The Crimean peninsula is famous not only for its unique climate and nature. It houses 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 noteworthy facts that reflect her story? What are the impressions of tourists who visited this building in the Crimea?
General information
The Kerch Fortress, also sometimes called Fort Totleben, is located on Cape Ak-Burun in the Kerch Strait (in the narrowest part of this object). It was built in the 19th century by Russian fortifiers in order to protect the country's sea borders. The construction began immediately after the Crimean War, and in many ways the initiation of the project was connected with 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 build a structure that would help protect the strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. For a long time the fortress was used to place army warehouses. Directly on its territory, battles took place during the Great Patriotic War. Today, the building is an object of historical and cultural heritage of Russia.
How did the fortress of Kerch appear? Summary of the issue
How did the fortress of Kerch appear? In 1853, Russia entered the Crimean War. Due to the shortage of funds, the country's authorities were not able to carry out the necessary strengthening of approaches to the Kerch Peninsula. This was one of the reasons for the unsuccessful outcome (according to a widespread assessment among historians) of the military conflict for Russia. Therefore, in order to make the potential defense of the Kerch Strait more reliable, the authorities decided to build a powerful fortress. The best 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 well-known director of the Engineering Department of the Ministry of War of Totleben, a well-known fortifier, joined the project. It can be noted that the appearance of a new Russian fortress on the Black Sea did not contradict the Paris Treaty, according to which Russia's actions in the corresponding region were severely limited.
Project Features
What features characterized the project for the construction of 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 fired by coastal artillery. It was planned to strengthen the Kerch fortress through the main fort Totleben, to the south of it - to place the Minsk lunette, to the north - Vilensky. It was supposed to place more than 500 guns at the firing positions of the fortress. The garrison planned to accommodate more than 5 thousand people, of which more than 1800 artillerymen. It was assumed that the fortress in Kerch should be prepared for long-term defensive operations.
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 located above the ground was minimized. Barracks were connected with combat positions through underground passages. Their total length was several kilometers.
Russian Emperor Alexander II first visited the building in 1861. After conducting an inspection of the fortress of Kerch, they were ordered that, in honor of the soldiers who had invested their work in the construction of the structure, the lunettes received the very names of the Minsk and Vilensky regiments. In turn, the main fort was named after Totleben.
Many of today's tourists are asking this question when planning to visit the fortress in Kerch: "What is the proper name for the corresponding building?" Actually, the fact that its key structural element is named after the famous fortifier determines the common name of the object, which sounds like “Totleben Fort”. The structure under consideration is often referred to as: an underground fortress in Kerch. The fact is that a significant part of its objects, as we noted above, is located underground.
Among other noteworthy historical facts reflecting a visit to the fortress by the emperor, the following: Colonel Nath was promoted to major general. It can also be noted that in 1863, Alexander II, taking into account the position of Totleben, decided to abandon the construction of additional forts, and instead strengthen the existing structures. Subsequently, Major General Nat became commandant and at the same time commander of the troops present in the area of the city of Kerch. Totleben fortress was actually ready by 1877.
The area of the fortress was about 250 hectares. In 1877, when the construction of the structure was almost completed, the Russo-Turkish war began. Kerch Fortress was potentially ready for use 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 expected the arrival of the Ottoman armadillos. But they did not have to engage in hostilities.
The history of the fortress in the 20th century
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of the garrison of the fortress increased significantly - up to 9 thousand people. However, in 1905 she changed her 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 involved as a military facility. However, in the 1920s, the warehouses located on it were stolen. The bulk of the ground buildings were destroyed. In the early 30s, 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 the Kerch fortress is closely connected with the events of the Second World War. So, in November 1941, it was captured by German troops. During the battles, the fortress was subjected to active bombardment and shelling by artillery. The troops of the Wehrmacht were able to break through the defense of the 51st, as well as the Primorye armies, after which they entered operational space in the plain region of the Crimean peninsula. Soviet troops began a retreat.
The lack of an effective command predetermined the capture of the Kerch fortress 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. Large-caliber naval shells, which were placed in the warehouses of the fortress and were temporarily at the disposal of the invader, returned to the possession of the Soviet army. In addition, during the period when fascist troops seized the building, Red Army soldiers managed to evacuate a significant amount of materiel located in the fortress on Taman.
In the spring of 1942, German aviation carried out massive bombing of Kerch. This forced the Soviet command to transfer units to the fortress. The situation on the Crimean front was not developing for the Red Army in the best way - in May the Germans were already close to the city. The front command 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 again began to be used as an object of storage of army supplies. It also housed a disciplinary battalion.
Fortress today
After the collapse of the USSR, military units located in the fortress of Kerch were disbanded. This was accompanied by various destructive actions in relation to army stocks located at the facility. In the early 2000s, however, the fortress was transferred to the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve. This allowed researchers to begin work related to a detailed study of the structure, to clean up its territory of ammunition that got here during the Second World War, and to make excursion routes. Residents of Kerch and tourists got the opportunity to visit this legendary place and get acquainted with its unique history.
What can travelers who decide to visit the facility see? First of all, they are likely to be surprised by the engineering concept itself, on the basis of which the fortress of Kerch was built. Photos of the structure - below.
Other objects surrounding the fortress are also impressive, such as a moat, the length of which is about 3 km, the width is about 15 m, the depth is about 5 m. It will be interesting to see the caponiers. There are a large number of underground passages and warehouses on the construction site. The length of one of the tunnels located underground is about 600 m.
What other notable objects does the fortress of Kerch include? A photo of the tunnel, which is part of the construction complex, is presented below - you can watch and admire it for a long time on the corresponding large-scale object.
It can be noted that many of the underground structures of the Kerch fortress are still not fully explored.
Today, the Kerch Fortress, Totleben Fort and other objects that are part of the structure of the structure have the status of historical and cultural value. Many tourists traveling in the Crimea, are eager to visit here, take a tour of the place of military glory of Russia. What do travelers who have visited the fortress of Kerch, Fort Totleben say?
Traveler Reviews
Tourists who managed to visit these places are delighted. Everything impresses them: the historical past of the Kerch fortress, the scale of the structure, the art of engineers, implemented on each of the sections of the structure of the structure. Many travelers admit that a visit to the fortress was one of the most impressive events during a trip to Crimea. It can be noted that the excursion routes around the fortress are highly appreciated not only by travelers, but also by experts from the tourism industry. The criterion for an appropriate assessment is both people's interest in this place, and the programs of many tourist events, which involve visiting one of the most significant historical places in Russia.
How to get to the building?
What will interest primarily for many travelers planning to visit the fortress of Kerch - the coordinates of this building. You can get to it by shuttle bus number 6, which goes from the bus station. True, you have to walk a little - about half an hour. You can also take any of the buses that go through the village of Geroyevskoye to Kerch. Any one will do. It is important to get off at the stop “Highway of Heroes of Stalingrad” or “Solnechny” in time. After this you need to follow on foot towards Pavlovskaya Bay.
If a person is traveling by car, you can move along the Eltigen Heroes highway to Krasnaya Gorka Street. After - turn onto it and go to Tiritak Square. Then you need to continue driving along Ordzhonikidze Street to the “Shipbuilding” recreation center. After - turn onto Ulyanov street. It will be necessary to drive through the Holy Assumption Church, then turn onto Zyabreva Street. After - to Kolkhoznaya street, which will lead to the fortress of Kerch.
Some difficulty in calculating the route in advance for a tourist planning to visit the fortress of Kerch: the address of the structure is not officially fixed. The main object that you should focus on is Cape Ak-Burun. However, more information about the coordinates of the structure can be found in the historical and archaeological museum, which is located in Kerch at ul. Sverdlova 7. In this institution you can also sign up for 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 a tourist is not located in Kerch, but in another city, wants to visit the fortress of Kerch. How to get to her in this case? First of all, you need to get, in fact, to the city of Kerch. The most convenient option for this is the bus that goes from Simferopol.
Interesting about Yenikale fortress
Along with the Kerch fortress in the Crimea, there are many other notable historical sites. Some of them are located on the coast. Among them is the Yenikale fortress in Kerch. It was also founded by the authorities of the Ottoman Empire, which owned the Crimea before its transfer to the Russian Empire. Roughly Enikale fortress in Kerch was built in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. The name of the building is being translated from Turkish as “new fortress”. The fortress is located directly within the boundaries of 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 building had practically lost its importance in terms of military use. In 1835, a military hospital was located on the territory of the fortress, which worked until 1880. After this, 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 naval paratroopers fought. In 1944, they managed to free the corresponding part of the city from the German invaders.
What interesting facts can be noted about the Enikale fortress? For example, it is known that engineers from Italy and France took part in its construction. It was no coincidence that, according to some researchers, the location of the fortress was opposite the Chushka spit. The fact is that the ships passing by were deprived of the opportunity to carry out maneuvers, and the artillery located on the shore could easily shell them. As the rear, Turkish troops were able to use the Taman fortress.
Enikale fortress has a shape close to a quadrangle. Initially, walls with battlements were present in the structure of its construction. The fortress was fortified with a moat. Communication with the main part of the peninsula was provided through three roads. The first is from Kerch, the second is from the north-east direction, the third is from Dzhankoy.
Now the railway runs through the territory of the facility - from Kerch to the ferry crossing. Its operation, in accordance with the calculations of engineers, can cause significant harm to the fortress, which already suffered significant damage in wartime. Therefore, it is expected that after the construction of the bridge connecting the Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea, the corresponding railway line will be closed, and the train traffic will be transferred to a larger highway.
If we want to visit the Enikale fortress in Kerch, how to get to it? This building 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, by shuttle bus, which goes from the bus station to the sea ferry. This building and the fortress of Kerch are located at a fairly large distance - about 15 km by road, about 10 km - by sea. Yenikale is located east of the central part of Kerch, the fortress we examined above is located to the south. Both structures are located on the coast.
For many tourists, the marked difference in the distance between the objects is not an indicator, and they are happy to combine visiting both buildings in one program. The Yenikale and Kerch fortresses lying on the seashore are united by the fact that both of them are unique objects of the historical and cultural heritage of Russia. Many travelers who leave reviews on thematic online portals are sure that a person who decides to explore the sights of the Kerch Peninsula should definitely visit both fortresses.