles, double from 1200 rubles. 500 m from the sea. WIFI.

Average cost
"Meridian“, Marata street, 9. ✉ ☎ +7 (36561) 6-15-07, +7 (36561) 6-02-50. 3 stars.
Sanatorium "Moscow", st. Moscow, 18. ✉ ☎ +7 (978) 773-67-97, +7 (3656) 2709-111, icq: 626238920, Skype.svg season-krim. Single from 1330 rubles, double from 1710 rubles. The sanatorium has a swimming pool, skating rink, sauna, beach, dining room, medical buildings.
Hotel "Kerch", Kirov St., 11. ☎ +7 (3656) 2709-111, +7 (3656) 2706-586, +7 (3656) 2706-584.

Expensive
Hotel "More", st. Serdlova, 5-a. ✉ ☎ +7 (36561) 61245.
Guest house "Edelweiss", st. Nikolai Rybakov, 2A. ✉ ☎ +7 (978) 011-60-61, +7 (978) 011-60-59.
Villa "Svetlana", st. Aivazovsky, 7. ‎ 2,208 rubles. Mini hotel on the city embankment.
"Count's Quay", trans. Dimitrova, 4. ✉ ☎ 27 48 +7 (36561) 2 27 48.
Hotel "Gostiny Dvor Bolshaya 12", st. Bolshaya, 12. ☎ +7 (978) 004-92-99. 40-100 €.

Spa establishments
sanatorium "Parus" - Address: st. Suvorova, 16, +7 (36561) 4-74-17, +7 (36561) 4-53-57, distance to the sea: 100 m., prices: from 300 UAH, canteen, cafe, bar, beach, parking .
sanatorium "Dream" - Address: pos. Osoviny, st. Stepnaya 29, administration e-mail: www.nwt42@mail.ru http://otdix.net.ua/index.php
sanatorium "Cosmos" - (children's camp) - : st. Staraya Dacha, 1-a, +7 (36561) 4-57-34
boarding house "CORAL" - Address: pos. Geroevskoe, st. G. Petrova, 120, Opening hours: from 05/15/12 to 10/01/12, Wellness & SPA Health Center: • indoor swimming pool with heated sea water; • SPA-pool with sea water for 6 persons and hydromassage; • sauna for 6 people with a relaxation room; a massage room with jade massage complexes; • "Salt Cave" - a halotherapy room made of blocks of rock salt aged 5 million years; • Gym; • billiards., http://coralrest.ru/about.html
Boarding house "Victoria" - Address: pos. Eltigen (Geroevskoe), st. Galina Petrova, 11; +7 (36561) 7-28-10, http://hotel-victoria.com.ua/index.shtml
Cottage "Watercolor" - Address: Geroevskoye village, General Kosonogov St., 16-d, +7 (36561) 9-00-70, +7 (36561) 6-20-60, http://www.akvarel-kerch .com.ua/ 
Villa "Black Sea" - Address: p. Geroevskoe, st. Petrova, 29 B, http://www.villa-blacksea.com.ua/
Guest house "Castle of Dreams", Osoviny village, d11A. ☎ +79787011097.

 

Connection

Main post office. There is a call center, booths with computers and Internet access, fax.
Belinsky Central City Library, st. V.Dubinina, 9/19. There is a computer room, free Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi is also available in many cafes and hotels.

Mobile operators "Win Mobile", "TriMob", "Intertelecom", MTS work (for more details, see the section Mobile operators in Crimea). In some areas of the city (embankment, gorplyazh, crossing area, Mount Mithridates and some others) there is coverage of mobile operators: Beeline, Megafon, SMARTS, Tele2

 

Precautionary measures

There is no big crime in the city. And yet, you should be careful and observe standard security measures (take care of money, documents, things), especially in the summer. Do not make contact with heavily drunk locals.

To call emergency operational services: 101 - fire, 102 - police, 103 - ambulance, 104 - emergency gas service

Public toilets:
Turn towards the Small Mithridatic Stairs near the "Penguin" brewery (on the main street)
At the railway station and two toilets at different ends of the western platform of the bus station
To the left, 200 m from the main entrance to the Central City Market
On the city embankment, 100 m from the Ferris wheel
Near the Great Mithridatic Stairs (before the start of the ascent from the left side)
In the MEGA shopping and entertainment complex (central street), in the FRESH supermarkets, in catering establishments

 

Neighborhood

North coast

Valley of Mud Volcanoes (Bulganakskaya Valley), north of the village of Bondarenkovo, 8 km from Kerch (Travel from the bus station to the village of Bondarenkovo by route No. 64. There are three kilometers left from the village stop to the hills, which you will have to overcome on foot). Not Vesuvius of course, but still. Some hills spew healing mud, gas (methane, hydrogen sulfide) and steam constantly. When everything will explode here, no one knows. So far it's just gurgling. Please, be careful! edit
Yurkino is a small fishing village on the Azov coast, 15 km north of Kerch, next to it is a large 400-meter shell beach. There are no entertainment and shops in the village, there is not much housing, mainly in the private sector with amenities in the yard, but there are also several mid-range offers.
You can get from the Kerch bus station by regular bus (about 50 minutes), transport runs at long intervals.

Osoviny is a small settlement 1.5 km east of Yurkino, with excellent sand and shell beaches stretching along the sea for several kilometers. The beaches are separated by stone spits, forming small bays. There are several boarding houses.

The tract "Valley of Love", but it's a long way to go there. By the time you reach love, you won't want to.
Kurortnoye village
The coast of the Sea of Azov to the northeast of Kerch is occupied by the Karalar steppe. Within its borders, a regional landscape park "Karalarsky" was created, where there are some restrictions for visiting: it is forbidden to travel by car, hunting, fishing, picking herbs, lighting fires, tourist parking.

How to get there: minibuses from Kerch depart from the bus station about once an hour. The road is bad, without asphalt (but in 2019-2020 there will be road works that should solve this problem).

General's beaches (Only on your own transport). The coast of the Sea of Azov near Kerch. Many cozy closed coves with sandy beaches. Clean sea. Places of unique beauty.
Lake Chokrakskoe  Wikidata item, 16 km north of the city (Travel route No. 69 from the bus station to the village of Kurortnoye, travel time 30 min). Salt lake on the shore of the Sea of Azov near Kerch, with healing mud and hydrogen sulfide springs. The lake is separated from the Sea of Azov by a small sandy isthmus. The water in the lake is very salty, so you won’t be able to drown here, just like in the Israeli Dead Sea. But you can try to lie in the water on your side. On the shores of this lake, the filming of films Moscow - Cassipei and Otroki in the Universe took place.
Cape Zyuk, 15 km northwest of Kerch. On the cape there are excavations of an ancient settlement.

 

West of Kerch

Antique settlement Zolotoe (eastern), near the village of Zolotoe. The largest settlement on the Azov coast, which existed in the III-I centuries BC. Currently, excavations are being carried out here, you can see the foundations of houses and fortifications. Once upon a time, the settlement was framed by a powerful defensive wall 6 m high with six ledges-bastions, and the approach to the settlement was protected by a walled fort. After the death of the ancient settlement, the necropolis of the neighboring, later ancient settlement Zolotoe (bay) was located on its territory.
Abandoned airbase Bagerovo (3 km north-west of the village of Bagerovo, 14 km north-west of the city of Kerch). The airfield, which was supposed to be an alternate landing strip for Buran. The length of the strip is 4 km.
Bagerovo quarries. The quarries were developed in the 1930s, and later during the war they were used by partisans, the hospital has been preserved. Be careful as It is easy to get lost in the web of tunnels.
Ancient settlement Artesian. ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Sep 2019
Settlement Ilurat, 18 km southwest of the city (located among the steppe hills). ☎ Excursions are conducted upon prior request by phone: +7 (36561) 2-50-61, +7 (36561) 2-18-60. Bosporan city-fortress I-III centuries. AD Now you can see the remains of powerful walls and towers.
Mud volcano Jau-Tepe. Wikidata item The largest mud volcano on the Kerch Peninsula, the hill rises 60 meters above the surrounding area.
Olivian quarries. Underground stone mining. The tunnel is about 300 m long and 6 m high.
The Kazantip Reserve is a reserve on the northwestern coast of the Kerch Peninsula at Cape Kazantip.

 

Southern coast of the Kerch Peninsula

The 29th battery of the Black Sea Fleet during the Second World War, near the village of Chelyadinovo. 29th coastal artillery battery of the Black Sea Fleet of the USSR. Built in the period 1931-1934. It was a four-gun stationary coastal battery of large caliber - 180 mm. To date, four artillery positions (or platforms, gun blocks, artillery blocks) of an open type of a long-term nature with a complex of accompanying premises have been preserved.
Salt lake Tobechik and Tobechik bay. In the 19th century there was a mud resort here.
Kyz-Aul lighthouse, southern cape of the Kerch Peninsula Kyz-Aul. Picturesque and quiet place.
The ancient settlement of Kitey, p. Cherished, 40 km south of Kerch. 5th century BC - IV century. AD Initially, it was surrounded by fortress walls and a moat up to 6 meters wide. In the VI century. AD a burial ground was built next to it, later plundered.
The ancient settlement of Akra, near the village of Naberezhnoye (10 kilometers south of Kerch). 5th century BC. - IV century AD, located in the coastal part, part of the settlement was flooded by the sea.
Tuzla Island. Sandy island in the Kerch Strait. Once it was part of the Taman Peninsula of the Krasnodar Territory.

 

Opuk Nature Reserve

Opuk nature reserve. ☎ +7 (36562) 2-20-53, +7 (978) 785-37-31. Free of charge as part of a group accompanied by a worker of the reserve. The structure of the reserve includes land areas in the area of Cape Opuk, Mount Opuk, lagoon lake Koyashskoye with a depth of 0.6 m and the adjacent water area of the Black Sea.
The nearest settlement, located to the east at a distance of 6 km from the borders of the reserve, is the small village of Yakovenkovo, where the base of the reserve is located at ul. Chernomorskaya, 1a. The office of the reserve is located in Feodosia (Korortnaya st., 42).
Formally, visiting the reserve is possible only as part of an excursion group from April 1 to November 1, with the exception of the fire hazard period and the time of bird migration and nesting. To get on the tour, you need to fill out a form on the reserve's website and send it to them by mail. It remains unclear how strictly this order of visitation is adhered to and whether it is possible to visit on your own. On the territory of the reserve, 4 overland ecological trails have been developed.
The ruins of the ancient Greek city "Kimmerik", on the territory of the reserve. 6th c. BC - 4 in. AD Citadel and dozens of ancient wells.
Elken-Kaya (Stone Sailboats), at Cape Opuk, 4 km from the coast. These are four separate rocks in the sea, previously connected to the land. Now you can swim to them by boat - the price is approximately 300 rubles / person.

 

Оrigin of name

Max Vasmer considered the most likely origin of the name of the city from the word writhing (uprooting). Oleg Nikolaevich Trubachev did not agree with Fasmer and insisted on the origin of the name from the word kark (throat), indicating the position of the city at the strait. At the same time, Trubachev emphasized that the modern name Kerch does not come directly from the Old Russian Karchev, but is a transmission through the Turkic language with a characteristic harmony of vowels during declension (Kerch → Kerch).