Monument in Kerch Town Square with its symbol, the Griffon.

I have been to visit Kerch in the Crimea, a Hero City of the Former Soviet Union. This photo shows me next to the monument. There are thirteen Hero Cities, including Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev. They were given the award by Stalin because of their extreme suffering and bravery during WW2.

As no-one has heard of Kerch I have written a poem called, Conversations. 

Monument at Bagerov Ravine

The Germans came to Kerch twice. In November 1942 they murdered 7,000 Jews at Bagerov Ravine, an anti-tank ditch dug by the Soviet Army outside the town. I have used material in the Jewish Museum in Kerch to write a poem called, Nobody understands this. The Soviet Army beat back the Germans and discovered the ravine. They broadcast the massacre all over the Soviet Union on radio and in newspapers. They also caught some of the perpetrators and they were tried in Nuremberg after the war. But in 1943 the Germans returned and 140,000 people died before the city was liberated.

Kerch Jewish Youth Club

I visited the emerging Jewish Community in Kerch and ran a writing workshop for the Youth Club - in Russian and English! Kruta/cool!

The young people wrote a group poem about their impressions of London, Kerch and Israel. We only had thirty minutes but we managed to complete our poem. We called it The Queen, pancakes and the Wailing Wall.

The market in Kerch

You can find out more about my trip to Kerch on my blog

 I'm going to Kerch, the Crimea.