St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Kerch and how to visit it

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

Church of St. John the Baptist in Kerch is one of the oldest churches in Russia and the oldest Orthodox church in Crimea. It is one of the most important architectural monuments, a protected object of cultural heritage of federal significance in Russia.

According to various estimates, the construction of the cathedral began in the VIII or X centuries, and it was built on the remains of the basilica of an even earlier period of construction, presumably the VI century. Over the course of the century, it was rebuilt and completed several times, and there is even a version that a mosque operated here during the time of the Crimean Khanate. However, despite this, its original Byzantine cross-domed layout has been preserved in its original form. Up to today, the temple has been perfectly preserved, and during the restoration even the almost lost wall frescoes of the XIV century have been restored.

Interestingly, in the XX century, during the Soviet period, the temple was closed and used as a warehouse for some time, but at the same time restoration work was carried out here, including the restoration of frescoes. Subsequently, the building was transferred to the museum to house an anti-religious exposition, and after that restoration was carried out again. The church was returned to the church in 1990.

💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Crimea with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites:

• 📷 Search for excursions in Kerch on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for excursions in Kerch on Tripster.ru