Kerch (fortress)

Kerch Fortress (Fort Totleben) is a fortress in eastern Crimea, located on Cape Ak-Burun (English: White Cape) at the narrowest point of the Kerch Strait. Built in the 19th century, the fortress was originally intended to protect the southern border of the Russian Empire.

Kerch
Fort Totleben
Crimea
Kerch
Coordinates45.188799°N 36.281891°E / 45.188799; 36.281891
Site information
Ownerpublic property
Open to
the public		yes
Conditiongood , part of destroyed
Site history
Built1857-1865 (1857-1865)
Built byEduard Totleben
In usedefence of Kerch Strait
MaterialsStone

History

The first fortress in the Kerch Strait was built in 1771. The first battery was built at the cape and later named Pavlovskij. Subsequently, the fort was rebuilt several times and armed.[[1] During the Crimean War, the battery was equipped with 20 guns. The Treaty of Paris proclaimed the Black Sea as neutral zone and forbade Russia from placing their fleet or military ports in the area. However, the treaty allowed for the fortification of the Kerch Strait.

In 1867, Kerch fortress opened.

USSR

During the existence of the Soviet Union, the fortress housed a military warehouse with equipment and ammunition for the Black Sea navy forces, as well as for a disciplinary battalion. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, military units began to disband. In 2003, the fortress territory was transferred to the Kerch State historical and cultural reserve.[2]

Twenty-first century

The fort is protected by the State and is a landmark of Kerch and the Crimea.[2]

References
  1. Encyclopedia of Ukraine: Kerch
  2. "About Kerch". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
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