Memorial Day for soldiers who fell during the Crimean War of 1853-1856

On September 9th, the Memorial Day for soldiers who lost their lives during the Crimean War (1853–1856) is celebrated. To show respect for those who gave their lives, the national flag of the Republic of Crimea will be lowered and a black ribbon will be attached to the flag pole. This day, on August 28th (September 9th), 1855 marked the end of the heroic 349-day defence of Sevastopol.

The tradition of this commemoration dates back to 1996 when the Supreme Council of Crimea passed Resolution No. 982-1, which established the Day of Remembrance for soldiers who died in the Crimean War and outlined measures to preserve, restore, maintain, and protect graves, monuments, and memorials associated with this event. In 2014, the State Council, confirming this date as a memorial day, revised the document. On March 6th, 2015, the Legislative Assembly of Sevastopol formally recognized this day as a significant event for the city.

According to various sources, the losses of the Russian army during the Crimean War, including the Balkans, Caucasus, and Crimea, amounted to over 450,000 people. General Adjutant E. I. Totleben, who oversaw engineering work during the defense of Sevastopol, estimated the total Russian army losses in the Crimea at 128,669, including 32,007 killed or missing. The headquarters of the Sevastopol garrison reported 17,015 killed, 58,272 wounded, and 15,174 suffering from shell shock, as well as 3,164 who were missing in action.

The number of soldiers who died from wounds and illnesses far exceeded the number killed in battle, especially among the medical personnel of the Crimean army, which bore the brunt of fighting. Their non-combat casualties amounted to approximately one-third of their total strength.

During the Crimean War, 1,238 doctors joined the army, including 449 from the Imperial Medical and Surgical Academy. Among them was Nikolai Pirogov, a renowned Russian surgeon, who arrived in Sevastopol with a small group of 35 doctors and nurses from the Holy Cross Sisters of Mercy, the world's first female medical organization, founded by Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna in St. Petersburg. The sisters, including A. P. Stakhovich, E. A. Khitrovo, E. M. Bakunina, E. P. Kartseva, and D. L. Mikhailova, known as "Dasha Sevastopolskaya", killed in the Battle of Sinop, made significant contributions to Russian medicine.

N. I. Pirogov made a significant contribution to the organization of the military medical service during the siege of Sevastopol. His innovations, such as sorting the wounded based on the severity of their injuries, the use of plaster bandages and chloroform, and the disinfection of hands and surgical instruments, helped to reduce casualties and became an integral part of military field surgery practice. He was supported by future luminaries of Russian medicine, S. P. Botkin and E. V. Kade, who later became chief physicians at the Mariinsky Hospital in St. Petersburg.

The lectures of N. I. Pirogov on military field surgery in Sevastopol were attended by L. N. Tolstoy, who would later become a great writer. Tolstoy was a participant in the defense of the city during the Crimean War.

The graves of soldiers who fought in the Crimean War can be found in many cities and towns in Crimea. These include the site of the Battle of Alma, near the village of Vilino; Bakhchisaray, Yevpatoria; Perekop, Balaklava; and the valley of the Belbek River. One of the most significant sites is the Memorial Cemetery in Simferopol, which served as the main rear hospital for the Russian army during the war and contains the graves of 36,000 soldiers in mass graves.

Much was done to commemorate Russian soldiers in preparation for the 50th anniversary celebration of the defence of Sevastopol, which took place in 1904-1905. Monuments and plaques were erected in places where bastions and batteries once stood. In May 1905, the Panorama Museum "Defence of Sevastopol" opened on the fourth bastion, where the museum still stands today.

Lit.: Будко А. А., Селиванов Е. Ф., Журавлёв Д. А. Медицинское обеспечение войск русской армии в ходе Крымской войны // ВИЖ. 2006. № 10 [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/meditsinskoe-obespechenie-voysk-russkoy-armii-v-hode-krymskoy-voyny; Гюббенет Х. Я. Очерк медицинской и госпитальной части русских войск в Крыму в 1854–1856 гг.: Прил. к «Описанию обороны Севастополя» [Э. И. Тотлебена]. СПб., 1870; Наумова Ю. А. Медицинские средства и потери русских войск в Крымскую войну // История военного дела: исследования и источники. 2012. Т. I [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/meditsinskie-sredstva-i-poteri-russkih-voysk-v-krymskuyu-voynu; Пирогов Н. И. Начала общей военно-полевой хирургии, взятые из наблюдений военно-госпитальной практики и воспоминаний о Кримской [т. е. Крымской] войне и Кавказской экспедиции. В 2 ч. Ч. 1. Дрезден, 1865; Ташлыков С. Л. Крымская война 1853–1856 // Большая российская энциклопедия: научно-образовательный портал [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://bigenc.ru/c/krymskaia-voina-1853-1856-c7c6d2/?v=6216912; Толстой Л. Н. Севастополь в декабре месяце / Из цикла «Севастопольские рассказы» // Собрание сочинений в 12 томах. Т. 2. М., 1973; Эрлихман В. Крымская война доктора Пирогова // Историк. 2016. Апрель. № 16 [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://xn--h1aagokeh.xn--p1ai/journal/post/6190.

Based on the materials of Presidential Library:

Crimean War (1853-1856): [digital collection]