The Kerch-Eltigen landing operation, conducted from November 1 to December 11, 1943, marked the beginning of the liberation of Kerch and all of Crimea from the German-fascist invaders.

The Eltigen operation disrupted the plans of the German command, diverting their attention. The first foothold on the Crimean coast was captured near the village of Eltigen, now known as the village of Heroevskoe. Military historians and writers still discuss the intentions of the Soviet command: was the landing of the 18th Army a diversion to support the 56th Army or an attempt to cut off the German grouping of 85,000 men south of Kerch, isolating it from the 17th Army? Not everything went according to plan: the enemy anticipated the landing and was prepared to repel it. The Kerch Strait was mined with over 6,000 mines, and the Germans brought in dozens of fast landing barges. The foothold, named 'Fire Land,' occupied only 3 km along the front and 1.5 km deep, but became a site of heroism for the sailors and infantry of the Soviet Army.

The Museum of the History of the Kerch-Eltigen Landing and the museum complex in the village of Heroevskoe tell the story of the courage of the paratroopers. They held the foothold under Eltigen, repelling up to 19 attacks a day, throwing themselves under tanks with bundles of grenades, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. After 36 days of defense, a legendary raid was made to the city, and battles were fought east and northeast of Kerch.

On the museum grounds, there is a display area with weapons, a motorboat raised from the bottom of the Kerch Strait and installed in 1978. It participated in the landing, transporting the wounded from 'Fire Land' to the opposite shore. The motorboat is equipped with a 37 mm anti-aircraft gun, a heavy machine gun, and a naval flag. There are also mass graves and burial sites of fallen soldiers. Nearby are the former concrete reservoir used as a medical battalion operating room and a hospital in an old forge. The interior of these premises has been restored. On a hill, a concrete pillbox is installed, its embrasure facing the sea. This German pillbox was stormed on the first night of the landing and served as the command post for the 318th Rifle Division and the entire landing detachment. In memory of the paratroopers, a memorial complex in the shape of a giant sail has been created. At its base is a sixty-meter wall with bas-reliefs depicting episodes of combat on 'Fire Land' and the names of Heroes of the Soviet Union. The authors of the monument are sculptors S. Ya. Koval, L. V. Taz'ba, and architect A. A. Shakhov. The museum is named after General Kosonogov, who commanded during that difficult period.

In 1985, on the 40th anniversary of the Great Victory, the Museum of the History of the Kerch-Eltigen Landing was opened. For the 70th anniversary of the operation, the staff of the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Crimea 'Eastern Crimean IKMZ' conducted a reconstruction of the museum, and on November 1, 2013, the updated museum was ceremoniously opened. The museum building is located on the site reclaimed by Russian soldiers from the German invaders.