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The heroic defenсe of Sevastopol in 1854–1855 began
On September 13 (25), 1854, a state of siege was declared in Sevastopol. The heroic 349-day defence of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet by Russian troops in the Crimean War (1853–1856) began.
After Turkey declared war on Russia on October 4 (16), 1853, active military operations took place on land and at sea, during which Turkey suffered a number of major defeats. A particularly severe blow was dealt by the Russian fleet under the command of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov in the Battle of Sinop, which resulted in the destruction of Osman Pasha’s Turkish squadron of 16 ships. Russia's successes aroused concern in Great Britain and France, who rushed to enter the war to support Turkey. On December 23, 1853 (January 4, 1854), the Anglo-French fleet entered the Black Sea, and on February 9 (21), Russia officially declared war on Great Britain and France.
In the summer of 1854, the Anglo-French-Turkish fleet blocked the Russian fleet in Sevastopol, and on September 1 (13), the British and French began landing an expeditionary force in Evpatoria. After the defeat of the Russian army under the command of Prince A.S. Menshikov in the battle of the Alma River on September 8 (September 20) and the capture of Balaklava by the British, the Allied troops rushed to Sevastopol.
The defence of the city was headed by Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov, his closest assistants were the squadron commander, Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov, head of the defence of the South Side, and Rear Admiral V. I. Istomin, head of the defence of Malakhov Kurgan. The engineering work was supervised by engineer-colonel E. I. Totleben.
Hasty preparations for the city's defence began. On September 11 (23), across the entrance to Sevastopol Bay, by order of the military council of the Black Sea Fleet, 5 sailing battleships and 2 frigates were scuttled to prevent the enemy fleet from breaking through. The city's defenders, working around the clock, created defensive lines: they erected redoubts, bastions and batteries. In a short time, a deeply layered defense was created, which became the best example of field fortification of its time. The number of artillery on the southern side alone, from where the main attack was expected, was 341 guns against 144 that the enemy had. By the time the Anglo-French-Turkish troops reached the approaches to Sevastopol on September 18 (30), the city’s garrison numbered 36,600 people.
The first enemy bombardment began on October 5 (17), 1854: the defensive structures came under powerful attack from land and sea. During the shelling on Malakhov Kurgan, Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov was killed. However, the enemy’s calculation to destroy the defence and break the spirit of the defenders did not materialize. By the morning of October 6 (18), the Sevastopol fortifications were restored. The defence of the city was headed by Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov.
On June 6 (18), 1855, the first serious defeat of the French-English army occurred: an attempt to take the city by storm on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo failed. On June 28 (July 10), 1855, P. S. Nakhimov, while inspecting the advanced fortifications, was mortally wounded in the head on Malakhov Kurgan and died 2 days later without regaining consciousness.
Meanwhile, the ground operations of the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince A. S. Menshikov, did not bring success: the battles of Balaklava (October 13 (25), 1854) and Inkerman (October 24 (November 5), 1854) were lost by the Russians troops, the assault on Evpatoria (February 5 (17), 1855) did not bring success either. After the defeat of the Russian army under the command of General M. D. Gorchakov in the battle on the Black River (August 4 (16), 1855), the allies began preparing a general assault on Sevastopol. From 5 to 8 (17 to 20) August, another bombardment of the city was carried out with 800 guns. The next, sixth, and most powerful bombardment of Sevastopol was carried out from August 24 to 27 (September 5–8) with 807 guns. The 2nd and 3rd bastions and fortifications of the Malakhov Kurgan were destroyed. On August 27 (September 8), the allied forces again began the assault. The result of fierce battles was the capture by the enemy of Malakhov Kurgan and the 2nd Bastion - the key nodes of the Sevastopol defence.
Taking into account the current situation, the commander of the Russian troops, General M. D. Gorchakov, decided to withdraw the remaining troops in Sevastopol to the North Side. On August 27 (September 8), 1855, the evacuation took place in one night. The fortifications and warehouses on the southern side were blown up, and the remaining ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the bay were scuttled. Despite the abandonment of Sevastopol, the Russian army remained combat ready and was ready for further battles. The Allies did not achieve the surrender of the Russian troops and, at the cost of heavy losses (about 73 thousand people (not counting the sick and those who died from diseases)), achieved only the capture of the destroyed city.
The heroic defence of Sevastopol became an example of the skillful organization of active defence, based on the interaction of ground forces and navy, as well as the high moral and combat qualities of its defenders. A participant in the defence was Leo Tolstoy, who, impressed by his experience, wrote a series of “Sevastopol Sketches”, where he depicted the harsh everyday life of the city’s defenders. The successors of the heroic exploits of the Sevastopol garrison were the soldiers of the Red Army during the days of the second Sevastopol defence of 1941–1942.
Лит.: Воробьёв Д. Севастопольская оборона (сентябрь 1854–август 1855 гг.) // Военный энциклопедический словарь [Электронный ресурс]. Режим доступа: https://xn--d1abichgllj9dyd8a.xn--90anlfbebar6i.xn--p1ai/encyclopedia/dictionary/list.htm; Зинько М.А. Севастопольская оборона 1854–1855 // Большая российская энциклопедия; Тарле Е.В. Крымская война: в 2 т. М.; Л., 1941-1944; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/h/tarle3/index.html.
Based on the Presidential Library's materials: