In the city of Kerch located Adzhimushkayskie quarries, which are underground. And they are so named for the village existed Adzhimushkay where from May to October 1942 of the troops belonging to the Crimean Front, waged a heroic defense against the Nazi occupiers.

On Kerch peninsula heavy fighting took place, and 05/08/1942, the Germans took the offensive, capturing Kerch May 16. The troops who defended the city, were evacuated to the Taman Peninsula. That part of the troops that belonged to the Crimean front and did not have time to evacuate, was cut off. They had to take up the defense in the underground quarries Adzhimushkay. In these quarries local people had taken refuge. Around Adzhimushkay quarries Nazis built rows of barbed wire. Their inputs are first blown and then piled stones. The gallery, which is located underground, injected smoke, mixed with suffocating gas, staged partial collapses. But the besieged our people made heroic raids and inflicted blows clear enemy, destroying his office and part of the heavy tanks.

Besieged underground in desperate need of food and water, lacking medical supplies and ammunition, but that did not stop them in their struggle against the fascist invaders. Not only in combat, but also on the wounds, suffocation, falls and hunger died a heroic death, thousands of our soldiers and of the civilian population. The defense, which was fought heroically in Adzhimushkay quarries, distract from other important milestones enemy troops.

Quarries were freed by our forces at the end of November 1943.

In 1972, the squad went to the catacombs "Search", a native of Odessa, together with enthusiasts from Kerch and the Crimean speleologists, sappers and signalmen for the purpose - to find military staff documents and documents of the underground party organization members besieged garrison.

Expeditions had to work in difficult conditions at numerous avalanches and landslides from the items that at any moment could explode in low lighting mine. Employees of the first expedition were found shells of various caliber. On their way there were mines and grenades and hundreds of rounds of 45-mm caliber, which were not broken. But as shown by the results of this expedition, they turned out to be - modest.

Therefore, in the summer of 1973 it has been created and sent a large expedition led by military historian V.V.Abramovym. The expedition worked F.F.Kaznacheev Defense and Veterans S.S.Shaydurov in which was installed the main landmark of Defense sites. The benchmark serves as the central tunnel, and there is the master transceiver. This expedition has found 150 items that are echoes of hostilities precipitated in Adzhimushkay quarries. Among the finds were two flue gas drafts, which are not completely burned. Members of the expedition concluded that the Nazis used asphyxiating poisonous substances that are allowed with smoke poisoning for the besieged people in the quarries.