Ferry across the Kerch Strait - fast transport between two states

The shallow Kerch Strait, 40 km long and 15 km wide, connects the water area of the Azov Sea with the Black Sea. The eastern coast of the strait is the Taman Peninsula, which belongs to the Russian territory, and the western coast is the Kerch Peninsula, which belongs to the Ukrainian Crimea. Deep-sea sites are more concentrated at the beginning of the strait, the largest depth 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 channel was dug in these places, along which the channel is currently passing. The largest port is the Crimean city of Kerch.

The Kerch Strait is a golden place for fishing for marine fish. Throughout the year, immense shoals of fish from one sea to another migrate in the water surface: anchovy, Kerch herring, mackerel, mullet, horse mackerel, mullet, sturgeon, tulip, etc. Especially it is a lot in the spring. In the shallow places, fish can be scooped up with conventional buckets.

The Kerch Strait and natural minerals are rich. On the pebbly coast you can find deposits of blue clay, which is used for cosmetic purposes, and shells of the oldest mollusks with kerchenite minerals. And high cliffs expose layers of iron ore.

The Kerch Strait is an eyewitness of many incidents. In the ancient era Hellenic culture flourished there, at the beginning of the last millennium Prince Igor, after a campaign to Constantinople, moved through him. Were on these shores of pirate Ships Genoese, Venetians, Turks. Repeatedly in the Kerch Strait there were military battles for the territory (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, which connects not only the two states, but also the countries of southeastern Europe, central Asia and the Transcaucasus. The ferry crossing across the Kerch Strait was opened in 1955 and at the moment is an important artery of highways of the Russian and Ukrainian territories. It connects the Ukrainian port "Crimea" and the Russian "Caucasus". Over the past 15 years, the question of building a bridge across the strait has been raised several times. But due to insufficient funding, seabed features, high cost of the project and political differences between the two countries, the ideas are still on paper.

The ferry across the Kerch Strait is located in the narrowest place. Passing the economic crisis and environmental problems, the shipping company transports more than one million tons of cargo and about 450,000 passengers throughout the year. This makes it possible to reduce the significant kilometers of roads to people crossing the route. At the present time, railway transportation is also being restored, which are carried out by two units of equipment.

For a quick crossing from the Russian Krasnodar Territory to the Crimean protected area of Ukraine, you will only need a passport and a travel ticket. For the transport of a vehicle (car, bicycle, motorcycle), an additional fee is charged, depending on the dimensions. Crossing on a shuttle bus will cost half as much as on a private vehicle. The cargo weighing up to 25 kilograms is allowed to be carried free of charge. The operating time of the ferry is from 4.00 to 1.00. In the summer season, two ferries run.