Lapidarium

The Lapidarium is an archaeological museum in Kerch housing over 2200 stone artifacts including Greek inscriptions, sculptures, architectural elements, and ancient gravestones from the Bosporan kingdom. The collection spans objects from across the Kerch peninsula and documents the material culture of an ancient trading region.

The collection began in the early 1810s when Paul Du Brux started gathering stone artifacts and called them Drevnehranilisce. The holding grew over the following decades through various acquisitions until the early 20th century.

The stone inscriptions displayed reflect how people of the ancient Bosporan kingdom honored their dead and worshipped their gods. Visitors can observe gravestones, religious objects, and marble fragments that reveal daily life and beliefs from that era.

The museum is accessible during daytime hours on most days of the week, though it closes on certain days, so checking beforehand is wise. Visitors can access the artifacts directly and move through the collection at their own pace without restrictions.

Since 2002 an international center for stone conservation operates at the museum, bringing together specialists from multiple countries. This presence has made it a place where ancient objects are not only displayed but also restored and studied.