Visit to Inkerman

George Page
Micha Jelisavcic
John Sloan

This page provides a brief description of several recent visits to Inkerman and serves as an index to photographs of the region. For a discussion of the battle in the Crimean War please go to Battle. There is an illustration of the battle in William Simpson's book of paintings at Simpson. To visit the excellent Panorama Museum please go to museum. Many photos and maps of Sevastopol are here. Please also visit our illustrated descriptions of the battles at the Alma River and at Balaklava. Please go here for a full listing of articles about Crimea. To contact the author about copies of photography, future visits or possible tours to Sevastopol please go to the Xenophon page and email us.

Description:

The small vilage, Inkerman, lies at the mouth of the Tchernaya River where it enters the upper reaches of Sevastopol harbor. It is now a heavily industrial region taking advantage of the railroad yards where the rail line from Simpheropol crosses the river before it winds its way through tunnels into Sevastopol. There is a large winery featuring excellent Crimean Wines. Wine tasting sessions there are thoroughly enjoyable following an interesting tour of the underground storage areas. The height above Inkerman on the north side of the valley still contains the ruin of the Kalimata fortress, built in the middle ages as an outpost of the Feodorite principality whose capital was on Mangup. (see related web pages) Under this fortress and in numerous caves in the sheer clifts there was a monastery throughout the early middle ages. As is the case of so many religious institutions, this is now being restored.
The battle during the Crimean war actually took place on the crest and upper slopes of the high plateau lying south of the Tchernaya River valley just outside the modern suburbs of Sevastopol. Much of the area held by the British ( it was the extreme right of their siege lines) is now covered by a naval radio station antenna farm and is off limits to visitors. One is able, however, to walk all over "Shell Hill" and the ridges and saddles between this area in which the Russian artillery was deployed and the main British lines. By the way, the name 'Shell Hill' derives not from any reference to artillery but rather to the fact the ground is literally covered with tiny white sea shells. One is able to approach within a hundred yards or less of the 'sand bag battery' location by walking from the new road along the cliff line. This new road was built on the Sevastopol side of the deep ravine that cuts into the ridge from the river valley. At the time of the Crimean war the road followed the ravine bottom up to its head, making for a very steep route. Now both sides of the ravine are full of entrances to deep caves dug into the plateau for military purposes and the entire old road is within a military closed installation.
While Sevastopol is expanding rapidly into modern and fashionable suburbs to the south and south-east including onto Cathcart and Victoria hills, it does not approach the part of the plateau on which the battle of Inkerman was fought. Thus a fairly good feel of the battle is possible. However the area is now heavily forested and thick with underbrush preventing one from getting a clear picture of the fields of fire in 1854.
One can view the battlefield from the valley below or from the opposite height at the Kalimata fortress. It is easy to see how Cathcart was trapped when his troops went too far down the steep slope.

Illustrations:

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