Korchev Bosporus

Korchev Bosporus (на ПРОЗА.РУ)

Also in ancient times, Panticapaeum, Bosporus Cimmeria among the greeks, Karsha and Charsha among the khazars, Kerich, Korchev and Korshev among the Russians, Vosporo among the Genoese.

Ancient Kerich was located on the Kerch settlement on the territory of present-day Kerch in the Crimea on the shore of the Kerch strait.

On the territory of modern Kerch, other ancient cities of Myrmecia, Heraclius, parthenius, Porphmius, Hermisius, Tiritaka, Nymphaeus also stood earlier. There are also settlements that have not yet been identified from sources. But they all have their own history, as well as Ancient Kerch.

The name of the city has two origins, each of which refers to different historical epochs in the fate of Kerch.

The most ancient name, probably from the 7th century after the birth of Christ, refers to the turkic word «kirk», which could mean a place on the isthmus, in a narrow place, which was the Bosporus. This name appears with the arrival here savir-bulgars during the Kingdom of the huns and the Western Turkic Khaganate. Finally, this name was fixed in the Khazar Khaganate. It seems that the King of the Khazars Joseph called this city in his correspondence with jewish letters from Europe..

The name Korchev-Korshev in Rus was attributed to different lands, but most often it appeared on the Vyatich land.

Among the rus-slavs, this word could mean okorocha, that is, bark or a backwater on the river, or even by the nickname of a national hero.

Associate the word «korch» with a clay bucket, a jug. People found clay on the coast of the river. They began to bake this clay there, make dishes, and when the clay ran out, they moved to a new place, where they continued their craft. And the city was called Korchev or Korshev.

Among the ancient southern rus-slavs and alans, one of the most revered gods is Khoros, the Sun God. When making ceramics, korshev's artisans first dried the clay products in the Sun, and then burned them in a potter's oven. Apparently, the Rus, who came with the khazars in the 8th century to the Bosporus, found a lot of Sun there, transforming its name Khoros into Korshev.

The greeks who lived on the Bosporus in the 8th century often mentioned the God of feasts, Kors, when they tasted their new wine, before sending it in barrels and sending it on ships across the sea. They also say that the God Korcha once saved people from the Flood. Rus-slavs liked this rite of sampling young wine, a good reason to get drunk.

Of course in Korchev appeared invariably greeks and Rus with a bucket of clay, korch in the hands. The drunken brethren of Korchev arranged special places for their deity, something like barbecue now, where hymns and honors were offered in honor of him. Something like a temple in honor of Korsh.

There are similar root towns called Korchev and which are repeated in Poland, Ukraine, in the Tver province, there is Kerch Tmutarakanskaya.

Korchev in the Crimea could get its name from the turkic word «ker», meaning fortress.

At the end of the 8th century, rus-slavs came to the Crimea through the Bosporus. Russian chronicles belatedly begin to report on their campaigns and deeds in the Crimea after 3 centuries. In them, the city of Kerch gets the russified name Kirchev, which Fasmer explained from the word «uproot», perhaps meaning that agriculture was well developed in this city, or maybe something else that he did not report.

The place where the current city of Kerch stands, people settled a long time ago, however, these were temporary settlements that were not marked by urban architecture. Archaeologists find traces of human activity left by them 100 thousand years ago.

Remnants of human activity appear here six thousand years before the birth of Christ.

From the 3rd to the 1st Millennium before the advent of Modern times, archaeologists note the appearance of the first archaeological cultures on the Kerch settlements, such as yamnaya, kemi-obinskaya, catacomb, and srubnaya, which are left here by pastoralists and farmers.

In the 6th century BC, the greek colonization of the Crimea began. The greeks meet on the Bosporus tribes that historians refer to as carriers of the Kizil-Kobin culture.

The first settlement that received the name of the city appears here at the end of the 7th century, when greek colonists from Miletus came here. They call their city Panticapaeum.

In the 6th and 5th centuries before Christ, the greeks established several more colonies here, which they called cities in their reports: these were Myrmecium, Heraclius, Parthenium, Porphmium, Hermisium, Tiritaca, and Nymphaeum.

At the beginning of the 1st century BC, Bosporus became a vassal of Rome.

In the 4th century of the New Faith, hunnic tribes come here, which disturb the quiet and calm course of the history of Panticapean cities.

In the 6th century, the greeks were replaced in the Bosporus Strait by the Byzantines, who built a fortress on the site of the current Kerch, which they call Bosporo.

In the early 7th century, clashes between the hordes of the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Byzantine troops took place on the outskirts of the city of Bosporo. The byzantine greeks had to give up some of their powers in the Crimea and the Bosporus. The commercial and political sphere was transferred to the more organized Byzantium, while the military presence remained with the Khaganate.

At the beginning of the 8th century, the heirs of both the huns and the khazars Turkic Khaganate came to the semi-peninsula of Crimea, led by the Khazarus state, with which Byzantium concluded an Eternal agreement on joint actions against common enemies, and also on the joint management of Crimea and other disputed territories. It must be said that this agreement was fulfilled by both sides until the fall of Khazaria in the late 10th century.

Since that time, in greek chronicles, as well as in armenian, arabic and persian histories, the name of the city Karsha and Charsha often appears, both having turkic roots and a market, bazaar, market.

From the beginning of the 10th century, the influence of the Khazarus state on the Bosporus weakened, especially in its eastern part, where at this time, the efforts of the Princes of Kiev Oleg the Prophetic, Igor and Svyatoslav established the rule of Rus. At this time, Korchev was part of the Tmutorokan Principality, subvassal of Kievan Rus. Historians agree that the city was under the joint possession of Rus and Byzantium.

Merchants of Novgorod, Kiev, and Chernigov broke through the trade routes here. Goods caravans passed through Korchev to Byzantium, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea cities.

In 1068, Prince Gleb Svyatoslavich went by sea from Tmutarakan to Korchev in order to determine the possibilities of a sea route between the cities. This event was stamped on the Tmutorokan stone. Then Korchev was part of the Tmutorokan Principality.

Since the 12th century, Russia has lost control of the city. At this time, Kievan Rus transfers power to Suzdal, Vladimir, and, eventually, Moscow.

In the middle of the 13th century, the city was owned by the Golden Horde.

At the beginning of the 14th century, Korchev was part of the Genoese colonies, which in history were called Feodosia and Kafa. The city gets the name Vosporo, where, however, the Chircassian princes, proteges of the Moscow Grand Duchy, rule.

At the end of the 15th century, Korchev falls under the rule of the Ottomans, who seem to have forgotten about the existence of the city. Korchev is falling into disrepair.

In the 16th century, a movement of cossacks appeared on the Don, which sought military happiness in the Bosporus. Korchev becomes a frequent target of their attacks.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the turks finally built their fortress in Korchev, which they called Yeni-Kale.

At the end of the 18th century, Korchev was part of the Russian Empire. In the future, the city expanded, gradually including all the ancient settlements of its district. At the same time, the name of the city changed to Kerch.

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