The shallow Kerch Strait, 40 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, connects the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea. The eastern coast of the strait is the Taman Peninsula, which belongs to Russian territory, and the western coast is the Kerch Peninsula, which belongs to the Ukrainian Crimea. Deep-water places are more concentrated at the beginning of the strait, the largest deep point is 18 meters. The depth of the middle part is not
exceeds seven meters. For navigation, at the end of the 19th century, a canal was dug in these places, through which the fairway currently passes. The largest port is the Crimean city of Kerch.
The Kerch Strait is a golden place for marine fisheries. Throughout the year, huge shoals of fish migrate from one sea to another in the water surface: anchovy, Kerch herring, mackerel, mullet, horse mackerel, red mullet, sturgeon, sprat, etc. There is especially a lot of it in the spring. In shallow places, fish can be scooped up with ordinary buckets.
The Kerch Strait is rich in natural resources. On the pebble coast you can meetdeposits of blue clay, which is used for cosmetic purposes, and shells of ancient mollusks with kerchenite minerals. And high cliffs expose seams of iron ore.
The Kerch Strait is an eyewitness to many incidents. In ancient times, Hellenic culture flourished here; at the beginning of the last millennium, Prince Igor crossed it after a campaign against Constantinople. There were pirates on these shores
ships of the Genoese, Venetians, Turks. Military battles for territory were repeatedly held in the Kerch Strait (Russian-Turkish war, revolutionary events in Russia, the Great Patriotic War).
Currently, the sea strait is used for peaceful purposes. This is the most important transport route that connects not only the two states, but also the countries of southeastern Europe, central Asia and the Caucasus. The ferry across the Kerch Strait was opened in 1955 and is currently an important artery of highways in the Russian and Ukrainian territories. It connects the Ukrainian port "Crimea" and the Russian "Caucasus". Over the past 15 years, the issue of building a bridge across the strait has been raised several times. But due to insufficient funding, the peculiarities of the seabed, the high cost of the project and the political differences between the two states, the ideas remain on paper for now.
The ferry across the Kerch Strait is located at its narrowest point. Having passed the economic crisis and environmental problems, the shipping company is transporting more than onemillion tons of cargo and about 450,000 passengers throughout the year. This makes it possible to reduce the significant mileage of roads for people crossing. Currently, rail transportation has also been restored, which is carried out by two units of equipment.
For a quick crossing from the Russian Krasnodar Territory to the Crimean protected area of Ukraine, you only need a passport and a ticket. For transporting a vehicle (car, bicycle, motorcycle) an additional fee is charged depending on the dimensions. Crossing by regular bus will cost half as much as by private transport. It is allowed to carry cargo weighing up to 25 kilograms free of charge. Ferry operating hours are from 4.00 to 1.00. There are two ferries during the summer season.
