Adjimushkay quarries

In the environs of Kerch, there are a lot of of ancient quarries, stretching under the ground for many kilometres: Adjimushkay, Starokarantinny, Bagerovsky. In ancient times cockle-shell stone for dwellings, defence and other structures building was quarried here. Quite often underground labyrinths of quarries served for Kerch inhabitants as a reliable shelter from enemy. It was so during the civil and Great Patriotic wars, when guerilla's troops hid here.

On May 20, 1942, when German fascists' troops seized the Kerch peninsula a second time, the detachments, which were covering the crossing to the Tamansky peninsula of the Crimean front troops, went down to the Adjimushkay quarries. Today no one can tell precisely how many people gathered together in adits: various quantity is mentioned - from 10 to 15 thousand people. Here, in adits, there were Kerch inhabitants - women, old men, children, who had taken shelter from bombing here.

For 170 days lasted the unprecedented struggle with the enemy of wellorganized underground garrisons of the Central quarries under colonel P.M.Yagunov command and of the Small quarries under lieutenant M.G.Povazhnych command.

People lived and struggle without sunlight, water, almost without provisions. Fascists blew up and blocked up exits of the quarries, pumped toxic gases into the adits. During the gas attack on May, 24, 1942, several thousand people - soldiers, children, women and old men died. Adjimushkay inhabitants were holding out firmly from May till the end of October 1942. When fascists undertook the last assault on the quarries, only a handful of enfeebled soldiers turned out to be there.

In May 1967 the underground museum "The Heroic Defence of Adjimushkay Quarrues in 1942" was opened here. There is only a group visit, accompanied by guides.

At the underground museum's entrance there is a memorial in honour of the heroes. Its authors are sculptors B.E.Klimushko and E.E.Gorban, the architect is S.N.Mirgorodsky.