KERCH

also spelled Kerc, ancient (Greek) Panticapaion, or (Latin) Panticapaeum city and seaport, Crimea republic, southern Ukraine, on the western shore of the Strait of Kerch at the head of a small bay. Founded in the 6th century BC by Miletan Greeks, it flourished as a trading centre, and in the 5th century it became the capital of the kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus. Abundant archaeological evidence of its wealth occurs in catacombs and burial mounds, notably the King's Mound. Later a part of the Roman Empire, Panticapaeum suffered severely from barbarian invasions and was devastated by the Huns in AD 375. After a checkered history, it was ceded by the Mongols to the Genoese in 1318. It was then known as Korchev (Italian: Cerco, or Cerchio), from which the present name was derived. In the 15th century Kerch passed to the Turks, who lost it to the Russians in 1771. Kerch was a transshipment point for cargoes entering the Sea of Azov. Its large iron-ore deposits were first exploited in the late 19th century; large quantities are shipped to the Donets Basin. The metallurgical works, dating from 1897, were destroyed in World War II, when the town was severely damaged. Modern Kerch has a large ore-sintering plant, and cast-iron piping is manufactured. There are also ship-repair yards. Fishing and fish processing are important. Pop. (1991 est.) 178,300.