The “cave town” of Eski Kermen in A.S. Uvarov's description

The author analyzes the description of “cave town” of Eski Kermen written by A.S. Uvarov as part of fourth chapter From Dnieper to Taurid Mountains of 3rd unpublished volume Research of Antiquities from the South Russia and Black Sea coast. Today this description is kept in the archive of the State Historical Museum. This work of A.S. Uvarov had not been finished. It contains several remarks, written in red ink that probably supposed the insertion of text in the future. The available text consists of 2 irregular parts: the brief outline of hillfort history and the detailed description of frescoes from the so-called Temple of Three riders. The Uvarov's viewpoint about the time of hillfort construction in Eski Kermen (6th cent.) is close to the viewpoints of modern scholars on the chronology of fortification. The cultural and political context of Uvarov's view on Eski Kermen construction also correlates with modern ideas. The detailed description of the Temple of Three riders can be considered to be the first in the historiography. Therefore, this description and the author 's interpretation of fresco composition are of not only historiographic, but also practical interest. In addition, the article shows some details that had been lost by the beginning of the 20th century. In this way, the present work of A.S. Uvarov can be considered to be a primary source for studying fresco composition in the Temple of Three riders, that allows to approximate the “mystery” of frescoes.