Kerch (fortress)

Kerch Fortress (Fort Totleben) is a fortress in eastern Crimea. It is located on Cape Ak-Burun (türk. White Cape) on the bank of the Kerch Strait at its narrowest point. The fortress was built in the 19th century to protect the southern borders of the Russian Empire.

History
The first fortresses on the coast of the Kerch Strait were built in 1771. The first battery was built at the cape and later named Pavlovskij. Subsequently, the fort was rebuilt several times and armed. During the Crimean War, the battery had been equipped with 20 guns. The Treaty of Paris proclaimed the Black Sea as neutral and forbade Russia from placing their fleet or military ports in the area. However, the Treaty allowed strengthening of the Kerch Strait, so in April 1856 Kerch combat units were sent to study local conditions and photograph locations. Construction started the same year. The work was supervised by the experienced military engineer "Colonel Anton Antonovich".

In October 1859, Eduard Ivanovich Totleben was appointed Director of the Engineering Department of the Ministry of War and gained the full support of the Tsar for strengthening Kerch. He was able to draw on experience gained in the siege and defense of fortresses, as well as his defense of Sevastopol. In 1861, excavation work started at Ak-Burun cape. In 1861, the Emperor Alexander II visited the fortress for the first time. After examining what had been built, he commanded: "In honor of the works, incurred by: named lunettes, left Minsk, Vilna and the right shelf. While the main fort Totleben Fort now be referred", after seeing the works of Sir congratulated Colonel Nata with manufacturing in General-majors. In 1867, Kerch fortress received the status of the building. For the third time, when the king visited the fortress in 1872, work on the defensive constructions was completed, and he was "very pleased with the finish of coastal batteries»

In times of the USSR
In Soviet times, the fortress housed the military warehouses with equipment and ammunition to the Black Sea navy forces. There was a disciplinary battalion too. After the collapse of the Soviet Union began the decline of military units, and in 2003 the fortress territory was transferred to the Kerch State historical and cultural reserve.

In modern times
The fortress is a unique monument of the fortification of the 19th century. Currently, it is protected by the State and is a landmark of Kerch and the Crimea. On the territory of the fortress, are guided tours. Some dungeons are still little explored.