In studying the history of the Azov Sea is divided into three phases:

   1. Ancient (geographical) - from the time of Herodotus to the beginning of the XIX century.

   2. Geology and Geography - XIX cent. - 40-ies of XX century.

   3. Complex - the middle of XX century. - Today.

   The first map of Pontus Euxine and Meotidy was Claudius Ptolemy, who was also identified geographic coordinates for cities, estuaries, capes and bays of the coast of the Azov Sea.

   In 1068, the Russian Prince Gleb of Chernigov, who ruled at that time in Tmutarakan, measured the distance between the ice Kerch and Taman. As evidenced by the inscription on the stone Tmutarakan, the distance from Tmutarakan to Korcheva (the ancient name of Kerch) was approximately 20 km (over 939 years this distance increased by 3 km.) C XII-XIV centuries. Genoese and the Venetians began to be portolany (sailing and nautical charts of the Black and Azov Seas).