Kerch Fortress in Crimea - photo and reviews

The Crimean peninsula is famous not only for its unique climate and nature. It hosts a large number of objects of extremely important historical and cultural significance for modern Russia and for the peoples that were part of the Russian Empire. Among them - the fortress of Kerch. What are the most remarkable facts that reflect its history? What are the impressions of tourists who visited this facility in the Crimea?

General information

The fortress of Kerch, also sometimes called Fort Totleben, is located on the cape Ak-Burun in the vicinity of the Kerch Strait (in the narrowest part of this object). It was built in the 19th century by Russian fortifications to protect the country's sea borders. The erection of the building began immediately after the Crimean War, and in many ways the initiation of the project was due to the unsuccessful results of the campaign for Russia.

Despite the fact that under the terms of the Paris Treaty Russia could not have a fleet and fortifications in the Black Sea region, Alexander II decided to erect a structure that would help protect the strait from the Black Sea to the Azov Sea. For a long time the fortress was used to house army warehouses. Directly on its territory there were battles during the Great Patriotic War. Today the building is an object of historical and cultural heritage of Russia.

How did the fortress of Kerch appeared? Brief discussion of the issue

How did the fortress of Kerch appeared? In 1853, Russia entered the Crimean War. Due to the shortage of funds, the authorities did not have the opportunity to implement the necessary strengthening of approaches to the Kerch Peninsula. This was one of the reasons for the unsuccessful outcome (in accordance with the widespread assessment among historians) of a military conflict for Russia. Therefore, in order to make the potential defense of the Kerch Strait more reliable, the authorities decided to erect a powerful fortress. The optimal place for its location was chosen cape Ak-Burun.

In 1856, the first project of the future fortress of Kerch appeared. He was introduced by General Kaufman. Construction began to be led by Colonel Nat. In 1859, the famous director of the Engineering Department of the Military Ministry Totleben, a well-known fortifier, joined the project. It can be noted that the emergence of a new Russian fortress on the Black Sea did not contradict the Paris Treaty, according to which Russia's actions in the respective region were severely restricted.

Features of the project

What features characterized the project of erecting the fortress of Kerch? First of all, it can be noted that its developers considered it necessary to arrange the fortifications so that enemy ships at the entrance to the Sea of Azov could be shelled by coastal artillery. The fortress of Kerch was planned to be fortified by means of the main fort "Totleben", to the south of it - to locate the Minsk lunette, to the north - Vilensky. It was intended to place more than 500 guns on the firing positions of the fortress. The garrison planned to accommodate more than 5 thousand people, of whom - more than 1800 artillerymen. It was assumed that the fortress in Kerch should be prepared for the conduct of long-term defensive actions.

Project implementation

The project, according to which the fortress of Kerch was to be built, was approved in 1868. But the construction of the first two barracks began in the winter of 1857. The number of elements of the fortress, placed above the ground, was reduced to a minimum. The barracks were connected with combat positions by means of underground passages. Their total length was several kilometers.

The Russian Emperor Alexander II first visited the building in 1861. After the inspection of the fortress Kerch they were given an order according to which, in honor of the soldiers who invested their labor in the construction of the building, the lunettes received the same names - Minsk and Vilna regiments. In turn, the main fort was named after Totleben.

Many of the modern tourists ask such a question, planning to visit the fortress in Kerch: "What is the correct structure?". Actually, the fact that its key structural element is named after the famous fortifier, predetermines the common name of the object, which sounds like "Fort Totleben". The structure under consideration is often referred to as: an underground fortress in Kerch. The fact is that a significant part of its facilities, as we noted above, is located underground.

Among other noteworthy historical facts that reflect the visit of the fortress by the emperor, the following: Colonel Nat was promoted to the rank of Major-General. It can also be noted that in 1863 Alexander II, taking into account Totleben's position, decided to abandon the construction of additional forts, and instead reinforce the existing structures. Subsequently, Major-General Nate became commandant and at the same time commander of troops present in the area of the city of Kerch. Totleben's fortress was actually ready by 1877.

The area of the fortress was about 250 hectares. In 1877, when the construction of the building was almost completed, the Russian-Turkish war began. The fortress of Kerch was potentially ready to be used during the battles, but in practice this did not happen. With the outbreak of hostilities in the Kerch Strait, a minefield was constructed. Soldiers from the garrison were waiting for the appearance of the Battleships of the Ottoman Empire. But they did not have to engage in hostilities.

History of the fortress in the 20th century

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the strength of the garrison fortress significantly increased - up to 9 thousand people. However, in 1905, it changed its status, becoming a fortress-warehouse. After the well-known political events of 1905, Fort Totleben became a place of detention for political prisoners. During the First World War, as well as during the period of political instability after the 1917 revolution, the fortress was not used as a military facility. However, in the 1920s the warehouses placed on it were thefted. The bulk of the land buildings were destroyed. In the early 30's the fortress was again used by the army - the Red Army and the Navy used it to organize warehouses.

Fortress during the Great Patriotic War

The history of Kerch fortress is closely connected with the events of the Great Patriotic War. So, in November 1941 it was captured by German troops. During the battles, the fortress was bombarded and artillery bombarded. Wehrmacht troops were able to break through the defense of the 51st, and also of the Maritime armies, after which they reached the operational space in the flat area of the Crimean peninsula. Soviet troops began to retreat.

The lack of effective command predetermined the seizure of the fortress of Kerch by the Germans. But a month later the Kerch-Feodosia operation began, during which the Germans were expelled from the territory of the Kerch Peninsula. Naval shells of large caliber, which were placed in the fortress warehouses and temporarily at the disposal of the invader, were returned to the possession of the Soviet army. In addition, during the period when fascist troops seized the structure, the soldiers of the Red Army managed to evacuate a significant volume of materiel located in the fortress, to Taman.

In the spring of 1942, German aviation carried out massive bombardment of Kerch. This forced the Soviet command to transfer units to the fortress. The situation on the Crimean front was not the best for the Red Army - in May the Germans were already close to the city. The command of the front was forced to initiate the evacuation of personnel and the liquidation of military depots. In April 1944, Soviet troops liberated the fortress of Kerch. After the war, it was again used as an object for storing army stocks. It also housed a disciplinary battalion.

Fortress today

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the military units located in the fortress of Kerch were disbanded. This was accompanied by various destructive actions against army stocks located on the site. In the early 2000s, however, the fortress was transferred to the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve. This allowed the researchers to begin work related to the detailed study of the structure, to clean up its territory from ammunition that fell here during the Second World War, to make excursion routes. Residents of Kerch and tourists have the opportunity to visit this legendary place and get acquainted with its unique history.

What can travelers see who decided to visit the structure? First of all, they are likely to be surprised by the engineering concept itself, on the basis of which the Kerch fortress was built. The photo of the structure is below.

Other objects, such as the ditch, whose length is about 3 km, width - about 15 m, depth - about 5 m, also impress the surrounding fortress. It will be interesting to inspect the caponiers. On the territory of the building there is a large number of underground passages, warehouses. The length of one of the tunnels located under the ground is about 600 m.

What other notable objects include the fortress of Kerch? The photo of the tunnel entering the complex of the structure is presented below - it is possible to watch and admire it for a long time to the corresponding large-scale object.

It can be noted that many of the underground structures of the fortress of Kerch are still not fully explored.

Today Fortress Kerch, Fort Totleben and other objects that are part of the structure of the structure have the status of historical and cultural value. Many tourists who travel in the Crimea, strive to visit here, to make a tour of the place of Russia's military glory. What do travelers who visited the fortress of Kerch, Fort Totleben say?

Traveler Reviews

Tourists who managed to visit the local places are delighted. They are impressed with everything: the historical past of the Kerch fortress, the scale of the structure, the art of engineers, realized at each of the sections of the structure structure. Many travelers admit that visiting the fortress was one of the most impressive events during a trip to the Crimea. It can be noted that the excursion routes along the fortress are highly appreciated not only by travelers, but also by experts of the tourism industry. Criterion for the relevant assessment is the interest of people to this place, as well as the programs of many tourist events, suggesting a visit to one of the most significant historical places in Russia.

How to get to the building?

What will be of interest first of all for many travelers planning to visit the fortress of Kerch - the coordinates of this building. You can reach it by bus No. 6, which runs from the bus station. However, it is necessary to walk a little - about half an hour. You can also sit on any of the buses that go through the village of Heroes in Kerch. Any one will do. It is important to get out at the stop "Highway of Heroes of Stalingrad" or "Sunny" on time. After this, you have to walk on foot towards Pavlovskaya bay.

If a person goes by car, you can go along the highway of Heroes of Eltigen to Krasnaya Gorka Street. After - turn to it and go to Tiritakskaya Square. Then you need to continue driving along the street Ordzhonikidze to the Palace of Culture "Korabel". After - turn to Ulianov Street. It will be necessary to drive through the Holy Assumption Church, then turn to Zyabryava Street. After - on the collective farm street, which will lead to the fortress of Kerch.

Some difficulty for the advance calculation of the route for a tourist planning to visit the fortress of Kerch: the address of the facility is not officially fixed. The main object, which should be oriented, is the cape Ak-Burun. However, you can learn more about the coordinates of the structure in the Historical and Archaeological Museum, which is located in Kerch at ul. Sverdlov, 7. In this institution, you can also book an excursion to the fortress.

Another option is to get to the building by taxi, which is much more expensive, but, as a rule, in this case you can drive closer to the fortress. It happens that the tourist is not located in Kerch, but in another city, wants to visit the fortress of Kerch. How to get to it in this case? First of all, you need to get to the city of Kerch. The most convenient option for this is the bus that goes from Simferopol.

Interesting facts about the fortress of Enikale

Along with the Kerch fortress in the Crimea there are many other noteworthy historical sites. Some of them are located on the sea coast. Among them - the fortress of Enikale in Kerch. It was founded by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire, who owned the Crimea before its transition to the Russian Empire. Approximately the fortress of Enikale in Kerch was built in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. The name of the building is translated from Turkish as a "new fortress". The fortress is located directly within Kerch.

Enikale began to belong to Russia, as well as the city of Kerch, since 1774. It can be noted that by the beginning of the 19th century the construction had practically lost its significance in the aspect of military use. In 1835 on the territory of the fortress was placed military hospital, which worked until 1880. After that the building was not actively used for a long time. During the battles during the Great Patriotic War in the area of the Turkish fortress, Soviet sea paratroopers fought. In 1944 they managed to liberate the corresponding part of the city from the German invaders.

What interesting facts can be noted about the fortress of Enikale? For example, it is known that engineers from Italy and France took part in its construction. It was not accidental that, as some researchers believe, the location of the fortress is opposite the spit of Chushka. The fact is that ships passing by were deprived of the opportunity to maneuver, and the artillery on the shore could easily shell them. As a rear, Turkish troops were able to use the fortress Taman.

The Enikale fortress has a form close to a quadrangle. Initially, the structure of its structure was attended by walls with prongs. The fortress was fortified with a ditch. Communication with the main part of the peninsula was provided by means of three roads. The first - from Kerch, the second - from the north-eastern direction, the third - from the side of Dzhankoy.

Now through the territory of the object there is a railway - from Kerch to the ferry crossing. Its operation, according to the calculations of engineers, can cause significant damage to the fortress, which was already subjected to significant destruction in wartime. Therefore, it is expected that after the construction of the bridge linking the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea, the corresponding railway line will be closed, and the movement of trains will be transferred to a larger highway.

If we want to visit the fortress of Enikale in Kerch, how to get to it? This facility is located at a distance of about 11 km from the central bus station in the city of Kerch. You can get to it, as an option, on the shuttle bus, which goes from the bus station to the sea ferry. This structure and the fortress of Kerch are located at a fairly large distance - about 15 km by road, about 10 km - by sea. Enikale is located to the east of the central part of Kerch, the fortress we investigated above is to the south. Both buildings are on the sea coast.

For many tourists, the marked difference in the distance between objects is not an indicator, and they gladly combine the visit of both buildings to one program. The fortresses of Enikale and Kerch, lying on the seashore, are united by the fact that they are both unique objects of the historical and cultural heritage of Russia. Many travelers who leave feedback on thematic online portals, are sure that a person who decides to explore the sights of the Kerch Peninsula, it is necessary to visit both fortresses.