Adzhimushkay quarries

Adzhimushkay quarries are underground quarries in the city of Kerch, which go 30 meters deep. They stretch for 15 kilometers, and these are not the largest known quarries on the Kerch Peninsula. From the second half of May until the end of October 1942, part of the troops of the Crimean Front fought against German troops. The total number of soldiers, officers, civilians (including women and children) defending the quarries is about 13 thousand people

A little history

Adzhimushkay quarries got their name because the settlement “Adzhi-mushkay” was formed next to them. The etymology of the word "Adzhi-mushkay" comes from Turkic, since, as is known, from 1475-1774 the Ottoman Empire left its mark on this territory. The Turkic-speaking heritage gave two reliable names: one - “gray stone”, since a strong, but at the same time malleable stone - shell limestone - was mined here, and the second - directly relates to Islam - the religion of Muslims - and has a poetic and religious connotation - " a person who has performed the Hajj", that is, a pilgrim who has visited the Muslim shrine - Mecca.

Dungeon turned fortress

At the Adzhimushkai quarries we stocked up on food, water, ammunition, and installed electricity. However, the reserves turned out to be catastrophically small - no one expected that there would be about 20 thousand hiding in the quarries along with civilians. In May 1942, in just a week, the Germans, calling their operation “Hunting for Bustards,” completely broke through the Crimean Front. And the Adzhimushkai quarries, becoming a natural barrier on the way of the invaders, played a historically significant role. Irritated by the intransigence of the Russian soldier, the German commanders are sending more and more Wehrmacht forces to suppress the center of partisan resistance and give the order to exterminate them, like “earth rats,” with gas and smoke bombs.

Adzhimushkay quarries at different times

The underground resistance will have its own water only after a month of fierce, continuous fighting - a well will be dug at a depth of 14.5 meters, and before that, it was necessary to go to two wells for water. I remember this incident: Maria Molchanova, a nurse, mother of three small children, openly, without hiding, went for water. Struck by the desperate fearlessness of the Russian woman, the Germans did not dare to open fire: seven times she delivered water to the wounded, but the eighth bucket turned out to be the last - she was heavily shot, and a couple of days later, on May 23, she died.

1966 is the date of the appearance of the underground museum, and in 1982 a memorial appears: 15-meter giant warriors carved into the rock. Children under six years of age are strictly prohibited from going down to the underground museum. As far as is known, none of the defenders of the underground garrison have been awarded the official high title of Hero, and some people say they are alarmed by this fact.