Yeni-Kale fortress

The fortress features an irregular pentagon layout with five semi-bastions at its corners, constructed from robust stone walls designed to defend the narrowest point of the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Built between 1699 and 1706 by the Ottoman Empire under the supervision of Italian engineer Goloppo and French engineers, the fortress was captured by Russian forces in 1771 during the Russo-Turkish War and transferred to Russia following the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca in 1774.

The fortress name translates from Turkish as new castle and reflects the diverse cultural influences of Ottoman, European, and Crimean Tatar communities that contributed to its construction, operation, and regional military presence throughout the eighteenth century.

Visitors can reach the fortress ruins via roads connecting to Kerch city center, where informational signage and occasional guided tours provide historical context about the site, which is designated as a protected cultural heritage monument of national significance in Ukraine.

The fortress relied on an underground ceramic aqueduct system that transported fresh water from a spring located several miles away, addressing the absence of natural water sources within the immediate fortress perimeter to supply its garrison of approximately 1,100 soldiers.

Location: Керченский городской совет

GPS coordinates: 45.35099,36.60455

Latest update: November 24, 2025 18:18