In Sevastopol, it is considered one of the most recognizable sights - you will find this monument in any guidebook. The object has a deep symbolic meaning, since it is associated with the manifestation of the courage of sailors Black Sea Fleet. An interesting fact: in 2016, the monument to the Scuttled Ships fell on the drawing of the Russian banknote of 200-ruble denomination. Sevastopol landmark won a landslide victory in the popular vote.

The monument is located in the immediate vicinity of Nakhimov Square and Primorsky Boulevard - from there opens the most best review to the original building. A man-made cliff rises in the center of the Northern Bay, on which a giant white column is installed - the monument immediately catches the eye. On the embankment itself there is a memorial plaque with information about the object. And here are the GPS coordinates of the cliff: 44.618345, 33.524362.

History of the sinking

We note right away that the history of the monument to the Scuttled Ships in Sevastopol is closely connected with the first phase Crimean War. The battle of Alma turned out to be unsuccessful for the Russians, and the threat of occupation loomed over the hero city. Prince Menshikov, supreme commander, decided to protect the inner raid at all costs. So it was decided to get rid of obsolete sailing ships, and at the same time block the entrance to the bay to the enemy. In 1854, on the beam of two artillery batteries (Aleksandrovskaya and Konstantinovskaya), several sailboats sank:

• "Silistria";
• "Varna";
• "Uriel";
• "Selafail";
• "Flora";
• "Sizopol";
• "Three Saints"

Autumn came, and storms partially destroyed the barrier, so the city authorities were forced to strengthen the structure with the Pylades corvette and the Gabriel ship. The process did not stop there - soon (1855) two frigates ("Messemvria" and "Kahul"), as well as sailboats "Svyatoslav", "Rostislav" and "Twelve Apostles" went to the bottom. The frigate "Media" became the last "brick" in the second barrier line.

It is worth noting that the lost ships had their own crews, which left their native decks and joined the ranks of the defenders of Sevastopol. Two years before the events described, an experiment was carried out: an outdated merchant brig was sent to sail freely under the fire of coastal batteries. It turned out that the ship received scanty damage - after that, talk began about the construction of additional barriers.

The idea of ​​flooding belonged to Captain Zorin - the original idea was immediately supported by Admiral Nakhimov. The Sevastopol Bay was the key to the lightning victory of the enemy coalition - the raid had to be urgently defended by all available means. Subsequently, the decision of the combat commanders caused ambiguous statements by historians - many believed that the flooding was not an urgent need. However, the facts show that the defense of the Sevastopol Bay prevented the coalition from seizing the entire peninsula, having fulfilled its original plan.

In Sevastopol, the monument to the Scuttled Ships, the photo of which we posted here, was erected for a reason. For almost a year, the city, poorly fortified and not prepared for a long siege, successfully held back enemy armadas. The coalition forces were exhausted to the limit, and soon their occupation plans came to an end. There were legends about the heroism and valor of the Sevastopol defenders. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the appearance memorial complex no.

How did the monument come about?

In 1905, the people of Sevastopol celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the successful defense of their small homeland. The city authorities decided to build an artificial island and perpetuate the long-standing feat of sailors original way. The structure was erected 23 meters from the embankment, it consisted of a cliff, an octagonal pedestal and a bronze painting with sailboats sinking in the abyss. At the beginning of the last century, Russian Empire there were numerous black-and-white postcards depicting the sights.

Unfortunately, grand opening the townspeople did not wait - in 1905 the first Russian revolution took place. And in 1917 tsarist regime fell - monuments, one way or another connected with the autocracy, began to be massively destroyed throughout the country. But here is the monument to the Scuttled Ships, the photo of which impressed the guests of the city in the last century, the Bolsheviks decided to spare. True, revolutionary-minded officials began to offer their own options for reconstruction. Here are some examples:

• renaming (this happened to the monument about ten times);
• change of symbolism (a star instead of the imperial crown);
• electric lighting connection;
• removal of the bronze cross (this was eventually done).

The cross was dismantled in 1927, after which the monument on for a long time forgot. in a mysterious way Monument to the Scuttled Ships survived during the Second World War, although he was at the epicenter of events. In 1941, a mine exploded near the sights, but the object was not damaged. Divers managed to neutralize another mine - this happened relatively recently, in 2005. The shells flew past the object, the bombs did not fall in its vicinity - many Sevastopol residents regard this as a miracle.

In 1944, advanced Soviet detachments reached the embankment of Sevastopol. To the surprise of the soldiers, the monument stood still, and a little further on, the Prodromos, one of the German tankers, was on fire. The old photographs show a smoky plume and the wreck of a German ship destroyed by the explosion. In 1969, the landmark migrated to the coat of arms of Sevastopol. Another interesting fact: the monument to the Scuttled Ships did not get a description. The archives and local history centers contain very little information about this object.

Why the monument to the Scuttled Ships will interest tourists

The embankment offers a beautiful view of the ancient landmark - you can see not only the cliff itself, but also the pedestal with all the decorative elements. Actually, the designers (architect Feldman and Academician Adamson) thought so. The monument includes the following components:

• artificial granite rock (height reaches 9 meters);
• octagonal pedestal (protrudes towards the embankment);
• triumphal column;
• capital;
• double-headed eagle.

The height of the monument (total) is 16.7 meters, with seven meters falling on triumphal column. special attention deserves a pommel consisting of St. Andrew's ribbon, the imperial crown and a double-headed eagle. The mighty wings of the eagle are spread, the beaks hold the anchor and the laurel wreath interspersed with oak leaves. The chest of the eagle is decorated with a shield, on which a bas-relief of St. George the Victorious flaunts.

Bronze served as the main material for the sculptural composition - the capital, the base of the column and the double-headed eagle were made from it. If you look at the monument from the embankment, you can see a bronze bas-relief at the very top of the pedestal - it is there that the sailboats sent to the bottom are depicted. The signature of Academician Adamson, the creator of the bas-relief, dated 1904, has also been preserved. The top of the rock is decorated with the dates "1854" and "1855", and a pair of anchors, once removed from the dead frigates, are leaning against the embankment wall.

The symbolic meaning of the monument is expressed in every detail - everything is thought out to the smallest detail. bay leaves are associated with triumph, glory and purification, oak - with stamina and strength. The eagle is turned to the sea with both heads intentionally - it is a formidable guardian of the bay, ready to confront the invaders. But not much is known about the creators of the monument. Here are a few interesting facts that guides won't tell you about:

• Adamson arrived in Sevastopol in 1904, but the purpose of his visit is not written anywhere (there is a version that he supervised the installation of bronze elements cast in St. Petersburg);
• Friedrich Enberg supervised the technical side of the erection of the monument;
• some guidebooks claim that the Scuttled Ships Monument in Sevastopol contains secret map with marked lines of flooding of sailboats;
• there is historical sources, according to which the authorship of Adamson was confirmed only in 1949 (it is strange that before that no one paid attention to the signature in the lower corner of the bronze painting);
• earlier, a fixed bronze mast could be seen from the sea. protruding from the waves (then this element disappeared without a trace);
• in 1927, the Crimea suffered from a powerful earthquake, but the monument remained on same place- Another fact that excites the minds of lovers of mysticism.

As you already understood, the object is covered with numerous legends, rumors and conjectures. There is evidence that the true length of the column exceeds 19 meters. The fact is that the column is the core of the whole composition and partially goes under water (and even under the ground). Diorite slabs were needed to secure the spire - a total of 48 two-meter elements were spent, linked together by strong brackets. We used to call the monument granite, but in fact it is diorite.

There is a legend according to which Nakhimov's profile can be seen in the spread wings of an eagle. Some enthusiasts have tested this myth by photographing the monument to the Scuttled Ships from different angles. It turned out that the contour, visually reminiscent of Nakhimov's cap, is just a self-deception.

Old timers still in Soviet times it was said that the revolutionaries intended to dismantle the eagle along with the crown. About 300 people gathered on the embankment. They tied the pommel with cables and began to pull - but the symbol tsarist Russia did not succumb. Subsequently, the authorities abandoned attempts to destroy the sights.

How to get there

The object is located in the very heart of Sevastopol, so there are no transport problems for tourists. locals prefer to ride on the lines (as they call minibuses), plying between Primorsky Boulevard and the most remote areas of Sevastopol. The cost of a trip to fixed-route taxi fluctuates between 10-13 rubles. It is best to use minibuses No. 110, 109, 12, 16 and 120. You can also take one of the trolleybuses - numbers 3, 7, 5, 12, 9 and 13 go in the right direction.

You can get off at Nakhimov and Lazarev squares, but before leaving, check if the trolleybus or minibus is moving towards the center. Further, your path will run along Primorsky Boulevard in the direction of the embankment. good decision there will be a walk from Lazarev Square - you can enjoy the view of old Sevastopol and breathe sea ​​air. On the way you will meet the Palace children's creativity and the Lunacharsky Theatre.

Getting there by your own car is quite easy - the key highways converge at Nakhimov Square. You can park in the Artillery Bay - there is free parking. Further - to the boulevard. It will not take long to walk, and the heroic monument immediately catches your eye.

The monument is a symbol of the city of Sevastopol, and its silhouette is reproduced on the emblem of the city. It was created in memory of the Russian sailing ships, flooded in the bay in order to block enemy ships from entering the bay. The monument is recognized as an object cultural heritage federal significance Russia. In 2016, it was the image of the monument to the Scuttled Ships that was chosen by popular vote to be applied to the new banknote of 200 rubles. Located on the main embankment of the city, it invariably attracts the attention of vacationers. The monument is located in the water at a distance of 20 meters from the shore.

Overall Height monument - 16.7 meters.

The wingspan of an eagle is 2.67 meters.

The construction of Sevastopol was originally intended as the construction of the main fortress of the Russian Empire on the Black Sea. Therefore, there are many objects and monuments in honor of military glory. And the monument in honor of the important event of the Crimean War is one of the most unusual and majestic

Story

The monument is dedicated important event- 50th anniversary of the First Defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Heroic deed committed by the Russian military in 1854, having decided to sink their ships in order to prevent the enemy from passing through the sea to Sevastopol. As a result, the bay became inaccessible to the Anglo-French fleet, which helped Turkey. Sevastopol was the main base of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire, so its defense was a strategically necessary task. The defense was led by the famous military leaders V. A. Kornilov and P. S. Nakhimov. They accepted it important decision, as they were aware of the quantitative superiority of the enemy and the dangerous possibility of their penetration into the bay. From the sunken ships, masts remained sticking out above the surface of the water, which could break through the bottom of enemy ships. First of all, 7 obsolete ships were sunk, but later good ships were also sent to the bottom. In total, about 90 ships of the Black Sea Fleet went under the water of the Sevastopol Bay. However, the sacrifices were not in vain and the defense held out until a peace agreement was reached in 1856.

Description of the monument to the scuttled ships

The monument was created in 1905. He endured and strong earthquake 1927, and survived during the hostilities of the Great Patriotic War and German occupation. The monument was intended to embody the significance and tragedy of the events that took place.

The monument consists of two parts: underwater and surface. The base has square shape and consists of stone blocks. Above the water is a stone cliff three meters high. At the base of the triumphal column on the cliff there is an inscription about the event, in memory of which the monument was erected. This pedestal also depicts a bas-relief with a scene of the sinking of ships - it can be seen from the side of the embankment. The 7-meter column ends with a pedestal with a double-headed royal eagle. The eagle holds in its beak a wreath of laurel - a symbol of victory and oak - a symbol of glory and faith. An anchor hangs on the wreath in memory of the dead sailors and naval victories. On the head of the eagle is an imperial crown. The composition above the column is made of bronze. Part of the monument is also a memorial wall on the embankment with two anchors from sunken ships.

The monument can be viewed in real time using the online cameras of Sevastopol installed on the Kornilov embankment.

How to get to the monument in Sevastopol

One of the main historical monuments The country stands in the center of the hero city of Sevastopol, not far from Primorsky Boulevard. It can be reached by public transport:

• By trolleybus: No. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 10k, 12, 13, 22, stop "Lazarev Square" (800 meters to the monument) or "Nakhimov Square" (200 meters to the monument).
• By taxi: No. 4, 6, 12, 13, 13a, 16, 31, 63, 71, 109, 110, 112, 120, stop "Lazarev Square" or "Nakhimov Square".
• By bus: No. 5, 12, 16, 22, 29, 30, 77, 92, 94, 109, stop "Lazarev Square" or "Nakhimov Square".

After getting off the bus, you need to walk a little through Primorsky Boulevard towards the embankment.

Travelers by car should move towards the city center, and it is better to leave the car at the free parking lot on the embankment of Artilleriyskaya Bay.

You can get to the monument by taxi: in Sevastopol there are Taxi services Lucky, Yandex. Taxi, Maxim.

Panorama of the monument from the embankment:

Video about the monument to the scuttled ships:

Erected in memory of the ships sacrificed to protect Sevastopol from enemy attacks from the sea.

A few meters from the embankment of Primorsky Boulevard, a slender Corinthian column rises on a three-meter cliff made of roughly processed granite blocks. It is crowned with a bronze eagle with outstretched wings. Bowing his head, he holds a laurel wreath. The inscription on the pedestal reads: "In memory of the ships sunk in 1854-1855 to block the entrance to the raid." The total height of the monument is 16.66 m. Against the monument, on the wall of the embankment of Primorsky Boulevard, anchors from sunken ships are fixed.

Built in 1905 in connection with the 50th anniversary of the first heroic defense, the monument is dedicated to one of the mournful and heroic episodes of this epic.

After the landing in September 1854 of the Anglo-French-Turkish army and the defeat of the Russian troops on the Alma River, the situation in Sevastopol became very difficult. Fearing a breakthrough of the enemy fleet to the roadstead, an attack from the sea, the Russian command decided to flood some of the obsolete sailing ships in the entrance fairway. Coastal battery fire and sunken ships made the Northern Bay inaccessible to the enemy fleet.

Veterans of the fleet anchored at seven buoys that marked the places of the last stops: the battleships Silistria, Uriel, Selafail, Three Saints and Varna. Closer to the shores - one to the north, the other to the south - the frigates "Sizopol" and "Flora" became. The ships lined up almost strictly from north to south, between the Konstantinovskaya and Aleksandrovskaya batteries.

Equipment that could come in handy, heavy ship guns, gunpowder stock was removed from the ships and delivered to the shore. Late at night on September 11, 1854, the ships were flooded.

In the order of V.A. Kornilov on the fleet of September 11, 1854 said: "... It is sad to destroy our work: we used a lot of efforts to keep the ships doomed to sacrifice in an enviable order, but we must submit to necessity. Moscow was on fire, and Russia from this didn't die..."

The crews of the sunken ships, having gone ashore, joined the ranks of the defenders of the Sevastopol bastions. High naval discipline, military skill, bravery and courage served as an example for all participants in the defense. The siege winter was severe. Severe storms destroyed the barrier of sunken ships, so in February 1855 six more old ships - battleships"Twelve Apostles", "Svyatoslav", "Rostislav", frigates "Cahul", "Midiya" and "Mesemvria" - were launched to the bottom of the bay between the Nikolaevskaya and Mikhailovskaya batteries (to the east of those flooded earlier). The remaining ships were used for artillery support ground forces some served as hospitals.

In August 1855, when the Russian troops, on a specially directed pontoon bridge crossed the bay south side to the North, on the Sevastopol roadstead, the rest of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet were flooded ...

The author of the monument remained unknown for a long time. Only in 1949 in the Central State historical archive In the city of Leningrad, a list of works by the famous Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson (1855-1929) was discovered, compiled by himself in connection with his election as a full member of the Academy of Arts. This list also includes the Monument to the Scuttled Ships. Recent studies have revealed the participation in the creation of this monument of the architect V.A. Feldman and military engineer O.I. Enberg.

This majestic and proud monument is one of the most beloved by Sevastopol residents and guests of the city.

Almost all the monuments of Sevastopol are dedicated not only to specific events but also to the courage, glory, selflessness of Russian sailors. The monument to the sunken ships, which has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the city, confirms this.

1854-1855 - the time of the Crimean War and the First Defense of Sevastopol, very difficult for the city and heroic at the same time. After the allied (French-Anglo-Turkish) army of 350 ships landed in Evpatoria, it was decided to arrange a kind of barricade at the entrance to the bay: to flood the old ships and thereby close it from enemy ships.

This decision caused a lot of controversy. For example, Admiral Kornilov believed that it was necessary to develop alternative plan, suggesting a desperate rebuff to the enemy. Nakhimov did not agree with this, because allied forces far outnumbered the Russians both in numbers and in armament.

The point of view of Nakhimov and Commander-in-Chief Menshikov won the dispute. Veterans of the Russian fleet, from which all the guns were removed, stood at seven buoys. On the night of September 11, they were sunk, later, in November-December, three more ships were added to them, and in February six more ships were sunk. In August 1855, when the defenders of the fortress were forced to leave the south side, the rest of the fleet went to the bottom.

Interestingly, the ship "Three Saints" did not want to go to the bottom, despite the shooting at it. According to one of the legends, the sailors remembered that the icon was kept on it, swam to the ship and took it away. Only after that the ship was flooded.

The idea to perpetuate the memory of these events appeared in late XIX century, but it was implemented only in 1905, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the defense. The engineer Enberg, who designed the column protruding from the water, the architect Feldman, who placed the column on the rock, and the sculptor Adamson, took part in the creation of the famous monument.

Composition

The majestic Monument to the Scuttled Ships (dead, sunken - these options are also used by tourists, but they are not accurate) is a rock rising from the sea with a pedestal on which rises a Corinthian column with a bronze double-headed eagle. The bird bowing its head holds a wreath with an anchor in its beak, and on its chest there is a shield with the image of St. George the Victorious painted on it. From the side of Primorsky Boulevard, the monument is decorated with a bas-relief - a tragic scene of the sinking of ships.

One more fact is known, which is not related to the defense of Sevastopol, but very interesting. The monument is set on an oyster bank (a shallow once inhabited by oysters). In the first half of the 19th century, the Float restaurant was located here, in the center of which there was a swimming pool. Oysters were taken out of it and cooked right in front of the visitors. In general, Sevastopol was the "oyster capital" of Russia: there were three factories in the city, and it was Sevastopol oysters that were delivered to the imperial table. Moreover, mollusks were also exported to France, and for this purpose the first wagon in Russia equipped with a refrigeration unit was created.

The Monument to the Scuttled Ships was erected in memory of the ships that were sacrificed to save the city of Sevastopol from enemy attacks from the sea during the First Crimean War. This monument is a real symbol of the city, located on the most beautiful embankment and attracting thousands of tourists.

I decided to devote a separate post to the story about this monument, since it is the face of the city of Sevastopol. So, let's begin…

A couple of meters from the embankment of Primorsky Boulevard, on a cliff three meters high, erected from rough granite slabs, a sharp Corinthian column rises. It is adorned with a bronze eagle with outstretched wings holding a laurel wreath. There is an inscription on the commemorative plate: "In memory of the ships sunk in 1854-1855 to block the entrance to the raid." The total height of the monument is 16.66 meters. Opposite the monument to the scuttled ships, on the embankment wall, there are anchors from the very ships that were scuttled

Erected in 1905 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first heroic defense of the city, the monument recalls one of the sad but heroic moments of that battle:

After the landing in September 1854 of the Allied troops in Evpatoria and the defeat of the Russian land army in the battle of Alma, Sevastopol received an order from the commander-in-chief, Prince A.S. Menshikov: to sink several ships right at the entrance to the bay, thereby creating a kind of underwater barricade. This order, whose logic is disputed by some researchers to this day, became a personal tragedy for the Vice Admiral. Upon learning of the order, Kornilov reasoned that it was necessary to convene a military council and try to convince the officers to use an alternative plan on it: to repulse the enemy with all the forces of the fleet, and in case of failure, go on board and blow yourself up along with the enemy. Nakhimov became Kornilov's opponent at this meeting: the allied ships are well armed, their speed is higher, they are significantly outnumbered, and Sevastopol, in case of failure, may end up without any defense at all. When it became obvious that the majority of the council supported the opinion of Nakhimov, Kornilov went straight to the commander in chief. Menshikov sharply repeated his order, to which the angry Kornilov replied: “As a vice admiral and as an adjutant general, the execution of this last resort I won't take it upon myself!" After that, the commander-in-chief ordered Kornilov to surrender his powers and leave the city. For the vice-admiral, this was impossible, his restraint and prudence cooled the raging emotions.

Veterans of the fleet anchored at seven buoys that marked the points of the last stops: the ships Silistria, Uriel, Selafail, Three Saints and Varna. Closer to the coast - one to the north, the second to the south - the frigates "Sizopol" and "Flora" are located. The ships stood strictly from north to south, located between the Konstantinovskaya and Aleksandrovskaya batteries. All heavy ship guns and gunpowder were removed from the ships and sent ashore - all this could come in handy in further battles. On the night of September 11, 1854, the ships were sunk. The time-worn ship "Three Saints" could not sink for a long time. He was afloat until the morning, and only after multiple volleys at him from the steamship "Thunder Bearer" did he sink. Even experienced sailors and officers could not bear this tragic sight. After that, the teams of the sunken ships went ashore, replenishing the defensive ranks of the Sevastopol bastions

Here is a photo of the fairway where the ships were flooded

In the order of V.A. Kornilov dated September 11, 1854 stated: "... it is sad to destroy your many years of work: we spent a lot of effort to keep the ships doomed to death in an enviable order, but we must submit to fate. Moscow was on fire, but Russia did not die from this ... "

On November 14, a storm began, which gave this story a continuation. First of all, the steamer "Prince" was sent from England to Sevastopol with a secret arsenal, mines and a group of experienced divers to undermine the ships. However, during the November storm, this ship itself sank to the bottom near the rocks of Balaklava and, lying on the bottom of the Black Sea, overgrown with almost equally seaweed and legends about the gold that was supposedly on board. Secondly, the ships that sank in September were disturbed by a storm, the underwater barrier was severely broken - this was the reason for the creation of a second line of ships, from the Mikhailovskaya to the Nikolaevskaya battery. Therefore, in February 1855, six more old ships - the battleships "The Twelve Apostles", "Svyatoslav", "Rostislav", the frigates "Cahul", "Midiya" and "Mesemvria" - went to the bottom of the bay. The rest of the ships were used for artillery support ground forces, some of them relocated to hospitals.

Where were the above batteries located? The horseshoe-shaped Konstantinovskaya battery is still located on the North side, at the very entrance to the Sevastopol Bay. Every day at exactly 12 o'clock is heard from here, following the old maritime tradition, cannon shot:

Mikhailovskaya is also located on north side bay, a little further from the entrance to it:

Some batteries have not been preserved: Alexandrovskaya was located to the left of Konstantinovskaya, on the eastern cape, and the largest at that time in Europe, Nikolaevskaya, stretched almost the entire length of the current Primorsky Boulevard. In August 1855, when Russian troops crossed the bay from the South side to the North side using a specially constructed pontoon bridge, the remaining ships of the Black Sea Fleet were sunk in the roadstead ... From the history of the battles, let's move on to the history of the monument itself. Author of the monument long time remained unknown. Only in 1949 was a list of the works of the famous Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson (1855-1929) compiled by himself in connection with his appointment as a member of the Academy of Arts, found in the Central Historical Archive of Leningrad. This list also includes Monument to the Scuttled Ships. Studies have proven the participation in the creation of this monument also of the architect V.A. Feldman and military engineer Enberg. This majestic and proud monument is one of the most beloved by Sevastopol residents and guests of the city.