Sevastopol

Malakov Kurgan, Sevastopol

The was a key position in the defence of the city as it has such a commanding position high above the city. It is now a memorial park and entrance is through a white arch, created in 1905 to commemorate the start of the siege of Sevastopol in 1855, its 50th anniversary.

It was also a key position in the great Patriotic War 1941 - 45 and this is the memorial to the 8th Air Army.

A memorial to the French and Russian Warriors of 1855.

 There were two guns, taken from one of the sunken ships in the harbour to bolster the defences. The ship had been hit but had settled on the seaside but its upper structure was out of water. This was Gun No 2...

 ...and just thirty metres away, Gun No 1 known as Lieutenant Commander A P Matyukhin Battery...

 ...and his command post between and a little forward of the two guns.

This is the memorial to Vice Admiral V A Kornikov who led the defences of Sevastopol until he was killed early on in the siege and replaced with Admiral  P S Nakhimova

 Some mid 19th century artillery pieces...

...and a mock up of what an emplacement would have looked like.

 The squat defensive tower at the top of the hill. It is a reproduction built in 1960's as the original was damaged during the fighting and was not strong enough to survive the modern armour of the Nazi's. The English attacked and fought here from January to August when a French attack was finally successful. Admiral P S Nakhimova was killed by a sniper just to the left of the building and within weeks the city had fallen.

More gun emplacements.

The view overlooking the hills where the Battle of Inkerman was fought.

The view across the city from the top of the hill with the Konstantinovaskaya Battery at the entrance to the harbour in the centre of the photo.

Every large station has its large Lend Lease locomotive on display...

 ...but only Sevatopol can also boast that it has it own artillery piece mounted on a wagon outside the station as well.