The history of the two wars: what to see in the outlets of the Museum of Defense of Sevastopol

The museum was founded in 1960, uniting the "Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855" Panorama and the "Sapun-Gora Storming on May 7, 1944" Diorama. Later, four more outlets were added. Today, all of them are included into the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation.

Most museum outlets accept visitors daily, some of them have one or two days-off a week. The Panorama is currently closed for restoration until 2025. The work schedule of other outlets, the rules for visitors, the ticket prices and other details can be found on the Sevmuseum.ru website.

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THE SAPUN-GORA MEMORIAL COMPLEX

Sapun-Gora is an 8-kilometer spur of the external ridge of the Crimean mountains, 12 km from the Sevastopol downtown. It overlooks the Balaklava Valley.

That elevation has repeatedly become an arena of fierce hostilities: during the Crimean (Eastern) War and Great Patriotic Wars 1941-1945. In the 19th century, the charge of the British light cavalry brigade took place and was repelled there, and in the 20th century, several battles with the Nazis troops happened there. Thus, during the liberation of Crimea of the German occupation, the Sapun-Gora was made the key stronghold of the enemy’s army in the attempt to hold captured Sevastopol. On May 7, 1944, the Red Army stormed the top of the mountain and drove the enemy away. The famous Diorama is dedicated to that day. Since 1959, it has been working in a two-story semicircular building on the crest of the Sapun-Gora.

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The size of the diorama canvas is 25.4x5.5 meters. It is installed on the second floor of the building. The group of artists depicted a crucial moment of a nine-hour assault at 05:30 in the afternoon. It was the time of the battle’s culmination. The picture can be scrutinized for hours – the real participants of the action captured by the artists on the canvas.

In addition, samples of Soviet military equipment and weapons, trophy German artillery are exhibited on the Sapun-Gora in the open air, a monument to the soldiers of the Primorskaya Army, the obelisk of glory and the church were erected. There are memorial walls, where the names of 240 heroes of the Soviet Union and the names of 169 formations and units that liberated Sevastopol are perpetuated.

Excursions are held on Sapun-Gora on foot and by an electric car. If you wish, you can inspect the place by yourself.

Address: Balaklava district, Sapun-Gora, Vtoroy Oborony (second defense) St.

Coordinates: 44.554341, 33.583716

Website: https://sevmuseum.ru/museums/sapun/

MALAKHOV HILL MEMORIAL COMPLEX

The Malakhov Hill is on the Korabelnaya side of Sevastopol bay, its height is 97 meters above sea level. It was named after the officer Mikhail Malakhov, respected among sailors in 1820-30.

The hill received world fame during the defense of Sevastopol of 1854-1855 as one of the main bastions of the city’s defense line. Then the Defense Tower of the bastion was built here, which was later called the Kornilovsky Tower. In 1941-1945, the battery No. 111 (701) command post was in the tower. Until the last days, the fighters defended Sevastopol from the German troops. More than half of the personnel of the unit were killed in action.

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You can inspect the objects of the complex both independently and with a tour guide.

Address: Nakhimovsky district, Malakhov Kurgan, Heroes of Sevastopol St. (main entrance)

Coordinates: 44.604543, 33.547902

Page on the site: https://sevmuseum.ru/museums/malakhov-kurgan/

"DEFENSE OF SEVASTOPOL 1854-1855" PANORAMA

In September 1854 the allied forces of Turkey, Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia (Italy) landed in Crimea with the objective to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its main naval base Sevastopol. Russian soldiers and sailors held the enemy back until August 27 (September 8), 1855. During this period, the enemy bombarded Sevastopol six times and tried to storm it twice. The steadfast resistance of the city’s defenders shocked the whole world.

In May 1905, a two-story building was opened on the Istoricheskiy boulevard, the former 4th bastion. The central exhibit there was a large canvas, showing the defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. The size of the picture is 14x115 meters. It is installed on the second floor.

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The day when the defenders of the city repelled the assault on Malakhov Hill and the Korabelnaya side of the Sevastopol bay on June 6 (18), 1855 was depicted on the canvas of the Panorama. That was the first serious defeat of the invader’s army. The battle-painter Franz Rubo was appointed to create that large-scale picture. It took him almost five years of work. During this time, the artist came to Sevastopol several times, visited historic places, met with participants in the events and made about 50 sketches. Rubo’s colleagues from Germany and students of the Bavarian Academy of Arts assisted him.

The composition of the Panorama was created in such a way as to simultaneously show all stages of the assault on the city and defense of Malakhov Hill. It depicts battle scenes with more than 4 thousand people in action. These are both generalized images of sailors and soldiers, as well as real people. For example, you can see Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, General Stepan Khrulyov, sailor Pyotr Koshka, surgeon Nikolai Pirogov, volunteer nurse Dasha of Sevastopol.

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In 1942, during the German air raid, the panorama building was bombed and caught fire. In the efforts to save the canvas, it was cut into pieces and taken away. They succeeded in saving 86 fragments − 2/3 of the total area of the picture. They were taken to Novorossiysk on board the Tashkent destroyer and then − to Moscow. After the Great Patriotic War, it was decided to recreate a unique picture. The saved fragments of the original picture became the basis of the updated panorama. The restored building again opened the doors for visitors in October 1954.

On the ground floor of the building, there is the exhibition dedicated to the Crimean (Eastern) War and its core event − the 349-day defense of Sevastopol. There are: portraits, personal belongings, documents, weapons and awards of the defense participants, “Underground Minnaya War in Sevastopol” diorama, sketches from nature and sketches made by Rubo during his work on the panorama, relics telling about the salvation and recreation of the picture. And there are also: the map of Europe of the Crimean War period, lithography with the views of Sevastopol and episodes of battles. By the way, the show windows in the exposition hall are made in the style of the side board of the XIX century sailing ship.

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Currently, it is impossible to visit the Panorama, because it is closed for restoration until 2025.

Address: Sevastopol, Istoricheskiy Boulevard

Coordinates: 44.595431, 33.523525

Website: https://sevmuseum.ru/museums/detail/panorama-oborona-sevastopolya-1854-1855-gg-

"Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855" panorama

HOUSE-MUSEUM OF THE SEVASTOPOL UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE

In 1942-1944, the leader of the Sevastopol underground resistance group Vasily Revyakin, posthumously awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title, lived in the house which hosts the museum today. During the German occupation, the headquarters and printing house of the underground organization were in this one-story building.

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The museum exposition is divided into two parts: historical and memorial. In the first room there ate exhibits, telling about the 22 months of the occupation of the city. These are photographs and personal belongings of underground members, order certificates, leaflets and documents, copies of the "For the Homeland" underground newsletter and fragments of radio equipment. The chronicle of daily arrests, interrogations and executions of underground members, photographs of prison cameras, where they were kept and subjected to torture, photographs of Sevastopol streets wearing the names of participants in the organization. There are also materials about the after war trial over the Nazis in Crimea and in the Kuban territory of November 1947.

The museum can be visited both independently and with a tour.

Address: Sevastopol, 46 Revyakina St.

Coordinates: 44.591208, 33.543739

Website address: https://sevmuseum.ru/museums/detail/dom-muzeyy-cevastopolskogo-podpolya/

House-museum of the Sevastopol underground resistance

THE HOLY PRINCE VLADIMIR CATHEDRAL IS THE BURIAL VOLT OF ADMIRALS

Initially, it was planned to build a cathedral in honor of Prince Vladimir, who Baptized Rus' (Ancient Russia). However, during the construction, the shrine became a monument to the heroes of the Crimean War. Today it is the Orthodox temple and an excursion attraction. 13 Russian admirals were buried in the temple, including the legendary Mikhail Lazarev, Vladimir Kornilov, Vladimir Istomin and Pavel Nakhimov.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1848, but because of the Crimean war it was suspended. The work resumed only in 1858, already as a new project. And in 1888, the temple was consecrated and open to believers.

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A prayer service is performed in the cathedral in honor of the establishment of the Black Sea Fleet, worships and memorial services for sailors killed in action during the first and second defense of Sevastopol, as well as for the memory of the Varyag cruiser and the Kursk submarine sailors are held.

And, an exhibition, devoted to the history of the cathedral, the lives and deeds of the admirals buried there, as well as to the work of architects, artists and restorers who worked there, is installed in the temple. In addition, you can visit the reconstructed navigator cabin of a sailing ship of the 19th century.

Excursions are held on the territory of the cathedral.

Address: Sevastopol, 3 Suvorova, St.

Coordinates: 44.610486, 33.523564

Website: https://sevmuseum.ru/museums/detail/sobor-svyatogo-ravnoapostolnogo-knyazya-vladimira/

The holy prince Vladimir cathedral is the burial volt of admirals

"UKRAINE" RETRO CINE-THEATER

The cine-theater was opened in December 2021 on the basis of the cinema of the same name, which began to work as far back as in 1955. It is an interactive space with the atmosphere of a real Soviet cinema. Viewers are shown both the films of past years and recent films on a large screen. Lectures, cinema, various exhibitions are also held there.