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BALAKLAVA BATTLE

George Page
Micha Jelisavcic
John Sloan

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Brief description:

This page describes the best route for a visit to study the town and battle and serves as an index to the photographs we have taken there. Please go to Battle for a description of the battle and to Balaklava for a Russian version of the battle.. A visit to Balaklava naturally starts in the quaint seaport village. Formerly the narrow fiord was packed with submarines. Now dozens of small fishing boats line the quay. One building has hardly changed over the years since 1854. This is the church that was used by British troops during the Great Eastern War. Now it is being renovated by Orthodox priests. Another edifice hardly changed since the earlier war is the ruin of Chembalo, the Genoese fortress that guarded the harbor entrance. For views of the ruins of this fortress please go to Chembalo.To view text and illustrations of the fine Panorama Museum in Sevastopol please go to museum. For William Simpson's paintings of the Crimean War please go to Simpson.

Leaving the narrow entrance to Balaklava town one passes the ridge on which the 93rd Regiment - formed their famous "thin Red Line". But the area is now occupied by housing and trees. One has to move to the right, east, to get a clear view over the ground. Where an industrial road passes next to the railroad spur there is an unobstructed view of both Canrobert's hill to the east and Sapun Gor to the west as well as the intervening ground. Back tracking a short distance one returns to the main road from Balaklava onto the Causeway heights. A roundabout but short drive brings one to the other side of Canrobert's Hill. From here the Russians struck early in the morning and despite fierce resistance from the Turkish garrison soon seized the hill. The area is covered by vineyard, but remains of the redoubt are still visible on top of the hill.

The present road passes along the crest of the Causeway Heights or just below it along the southern side. One can walk through vineyards to reach the crest where the British redoubts 2 -3 - and 4 were positioned. Along the way it is readily possible to pick up the stray uniform button from the French camps that occupied the ridge later in the war. Also one finds shrapnel and other remains from World War II. From the ridge one sees the North Valley in which the Charge of the Light Brigade is laid out as in an amphitheater, with the Fedokhine hills opposite. The main road northeast passes behind the location of the Russian horse artillery battery and cavalry.

The battle of Tcherniya River took place around the bridge across that river. But the modern bridge has been moved from the location of 1854.

Returning along the causeway one realizes just how high the ridge of Sapun Gor is. Arriving at the top, where there now is a museum and impressive diorama showing the Russian assault in 1944, one can stand where Lord Raglan and his staff observed the battle. One appreciates that the steepness of this bluff as described in accounts of Captain Nolan's ride down are not exaggerated. Also one can see that from this elevation the Causeway Height appears to be no height at all. An observer here could easily overlook the fact that the Causeway ridge obscures the field of vision for individuals in either the North or South valleys.

List of illustrations:

Photos currently on line have the blue color showing they are linked. Copies of the photos are available as prints or as high quality digital files on disks. Eventually we will have the entire Crimean War on a CD-ROM. For information about these or about visits to Balaklava and Sevastopol please go to the Xenophon web site and email us. For travel and accomodations throughout Ukraine we recommend the UKRINTOUR company in Kyiv.

Photo number

Description

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View from near Kadikoi toward Sapun Gor

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Canrobert Hill, seen from east where Russians attacked

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From Kadikoi toward Canrobert's hill

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Canrobert Hill seen from east

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View from Sapun Gor into north valley

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View from causeway into north valley east end

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From behind Russian gun line toward Sapun Gor

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From causeway into north valley west end, where "charge" started
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We are visiting a British monument to the Heavy Brigade on the south slope of the Causeway Height. It is in the midst of grape vineyards and not easy to find.

  

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View into east end of north valley

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View toward Russian guns and Sapun Gor

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From causeway toward Sapun Gor

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Sapun Gor from behind Russian gun position

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Light Brigade charge in valley

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From Russian end of valley toward Sapun

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On causeway, shows Light Brigade charge

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Monument at Tcherniya

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We are looking at this Russian monument at the Tcherniya river.

  

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Close up of monument

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Church in Balaklava

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Church in Balaklava

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Toward Balaklava town

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North valley

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Toward Sapun Gor in North Valley

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Makenzie heights in distance from near Balaklava
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Micha and George with our guide are following a parh through grape vines along the Causeway Height.

  
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George is discussing the battle of Balaklava with a local lady who is tending her cows on the Causeway Height - see Sapun Gor in background.

 

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Causeway toward Canrobert Hill

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Balaklava harbor
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View of Balaklava harbor from the hill near the Black Sea entrance. There is one submarine remaining. The underground submarine base was under the hill on the left side of the photo.

 
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Another view of Balaklava harbor showing the east side with large drydock now gone.

 
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Telephoto view of the far end of B alaklav harbor as seen from the entrance on Black Sea.

 

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Balaklava harbor closer view
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View of Balaklava harbor from above the town.

 
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Another view of Balaklava harbor from the Black Sea end.

 
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View across the entrance channel of Balaklava harbor from east to west. This sheltered harbor must have been hard to find during ancient times.

  

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Balaklava harbor at dock side

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From Sapun Gor into north valley

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Entrance to Balaklava harbor

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Balaklava harbor

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Kids swiming in Balaklava harbor

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Blaklava harbor, curve in entrance between open sea and harbor

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North valley toward Fedoukine hills

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Sapun Gor from causeway
 

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Illustration of Balaklava harbor

  

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Canrobert Hill from near Kadikoi, early morning

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