Sevastopol

Location: 44 degrees 37 min. N latitude - 33 degrees 33 min. E longitude, on the southwest corner of Crimea.

This is a report containing information about Sevastopol, with emphasis on its siege during the Crimean War, that the authors obtained during a week long stay in the city in July 1997. Some of the photographs were taken during visits in July 1992 and 1993. We wish to thank especially the staff of the Museum of the Heroic Defense of Sevastopol and their families for their hospitality and extensive support of our visit as well as for educating us on the history of the city. This section is a small part of our overall effort to assemble information on the history of the entire Crimea. For an outline please go to CrimeaThe description of 19th century Sevastopol is presented in this article from the 11th edition of Encyclopedia Britannica.
The city is on a spectacularly beautiful natural harbor in Crimea formed by the estuary of the Tcherniya River. In the 5th cent BC the area was already a Greek colony called Chersonesus. See our discussion of Chersonesus. From this and nearby ports the Athenians fed their population with exported grain traded from the Scythians. It then became part of the Roman empire and in the Byzantine period was administrative headquarters for the region. It was captured by Vladimir, prince of Kiev but returned to Byzantium after his conversion to Christianity. During the middle ages the Feodoro Principality, allied with Byzantium built a small sea port and fortress at Kalamita on a cliff at the mouth of the Tcherniya River. Chersonesus was destroyed during the war between Tamerlane and Toqtamish in 1399. After the Turks occupied Crimea, the Tatars built a small fishing village on the bay, but had no need for a port. After the Russian conquest of Crimea in 1783, the harbor was selected for the main base of the new Black Sea Fleet. It was then named Sevastopol "the August city". The fortifications were begun in 1826.

The first modern siege, lasting 11 months, occurred during the Crimean War. Several of the main battles of this war, Alma, Inkerman, and Balaklava are all discussed in detail at the above web site (Crimea) .
The city was nearly destroyed and deserted until 1870 when it was refortified and a new naval base started. The second siege, during World War II, was even more devastating. The third siege, as a result of which the Soviet Army retook the city, was not as lengthy. Since World War II the city has again become a major naval base.

Now that it is no longer a 'closed' city, the region should see a great expansion as an ideal tourist spot.

Map

Here is a schematic diagram showing the locations of the main bastions in the Russian defense line. The British and French siege works occupied a semicircle to the east and south of these fortifications. Many of the photographs shown below were taken at one or another of these bastions, which are identified with the photographs. Not shown here is the north side of the harbor, which was also fortified, but not attacked. For additional maps of Sevastopol and Crimea and the Crimean War please see the Crimea web page. The Panorama Museum is located in former Bastion 4. Our photos of the museum and some from the Museum of Black Sea Fleet are not here, but at the following site. Visit the museum.

Now Sevastopol is a large city occupying both sides of the bay and extending for several miles inland on the south side. The terrain is formed by several long ridges that extend north and north-west, like narrow fingers from the plateau of Sapun Gor. The valleys between these are almost ravines. The northern end of these extend under water creating several narrow inlets off the south side of the main harbor. In 1854 the town occupied only a very small part of several fingers. The defense line could not encompass the entire area to include the high ground to the south and east of the city. Consequently the Russian engineers built a series of bastions along the three inner ridges and connected them with entrenchments that also crossed the low ground between them. But the defense line was nearly cut in two between Bastions 3 and 4 by the long inlet known as South Bay. Thus the Allies were able to occupy significant high ground quite close to the defender's positions. Here is a British map from Kinglake's history of the war. Note that the British call Bastion 1 = Battery of the point; Bastion 2 = The Little Redan; Bastion 3 = The Redan; and Bastion 4 = The Flagstaff Bastion.
Here we take a tour of the Russian positions to observe the view from Bastions 1, 2, Malakov, 3, and 4. Here is a set of more detailed diagrams showing the bastions.
Bastion 1 was located on the crest of the ridge overlooking the point where Carenage inlet meets the main harbor from the south-west. Now it is near ul. Khryleva. From this point one has uninterrupted views north across the bay. Note the white pyramid in the Russian cemetery (For discussion see cemetery.) View west to the harbor entrance at the sea, with Fort Constantine at the point, and north-east, east, and east-southeast toward the ridge on which the besiegers established their batteries.
From Bastion 1 the entrenchments ran along the ridge to Bastion 2., located at the head of Carenage inlet and overlooking its extension up Carenage ravine. Now there is a small park with a monument memorial to the units that served at that location.
At Bastion 2 the defense line made a right angle to the right, crossing the ridge and extending to the principal defense work, the Kornilov Bastion on Malakov Kurgan, which held the entire ridge between the Carenage and South Inlets. (British maps name this "Man of War Harbour"). General view. This is the best preserved of the fortifications facing the land on the south side of the bay. This location is being repaired as part of the museum complex. Here are British cannon. The main fortification was the Kornilov bastion, here from outside and inside and the stairs leading to second floor. Close up of one of the memorial plaques. We are standing on top. Still on top. Posing for photos. And again.
The right side of the Kornilov bastion overlooks a ravine. View from the top toward the south-east. View to the south. The defense line is broken by the ravine and continues on the other side to Bastion 3. An obelisk forms part of the monument at Bastion 3(The Redan) View to south-east. At Bastion 3 the line turns back to right (View to south-east.) and then crosses the Vorontsov ravine just at the head of South Bay. From there it climbs the steep hillside and turns left along the ridge to Bastion 4. (The Flagstaff Bastion). This detailed British map from Kinglake shows both The Redan and Flagstaff Bastion plus the Peressip Batteries right at the water's edge at the head of South Bay. Note the British siege parallels and batteries 7 and 8 on the ridge overlooking the Vorontsov and Pickett House roads.
The Panorama Museum is now located in part of this large defensive work. View from Panorama north to cemetery across bay. View from another location in Bastion 4 toward north. View from Panorama to east. View to south-east. View to south. Another view. At Bastion 4 the line makes a right angle and proceeds more or less straight through Bastions 5 and 6 to the coast. These last two locations are now thoroughly occupied by urban buildings making it difficult to obtain views from them. Bastions 7 and 8 were overlooking the outer harbor. This map gives a larger view of the city on 25 September 1854. Note, what the British thought was 'Genoese fort' is the ruin of Greek Chersonesus. The Wasp" was a small battery that created havoc in the British ships during the single naval bombardment due to its delivering plunging fire onto the decks.
Among the many monuments throughout the city are Nakhimov's statue on a pillar like Nelson's at Trafalgar square, Admiral Kornilov's, General Todleben's, Suvorov's bust, another Suvorov, and Prince Vladimir's. The museum of the Black Sea Fleet also has important collections related to the Crimean War.

Photo number

Description

sevast77

From Bastion #1 northwest across harbor toward North Fort

sevast78

North, to right of 77 across harbor

sevast76

Northeast, to right of 78 across harbor, white dot is Russian cemetery

sevast75

East-north-east, across point of ridge on other side of Carenage bay toward Inkerman

sevast74

View east to right of 75 across Carnage bay to ridge occupied by Allies.

harbor01

From ridge behind Bastion #1 west over harbor to sea with Ft Constantine

harbor02

Telephoto view of harbor and Ft Constantine

sevas13a

Monument at Bastion #3

sevast92

Close up of Monument - Bastion #3

sevast02

View ditch in North Fort

sevast04

View of Kornilov bastion on Malakov Kurgan with cannon

sevast05

Memorial plaque at Malakov

sevast06

Monument to Todleben

sevast07

Misha on top Kornilov Bastion

sevast08

Group on top Kornilov Bastion

sevast09

Pavel, Misha, John on top Kornilov

sevast10

Group on Kornilov

sevast11

View toward Inkerman from Cathcart hill

sevast12

View from bastion 4 across South bay

sevast13

Cathedral downtown Sevastopol

sevast14

Panorama museum in distance on Bastion 4

sevast15

View SE from Panorama museum

sevast16

View south from Panorama

sevast17

On parapet Bastion 4 at Panorama museum

sevast22

View from Bastion 4 across bay to north- white pyramid in cemetery

sevast29

View from Panorama museum north to cemetery

sevast30

View from Panorama southeast

sevast31

View from Panorama to east

sevast32

View from Panorama to south east

sevast34

Bust of Admiral Istomin outside Panorama

sevast37

Memorial at Sapun Gor

sevast38

Memorial, British cemetery

sevast39

View from Inkerman toward city

sevast43

Tanks at Sapun Gor museum

sevast45

Close up of monument at Sapun Gor

sevast46

British memorial

sevast47

Sevastopol city street

sevast48

View to SE along inner harbor

sevast80

Malakov Kurgan, Kornilov Bastion museum complex

sevast81

Malakov museum British cannon

sevast82

View east

sevast83

Outside Kornilov Bastion - Malakov Kurgan museum

sevast84

Inside Kornilov Bastion museum

sevast85

Stairs to upper level Kornilov Bastion

sevast86

View from top of Kornilov to SE

sevast87

View from top of Kornilov to south

sevast88

View east of town to British positions

sevast89

View from Cathcart hill area north along British lines toward Inkerman

sevast90

View from Bastion 3 to SE

sevast91

View from Bastion 3 toward south

sevast93

View from bastion 3 to SE

sevast94

View from bastion 3 to south

sevast96

Panorama museum bastion 4 reconstructed embrasure with cannon and boy

sevast97

From Kornilov bastion on Malakov Kurgan looking east

sevast98

Ferris wheel at Panorama museum

wwiirr39

World War II armored railroad train engine on siding in Sevastopol

wwiirr40

Large caliber railroad artillery piece

wwiirr41

Close up of railroad artillery piece

wwiirr42

Side view of railroad artillery

wwiirr70

Another view of railroad artillery

sevmap

Diagrams of Sevastopol fortification from Beskrovni book

sevline

Schematic of Sevastopol southern defense line

sevbat

B/W of painting of naval battle at harbor

sevmap2

Old map of Sevastopol

sevast70

Naval guns at Sapun Gor museum to WWII

sevast71

Naval guns at Sapun Gor

sevast72

View of city from east.

sevas94

Tanks at Sapun Gor museum

sevas91

View from Inkerman area toward city

sevas90a

View from Malakov over houses

sevas38a

Display of recovered British regimental hat insignia, for sale

sevas12a

Monument at bastion 3.

seva100s

Museum of Black Sea Fleet, weapons

seva101s

Museum of Black Sea Fleet, building

crim08

Museum of Black Sea Fleet

seva102s

Panorama museum in distance

seva103s

Panorama Museum on ridge of Bastion 4, note steep decline to harbor level

seva105s

Fort Constantine at harbor mouth from Chersonesus Penn, view north

seva106s

View from Chersonesus across Quarantine bay inlet to city

seva107s

Fort Constantine from middle of harbor

seva108s

Statue of Grand Prince Vladimir

seva110s

Bust of Suvorov

seva111s

Statue of Todleben

crim07

Statue of Admiral Nakhimov

seva113s

Building on downtown street corner

seva114s

View at head of South bay between hills with bastions 3 (left) and 4 (right), defense line was near water edge

seva115s

South bay looking north toward main bay

seva116s

Mouth of South bay view north across main bay

seva117s

Pyramid in Russian cemetery

seva118s

Pyramid, another view, near sunset

seva119s

Sunset over harbor view from north side toward WSW

seva120s

Sunset view south across harbor

seva121s

View across harbor from ridge by bastion 1 to north

seva122s

View across harbor toward cemetery

seva123s

View of Artillery bay toward sunset

crim03

Tanks at Sapun Gor museum

sevmap1s

Map from Kinglake showing Captain Oldershaw's fight on 13 April - details of Russian defenses at head of South Bay, Redan and Flagstaff Bastion.

sevmap2s

Kinglake map of night battle of 22 march showing main Russian defensive works.

sevmap3s

Kinglake map showing the city on 25 Sept. 1854 on eve of siege.

sevmap4s

Russian map from Beskrovni showing Russian positions and allied siege works.

seva200s

Russian Navy Day demonstration - sailors of Black Sea Fleet forming letters "Glory to Black Sea Fleet"

seva201s

Black Sea Fleet sailors having whale boat race

seva202s

Carrier Moskva with submarine in foreground

seva203s

Russian landing ship open with amphibious BMP's conducting firing exercise

seva204s

View of Artillery bay

seva205s

View toward head of South Bay between Bastion 3 on left and 4 on right - British psns on ridge in center. Russian line crossed right at end of bay

seva206s

Navy Day festival - Neptune's court arrives at reviewing stand

seva207s

Neptune's court with Ft Constantine in background

seva208s

Bay south-west of Chersonesus

seva209s

Typical newer suburban high-rise apartments

seva210s

Typical newer suburban high-rise apartments.

Suvorov

Bust of Suvorov

seva301s

New construction in suburb SE of city

seva302s

New home - "Mafia" type for newly rich

seva303s

New walled home with some Tatar architectural influence

seva304s

Plaque - Defense tower Kornilov Bastion

seva305s

George, John, Pasha examining a British cannon

seva306s

Plaque - Butirski Infantry regiment (oldest in Russian army).

seva307s

Plaque - Borodino regiment

seva308s

Reconstruction in concrete to show look of gabions and sandbags

seva309s

Ferris wheel at bastion #4

seva310s

Goats close to Sevastopol in suburbs

seva311s

New construction in suburbs taking over allied siege lines.

sevsieges

Beskrovni map of city defenses and initial allied positions on eve of siege.

stor186s

Beskrovni map of assault on Korabel'ni side on 18 June, 1855

attac89s

Beskrovni map of city fortifications and Allied assault on 8 Sept. 1955.