Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum has its history since 1826. . Kerch archaeologist of French origin Paul Dubryux in 1816 began official excavations in the vicinity of Kerch, one of the results of which was a rich personal collection coins, ceramics, fragments of statues . Then Paul studied ancient monuments that were found during excavations on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, as well as on the Kul-Oba mound . 10 years later at the meeting antiquities there was a house of its own, it moved to a new building built on Mount Mithridates in the likeness of the Athenian temple of Tezey .

However, the new museum existed only very briefly: during the Crimean War the building was destroyed, and the remains of the collections were transported to neighboring cities . @ After the war, the museum was rebuilt, and a new chapter began in its difficult history . Fortunately, a devastating war was followed by quite fruitful years, during which the funds of the Archaeological Museum were constantly replenished . In 1922 . under the museum is a luxury shady mansion made in an eclectic style . It seems that great prospects open up before the Kerch museum, but all plans are ruined by the Great Patriotic War .

Attempts to save museum funds, including the most valuable exhibits, led to nothing: all the archives were lost during the evacuation. After the war, the museum was rebuilt by bit: repaired the building, organized collection of new exhibits, opened several new departments and branches, developed excursion programs. The collection of museum funds is still going on, the proceeds come from archaeological research and expeditions on the Kerch Peninsula

Museum Today

Currently there are two permanent exhibitions in the Historical and Archaeological Museum: The History of the Bosporan Kingdom and From Korceva to the Russian Kerch ». In addition, the museum regularly hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions . The museum funds collected about 130 thousand . exhibits that tell about the inhabitants of ancient Kerch, their way of life, crafts, culture and give Imagine what the millennium ago was like . In the exhibition halls there were collected ceramics, amphorae, local crafts, lapidary letters, sculptures, architectural fragments .

On the ground floor there is a gold pantry in which is exhibited an invaluable collection of antique and medieval jewelry and coins. The pride of the exposition is the coins of the Bosporan period, Byzantine solids, coins of the Golden Horde, the Crimean Khanate, as well as a treasure of 99 electric coins of the 5th century found in 2003.

The pottery workshop, the display of sea anchors, and the exhibition "Household Stone" are located in the courtyard of the museum, all of them are also accessible to visitors.

Useful information

Address: Kerch, ul. Sverdlova, 22. Phone: +380 (6561) 2-18-60.

Working hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00, public holidays: Monday.

Entrance: 60 RUB, for children : 30 RUB, excursion service for groups of up to 25 people: 150 RUB (minimum number of people in a group is 5). Tickets to the pottery workshop, museum yard, gold treasure are purchased separately

From the Kerch bus terminal to the museum you can get by buses No. 5, 6, 19 (to the stop "Museum")

Prices are indicated for October 2014

Orel, Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum museum

Bust, Kerch Historical Archaeological Museum

Huge amphorae, Kerch Historical and Archaeological Museum