Kerch Strait. (Map: Kerch Strait. or detailMap: VIII-17) Known in ancient times as the Cimmerian Bosporus, the strait is situated between the Kerch Peninsula of the Crimea and the Taman Peninsula of the Kuban and joins the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Its length is 41 km; its width, 4–15 km; and its depth, 5–13 m. The strait is an important navigation route. For two months of the year it is covered by ice floes. A railway ferry and other boat services maintain communications between its two shores.