Crimean War: Sevastopol. The most important thing about the first heroic defense of Sevastopol Rewarding participants in the defense of Sevastopol

The spirit in the troops is beyond description. During the times of ancient Greece there was not so much heroism. I was not able to be in action even once, but I thank God that I saw these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The wars of the Russian and Ottoman empires were a common phenomenon in international politics in the 18th-19th centuries. In 1853, the Russian Empire of Nicholas 1 entered into another war, which went down in history as the Crimean War of 1853-1856, and ended in the defeat of Russia. In addition, this war showed the strong resistance of the leading countries of Western Europe (France and Great Britain) to the strengthening of Russia's role in Eastern Europe, in particular in the Balkans. The lost war also showed Russia itself problems in domestic politics, which led to many problems. Despite victories in the initial stage of 1853-1854, as well as the capture of the key Turkish fortress of Kars in 1855, Russia lost the most important battles on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. This article describes the causes, course, main results and historical significance in a short story about the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Reasons for the aggravation of the Eastern Question

By the Eastern Question, historians understand a number of controversial issues in Russian-Turkish relations, which at any moment could lead to conflict. The main problems of the Eastern question, which became the basis for the future war, are the following:

• The loss of Crimea and the northern Black Sea region to the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 18th century constantly stimulated Turkey to start a war in the hope of regaining the territories. Thus began the wars of 1806-1812 and 1828-1829. However, as a result, Turkey lost Bessarabia and part of the territory in the Caucasus, which further increased the desire for revenge.
• Belonging to the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Russia demanded that these straits be opened for the Black Sea Fleet, while the Ottoman Empire (under pressure from Western European countries) ignored these Russian demands.
• The presence in the Balkans, as part of the Ottoman Empire, of Slavic Christian peoples who fought for their independence. Russia provided them with support, thereby causing a wave of indignation among the Turks about Russian interference in the internal affairs of another state.

An additional factor that intensified the conflict was the desire of Western European countries (Britain, France, and Austria) not to allow Russia into the Balkans, as well as to block its access to the straits. For this reason, countries were ready to provide support to Turkey in a potential war with Russia.

The reason for the war and its beginning

These problematic issues were brewing throughout the late 1840s and early 1850s. In 1853, the Turkish Sultan transferred the Temple of Bethlehem in Jerusalem (then the territory of the Ottoman Empire) to the management of the Catholic Church. This caused a wave of indignation among the highest Orthodox hierarchy. Nicholas 1 decided to take advantage of this, using the religious conflict as a reason to attack Turkey. Russia demanded that the temple be transferred to the Orthodox Church, and at the same time also open the straits to the Black Sea Fleet. Türkiye refused. In June 1853, Russian troops crossed the border of the Ottoman Empire and entered the territory of the Danube principalities dependent on it.

Nicholas 1 hoped that France was too weak after the revolution of 1848, and Britain could be appeased by transferring Cyprus and Egypt to it in the future. However, the plan did not work; European countries called on the Ottoman Empire to act, promising it financial and military assistance. In October 1853, Türkiye declared war on Russia. This is how, to put it briefly, the Crimean War of 1853-1856 began. In the history of Western Europe, this war is called the Eastern War.

Progress of the war and main stages

The Crimean War can be divided into 2 stages according to the number of participants in the events of those years. These are the stages:

1. October 1853 – April 1854. During these six months, the war was between the Ottoman Empire and Russia (without direct intervention from other states). There were three fronts: Crimean (Black Sea), Danube and Caucasian.
2. April 1854 - February 1856. British and French troops enter the war, which expands the theater of operations and also marks a turning point in the course of the war. The Allied forces were technically superior to the Russians, which was the reason for the changes during the war.

As for specific battles, the following key battles can be identified: for Sinop, for Odessa, for the Danube, for the Caucasus, for Sevastopol. There were other battles, but the ones listed above are the most basic. Let's look at them in more detail.

Battle of Sinop (November 1853)

The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop in Crimea. The Russian fleet under the command of Nakhimov completely defeated the Turkish fleet of Osman Pasha. This battle was perhaps the last major world battle on sailing ships. This victory significantly raised the morale of the Russian army and inspired hope for an early victory in the war.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle November 18, 1853

Bombing of Odessa (April 1854)

At the beginning of April 1854, the Ottoman Empire sent a squadron of the Franco-British fleet through its straits, which quickly headed for the Russian port and shipbuilding cities: Odessa, Ochakov and Nikolaev.

On April 10, 1854, the bombardment of Odessa, the main southern port of the Russian Empire, began. After a rapid and intense bombardment, it was planned to land troops in the northern Black Sea region, which would force the withdrawal of troops from the Danube principalities, as well as weaken the defense of Crimea. However, the city survived several days of shelling. Moreover, the defenders of Odessa were able to deliver precise strikes on the Allied fleet. The plan of the Anglo-French troops failed. The Allies were forced to retreat towards Crimea and begin battles for the peninsula.

Fighting on the Danube (1853-1856)

It was with the entry of Russian troops into this region that the Crimean War of 1853-1856 began. After success in the Battle of Sinop, another success awaited Russia: the troops completely crossed over to the right bank of the Danube, an attack was opened on Silistria and further on Bucharest. However, the entry of England and France into the war complicated the Russian offensive. On June 9, 1854, the siege of Silistria was lifted, and Russian troops returned to the left bank of the Danube. By the way, Austria also entered the war against Russia on this front, which was worried about the rapid advance of the Romanov Empire into Wallachia and Moldavia.

In July 1854, a huge landing of the British and French armies (according to various sources, from 30 to 50 thousand) landed near the city of Varna (modern Bulgaria). The troops were supposed to enter the territory of Bessarabia, displacing Russia from this region. However, a cholera epidemic broke out in the French army, and the British public demanded that the army leadership give priority to the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea.

Fighting in the Caucasus (1853-1856)

An important battle took place in July 1854 near the village of Kyuryuk-Dara (Western Armenia). The combined Turkish-British forces were defeated. At this stage, the Crimean War was still successful for Russia.

Another important battle in this region took place in June–November 1855. Russian troops decided to attack the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire, the Karsu fortress, so that the Allies would send some troops to this region, thereby slightly easing the siege of Sevastopol. Russia won the Battle of Kars, but this happened after the news of the fall of Sevastopol, so this battle had little impact on the outcome of the war. Moreover, according to the results of the “peace” signed later, the Kars fortress was returned to the Ottoman Empire. However, as the peace negotiations showed, the capture of Kars still played a role. But more on that later.

Defense of Sevastopol (1854-1855)

The most heroic and tragic event of the Crimean War is, of course, the battle for Sevastopol. In September 1855, French-English troops captured the last point of defense of the city - Malakhov Kurgan. The city survived an 11-month siege, but as a result it was surrendered to the Allied forces (among which the Sardinian kingdom appeared). This defeat was key and provided the impetus for ending the war. From the end of 1855, intensive negotiations began, in which Russia had practically no strong arguments. It was clear that the war was lost.

Other battles in Crimea (1854-1856)

In addition to the siege of Sevastopol, several more battles took place on the territory of Crimea in 1854-1855, which were aimed at “unblocking” Sevastopol:

1. Battle of Alma (September 1854).
2. Battle of Balaklava (October 1854).
3. Battle of Inkerman (November 1854).
4. Attempt to liberate Yevpatoria (February 1855).
5. Battle of the Chernaya River (August 1855).

All these battles ended in unsuccessful attempts to lift the siege of Sevastopol.

"Distant" battles

The main fighting of the war took place near the Crimean Peninsula, which gave the name to the war. There were also battles in the Caucasus, on the territory of modern Moldova, as well as in the Balkans. However, not many people know that battles between rivals also took place in remote regions of the Russian Empire. Here are some examples:

1. Petropavlovsk defense. The battle, which took place on the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula between the combined Franco-British troops on one side and the Russian ones on the other. The battle took place in August 1854. This battle was a consequence of Britain's victory over China during the Opium Wars. As a result, Britain wanted to increase its influence in eastern Asia by displacing Russia. In total, the Allied troops launched two assaults, both of which ended in failure. Russia withstood the Petropavlovsk defense.
2. Arctic company. The operation of the British fleet to attempt to blockade or capture Arkhangelsk, carried out in 1854-1855. The main battles took place in the Barents Sea. The British also launched a bombardment of the Solovetsky Fortress, as well as the robbery of Russian merchant ships in the White and Barents Seas.

Results and historical significance of the war

Nicholas 1 died in February 1855. The task of the new emperor, Alexander 2, was to end the war, and with minimal damage to Russia. In February 1856, the Paris Congress began its work. Russia was represented there by Alexey Orlov and Philip Brunnov. Since neither side saw the point in continuing the war, already on March 6, 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed, as a result of which the Crimean War was completed.

The main terms of the Treaty of Paris 6 were as follows:

1. Russia returned the Karsu fortress to Turkey in exchange for Sevastopol and other captured cities of the Crimean peninsula.
2. Russia was prohibited from having a Black Sea fleet. The Black Sea was declared neutral.
3. The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits were declared closed to the Russian Empire.
4. Part of Russian Bessarabia was transferred to the Principality of Moldova, the Danube ceased to be a border river, so navigation was declared free.
5. On the Allad Islands (an archipelago in the Baltic Sea), Russia was prohibited from building military and (or) defensive fortifications.

As for losses, the number of Russian citizens who died in the war is 47.5 thousand people. Britain lost 2.8 thousand, France - 10.2, Ottoman Empire - more than 10 thousand. The Sardinian kingdom lost 12 thousand military personnel. The number of deaths on the Austrian side is unknown, perhaps because it was not officially at war with Russia.

In general, the war showed the backwardness of Russia compared to European countries, especially in terms of the economy (the completion of the industrial revolution, the construction of railways, the use of steamships). After this defeat, the reforms of Alexander 2 began. In addition, the desire for revenge had been brewing in Russia for a long time, which resulted in another war with Turkey in 1877-1878. But this is a completely different story, and the Crimean War of 1853-1856 was completed and Russia was defeated in it.

Defense of Sevastopol 1854–55- the heroic 349-day defense of Sevastopol against the armed forces of France, England, Turkey and Sardinia in the Crimean War of 1853–56. It began on September 13 (26), 1854 and lasted until July 27 (August 8), 1855.

Prerequisites

The middle of the last century. A very difficult political situation is emerging in Europe. England and France enter into a struggle for markets, for spheres of influence in the Near and Middle East, for strengthening their dominance in the huge, weakened by this time Turkish (Ottoman) Empire.

The main capitalist countries of Europe, usually at odds with each other, are this time joining forces to oust the most dangerous competitor - Russia - from the positions it occupies in the area. First, they provoke Turkey into a war with Russia. But the very first clashes on the Danube and the Caucasus revealed Turkey’s weakness. And on November 18 (30), 1853, the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral P. S. Nakhimov almost completely destroyed the Turkish squadron in the famous Battle of Sinop.

Hopes for Turkey were not justified, and on December 27, 1853 (January 4, 1854), England and France sent their fleet into the Black Sea. In the spring of 1854, Russia officially found itself at war with the leading European powers. Later they were joined by the kingdom of Sardinia. The position of Austria and the United States was hostile towards Russia.

The war was fought from 1853 to 1856 in the White and Baltic Seas, the Danube, Kamchatka, the Caucasus and Crimea.

Crimea becomes the main theater of military operations; decisive events take place near Sevastopol, which by that time had already become the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. As long as Sevastopol existed, there was nothing to think about weakening Russia’s position in the south.

The capture of Sevastopol becomes the goal of the war. The main forces of the Allies were concentrated here, and the heroic resistance of the city’s defenders attracted the attention of the whole world.

Defense of Sevastopol

On September 1 (13), 1854, news was received in Sevastopol that a huge enemy fleet (89 ships and 300 transports) had approached Evpatoria. On September 7 (19), a 62,000-strong landing army that came ashore, accompanied by a fleet following along the coast, moved towards Sevastopol and stopped at Russian positions on the Alma River. The next day a bloody battle took place here.

The Russian army under the command of Prince A.S. Menshikov numbered a little more than 30 thousand people. And although the soldiers fought selflessly, they had to retreat. But even this first battle cost the allies such losses that their command did not risk storming Sevastopol on the move. Therefore, the British camped in Balaklava, and the French in Kamyshovaya Bay.

The residents of Sevastopol managed to prepare for the meeting with the enemy. Work on the construction of bastions went on non-stop day and night. Not only sailors and soldiers, but also artisans, retired naval veterans, women and even children — the entire working population took part in them. 1–2 kilometers from enemy patrols, fortifications grew literally by the hour. Sailors on ropes pulled heavy naval guns weighing hundreds of pounds towards them. And by September 18, the construction of the main line of defense was basically completed.

The enemy's plans to first destroy the city by bombing and then launch an assault did not materialize. On October 5, 1854, ships of the enemy squadron opened powerful fire on the city. The bombardment from land was also very strong. However, Sevastopol survived. And the enemy was forced to switch to a long siege.

The exhibition of the panorama “Defense of Sevastopol” presents a photograph from an ancient engraving, which shows how powerful fire was opened on the city.

The defense of Sevastopol was active. For the first time in military history, the besiegers were unable to lock the besieged within the walls of the fortress. The defenders forced battles on the enemy in the vicinity of Sevastopol, thus distracting him from the besieged city and destroying the enemy's manpower.

Selected moments of these battles are presented in color lithographs exhibited in the exhibition of the panorama “Defense of Sevastopol”: at Balaklava - October 13 (25), 1854, in Inkerman - October 24 (November 5), 1854 and at Chernaya Rechka - August 4 (16) 1855.

Sevastopol withstood six bombings and two assaults.

The watercolor “View of Sevastopol”¹ depicts a beautiful peaceful city by the sea, in the photograph from the ancient engraving “The Assault of Sevastopol on August 27, 1855” it is clear that by the day of the last assault it had turned into ruins.

Sevastopol lived and fought in incredibly difficult conditions. He fought not only selflessly, but also wisely, overturning the calculations and plans of the best Western European strategists.

Defense leaders paid serious attention to organizing interaction between the fleet and ground units. By a special order, Admiral V.D. Kornilov determined the locations of ships in the bay and the direction of artillery fire to support the actions of ground forces.

Ships, models of which are on display, also took part in these operations.

The steamship-frigate "Vladimir" was built in 1848. The length of the ship is 61 m, width is 17.9 m, the power of the mechanisms is 400 hp. With. The commander of the ship is Captain 1st Rank G.I. Butakov. "Vladimir" distinguished itself twice: in a battle with the Turkish steamship "Pervaz-Bahri" on November 5, 1853 and during the defense of the city - when repelling the assault on June 6, 1855.

The 84-gun ship "Empress Maria" (ship length 56.7 m, width 15.5 m, crew 770 people) was P. S. Nakhimov's flagship in the Battle of Sinop, where it received a lot of damage. During the defense of the city, some of the weapons and personnel were removed from the ship and transferred to land fortifications. The ship was used as a hospital.

The 124-gun ship “Grand Duke Konstantin” (ship length 61.8 m, width 17.7 m) was one of the most beautiful and fastest ships in the sailing fleet, had a crew of 989. Participated in the Battle of Sinop. The entire period of defense was protected by the Sevastopol roadstead, and part of its guns and crew were transferred to land.

The material superiority of the allied fleet was so great that serious naval battles against it were out of the question. But the artillery of the Black Sea Fleet defended the Sevastopol roadstead, supported the actions of the ground forces, and armed the bastions with naval guns.

In September 1854, and then in February 1855, 13 sailing ships were sunk at the entrance to the inner roadstead, which presented a serious obstacle to the enemy fleet. Then two more ships were sunk. The crews of the sunken ships fought on land. The total number of sailors who moved to the bastions exceeded nine thousand.

In the museum, the system of land fortifications of Sevastopol during the first defense is shown on a relief map (authors B. N. Belyaev and Z. I. Filippov). The complex terrain of the Sevastopol area and the fortifications built by the defenders are depicted.

The Big (North) Bay divides the city into the North and South sides, and the Small (South) Bay divides the South into the City and Ship sides. From the sea, Sevastopol was well protected by coastal batteries: Konstantinovskaya, Nikolaevskaya, Mikhailovskaya, Aleksandrovskaya, Pavlovskaya, etc. The entrance to the internal roadstead was blocked by two lines of sunken sailing ships. And on the South side, admirals V.A. Kornilov, P.S. Nakhimov and their military comrades - Admiral V.I. Istomin, military engineers E.I. Totleben and V.P. Polzikov built fortifications using a method completely different from the accepted ones at that time in fortification.

Using the works of the outstanding Russian fortification theorist A. Z. Telyakovsky, the defensive structures of Sevastopol were built taking into account the rugged terrain. They consisted of bastions and redoubts - closed bulk-type defensive structures, interconnected by ramparts and ditches, behind which artillery guns and riflemen were located. There were eight bastions in total: seven numbered and one main one - on Malakhov Kurgan, which after the death of V. A. Kornilov was named Kornilovsky.

The map also shows the main directions of enemy attacks: the French attacked mainly on the 4th bastion and Malakhov Kurgan, the British on the 3rd bastion.

The 4th bastion occupied a special place in the system of land fortifications of Sevastopol (the panorama building is now located at this height). Until the spring of 1855, the Allies considered it a key position on the approaches to the city and, naturally, tried to deliver the main blow here. But even later, having switched their main attention to the Malakhov Kurgan, they did not weaken their attacks on the 4th bastion.

The geographical position of the bastion turned out to be unfavorable for the defenders: not far to the right was Mount Rudolf, dominating the area, with Kulikovo Field ahead. The French fortified themselves in these positions, and the British on the left on Green Hill. Therefore, the bastion was subjected to continuous crossfire from three sides. Having installed siege weapons in their trenches, the enemy sought to disable the bastion’s artillery at any cost, suppress the resistance of the defenders, and then launch an assault and break into the city by the shortest route.

On the days of the most intense fighting, the bastion was hit by fire from over 100 siege weapons, firing up to two thousand shells per day. The defenders also suffered huge losses from enemy rifle fire. But they withstood all the attacks and thwarted the enemy’s plan to break into the city. This was greatly facilitated by the deeply echeloned fortification system of the bastion.

17 batteries were concentrated here. Among them are batteries of the Yazonovsky redoubt, No. 23 (Lazarev), No. 2 (Shikhmatova), No. 62 (Narbut), No. 120 (Manto), No. 100 (Burleya) and others, in the places of which memorial plaques are now installed. In this area there was also a battery where L.N. Tolstoy served.

Behind the bastion ditch, lodgements (trenches) were dug and stone-throwing landmines were placed. The powerful fortification of the bastion, the dedication, courage and tireless hard work of its defenders, who immediately repaired the damage under deadly enemy fire - all this made the bastion an impregnable fortress on the way of the French.

According to the laws of fortification science of that time, a first-class fortress, built in peacetime, could hold out for 40 days under the influence of field and siege weapons. The bastions of Sevastopol, built mainly during the siege, withstood eleven months of fighting.

In the exhibition, visitors’ attention is attracted by G. Myasoedov’s painting “In a Besieged City” (1872). A room in a dilapidated house. Modest setting. Things are in disarray. A young woman and her small child lie murdered on the floor. Death has not yet left its mark on the woman’s beautiful face, has not distorted its features. The artist sought to express his protest against the tragic absurdity of this death. In the breach of the wall one can see the ruins of the city and the smoke of the fires. And the tragedy of one family is perceived as the tragedy of the entire city.

There was no rear in Sevastopol. And in its defense, without thinking about mortal danger, the entire able-bodied population took part.

A. Kokorin’s painting “Defense of Sevastopol” shows a typical scene of bastion life. Women are among the defenders. They brought food and fresh water to the positions and washed clothes. And in the painting by V. Makovsky (copy) we see children collecting cannonballs. This was very dangerous (there could have been unexploded grenades among the cannonballs), but necessary, since there was not enough ammunition

The example of defense leaders - admirals V. A. Kornilov, P. S. Nakhimov, V. I. Istomin, who gave all their energy, will, intelligence and, finally, their lives to the holy cause of defending the Motherland, inspired all defenders.

Their belongings and awards remind us of some of them.

In the display case there is an old embroidered towel made of coarse homespun cloth. It was transferred to the museum in 1966 by the seven millionth visitor to the panorama, I. I. Tyurtyubek, a Moscow engineer who turned out to be the grandson of a participant in the defense of Sevastopol. Along with his grandfather’s towel, he handed over his military book. It says that Grigory Kirillovich Tyurtyubek, born in 1821, came from military villagers of the Kherson province, participated in the defense for all 11 months, was “scorched by a bomb” and wounded in the arm. As a personal rifleman, who held the championship of the regiment for three years in a row, he was crowned with a laurel wreath, and for courage and courage he was awarded commemorative medals and promoted to non-commissioned officer.

On display is the highest award for soldiers and sailors—the insignia of the Military Order of St. George and commemorative medals.

The medal “For the Defense of Sevastopol” by Private A.P. Ryzhkov was transferred to the museum along with his passport. In addition to the medal, private senior salary of the 27th company Ryzhkov also had the insignia of a military order, for which he received 1 ruble. 24 kopecks silver per year.

Medal “In Memory of the Crimean War” of Captain 1st Rank M.I. Korganov and a certificate of awarding him with the Order of St. Stanislav for his participation in repelling the assault on August 27, 1855 were transferred to the museum by the hero’s granddaughter.

The service record shows that, in addition to medals, M.I. Korgagov had six orders and a golden weapon with the inscription “For Bravery” throughout his military service.

Awards, weapons, things. They were touched by the hands of the participants in the defense - people who repelled countless attacks of a strong and intelligent enemy. The display cases contain samples of weapons, uniforms and equipment of Russian troops.

Russia's backwardness had a very serious impact on the country's defensive power. The existing factories were small in number, had imperfect equipment and could not provide the army with modern weapons - they produced only primitive smooth-bore weapons, and even that was not enough. By the end of the war, some recruits had to be armed with pikes. There was a shortage of artillery pieces. It is no coincidence that the defenders of Sevastopol had to disarm the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in order to provide their bastions with guns.

The showcase displays samples of guns from the Crimean War period: smooth-bore ones, which fired at 300–400 steps, and more advanced rifled (or fittings), the firing range of which reached 1000–1200 steps.

By the beginning of the war, only one twentieth of the Russian army was armed with rifles. French infantry - one third, English - completely. In addition, when firing from smooth-bore guns, instead of the usual round bullet, English soldiers used an oblong one, which more than doubled the range of the gun. Just before the Crimean War, England supplied Turkey with a lot of rifled weapons, which made it possible to equip about one quarter of the entire Turkish regular army with them.

The equipment of the Russian troops was very heavy and inconvenient. Tall helmets and shakos with plumes, uniforms and tight overcoats, copper cuirasses and the like were very constraining in a combat situation, especially since the total weight of the soldier’s equipment (including weapons and backpack) exceeded 40 kg.

All this could not but affect the nature of the defense of Sevastopol, its exceptional activity. When real danger began to threaten the Motherland, all the Russian troops concentrated here stood up to defend it with their characteristic courage and dedication.

The defenders of the city vigilantly monitored the construction of enemy aproshes - the forward trenches. With bold forays they destroyed enemy structures, captured weapons and prisoners. But the offensive nature of the defense was especially evident in underground operations.

Underground mine warfare

Convinced of the impossibility of taking the Sevastopol bastions by storm, the enemy resorted to cunning and decided to approach the city underground — with “mines”³. The Allied plan was to lay mines under the bastion fortifications and blow them up. And then, occupying the craters formed by the explosions, launch an assault from close range.

The Russians figured out this insidious plan and began to dig counter underground galleries. An underground mine war began, which, according to E.I. Totleben, extended the siege of Sevastopol “for at least 5 months.”

It received its greatest development in front of the 4th bastion. The exhibition diagram shows the location of our and enemy galleries in front of this bastion. Russian galleries were built in two tiers - at a depth of 5–6 and 12–13 m. The bastion was completely fenced by the surrounding gallery, and numerous side galleries and dormer sleeves, extending to the sides, in many places penetrated under the advanced trenches of the French.

The Russian galleries were located at such a distance from each other that between them the enemy could not get to our positions anywhere. In total, Russian sappers dug about 7 km of underground galleries, of which about 4 km in front of the 4th bastion. And out of 1280 m of enemy galleries, 1100 were “mines” on the approaches to this bastion.

Over the entire period of the underground mine war, the Allies carried out 121 explosions, spending 5,551 pounds of gunpowder. There were fewer Russian explosions (109), they required less gunpowder (761 pounds). The intensity of action on the 4th bastion can be judged by the fact that 83 Russian and 107 enemy explosions were carried out here.

The exhibition tells about the harsh everyday life of the sappers of the 4th Bastion in the diorama of V. I. Grandi and B. N. Belyaev (painting canvas 35 sq. m). The artists give us the opportunity to look into one of the galleries in which the miners sometimes lived for several months, risking at any moment being blown up or being buried alive in the “mines” they dug. The diorama shows the upper gallery and in it a niche lined with boards. This is the “room” of the commander of the 2nd company of the 4th engineer battalion, staff captain A.V. Melnikov, who actually led all underground operations on the 4th bastion.

Melnikov is sitting, looking at some drawing. The height of the gallery (up to 1.5 m) did not allow the miners to straighten up to their full height. Due to the lack of oxygen, it was necessary to extinguish candles; in dark, stuffy and damp rooms it was necessary to do hard physical work: dig galleries and auditory “sleeves”, prepare charges of gunpowder, fasten frames, carry the dug earth into the ditch, which was shot through by crossfire.

The miners often had a fever and looked exhausted, but they could not be sent to the hospital or to a dressing station. They took pride in their work and were highly respected by the garrison, as they were considered the front line guard of the bastion. The name of Melnikov was mentioned with special respect in Sevastopol; he was considered the main underground guard of the city. Despite all the difficulties (heavy soil, inexperience of young soldiers, lack of necessary equipment and tools), there was always exemplary order in the “mines”. They loved Melnikov, they trusted him, they were ready to go through thick and thin for him.

Staff Captain A.V. Melnikov received the rank of captain for the defense of Sevastopol and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree with bow, St. Anne 2nd degree and St. George 4th degree. About six months of hopeless stay underground undermined Melnikov’s health. On May 14, he was shell-shocked and stunned by a bomb explosion. On May 15, Melnikov was forced to leave the defensive line, and then Sevastopol.

After Melnikov left, Lieutenant P.V. Presnukhin became in charge of underground work on the 4th bastion. He spent time in the mines from May 15 to August 17, 1855, and was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree.

Presnukhin is depicted next to Melnikov. To their right is a group of resting sappers. Miners work even further to the right.

The exceptional effectiveness of Russian underground explosions forced the English newspaper The Times to write that “the palm in this type of action belongs to the Russians.”

End of defense

Not only the underground mine war, but the entire defense of Sevastopol, every day of it is a bright page in Russian military history. By the end of the defense the city lay in ruins. There weren't enough shells, and the defenders' strength was dwindling. But everyone who remained alive was ready to stand until the last.

And only on August 27 (September 8), 1855, when Malakhov Kurgan was taken as a result of an enemy assault, the commander-in-chief of the army, Prince M.D. Gorchakov, gave the order to withdraw to the North Side.

On the orders of General McMahon, the Russian and French soldiers who fell in the final assault were buried in a common mass grave, with a monument erected over it.

Subsequently, E.I. Totleben explained the reason for the retreat as follows: “Both enemy fleets gave the allies the means to deploy huge artillery, which ours could not compete with.

In 4 days of bombing we lost 8 thousand people, and on the last day during the assault and bombing we lost 9 thousand people. Even if we had captured the Malakhov Kurgan again and the enemy had continued the bombardment, we would have lost up to two thousand people every day, and Sevastopol would have become the grave of the entire army.”

Having blown up the fortifications of the South side, the defenders of Sevastopol crossed over a specially constructed floating bridge to the North side to the Mikhailovskaya battery. The exhausted Allied armies limited themselves to occupying the ruins of the South Side. Active hostilities near Sevastopol ceased.

Consequences

In March 1856, the peace treaty of Paris was signed. Under its terms, all cities occupied by the allies were returned to Russia (in exchange for the Turkish fortress of Kare): Sevastopol, Kerch, Kinburn, etc. Russia practically recognized the protectorate of England and France in Turkey, Moldova, Wallachia and Serbia, and also transferred the lower reaches under their control Danube. Russia agreed to the “neutralization” of the Black Sea, i.e., together with Turkey, it pledged not to restore the fleet and fortifications there.

But the heroism of the defenders of Sevastopol made such an impression on the world public that it could not but influence the terms of the peace treaty of Paris; Russia was not required to make any indemnities or major territorial concessions. The famous diplomat A.F. Orlov, the representative of Russia at the signing of the Treaty of Paris, subsequently said that the shadow of Admiral Nakhimov and his Sevastopol warriors was invisibly present with him at the congress.

Years have passed. The 50th anniversary of the glorious defense was approaching. It was decided to make the celebration official. A special anniversary committee was created to build monuments and organize anniversary celebrations. Sketches, photographs, documents, prospectuses, booklets, transparencies and other exhibition materials tell about the perpetuation of the memory of defense heroes and the creation of a panorama.

Panorama "Defense of Sevastopol". Artist F.A. Rubo

The defense of Sevastopol is the most tragic and heroic page of the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Defense of Sevastopol

In 1854, the armed forces of France, England, Turkey and Sardinia (Italy) invaded the Crimean Peninsula. The city had defense only from the sea. When the siege of the city began on September 13, batteries and fortifications were already created under enemy fire, which had an advantage in both weapons and manpower: 34 battleships and 55 frigates (most of them steam) blocked the Russian fleet (14 battleships, 6 frigates and 6 steamship frigates). The number of landing troops was 62 thousand people with 134 field and 73 siege guns. They concentrated in the bay of Sevastopol and planned to complete the assault on the city within a week. But the enemy underestimated the defense capability and heroism of the Russian troops.

V.E. Pamfilov "Cart with the wounded". Sketch for the panorama "Defense of Sevastopol"

On September 1, 1854, troops landed near Evpatoria, and enemy troops moved to Sevastopol. The first major battle in the Crimean War took place on September 8, 1854 on Alma (at the mouth of the Alma River), where the Russian army was stationed in order to stop the enemy and prevent him from capturing Sevastopol outright, because the city was not yet ready to repel the attack. The Allied forces numbered up to 59 thousand soldiers, 132 guns, and the navy provided artillery support from the sea.

The Russian army conducted the defense under the command of Adjutant General Prince A.S. Menshikov, under his command there were 35 thousand soldiers and 84 guns. The Allies won an undeniable victory on Alma, now the path to Sevastopol was open, but the battle stopped their movement towards Sevastopol, this made it possible to prepare for the siege and avoid taking the city left without troops by storm. This was a deceptive move: the allies believed that they were fighting the vanguard of the Russian army, when this was not the case: “And in fact, who would believe that the Russians had only a handful of troops left to defend the Crimea, to preserve the Black Sea Fleet, when did they get used to counting our army at one million?”

L. Jones "Battle of Alma"

The defense of Sevastopol was led by the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral V.A. Kornilov and Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov. To block the enemy's breakthrough into the Sevastopol harbor, 5 battleships were sunk, naval guns and crews were among the defenders of the city. All fortification work was carried out under the leadership of engineer-lieutenant colonel E.I. Totleben, who from that time became the soul of the defense. The tenacity and courage of Russian soldiers, sailors and city residents shocked the whole world.

D.W. Carmichael "Bombing of Sevastopol"

The first bombing of Sevastopol on October 5 did not bring large losses, but V.A. was mortally wounded. Kornilov.
Malakhov Kurgan became the center of defense. The second assault on the city began on March 28, 1855; the interventionists, at the cost of very heavy losses, managed to dislodge our positions. The third and fourth assault had the same results, but on June 28, P.S. died in a shootout. Nakhimov. Napoleon III gave the order to take the fortress, regardless of losses. But the fifth attack was again unsuccessful, and the Allies began to prepare for the decisive assault. On August 27, the sixth and final assault on Sevastopol began. 8 French, 5 English divisions and 1 Sardinian brigade took part in the offensive, 60 thousand soldiers against 40 thousand of ours, but most of them stood on the rear line of defense. The battle took place with varying degrees of success. The French captured and held the Malakhov Kurgan. Miracles of courage were performed at all other defense points, the Russians repulsed the attack, but further defense of Sevastopol no longer made sense; it was not possible to hold out under such circumstances. Prince Gorchakov gave the order to leave Sevastopol; during the night he transferred his troops to the northern side. The city was set on fire, the powder magazines were blown up, and the military ships in the bay were sunk. The Allies did not dare to pursue the Russians, believing that the city was mined. Only on August 30 did they enter the ruins of Sevastopol.

The siege of Sevastopol lasted 11 months; during this time, the Allies lost about 70 thousand people, not counting those who died from disease; Russians - about 83.5 thousand.

But with the capture of Sevastopol, the Russians did not stop the unequal struggle: 115 thousand people settled along the northern shore of the large bay; Allied troops numbering more than 150 thousand infantry took up positions from the Baydar Valley to Chorgun, along the Chernaya River and along the southern shore of the large bay. The ensuing military lull was interrupted only by sabotage by the interventionists.

The heroic defense of Sevastopol became known far beyond Russia and influenced the course of peace negotiations: the interventionists were forced to agree to peace negotiations on completely different terms than they had expected at the beginning of the war.

The defense of Sevastopol gave experience in war with the joint forces of the army and navy. It is reflected in the panorama of F.A. Rubo "Defense of Sevastopol", which is located in Sevastopol in a special building.

Heroes of Sevastopol Defense

Vladimir Ivanovich Istomin (1809-1855)

IN AND. Istomin. Portrait of an unknown artist

Born into a noble family in the Pskov province. In 1827 he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps with the rank of midshipman. In the same year, he participated in the Battle of Navarino and was awarded the Insignia of the Military Order of St. George and promoted to midshipman. Later he received numerous awards, participated in campaigns and joint operations of the army and navy. Commanding the ship Paris, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Sinop and was promoted to rear admiral. P.S. Nakhimov especially noted the actions of the ship “Paris” in this battle and wrote: “ It was impossible to stop admiring the beautiful and calmly calculated actions of the Paris ship.”

When the siege of Sevastopol began, Istomin was appointed commander of the 4th defensive distance of the Malakhov Kurgan, and then chief of staff under Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov. On November 20, 1854, Istomin was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd degree. He was one of the bravest and most active participants in the defense of Sevastopol. After the death of Kornilov, he did not leave his positions for a single day; he lived at the Kamchatka redoubt, in a dugout.

On March 7, 1855, when Istomin was leaving his dugout, his head was torn off by a cannonball. Istomin was buried in the Sevastopol Cathedral of St. Vladimir, in the same crypt with admirals M.P. Lazarev, V.A. Kornilov, P.S. Nakhimov.

Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov (1806-1854)

K. Bryullov "Portrait of V. Kornilov"

Born on the family estate of the Staritsky district of the Tver province in the family of the Irkutsk governor. Graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps.

As a midshipman on the flagship Azov, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Navarino. During the outbreak of the Crimean War, he commanded the Black Sea Fleet. After the landing of Anglo-French troops in Yevpatoria and the defeat on Alma, Kornilov received an order from the commander-in-chief, Prince Menshikov, to sink the ships of the fleet in the roadstead in order to use sailors for the defense of Sevastopol from land, but refused to obey the order. Then Menshikov gives the order to remove Kornilov from command of the fleet, to which Kornilov replied: “Stop! This is suicide... what you are forcing me to do... but it is impossible for me to leave Sevastopol surrounded by the enemy! I am ready to obey you."

Kornilov is considered the founder of trench warfare.

During the first bombing of Sevastopol, V.A. Kornilov died heroically on Malakhov Kurgan.

Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov (1802-1855)

P.S. Nakhimov

Born into a noble family in the Smolensk province, the village of Gorodok, Vyazemsky district. Graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps. Under the command of M.P. Lazarev traveled around the world on the frigate “Cruiser”. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Navarino in 1827, participated in many battles, and had many awards. In 1845 he was promoted to rear admiral and commanded a brigade of ships.

During the Crimean War of 1853-1856, Nakhimov, in stormy weather, discovered and blocked the main forces of the Turkish fleet in Sinop and defeated them in the Battle of Sinop on November 18, 1853, skillfully carrying out the operation, for which he was awarded by Nicholas I the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious.

During the Sevastopol defense after the sinking of the fleet, he defended the southern part of the city, and was greatly respected by soldiers and sailors, who called him “father-benefactor.”

On June 28, 1855, he was mortally wounded in the head by a bullet on Malakhov Kurgan and died two days later.

General engineer Eduard Ivanovich Totleben (1818-1884)

E.I. Totleben. Portrait of an unknown artist

From an old Thuringian family, born in Russia. He studied at the Engineering School in St. Petersburg, but did not complete the course due to heart disease. Participated in several expeditions in the Caucasus with a team of sappers.

During the Crimean War, he participated in the organization of defensive work, strengthened all approaches to the city with strong frontal and flank defense with cannon and rifle fire. He worked continuously day and night. In a short time he created a continuous defensive line. The Allies were unable to take Sevastopol with an open attack and began a siege on September 28. On June 8, Totleben was wounded by a bullet in the leg, but continued to lead the defensive work. But his health condition worsened, and he left Sevastopol.

Sailor Pyotr Markovich Koshka (1828-1882)

Bust of sailor Peter Koshka

He was born in Ukraine, in the village of Ometintsy, Kamenets-Podolsk province, to the family of a serf peasant and was given a sailor by the landowner for freethinking.

During the Sevastopol defense, among other sailors of the Black Sea Fleet, he was sent ashore. He was distinguished by his bold actions, courage, and resourcefulness in battle, especially distinguished himself in reconnaissance and in capturing prisoners.

His exploits and image are depicted in many works of art.

Once, with one knife, he captured three French soldiers, another time, under enemy fire, he dug up the body of a Russian sapper, blasphemously buried waist-deep in the ground, near an enemy trench and carried it to the 3rd bastion. The sapper's body was hit by 5 bullets. For this feat he was awarded the Insignia of the Military Order of St. George.

They say that the Cat stole a boiled leg of beef straight from a French cauldron at night, and another time during the day he stole an enemy horse. He sold the horse and donated the money to a monument to his fallen comrade.

In one of the raids he was wounded in the chest with a bayonet.

In January 1855 he was promoted to sailor of the 1st class, and then to quartermaster.

After the war he was cured, but then was called up again and served in St. Petersburg.

Died of a fever after falling through the ice while saving two girls.

Surgeon Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov (1818-1881)

N.I. Pirogov. Engraving by G. Grachev

Born in Moscow in the family of a military treasurer. Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Moscow University. At the age of 26 he became a professor. He headed the department of surgery at the St. Petersburg Medical-Surgical Academy.

During the Crimean War he was the chief surgeon of besieged Sevastopol. He invented a technique that allowed him to avoid amputation of wounded limbs. He was the first to use a plaster cast in the treatment of bone injuries. In besieged Sevastopol, he organized the Holy Cross community of nurses to care for the wounded. Pirogov is the founder of military field surgery. For the first time he operated on the wounded with ether anesthesia.

After the Crimean War, Garibaldi saved his leg. But for criticizing the backwardness of the Russian army and its weapons, he fell out of favor with Emperor Alexander II.

Dasha Sevastopolskaya (Daria Lavrentievna Mikhailova) (1836-1892)

Dasha Sevastopolskaya

Born into a sailor's family, not far from Kazan. Her father died in the Battle of Sinop. She was left orphaned at age 15. I used my own funds to buy a cart and set up a camp dressing station. Soldiers and sailors loved her, they admired her courage - Dasha visited the front line and took the wounded out of there.

For her feat, she was awarded by Emperor Nicholas I a gold medal with the inscription “For zeal” on the Vladimir ribbon to be worn on the chest and 500 rubles in silver. “When she got married, the Tsar promised to give her another 1000 rubles in silver for the establishment.”

Information about her further fate is contradictory, as is the date of death.

2014 marks 160 years since the beginning of the heroic defense of Sevastopol from the forces of a number of European states, primarily France, Great Britain and Turkey. This book presents the reader with quite rare drawings and photographs from that heroic time. Traditionally, I use quotes from books written 110-160 years ago, and my comments are intended only to suggest some facts to the reader.

Unexpectedly, this topic became unusually relevant in the spring of 2014, and the reason for this phenomenon was identified in 1872 by the historian Golovachev; I have nothing to add to his words.

“Sevastopol Bay currently provides shelter to a few of our military vessels; but the name of Sevastopol is associated with historical memories that are glorious for us: and the extreme tension of the forces of the three great European powers and the formidable position of the rest of Europe - all this, aimed at taking Sevastopol from us during the last Crimean war, also testify to us about its important political significance. They give us a reason not only to take a more attentive and serious view of the history of Sevastopol as a Russian military port, but also to deeply analyze the political aspirations that led to the establishment of this port in this area.” .

1. How the history of the Russian port of Sevastopol began.

Sevastopol traces its history back to May 1783, when the Russian squadron of Admiral Klokachev entered Akhtiyar Bay.

"Port(Akhtiyar Bay - author's note) this was found excellent, and on May 7, 1783, the squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Klokachev, was the first to be brought into it for parking and handed over to Rear Admiral Mekenzie, who laid the foundation of Sevastopol." .

The port received the name “Sevastopol” from Prince Potemkin at the beginning of 1784.

“the port still bore the name of the last uninhabited Tatar village(Akhtiyar - from the Tatar “White Cliff” - author’s note), forgotten on the northern shore of the bay, - and therefore Potemkin chose for him, in the words of Dubois de Montperey, a fantastic name in the Greek style - “Sevastopol”, which means approximately "venerable city"; and this name was approved for him by our Empress at the beginning of 1784. This new name greatly simplified the entire nomenclature of the area. Its Greek names (Chersonesos - author's note) were not known to anyone at the time we are describing. They were restored only by later archaeologists and numismatists. At that time, some people called the main bay simply Akhtyar, others called Akhtyarskaya Harbor. And its southern depressions did not have any name at all. With the name of the Admiralty area, that is, the area between the current South and Artillery bays “Sevastopol”, the matter became somewhat clearer.” .

In 1787, Empress Catherine II visited the port of Sevastopol.

"May 19th(1787 – author’s note) Empress(Catherine II - author's note) , together with JosephII(Emperor of Austria - author's note), moved through Perekop and stayed in Crimea for about two weeks. During all this time, not a single day passed without fireworks, balls, and illuminations; Crowds of Tatars came out to meet the Empress, and in Balaklava she was received by 200 Greek women dressed as Amazons and armed with spears, arrows and guns.” .

Over the course of 60 years, the port city of Sevastopol has grown into the largest city in Crimea and the most beautiful city in the entire Russian Black Sea region.

“The number of all residents in Sevastopol in 1852 and 53 reached 45 and 46 thousand people; All houses are considered to be more than 2,500, and of these 170 are government-owned residential; shops and shops130; the main market lies on the eastern side of Artillery Bay. 17 crews of our naval Sevastopol commands were, at this time, in full complement, as well as the ships of our fleet."

The reader can appreciate pre-war Sevastopol in 1854 from Berg's drawings.

2. Siege of Sevastopol.

In the fall of 1854, Franco-Anglo-Turkish forces landed in Yevpatoria, and soon Sevastopol found itself in a half-ring of siege.

The Allies set out to destroy Sevastopol and its fortifications with brutal artillery attacks - thousands of guns were aimed at the city. The first massive bombing began on October 17, 1854.

"October 5th(October 17, 1854 senior researcher - author's note) As soon as the morning fog cleared, the allied batteries opened fierce fire on the City side, III bastion and Malakhov Kurgan. On the defensive line, the troops stood up to guns, and our artillerymen (mostly sailors) began to respond with gunfire with the same frequency of fire that is used in the navy. The entire area was covered in thick smoke. ... The shortcomings of the fortifications were soon revealed. The parapets easily crumbled from the impacts of shells; the clay clothing of the embrasures collapsed from their own shots. ... The reserves, without reliable shelters ... suffered heavy losses in inaction.” .

The main role in the siege of Sevastopol belonged to the French, the British held about 20% of the siege position, the Turks less than 10%.

The defenders of heroic Sevastopol held out for 10 months, but were forced to retreat to the north; the invaders entered the destroyed and empty city.

"At dawn on August 28(1855 - author's note) the Small Bridge was built across the southern bay; at 8 o'clock In the morning, the chief of the garrison, Count Osten-Sacken, left the city with his chief of staff of the garrison, Prince Vasilchikov; at the same time, Lieutenant General. Shepelev and Vice Adm. Panfilov left Korabelnaya when the last units of the troops sailed from the shore. The last to retreat across the bridge was Gen. Khrushchev, after which they began to raise the Big Bridge. The southern half of it was opened by ferry, and the northern half, without being separated, was pulled up by a turn to the northern shore. Simultaneously with the crossing of troops, by order of the commander-in-chief, the remnants of the glorious Black Sea Fleet were scuttled in the roadstead. On August 28, in the morning, after leaving the South Side, small teams of hunters carried out explosions of cellars on coastal batteries No. 7, 8 and 10; in the afternoon the Pavlovsk and Aleksandrovsk batteries took off. Then the hunters, on rowing boats, moved to the North Side.

The ruins of Sevastopol burned for two days and two nights, covered in thick clouds of smoke. Explosions were heard from time to time in different places; On August 30, the fire went out and the Allies entered Sevastopol; before that they had not entered the city for fear of mines. On August 31, due to the cannonade opened on our ships by French batteries, the commander-in-chief ordered all the ships to be scuttled." .

The destruction was terrible.

The Russian army retreated, the last of its ranks was General Khrushchev, a quote from whose book I quote below. In recent history, the same role fell to General Gromov during the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. In his work, Khrushchov evaluates the entire Russian strategy for the defense of Sevastopol with a huge amount of skepticism.

“The work on the North side continued until spring, i.e. until the truce was concluded. In addition to the coastal batteries, from the village of Uchkuya to Inkerman, they began to build redoubts for the defense of the Northern side against attacks from the Belbek and Inkerman rivers; the work was completely useless, since it was impossible to defend the Northern side if the enemy occupied the heights of Belbek and Inkerman. They only exhausted people in vain.

The commander of the North Side, General Scheidemann, very often, unnecessarily, opened fire on the city, but the enemy did not return our fire. ... At the Inkerman position entrusted to me, there was never a skirmish between the batteries and outposts set up at night on the Black River.” .

Meanwhile, the French were plundering Sevastopol. As the Prussian officer writes, a quote from whose work I quote below, I rob - “ very hard and important work"- the very same shelling of General Scheidemann, which Khrushchov considered pointless, interfered.

“The removal of Russian materials from the conquered city, under continuous fire from the batteries on the northern side, was very difficult and important work. It was continued non-stop throughout the winter, and all the free horses of the park and field batteries were used: the materials taken from the fortress weighed approximately 15 million kilograms.” .

When all the valuables were taken out, the French made peace.

“On February 29, 1856, a truce was concluded, and on March 30, peace was made in Paris. The embarkation of French troops on ships, along with military supplies, began on April 19 and continued until July 5, 1856. ... On August 18, there was an exit from Constantinople and Gallipoli; - on September 1, the entire eastern army had already arrived in France. » .

The total human losses during the siege of Sevastopol in 1854-1855 are approximately equal to the losses suffered in one day in the Battle of Borodino in 1812.

“All those who were out of action in the Russian army can be counted at 104,000 people, in the French at 82,133 people.” By.

3. Sevastopol 50 and 100 years after the siege.

Another 50 years passed - Sevastopol was rebuilt.

Ahead of Sevastopol was the siege of 1941-1942, after which by 1954 the city was largely restored, but the 100th anniversary of the heroic epic of 1854-55. the Russian city of Sevastopol unexpectedly celebrated as part of Ukraine - but that’s another story.