On May 7, at 10:30, after an hour and a half of artillery and aviation preparation, our troops went on the offensive in the main direction. On the right, located two echelons east of Inkerman and Fedyukhin Heights, units of the 51st Army delivered a blow to the enemy.

In the first echelon, the 1st Guards rifle corps Guard Lieutenant General I.I. Missan, who was moving towards Mount Sugar Loaf, and the 63rd Rifle Corps of Major General P.K. Koshevoy, who had the goal to go to the northern part Sapun mountains.

In the second echelon, the 10th Rifle Corps of Major General K.P. Neverov, who was tasked with building up the force of attack on the left flank of the 63rd Rifle Corps, reach the first echelon, building on success, storm Sapun Mountain and approach the southeastern outskirts Sevastopol.

The coastal army, consisting of three rifle corps, occupied the front from the southern part of Sapun Mountain to the seashore. She dealt the main blow in the direction of the heights of Gornaya and Bezymyannaya (the 3rd mountain rifle corps of Major General A.A. Luchinsky operated here). 11th Guards Rifle Corps, Major General S.E. Rozhdestvensky, being on the right flank of the army, advanced in the southern part of Sapun Mountain - on the heights of Karagach - the Bolshevik collective farm. Parts of the 16th Rifle Corps of Major General K.I. were moving along the seashore. Provalova.

From the first minutes of the offensive, bloody battles began on all sectors of the front. They were especially fierce in the area of ​​​​Sapun Mountain, which was stormed along with the soldiers of the 63rd and 11th Guards Rifle Corps by the soldiers of the 77th Rifle Division (the exposition includes a photograph and awards of its commander, Colonel A.P. Rodionov) and the 32nd guards rifle division (personal belongings and a photograph of its commander of the guard, colonel N.K. Zakurenkov, are exhibited).

In front of the infantry were assault groups and special detachments, which made passages in wire barriers, minefields, blocked and destroyed enemy firing points. These fighters were supported by our artillery, which hit the Nazi fortifications with direct fire. The battle for each trench lasted for hours.

During the battle, an unknown warrior managed to photograph the most interesting moment - assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944. You can see this valuable picture in the exhibition hall of the museum.

In the battles for Sapun Mountain, our soldiers showed examples of courage and mass heroism. Platoon commander Lieutenant P.A. acted boldly and decisively. Elisov from the 77th Infantry Division. With two fighters under heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy, he broke into the enemy's position and destroyed the crews of several firing points, allowing the infantry to move forward. The enemy launched several counterattacks, but they were all repulsed. 60 enemy corpses left on the battlefield. For courage and courage, Lieutenant P.A. Elisov was awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union.

The infantry was greatly assisted by a battery of 45-mm cannons, commanded by Lieutenant G.V. Lykov (also from the 77th Infantry Division). During the battle, Lykov promptly moved the guns forward and hit the enemy's firing points. During the assault on Sapun Mountain, this battery destroyed 3 cannons, 10 heavy machine guns, two observation posts, up to 100 soldiers and officers, and suppressed a platoon of battalion mortars.

Senior Lieutenant V.F. fought heroically. Zhukov (32nd Guards Rifle Division). He was the first to raise a company in an attack on the Bezymyannaya heights. The fighters broke into the enemy trench and in hand-to-hand combat destroyed several dozen fascists. V.F. Zhukov was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield. He continued to pursue the enemy along with his subordinates. The fearless commander died on the outskirts of Sevastopol.

On the stand there is a portrait of the platoon commander, Lieutenant M.Ya. Dzigunsky (417th Rifle Division) and a photocopy of his letter.

Thousands of other fighters and commanders showed unprecedented heroism that day. And although the enemy fiercely resisted, in some areas several times went over to the counterattack, nothing could stop the powerful breakthrough of the Soviet troops. They persistently moved along the steep slopes of the Sapun Mountain to its top.

The pilots of the 8th air army. On May 7, they made 1460 sorties, destroyed and burned 5 fascist tanks, 32 vehicles, 10 ammunition depots, 14 batteries and shot down 32 enemy aircraft.

Among the aviators, warriors of the most diverse nationalities of our Motherland fearlessly fought the enemy. The best crew of the 76th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment included Bashkirs M.G. Gareev and Russian A.I. Kiryanov. In the battles for Sevastopol, they flew 15 times to storm enemy airfields and 14 times to destroy enemy watercraft. And in just the years of the war, M.G. Gareev made 250 sorties, destroyed a lot of manpower and equipment of the enemy. The brave pilot was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. A rare incident happened to him - on May 1, 1945, in East Prussia, the commander of the 1st Air Army T.T. Khryukin pinned two Gold Star medals to his chest at once, and the unit commander presented two orders - Alexander Nevsky and World War II, 1st degree.

Aerial gunner A.I. Kiryanov, who flew with M.G. Gareev, for courage and bravery was also awarded high government awards. He became a knight of the Order of Glory of three degrees. Photos of the members of this illustrious crew are on display. There are also photographs of other remarkable pilots, heroes of air battles - K.A. Averyanova, V.A. Chkheidze, V.D. Lavrenenkov, Amet-Khan Sultan, V.M. Tyukova, I.I. Kindyusheva, E.Ya. Savitsky, O.A. Sanfirova, M.V. Smirnova, the crew of the aircraft M.E. Malushchenko... This list goes on.

At 1930 hours, units of the 77th and 32nd Guards Rifle Divisions almost simultaneously reached the crest of Sapun Mountain. The first to seize the enemy fortifications were the fighters of the 85th regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel K.K. Yakovlev, and the 105th regiment of Major I.S. Slizhevsky.

One after another, red flags flashed on the top of Sapun Mountain. They were hoisted by Private S.P. Evglevsky, Corporal V.I. Drobyazko, Sergeant A.A. Kurbanov and others.

It should also be called junior lieutenant V.F. Gromakov. His platoon was among the first to reach the crest of Sapun Mountain. The soldiers entered into hand-to-hand combat with the Nazis. During the battle, V.F. Gromakov picked up the red banner that fell from the hands of the dead soldier and hoisted it on high. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union marked the feat of a courageous officer.

A worthy contribution to the victorious assault on Sapun Mountain was made by the soldiers of engineering and sapper units. In the exposition you will see a photograph of Colonel P.Kh. Priceless, his guards badge and epaulettes, a portrait and an "Excellent miner" badge of Private A.N. Fomin, as well as a portrait of the commander of the sapper company D.S. Zagorulko.

Guard Colonel P.Kh. Priceless commanded the 7th Engineer Brigade, which ensured successful fighting 51st Army during the assault on the enemy's defensive fortifications. The most difficult and responsible task was carried out by this brigade to clear the city of mines after its liberation.

Private of the 275th engineer-sapper battalion A.N. Fomin, a resident of Sevastopol, participated in many battles. During the war years, he, as part of the 51st Army, went through its entire combat path.

Senior Lieutenant D.S. Zagorulko earned the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union by selfless military labor. He commanded a sapper company, which ensured the advancement of the 105th rifle regiment. Working under enemy fire, the company's fighters destroyed all engineering obstacles in the path of the infantry, neutralized 480 mines, made 15 passes in wire obstacles, blew up two pillboxes and repaired the road for escort artillery.

After that, Zagorulko, on his own initiative, covered the assault detachments of the regiment with the fire of his company, destroying many soldiers and officers and 10 enemy machine guns. Then he took part in street fights. When blocking the last strong point of the enemy, D.S. Zagorulko died.

The offensive of our troops at the decisive moment of the assault on Sapun Mountain was provided by the 7th, 12th, 13th, 63rd engineer-sapper brigades and separate engineer battalions.

There were many women among the participants in the operation to liberate the city. The exposition presents photographs, documents and personal belongings of Lydia Polonskaya, Evgenia Deryugina and Nadezhda Sivko-Razumovskaya, who distinguished themselves in these battles.

In the Sevastopol sky, the female pilots of the 46th Guards Taman Red Banner Order of Suvorov, 3rd class aviation regiment of night bombers, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel E.D. Bershanskaya (her photograph is placed on the stand). Some of them have traveled a glorious path from the Caucasus to Berlin. 23 female pilots of the regiment were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Dozens of fighters and commanders were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their bravery during the assault on Sapun Mountain. Among them, Major General P.K. Koshevoy, Colonel A.P. Rodionov, lieutenant colonel N.V. Baranov, Major G.K. Fly, Captain A.Kh. Chakryan, Major S.L. Karas, Lieutenant V.V. Chebotarev, junior lieutenant V.A. Mironov, senior sergeant A.Ya. Abdulaev, private G.M. Ivashkevich and many, many others.

By the end of the day on May 7, Soviet troops captured Sapun Mountain. At dawn on May 8, the troops of the front resumed the offensive. The 2nd Guards Army captured the Mykenzian Mountains and reached the North Bay. Parts of the 1st Guards Rifle Corps of the 51st Army, having made a roundabout maneuver, captured Sugarloaf and Inkerman. Officers G.I. fought valiantly here. Biryukov, G.I. Gabriadze, Sergeant G.M. Dub, I.E. Kochiev, N.I. Kuznetsov, F.I. Matveev, Private M.I. Buryak. All of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By the way, Colonel Fyodor Ivanovis Matveev is still serving in Sevastopol.

The enemy offered stubborn resistance in the offensive zone of the 216th Infantry Division (commander Colonel G.F. Malyukov). The company commander, Senior Lieutenant P.P., acted heroically in this battle. Shirokov. When the Nazis went on a counterattack, he let them in at 50 meters, and then ordered them to open fire. The Nazis could not stand the flurry of fire and lay down. At this point, P.P. Shirokov raised a company to attack "Forward! Give Sevastopol!" The enemy node of resistance was taken. For courage and military skill P.P. Shirokov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. His photograph is on display.

On the outskirts of the city, a tank platoon of the 22nd Guards Tank Regiment distinguished itself under the command of Lieutenant I.I. Revkov. In the battle on Zelenaya Gorka, Revkov personally destroyed 3 tanks, 4 guns, 6 firing points and 150 enemy soldiers and officers. One of the first on his tank, he broke into Sevastopol. I.I. Revkov and the driver of this guard tank, senior sergeant N.S. Vodolazkin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On this day, the Primorsky Army, with the troops of the 3rd Mountain Rifle Corps and the 16th Rifle Corps, broke through the enemy’s main defense line and captured the Gornaya height, the village of Karan and reached Mount Kaya-Bash.

The exposition presents a painting by the artist A.L. Lubenko "Assault on the Mountain Height", photographs of the heroes of the assault on enemy fortifications V.I. Papidze, M.A. Gakkel, I.E. Barge haulers.

On May 9, our troops broke through the enemy's internal defensive line and in the afternoon reached the southeastern part of the city. Formations of the 1st Guards Rifle Corps, together with the troops of the 2nd Guards Army, liberated the Ship side. On the approaches to it, during the assault on the height dominating the terrain, the feat of Alexander Matrosov was repeated by senior sergeant S.B. Pogadaev (263rd Rifle Division). On the stand - a photograph of a warrior-hero.

On May 9, by 19:00, troops of the 10th Rifle Corps (216th and 257th Rifle Divisions) broke into the city and, in cooperation with units of the 2nd Guards Army, started street fighting.

The troops of the Primorsky Army with their main forces, together with the 19th Tank Corps, which was brought into battle on the morning of May 9, developed the offensive in the direction of Cape Chersonese. By 19:00, formations of the 11th Guards Rifle Corps occupied the southwestern outskirts of the city and, together with the 51st and 2nd Guards armies, participated in the liberation of Sevastopol.

The stand presents photographs of the battles in the panorama area, on the Grafskaya pier, the moment the banner was hoisted on the building of the Water Station.

On May 10, the Pravda newspaper wrote: "Hello, dear Sevastopol! Beloved city of the Soviet people, hero city, hero city! The whole country joyfully greets you!"

After the liberation of Sevastopol, the remnants of the 17th German Army, pressed to the sea, continued to offer stubborn resistance. The task of defeating them was entrusted to the Primorsky Army, the 10th Rifle Corps of the 51st Army, the 19th Tank Corps and the 63rd Tank Brigade.

All attempts by the enemy to evacuate the remnants of the army were thwarted by the active actions of aviation and ships Black Sea Fleet. In May alone, the Black Sea pilots fired 4506 aircraft shots, sank 68 and damaged 55 enemy ships, transports and boats. Pilots A.I. became famous in air battles. Zhestkov, V.S. Snesarev, V.I. Minakov, V.A. Narzhimsky, N.A. Kislyak, I.I. Kitsenko, I.P. Belozerov, M.V. Avdeev, M.I. Mushroom and others. A great merit in organizing these battles belongs to the division commanders, lieutenant colonels I.E. Korzunov and V.P. Kanarev.

The stand exhibits a photograph showing the aircraft of the Hero of the Soviet Union M.I. Mushroom. The display case contains the flight helmet of the commander of the 2nd Guards Mine and Torpedo aviation division V.P. Kanareva.

The personnel of the submarine brigade under the command of Rear Admiral P.I. Boltunov. From the beginning of April to May 12, submariners sank 26 enemy ships with a total displacement of 53,500 tons. The great masters of the torpedo strike were the commanders of the boats M.V. Greshilov, B.A. Alekseev, A.N. Kesaev, M.I. Khomyakov and others. The exposition includes a photograph in which the commander of the Shch-215 submarine M.V. Greshilov was filmed at the central post at the periscope.

High military skill and perseverance were shown by the Black Sea boatmen. They sank 9 transports and many other enemy watercraft with a total displacement of 28,000 tons. The high title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to officers A.G. Kananadze, S.N. Kotov, K.G. Kochiev, B.M. Pershin, V.S. Pilipenko, M.P. Podymakhin, A.E. Chertsov, I.P. Shengur, G.A. Rogachevsky and others.

The last battles in the area of ​​Cape Khersones were especially fierce. Soviet soldiers performed many feats in those days, showing examples of courage and courage. Trying to escape from the iron ring, the Nazis attacked a large number of infantry and 13 self-propelled guns. Deputy commander of the 63rd tank battalion tank brigade senior lieutenant M.I. Myasnikov, replacing the wounded commander, led the tanks on the attack and began to push the Nazis to the sea. Myasnikov's tank was hit and the crew members were seriously wounded. Leaving the car, M.I. Myasnikov continued to lead the unit until the battle was over. The brave officer was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On May 12, by 10 o'clock, the remnants of the Nazi troops ceased resistance. In the area of ​​Cape Khersones, about 24,000 soldiers and officers, 3 generals and a large amount of equipment and weapons were taken prisoner.

The Crimean operation ended with a brilliant victory for the Soviet troops. Over 60,000 prisoners were captured, a lot of equipment and weapons, a large number of ships with military cargo.

Enemy losses at sea from air strikes and ships of the Black Sea Fleet amounted to about 42,000 soldiers and officers.

For excellent military operations, one hundred and eighteen formations and units of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet were given the honorary name "Sevastopol". The banners of two such units are exhibited in the hall.

During the liberation of Sevastopol, thousands of Soviet soldiers distinguished themselves. The motherland highly appreciated the courage and bravery of the fighters and commanders. Many of them were awarded orders and medals, and 213 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 8, 1965, the city of Sevastopol was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, the Order of the Red Banner was awarded to the Black Sea Fleet.

The solemn minutes of the presentation of awards to Sevastopol are captured in the photograph that you see in the exposition.

Before leaving the exposition hall, let's return to the relief map of Crimea. 1941 Blue arrows are drawn to Sevastopol. For more than eight months, the city defended itself in the difficult conditions of the blockade, when every cartridge, every shell counted, when ammunition, people and equipment had to be brought here by sea. 1944 Red arrows rushed from Perekop and Kerch to the capital of the Black Sea. The assault began on May 7th. Two days later, the banner of victory was raised over the city.

You see this banner in the hands of a Soviet soldier in the picture located to the left of the map. Our fighters who liberated Sevastopol are saluting victory. Columns of captured Nazi soldiers are wandering dejectedly. Their inglorious path is over.

Pay attention to the showcase in the center of the hall. As a symbol of the power and invincibility of the Soviet Armed Forces, two 305-mm artillery shells rise, and a defeated fascist banner and orders lie on the floor.

From the exposition hall we go up the stairs to the lobby of the diorama "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944".

Entering the observation deck, you will be transported to the now distant, but never forgotten days associated with the liberation of Sevastopol. Diorama is a special kind of fine art. It allows you to open up well. difficult topics, to create in the viewer a complete sense of the reality of the events taking place, to convey the depth of space. And now you have the impression that you were on the slope of Sapun Mountain in the midst of the battle.

In front of you is a piece of terrain from the height of the Sugar Loaf to Balaklava, where a fierce battle is going on.

The artists reproduced the moment of the highest tension of the battle, when the soldiers of the Primorsky and 51st armies come to the crest of Sapun Mountain. You see infantrymen, tankers, sappers and artillerymen storming the enemy fortifications in a single offensive impulse.

Pilots of the 8th Air Army under the command of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation T.T. Khryukin. Here a battle with the Messerschmitts was started by a flight of Yak-7 aircraft from the 3rd Fighter Corps of the Hero of the Soviet Union E.Ya. Savitsky.

Away at sea, torpedo boats of the brigade of captain 2nd rank G.D. Dyachenko together with aircraft air force fleets destroy enemy transports and guard ships with bombs and torpedoes.

But the main events unfold on land. At the foot of the Crimean Mountains, powerful Soviet artillery was concentrated. Batteries fire continuously on the crest of Sapun Mountain. In the Zolotaya Balka valley, and especially in the offensive zone of the 3rd Mountain Rifle Corps, Major General A.A. Luchinsky, guards mortars "Katyusha" are operating.

The tanks of the 63rd separate tank brigade of Colonel A.I. are attacking along the Zolotaya Balka valley. Rudakov, 85th and 22nd Guards separate tank regiments of Colonel S.N. Tarasov and Guard Colonel A.S. Barabasha.

And Sapun Mountain is being stormed by soldiers of the 11th Guards and 63rd Rifle Corps.

The 77th Rifle Division of Colonel A.P. is operating in the very center. Rodionov and the 32nd Guards Rifle Division, Colonel N.K. Zakurenkov. Separate assault groups of these divisions are depicted in the foreground of the painting.

The assault on Sapun Mountain has been going on for more than six hours. The sun is going down. The last tens of meters remained to the top. Sevastopol land is covered with blood. Every stone, every ledge is taken with a fight.

On the left side of the picture, a group of fighters under the command of the Komsomol organizer of the battalion Vitaly Komissarov, who replaced the commander wounded in battle, is attacking an enemy battery.

Artillerymen move along with the infantrymen: they roll out 45-mm anti-tank guns, firing at the Nazis with direct fire. The commander of one of the guns, senior sergeant Ivan Golitsyn, was wounded in the head, but he did not leave the battlefield.

At easel machine gun brave warrior Kuzma Moskalenko, who destroyed more than forty Nazis during the assault. He has suppressed the fire of four enemy machine guns with his "Maxim" and is now clearing the way to the top for fellow infantrymen.

In front of him, in a crater from an exploding shell, sniper foreman Nikolai Moryatov took up a position. He killed over two dozen fascists with well-aimed fire that day, and now he took aim at an enemy officer who is trying to raise his soldiers in a counterattack.

Along with men, they heroically fulfill their duty to the Motherland of a woman. Here medical instructor Evgenia Deryugina covered a wounded soldier with herself. A Sevastopol girl, a former student, voluntarily went to the front in the first days of the war, participated in the defense and liberation of her native city. In the period from May 3 to May 7, Zhenya carried dozens of wounded Soviet soldiers from the battlefield. But an enemy bullet cut short the life of a patriot.

In the harsh years of the war, warriors of all nationalities of our vast country stood shoulder to shoulder to defend the Motherland. In the flame of battles, their friendship grew stronger, tempered and sealed with blood.

The canvas depicts the mortally wounded foreman of the 1st article Semyon Mashkevich. He traveled a glorious path from Odessa to Stalingrad and dreamed of participating in the liberation of the heroic Sevastopol from the enemy. Comrade Semyon, squad leader Dadash Babazhanov, is trying to lift him up to show the dying man the top of Sapun Mountain. Babazhanov vows to his friend to avenge him. And he kept his word: in the battles now Sevastopol destroyed fifteen German soldiers and captured two officers. Babazhanov returned as a hero of the Soviet Union to his native Uzbekistan.

The tension of the battle is growing. On a dilapidated enemy pillbox - a group of Soviet intelligence officers led by Lieutenant Mikhail Golovnya. The lieutenant was wounded in the arm, but, overcoming the pain, rushed forward, raising his machine gun high above his head and urging his comrades to follow him. From light machine gun firing at the enemy is his friend senior sergeant Nikolai Gunko.

To the right, the telephone operator clung to the ledge of the rock. This is Nadezhda Sivko. Despite the heavy fire of the enemy, she and her comrades ensured uninterrupted communication between the command and the advancing units. In the battles for Sevastopol, the girl showed courage and was awarded the medal "For Courage".

In the foreground of the picturesque canvas of the diorama is sapper Fyodor Skoryatin. His hand hung lifelessly on the wire fence. Being mortally wounded, he threw grenades at the enemy pillbox and silenced him. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Skoryatin posthumously.

A division of Lieutenant Sakharov rushed into the passage in the barbed wire that cost Skoryatin his life. He leads the fighters behind him and does not see how the enemy is aiming at him from behind cover. Guards Private Ashot Markaryan covers the commander from a fascist bullet with his body and dies, saving his life.

Nearby, Private Ilya Polikahin throws a grenade into an enemy dugout. Despite being seriously wounded, he did not leave the battlefield and was one of the first to break through to the crest of Sapun Mountain. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union marked his feat.

Standard bearers go ahead of the attackers. You see how, mortally wounded, one of them falls. This is the party organizer of the company Yevgeny Smelovich.

But immediately the banner was picked up by Private Ivan Yatsunenko and one of the first to hoist it on the crest of Sapun Mountain. For this feat, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Almost simultaneously, the standard-bearers reached the crest of Sapun Mountain: Private V.I. Evglevsky, soldiers from the battalion of Captain N.V. Shilova, Sergeant N.S. Sosnin, Private V.I. Drobyazko, Sergeant A.V. Timofeev and others.

Already close to the top of the mountain. The enemy fiercely resists. Hitler's tanks dug into the ground and the surviving pillboxes fire from the top of the advancing Soviet soldiers.

In the depths of the picture, you see how Lieutenant Mikhail Dzigunsky rushes at the machine gun of an enemy pillbox. The officer faithfully fulfilled the first commandment of the Soviet soldier - die yourself, and help out your comrade. Mikhail Yakovlevich Dzigunsky was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

It is not easy to win. Soviet flamethrowers burn Nazis out of shelters and trenches. The struggle is for every meter of Sevastopol land.

Here, units of senior lieutenant Georgy Stepanovich Kalinichenko and junior lieutenant Vasily Gromakov are approaching the top of the mountain. With a pistol in his hand, lieutenant Vasily Zhukov leads the company. His fighters were among the first to reach the crest of Sapun Mountain. Vasily Zhukov died in the battles for Sevastopol. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Despite all the difficulties, the enemy's resistance was broken. By the end of the day on May 7, Soviet troops captured Sapun Mountain.

The artists did not depict that moment on the canvas, but looking at the diorama, you are convinced that victory is close. The premonition of liberation is strengthened by the episodes depicted in the picturesque inserts built into the subject plan of the diorama. On one of them, the artist N.S. Prisekin portrayed a Soviet soldier taking a Nazi prisoner. This is the party organizer of the company, junior sergeant Sergei Elagin. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for bravery and courage shown in the battles for Sapun Mountain. On another insert, the artist G.I. Marchenko wrote the chief foreman Nikolai Supryagin, who, in hand-to-hand combat, like a sailor, forces the fascist to lay down his arms.

The diorama gives the audience a sense of pride in their homeland, gratitude to the liberators, respect for the feat of the heroes of Sevastopol.

Written on a scientific basis, historically truthful and executed at a high artistic level, the diorama "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944" plays huge role in the communist and military-patriotic education of the working people and soldiers of the Soviet Army and Navy.

The value of the diorama is great. Many visitors leave warm and heartfelt lines in the guest book (there are already nine volumes). So, for example, the space brothers Andrian Nikolaev and Pavel Popovich wrote in it: “We looked with admiration at the diorama of the assault on Sapun Mountain. Courage and heroism are shown very well Soviet people. Glory to the heroes of the assault on Sapun Mountain!". And here is the review of the author of the monument to P.S. Nakhimov in Sevastopol, Academician N.V. Tomsky: "Thanks to Maltsev, Prisekin and Marchenko for the work filled with life's truth. I'm happy for you, friends!"

The general secretary of the French Communist Party, Maurice Thorez, left the following entry: "This diorama tells more than two books about Sevastopol."

The diorama made a strong impression on the employees of the Central State Archive of Film Documents of the USSR. They wrote in the guest book: "The emotional impact of the diorama is enormous. It looks with great excitement. The hearts of the audience are filled with a feeling of the greatest gratitude to those who, despising death, fearlessly looked into her face, performed immortal feats in the name of the life of future generations."

Exposition of military equipment and weapons

Leaving the building where the diorama is located, you go down the granite stairs, go to the left and see the open exposition of military equipment from the period of the Great Patriotic War, created in 1960. Here - engineering and sapper weapons, field and anti-aircraft artillery, armored vehicles, samples of guards mortars - "Katyusha" and some combat means Navy.

Field artillery during the Great Patriotic War was the main fire and strike force of the Soviet ground forces. In battles with the Nazi invaders, she inflicted huge losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment and was rightfully called the "god of war."

The first two guns belong to anti-tank artillery, the main task of which was to fight enemy armored vehicles. Created in 1942, the 45-mm anti-tank gun could fire at ranges up to 4.5 km with armor-piercing tracer and sub-caliber projectiles. During the war, more powerful tanks appeared in the Nazi army. Therefore, Soviet designers created a 57-mm anti-tank gun, it was put into service in 1943 and in the Battle of Kursk showed very high efficiency in the fight against enemy tanks "Tiger" and "Panther". Therefore, our fighters often called this gun "St. John's wort". Shooting from a 57-mm gun was carried out at distances up to 8 km with fragmentation, armor-piercing and sub-caliber shells. The latter pierced the armor of a tank 100 mm thick at a distance of up to 1000 m, and at a distance of 500 m up to 140 mm.

The 76-mm ZIS-3 gun, adopted in 1942, was the best gun of this caliber in World War II. She could fire at ranges over 13 km with high-explosive fragmentation, cumulative (armor-burning) and armor-piercing shells in order to destroy enemy tanks, fire weapons and manpower, destroy light-type shelters and barbed wire. The 122-mm howitzer was put into service in 1938, according to its tactical and technical data, it was the best in the world among guns of this type. It was intended for the destruction of enemy firepower and manpower, minefields, the destruction of bunkers and other field-type structures, as well as barbed wire. Thanks to the hinged trajectory of the projectile, she could hit the enemy in shelters (behind the mountain, in ravines and hollows). The howitzer had separate loading - first the projectile was loaded, and then the cartridge with the charge.

The 152 mm howitzer of the 1938 model performed the same tasks as the 122 mm howitzer. In addition, it was intended for the destruction of powerful defensive structures (pillboxes, etc.)

The 122 mm gun was put into service in 1931 and upgraded in 1937. This is one of the first samples of Soviet field artillery and the best in the world among guns of this type. The gun could fire at ranges up to 21 km and was intended to destroy enemy artillery, suppress distant targets, destroy pillboxes and other powerful defensive structures, as well as to fight tanks.

The 37-mm anti-aircraft automatic gun of the 1939 model was used to destroy enemy aircraft at low and medium altitudes (up to 4 km), as well as to fire at ground targets - manpower, light tanks and enemy armored vehicles.

The 85-mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model was intended for combating enemy aircraft at high altitudes (up to 10 km). Shooting from this gun at ground targets and especially tanks was very effective.

The 152-mm cannon of the 1935 model was the first example of the Russian artillery of the High Command Reserve. During the Great Patriotic War, she showed high combat qualities, striking at long ranges (up to 27 km) enemy troops, artillery, command posts, powerful defensive structures and accumulations of enemy equipment. To move the gun, two tractors were required (for the barrel and gun carriage).

The maneuverable nature of the war and the widespread use by the Soviet command in battles with the enemy of large tank and mechanized formations required an increase in the speed of movement of field artillery. In this regard, self-propelled artillery began to be created in our army.

Armored vehicles are represented in the exhibition by some samples of self-propelled guns and tanks.

self-propelled artillery mount SU-76 mounted on chassis light tank and was used to destroy the firepower and manpower of the enemy, as well as to directly support the infantry during the battle. Installation weight - 10.5 tons, travel speed - up to 30 km / h, crew - 4 people, armament - 76-mm cannon and two machine guns.

The SU-100 self-propelled artillery mount was created on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank and was intended to fight enemy armored vehicles, as well as to destroy enemy fire weapons and manpower. Weight - 31.5 tons, speed - up to 50 km / h, armament - 100-mm cannon and machine gun, crew - 4 people.

And here is the best T-34 tank in the world, which was created before the war by Soviet designers led by M.I. Koshkin. The exceptionally high combat qualities of this tank in one of the Nazi documents were characterized as follows: "The shelling of the T-34 tank anti-tank shells gave varying degrees of success. When firing from the flank, it was observed that the shells even at a distance of 100 meters bounced off the armor. The normal light field howitzer grenade is not valid when fired from the closest ranges. A high-explosive grenade against a running gear is also invalid."

By the beginning of World War II, the armored forces of the Red Army already had T-34 tanks. In 1943, they began to install an 85-mm cannon, while the enemy medium T-V tank("panther") had a 75 mm cannon (the tank first appeared at the front in 1943).

Heavy tank IS-2, created by a group of designers led by Zh.Ya. Kotin, entered service in armored troops in 1944. It was one of the most powerful tanks Second World War. He successfully fought against enemy tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts, was also used to destroy fire weapons and manpower and destroy defensive structures.

It should be noted that the Soviet heavy tank The IS-2 in terms of its combat qualities significantly surpassed enemy heavy tanks.

So, with a weight of 46 tons, the IS-2 tank was armed with a 122-mm cannon, and the enemy tank T-VI ("tiger", first appeared at the front in 1943) with a weight of 55 tons and even the "royal tiger" (first appeared at the front in August 1944) with a weight of 70 tons were armed with guns of a much smaller caliber - only 88 mm.

Heavy self-propelled artillery mounts ISU-152 and ISU-122 were mounted on the chassis of the IS-2 tank and were intended to destroy heavy enemy tanks and self-propelled guns, weapons and manpower and destroy powerful defensive structures. Installations were used when breaking through a heavily fortified enemy defense.

Both Soviet heavy self-propelled guns were even more noticeably superior in combat qualities to the enemy ones. Thus, the German heavy self-propelled artillery mount "Ferdinand" (first appeared at the front in 1943), weighing 68 tons, was armed with only an 88-mm gun and a speed of only 20 km / h. Ours were armed with 152-mm (ISU-152) and 122-mm (ISU-122) guns and a speed of 35 km / h with a weight of 46 tons.

Rocket artillery and mortars are presented in the exposition by two samples of guards mortars "Katyusha", 120-mm and 160-mm mortars.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet rocket artillery began to develop rapidly.

The leading designers of the guards mortars were N.I. Tikhomirov, V.A. Artemiev, B.S. Petropavlovsky, I.T. Kleimenov, G.E. Langemak and I.I. Gwai. The first Katyusha rocket salvo was fired on July 14, 1941 at 15:15 against enemy troops at the Orsha railway station. Seven installations, equipped with 16 missiles each, entered the battle.

Here is what the participant in this event, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.I. Eremenko: "The effect of a one-time burst of 112 missiles within 10-15 seconds exceeded all expectations." And here are the lines from the report of the Nazi command: "The Russians used a battery with an unprecedented number of guns. High-explosive incendiary shells, but of an unusual effect. The troops fired upon by the Russians testify: the fire raid is like a hurricane, the losses in people are significant."

The BM-13 combat vehicle was the first model of rocket artillery and was used to destroy accumulations of manpower and fire weapons, tanks, as well as to suppress enemy artillery and mortar batteries at ranges up to 8 km. Rocket caliber - 132 mm, weight 42 kg.

The BM-31-12 combat vehicle performed the same tasks as the BM-13 combat vehicle, but fired 12 heavy rockets, which were put into service in June 1942. The metal frames from which they were launched were first installed on the ground (in ditches).

At the end of 1943, the frame was improved and mounted on a car. The range of the missile is up to 4 km, the caliber is 130 mm, and the weight is 94.6 kg. During the explosion of such a rocket, a funnel with a diameter of 5-8 m and a depth of up to 1.5 m was formed.

A large role in the battles with the enemy was played by barreled mortars, which are presented in the exposition by two systems:

The 120-mm mortar was put into service in 1938 and was used to destroy manpower and fire weapons, as well as to destroy light defensive structures and barbed wire. Loaded from the muzzle.

The 160 mm mortar was designed and used in combat in 1943 and performed the same tasks as the 120 mm mortar, but was loaded from the breech.

The hinged trajectory of the flight of mines made it possible to destroy the enemy on the reverse slopes of heights, in ravines and in the mountains.

There is also an anti-aircraft searchlight station at the exhibition of military equipment. It was intended to detect and illuminate enemy aircraft at night in order to destroy them. anti-aircraft artillery and fighter aircraft. The station could detect and illuminate a bomber aircraft at a distance of up to 20 km when it was flying at an altitude of 4 km.

Military equipment of the Navy presented in the exposition various types weapons and a torpedo boat of the Komsomolets type, which was transferred to the museum in 1968. The boat was designed in 1943 and was used to destroy enemy warships and transports. His main weapon is two torpedoes, and a coaxial machine gun could fight enemy aircraft. The speed of the torpedo boat is about 55 knots (up to 100 km/h).

The DM-6 stereoscopic marine rangefinder was installed on warships and coastal artillery batteries as one of the artillery fire control devices. It was used to measure distances to sea targets, the distance measurement limit was 42 km.

Moving further, you will see samples of artillery pieces that were installed on warships of various classes - sea ​​hunters, patrol ships, destroyers, submarines, as well as coastal artillery batteries.

Compared to field artillery, naval guns have higher tactical and technical data - firing range, rate of fire and the ability to fire at sea, ground and air targets.

The exposition also includes sea mines - a spherical contact-anchor mine, model 1908, and a non-contact aviation magnetic bottom mine (AMD-1000).

In 1840, the Russian scientist B.S. Jacobi developed a spherical mine that exploded with a special device when it hit the side of the ship. This principle was preserved in the exhibited mine. Its total weight is 600 kg, the weight of the explosive (TNT) is 115 kg. It was placed in water to a depth of 25 m and held in place with an anchor.

Non-contact mine AMD-1000 (weight 1000 kg) entered service at the end Great Patriotic War and could be dropped into the water from an aircraft (on a special parachute). It exploded from the effect of the ship's magnetic field on the device with the first impulse hit. It was placed at a depth of up to 30 m. The weight of the explosive was 700 kg.

Torpedo (from the Latin "torpedo" - fish, electric ramp) - a self-propelled and self-guided mine, which was intended to destroy the most vulnerable underwater part of the ship. The first torpedo project was developed in Russia in 1865 by the Russian engineer I.F. Aleksandrovsky, but the tsarist government did not accept the project. And two years later, a sample of the torpedo was designed in England by the Englishman R. Whitehead and the Austrian M. Luppius.

The exposed steam-gas torpedo with a diameter of 450 mm consists of a charging compartment, tanks for kerosene and air, an engine room (engine) and two propellers. The internal combustion engine runs on a vapor-gas mixture of kerosene and air heated in a special device. The torpedo exploded from hitting the side of the ship. Travel range from 6 to 15 km at a speed of 40 to 70 km / h (the higher the speed, the less distance traveled, and vice versa). A torpedo tube was used to throw a torpedo into the water using compressed air or a powder charge. The length of the device - 6 m, weight - 300 kg.

A depth charge mounted on a bomb thrower (bomb thrower) trolley was used to destroy enemy submarines. The range of throwing a bomb from a bomb launcher is 40, 80 and 110 m. Weight is about 130 kg.

The last item on display is an armor-piercing projectile of 305 mm caliber from the 30th coastal battery(in the center), designed to destroy large warships with powerful armor protection, and practical (training) shells from the Sevastopol battleship. The weight of shells is about 470 kg.

When getting acquainted with the area, you, of course, noticed defensive structures on the slope of Sapun Mountain - pillboxes, trenches and shelters. During the period of the heroic defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942, the defensive line of the Soviet troops passed on Sapun Mountain, which was almost completely destroyed during the fighting.

In the autumn of 1943, when our troops approached the Crimea from the north and seized the bridgehead in the Kerch region, the Nazi command set about creating the main line of defense here, equipped with three or four tiers of trenches with machine gun platforms, firing positions for artillery and mortars, and cells for shooters. In addition, numerous concrete shelters and shelters, pillboxes and bunkers were built, wire fences were installed in 4-6 rows, and dozens of enemy tanks were dug into the ground on the crest of Sapun Mountain.

German trenches, shelters and pillboxes have been restored on the slope of Sapun Mountain. They can be viewed.

Captured Nazi artillery equipment is also displayed on Sapun Mountain: a 50-mm anti-tank gun with a firing range of 2.4 km; 105 mm light field howitzer with a range of 10.6 km; 150 mm heavy howitzers with a range of 15.5 km; 211-mm mortar with a range of 16.7 km (carriage and barrel were transported separately).

The tour of the reserve ends with a visit to the obelisk of Glory. In 1944, the fighters of the Primorsky Army, according to the project of military engineer A.D. Kiselev, a monument was erected to those who fell in the battles during the liberation of Sevastopol. An obelisk made of white Inkerman stone rose 28 m above the top of Sapun Mountain. Nearby, kneeling figures of mourning warriors, tall from dark stone, are installed.

The monument was later restored. It was covered with granite. In 1969, not far from the obelisk, two red granite walls were built, on which the names of 213 Heroes of the Soviet Union were carved, awarded this high title for the courage and courage shown during the liberation of Sevastopol. Eight slabs of red granite are mounted on the pedestal of the monument, which list all the associations, formations and units of the Soviet Army and Navy that took part in the liberation of Sevastopol in 1944.

The Eternal Flame burns at the monument. It was lit on May 9, 1970 - on the day of the 25th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany. This ceremony was solemn.

From the Eternal Flame burning on the Malakhov Kurgan, a torch was lit, which was delivered to Sapun Mountain on an armored personnel carrier. The honorary right to light the Eternal Flame was given to the participant in the assault on Sapun Mountain, former commander detachments of the 263rd Infantry Division to the Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel F.I. Matveev and a participant in the defense of the city in 1941-1942, a sniper of the 25th Order of Lenin of the Red Banner Rifle Division named after V.I. Chapaeva Hero of the Soviet Union L.M. Pavlichenko.

Since then, the fire has not been extinguished. It's always quiet here. Only from time to time the voice of the guide is heard, but every five minutes music sounds, and the melody of a song written by the Sevastopol composer B. Bogolepov flows over Sapun Mountain. Those who heard her and know the poems of the poet A. Salnikov involuntarily repeat:

The tall monument stands

A steep path leads to it.

Here Sevastopol fought,

Defeating enemies in battles.

Thunderous thunderous "Hurrah!"

The sea was noisy at the hour of the surf.

Sapun Mountain, Sapun Mountain!

How much is connected with you!

People stand in mournful silence. The majestic obelisk evokes different memories for each of them - about the war, about relatives, friends, comrades who died at the front. The faces of veterans are stern from these memories. A feeling of gratitude for the brave who died a death flares up in the hearts of those who have not experienced the horrors of bloody battles. And they take an oath never to forget the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.

Remembering the past, people think about the present, the future. They are united by one secret desire: "Let the war never happen again!"

There are days when the silence at the obelisk of Glory is broken and loud voices of boys and girls are heard. It was the pioneers who came to hold a solemn line. Sometimes here Sevastopol girls and boys are given Komsomol tickets, and young sailors of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet take the Military Oath.

Majestically rises above the bays white-stone Sevastopol - the Red Banner Hero City, the combat guard of the Russian Black Sea.

Unprecedented courage, courage and fortitude were shown by Soviet soldiers during the heroic defense of Sevastopol and its liberation from the Nazi invaders. The immortal military glory of the city is immortalized in numerous monuments. Here is the world-famous panorama "Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855" - a unique work of battle painting.

Six kilometers east of the center of Sevastopol, on the top of Sapun Mountain, next to the majestic monument of Glory, rises a strict semicircular building. Here is the largest diorama in the world - " Assault on Sapun Mountain May 7, 1944". This largest work of modern battle painting can rightfully be called a monument to the feat of arms of the Soviet soldiers who liberated Sevastopol from the Nazi invaders.

A diorama is a special kind of fine art. The diorama makes it possible to reveal complex genre themes, to show the place of action widely. Usually a diorama consists of two elements: a pictorial canvas and a subject plan. The main element of the diorama, the painting, is located in a semicircle. There is an observation deck in front of the diorama. Between the painting and the observation deck there is a subject plan, the plot of which is one with the painting. This technique creates the illusion of depth of space, enhances the sense of reality, the reliability of the depicted events.

Other dioramas created by Russian artists (for example, "Suvorov's Alpine campaign", " Poltava battle", "Battle on the Oder bridgehead", "Forcing the Dnieper by the troops of the Soviet Army", "Volochaevsky battle"), are small in size. In them, the figures of people and objects are smaller than their natural size, which leads to some distortion of reality.

In the diorama "Assault on the Sapun Mountains" for the first time in fine arts the figures of people in the foreground of the painting are painted in their natural sizes. And objects of a natural plan are the remains of genuine German defensive structures, weapons and equipment. For the first time, the harmonious composition of one diorama covers the enormous operational scale of the joint actions of the advancing Soviet armies, aviation and navy.

I must say that absolutely reliable events are reproduced in the diorama. To create it, original documents, reports and reports of unit commanders, award documents of the heroes of the assault were used. Many interesting and valuable details were told to the creators of the diorama by the direct participants in the liberation of Sevastopol.

Assault on Sapun Mountain

Having launched a simultaneous offensive from the north of Perekop and from the east of Kerch, the Soviet troops drove the Nazis from the Crimean land. The enemy at all costs tried to keep the Crimea in his hands. The 17th German Army and the Romanian divisions located in the Crimea, retreating, entrenched themselves in the Sevastopol region. Fascist troops time was needed to ensure evacuation by sea. In addition, the Crimean group of the Wehrmacht pulled back part of the forces of the Red Army, making it difficult to develop an offensive in the southern Black Sea region.

On the outskirts of Sevastopol, our troops, approaching the enemy's main defensive line, prepared for a decisive assault.

In the offensive zone, in the direction of the main attack, Sapun Mountain rose. The steep eastern slope, sheer cliffs up to three meters or more served not only as a natural obstacle. They made it possible for the enemy to create several tiers of defensive structures, powerful long-term fortifications and strongholds. By the beginning of May 1944, four lines of trenches had been built here, located from the base to the crest of the mountain.

In addition to a dense network of trenches and wire fences, a significant number of bunkers, bunkers and dugouts were equipped on the slope of Sapun Mountain. The valley at the foot of the mountain was mined.

On the morning of May 7, 1944, the troops of the 51st and Primorsky armies began a joint assault on the enemy's fortified positions. Parts of the Red Army went on the offensive immediately along the entire 15-kilometer section of the front - from the Black Sea coast near Balaklava to the eastern slope of Mount Sugar Loaf, not far from Inkerman.

The most intense battles unfolded on the slope of Sapun Mountain, as well as on the slopes of the Bezymyannaya and Gornaya heights, north of Balaklava. The enemy resisted fiercely.

But the offensive impulse of our infantrymen and artillerymen, sailors and pilots, tankers and sappers was unstoppable. Through the fiery flurry, our units made their way to the top of the mountain. At the cost of their lives, soldiers and sailors fought back trench after trench. Each step of the soldier going to the assault was a feat.

After the capture of Sapun Mountain and the heights located along the coast north of Balaklava, the path to Sevastopol from the eastern and southeastern directions was opened. On May 9, Sevastopol was completely liberated from the Nazi invaders. On May 12, the last German troops retreating to Cape Chersonese were destroyed. The complete defeat of the enemy troops in the Crimea was completed. Moscow saluted in honor of the valiant liberators of Sevastopol with volleys of 324 guns.

Diorama

In 1958, the Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR, a member of the M. B. Grekov Studio of Military Artists, Pyotr Tarasovich Maltsev painted the battle painting "Storm of Sapun Mountain". The painting was highly appreciated at the All-Union Art Exhibition dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces.

In 1959, on the basis of this painting, the artist created the largest modern diorama - "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944", in which he skillfully solved the theme of the victorious offensive near Sevastopol. Together with P.T. The artists G. Marchenko and N. Prisekin also worked with Maltsev. According to the project of the architect V. Petropavlovsky, the building of the diorama was built and its technical equipment was completed.

The diorama on Sapun Mountain was opened on November 4, 1959. By the way, almost 30 million visitors have seen the diorama over the past years.

On a painting canvas 25 meters long and 5.5 meters high, the moment of greatest combat tension was reproduced during the breakthrough by the troops of the 51st and Primorsky armies of the main defensive line of the fascist fortifications. It was the evening of May 7, 1944.

Across the plain to the seashore, under the cover of strong artillery fire and air bombing strikes, a tank stream rushed to the front line of the enemy defense through the forest of gaps.

The infantry attacks behind the tanks. Fighters fought in the air. Squadrons of our bombers are flying to bomb the fortifications in the depths of the enemy defenses. At sea, our boats and naval aviation inflict devastating strikes on enemy ships.

The viewer sees the legendary heroes of the liberation of Sevastopol, in whose images the artist sought not only to preserve the portrait resemblance, but also to convey a state of exceptional psychological tension during this decisive period of the battle.

On the left, you can see the battalion’s Komsomol organizer Fyodor Komissarov, who leads the fighters to storm the enemy battery. He led the company after the death of the commander.

Closer to the viewer is a 45-millimeter anti-tank gun, which directly fires at the embrasure of an enemy pillbox, camouflaged near the crest of Sapun Mountain. This cannon, drawn in the hands of soldiers to the very top of Sapun Mountain, passed with victorious battles from Stalingrad to Sevastopol. The commander of the Komsomol N. Galitsyn, despite being seriously wounded, remained at his post. The gun is guided by an experienced warrior, Tajik A. Sanonov.

A brave soldier Kuzma Moskalenko strikes the Nazis with well-aimed fire from an easel machine gun. A young Komsomol member, Petukhov, brings him boxes of machine-gun belts. Immediately, the brave sniper N. Moryatov takes aim at a Nazi officer who was trying to raise the Nazis in a counterattack.

In the first ranks of the assault groups, the Komsomol nurse Evgenia Deryugina climbed Sapun Mountain. Under hurricane fire, she provided first aid to the wounded. The artist retained the portrait resemblance of the nurse Deryugina and at the same time managed to generalize in her image the features of the fearless medical orderlies of the Red Army.

Our scouts broke through to the roof of the enemy pillbox destroyed by artillery. In front with a machine gun is the commander of the reconnaissance company, Lieutenant Mikhail Golovnya. Next to the machine gun is the fearless scout Nikolai Gunko.

Fragment of a diorama. Machine gunner Moskalenko, nurse Deriugina, lieutenant Golovnya.

A brave Soviet warrior, Guards Private Ashot Markaryan covered his combat commander from an enemy bullet with his body.

The picture also depicts the immortal feat of sapper senior sergeant Fyodor Skoryatin. He blew up the barbed wire and, at the cost of his life, gave our fighters the opportunity to move forward.

With a grenade in his hands, Private Ilya Polikakhin attacks the enemy dugout. The seriously wounded soldier did not leave the battlefield and was one of the first to break through to the top of Sapun Mountain. He was with those who raised the Soviet flag over the liberated Sevastopol. For the courage shown in battles, Ilya Polikakhin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

To the right, Private Ivan Yatsunenko picked up the banner of the regiment from the hands of the mortally wounded party organizer of the company, senior sergeant Yevgeny Smelkovich. Under enemy fire, Yatsunenko carried a victorious assault banner and was one of the first to hoist it on the crest of Sapun Mountain, for which he was also awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Fragment of a diorama. Ilya Polikahin with a grenade, standard-bearer Ivan Yatsunenko.

In the forefront, together with the infantrymen, sailors are storming the enemy - the brave defenders of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. Before entering the dugout, they boldly engage in hand-to-hand combat, clearing the way for our army units.

In the depths of the canvas, one can see how Lieutenant M. Dzigunsky rushes to the embrasure of the enemy pillbox, located on the crest of the height at which our flamethrowers operate. He covered the embrasure with his body and helped his platoon take the last strong point.

Closer to the viewer, Senior Lieutenant V. Zhukov, with a pistol in his hand, leads his company to storm the last fascist fortifications in front of the crest of Sapun Mountain. For courage and courage shown in this battle, V. Zhukov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Here you can also see how submachine gunners from the regiment of K. Yakovlev liquidate an attempt by an enemy counterattack with friendly fire and grenades.

The eight-meter distance from the canvas to the observation deck fills the subject plan. It enhances the impression of the reality of the depicted events. Here, the rocky surface of the slope of Sapun Mountain, pitted with shells and bomb funnels, is reproduced, enemy trenches and communication passages of natural size, and a wire fence are built.

Genuine episodes of hand-to-hand combat in an enemy dugout are captured on a natural plan, it is shown how fascist soldiers captured in a shelter are shown surrendering. The stones of Sapun Mountain, drenched with the blood of Soviet soldiers, are embedded in the subject plan and are preserved as a sacred relic.

The monumental diorama "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944" immortalizes the exploits of our glorious warriors, and their names are written on the white stone monument of Glory that rises on the mountain. And everyone who comes here bows his head in reverence to the memory of the heroes who defended the freedom and independence of our Motherland in a severe battle.

The diorama on Sapun Mountain is not only one of the largest works of art of panoramic painting. This is a powerful source of high patriotic feelings - a magnificent artistic monument to heroic events that will forever remain in the memory of the people.

Sapun mountain. What to watch

After examining the diorama and the exposition of the Museum of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol (documents, maps, weapons, personal belongings of the defenders and liberators of Sevastopol are collected here), viewers can see today's peaceful panorama from the outside observation deck - a flowering valley with gardens and vineyards on the sites of former hot battles. On the platforms around the diorama building, various Combat vehicles times of the Great Patriotic War.

The building of the Diorama and the exposition of armored vehicles.

So, what else can (and should) be seen on Sapun Mountain.

• Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame;
• Monument to the soldiers of the 51st Army;
• An exposition dedicated to the USSR Navy: ship guns, coastal defense guns, various marine equipment;
• Torpedo boat of the Komsomolets type of the Black Sea Fleet;
• Exposition of artillery of the Red Army;
• Exposition of armored vehicles - tanks and self-propelled guns;
• A fragment of the German defense line (below the observation deck): captured guns, the remains of trenches, pillboxes and dugouts, some of them have been reconstructed;
• Temple-chapel in memory of the soldiers who died during the Second Defense of Sevastopol in 1941–1942 and during the liberation of the city in 1944.

Diorama "Storm of the Sapun Mountains" on the map.

The article uses information from the essay by G. V. Ternovsky

Georgy Vladimirovich Ternovsky - a prominent military leader, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, a veteran of the Soviet Navy.

In the Navy since 1934. In 1938 he graduated from the Sevastopol Naval School. From the first wars at the front. He was one of the leaders of the naval defense of Odessa.

Member of the Soviet-Japanese war of 1945. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Captain 3rd Rank Georgy Vladimirovich Ternovsky was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Japanese militarists and the courage and heroism shown at the same time.

As a well-known military historian, Georgy Vladimirovich Ternovsky participated in the restoration of Franz Roubaud's panorama "Defense of Sevastopol". When creating the diorama "Storming the Sapun Mountains", Georgy Vladimirovich was one of the main military consultants.

GV Ternovsky was awarded the Order of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, 2 Orders of the Red Star, various medals. He was buried at the Preobrazhensky Military Cemetery in Moscow.

Photos Dioramas - Sevastopol Information Portal.

Title photo - F. M. Kogan.

Sapun Mountain is a natural mountain barrier on the outskirts of the city. It became the scene of fierce battles during the heroic defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942, as well as during its liberation in 1944. At the top of Sapun Mountain there is a memorial complex in memory of the soldiers who liberated Sevastopol during the Great Patriotic War.

The heroic events of those days are resurrected by the diorama "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944." The artists reproduced the moment of the highest tension of the battle. The diorama is located in the semicircular museum building, on the second floor.

On the site are samples of Soviet military equipment from the war: tanks, cannons, self-propelled guns, mines. On the slope of the mountain there is a monument to the soldiers of the 77th division, who died here during the storming of the enemy's fortifications. In the park there is an obelisk of Glory, built in 1944. The names of the army and navy formations that participated in the liberation of the city are carved on the steles.

The liberation of Crimea began on April 8, 1944. Soviet troops broke through the front line in its northern part and on the Kerch Peninsula. Despite the desperate resistance of the enemy, the encirclement was inexorably shrinking. On April 16, our troops reached the enemy's main defensive line in the Sevastopol area.

On the outskirts of the city, the enemy created a powerful, deeply echeloned defense, in which Sapun Gora occupied a key position. On its steep eastern slopes with sheer cliffs, the Nazis equipped from 3 to 4 lines of trenches, built pillboxes and bunkers, reinforced concrete shelters and dugouts, installed wire fences, and turned the valley at the foot of the mountain into a minefield. The Nazi command demanded to keep Sevastopol at any cost.

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Our troops were faced with a responsible task: to study the enemy's defenses, wear down and bleed the enemy, and then liberate the city with a decisive assault. An important role in this was assigned to artillery and aviation, which were to prevent the transfer of German troops along sea lanes.

On May 7, 1944, at 10:30 a.m., Soviet troops went on the offensive in the Sapun Gora-Karan sector. Bloody battles ensued along the entire front. They were especially fierce in the Sapun Mountain area, where the battle for each trench lasted for hours. Thousands of fighters and commanders showed unprecedented heroism that day. And although the enemy fiercely resisted, in some areas he went on the counterattack several times, nothing could stop the powerful onslaught of the Soviet troops. At 19:30, the soldiers of the 77th and 32nd Guards Rifle Divisions were the first to reach the crest of Sapun Mountain.

By the end of the day on May 9, Sevastopol was completely liberated. On May 12, in the area of ​​​​Cape Chersonese, the remnants of the Nazi group capitulated. The Crimean operation ended with a brilliant victory for the Soviet troops.

“Sapun is a mountain, Sapun is a mountain, how much is connected with you ...”

Article by Konstantin Kolontaev
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One of the most remarkable events in the history of Sevastopol is its liberation. Soviet troops from the Nazi invaders in May 1944.

The Nazi command attached great importance to holding the Crimea as an important strategic position in the Black Sea basin. German generals believed: "he who dominates the Crimea, dominates the Black Sea." This explained their desire to keep the Crimea and Sevastopol as long as possible.

The main event associated with the liberation of Sevastopol was the assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944. It was taken by divisions of the 51st Army under the command of Hero of the Soviet Union Ya.G. Kreizer and the Primorsky Army - Commander Lieutenant General K.S. Miller. This ensured the liberation of Sevastopol and the defeat of the Nazi group in the Crimea.

The word "sapun", or "sabun", has, like many names in the Crimea, a Turkic origin. Translated from Tatar, it means - "soap". In other words - "soap mountain". This is due to the fact that during the 19th century, a special type of soapy clay, kil, was mined on its slopes.

During the Crimean War of 1854-55, during the first defense of Sevastopol, not far from the place where Diorama is now located, an observation post of the command of the Anglo-French troops was established, and in the valleys adjacent to Sapun Mountain, Inkerman, Chernorechenskoe and Balaklava battles.
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At the beginning of World War II, in 1941-1942, the second line of defense of the 7th and 8th brigades passed along the crest of the Sapun Mountain marines Black Sea Fleet.

Before the start of the offensive, Sapun Mountain was an incredibly difficult object to assault. It rises above the surrounding area by 180-215 meters and has a length of about 8 km from the height of Karagach to Inkerman.

Its eastern, steep and rocky slope turns into sheer cliffs up to 10 meters high or more. This provided the enemy with the opportunity to create a multi-tiered system of strong points, alternating pillboxes and reinforced concrete structures with artillery and heavy machine gun mounts.

Every 25-30 meters in the chain of trenches, carefully camouflaged sites with machine-gun installations were equipped. All approaches to the engineering structures were mined and covered with high-density fire of all types of weapons.

Assessing the importance of Sapun Mountain, the former Chief of Staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union S. S. Biryuzov noted: “The assault on Sapun Mountain is one of the brilliant pages in the annals of the Great Patriotic War. Our troops captured this height within one day. With the capture of Sapun Mountain, the path to Sevastopol was opened.

Our advancing troops were forced to deploy on flat, open terrain, which was visible from enemy ground observation points to a depth of 10-15 km. During the period of preparation of troops for combat operations in mountainous terrain, assault groups were created in all regiments of the first echelon. They included artillery spotters. Their task was to identify the enemy's camouflaged fire weapons, correct the fire, and, having captured his pillboxes, cause fire on themselves when repelling enemy counterattacks.
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At 9.00 on May 7, artillery of the 51st and Primorsky Armies opened massive fire on the entire 12-kilometer section of the breakthrough from Mount Sugar Loaf to the southern slope of the Balaklava height.

Artillery and aviation preparation of the attack lasted more than an hour and a half. The reconnaissance artillerymen were among the first to break into enemy fortifications, together with the attacking infantrymen, destroy enemy garrisons in the fortifications with their personal weapons and immediately correct the fire of their batteries against newly identified targets.

To support the actions of assault groups, artillery made extensive use of firing from open and semi-open firing positions, often destroying the enemy with direct fire.

So, for example, when repulsing one of the enemy’s numerous counterattacks, during a battle for mastering the next tier of fortifications, the commander of one of the artillery divisions of the guard, Major Veniamin Petrovich Gribanov, being with the company commander of the 85th Guards. cn in a dugout captured from the Germans, caused fire on himself. As a result, the enemy lost up to two infantry platoons and was forced to retreat to their original positions.

On May 9, 1944, the troops of the 4th Ukrainian Front completely liberated Sevastopol, and on May 12, 1944, by capturing Cape Khersones, Crimea was completely cleared of Nazi invaders.

The feat of arms of the liberators of Sevastopol is forever captured on the canvas of the famous diorama "Storm of Sapun Mountain" and in the materials of the Museum of Glory, which was built on Sapun Mountain.
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The creation of the memorial complex on Sapun Mountain began in October-November 1944, when the engineering and sapper units of the Primorsky Army erected monuments to the soldiers who fell in the battles for Sevastopol during the storming of Sapun Mountain. The monument to the soldiers of the Primorsky Army was built according to the project of Lieutenant A.D. Kiseleva.

Already on May 1, 1945, a small military field museum was opened next to it, the exposition of which reflected the events of the battles of May 7-12, 1944. War relics were exhibited in it: documents, front-line photographs of liberator soldiers, their personal belongings, weapons, trophies, captured at the enemy.

In 1944, monuments to the soldiers of the 51st and Primorsky armies were erected on Sapun Mountain. The Museum of the Primorsky Army existed until the end of 1958. In its place, the construction of the Diorama building began.

The diorama is a picturesque canvas of an open, semicircular view and a subject plan in front of it. The founders of the principle of diorama painting began at the beginning of the 19th century. French artists Daguerre and Bouton. In Soviet painting, the principle of the diorama began to be mastered in the 30s of the XX century. in the Moscow studio of military artists, headed by M.B. Grekov, who in the 1930s wrote several dioramas on the themes of the civil war.
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The idea of ​​creating a Sevastopol Diorama arose in the mid-1950s between the end of the celebration of the decade of the liberation of Sevastopol and preparations for the 15th anniversary of this event. The contract for the creation of the Diorama was signed in November 1957. It included the construction of the Diorama building, painting the canvas and creating a subject plan. It was planned to open the Diorama on May 9, 1959, on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the liberation of Sevastopol. However, this deadline could not be met, and the Diorama was opened on November 4, 1959.

The construction of the Diorama building began in January 1959 according to the project of the Sevastopol architect V. Petropavlovsky. The building was erected on the site where the Military Field Museum of the Primorsky Army was located. Sketches and basic works on the canvas and the subject plan were made in Moscow at the Studio of Military Artists. M.B. Grekov from February 1958 to August 1959.

The author of the canvas “Storming the Sapun Mountains” is the famous Soviet battle painter, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Pyotr Tarasovich Maltsev. His assistants were famous battle painters N.S. Prisekin and G.I. Marchenko.

The military consultant of the work was the Hero of the Soviet Union Captain 1st Rank Ternovsky. For maximum reliability, front-line photographs of the participants in the assault were used, and Ilya Polikahin, who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the heroism shown during the assault on Sapun Mountain, posed for P.T. Maltsev when painting the canvas.

The diorama depicts the culminating moment of the assault on Sapun Mountain by the troops of the 51st and Primorsky armies, the mass heroism of the Soviet soldiers-liberators of Sevastopol is displayed.
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Between the canvas and the observation deck, a subject plan is installed, which, as it were, forms one whole with the picturesque canvas. This creates the illusion of depth of space, enhances the sense of reality, the authenticity of the events depicted.

In the diorama "Storming the Sapun Mountains", for the first time in the visual arts, the figures of people in the foreground of the pictorial canvas are painted in their natural sizes. And the objects of the natural plan are the remains of original defensive structures, weapons and equipment of the enemy. For the creation of the diorama P.T. Maltsev was awarded the gold medal of the Academy of Arts of the USSR.

In May 1958, a copy of the painting, reduced by 10 times, was studied and discussed by specialists of all types and branches of the military, participants in the assault, as well as art historians in Moscow, Kyiv, Sevastopol, Simferopol.

On August 4, 1959, in the building of the Diorama, built by that time, the installation of the canvas and the subject plan in front of it began. The work was completed on November 1, 1959. The total dimensions of the canvas: length - 25.5 m, width - 5.5 m, total area - 137.5 square meters. m. The area of ​​the subject plan is 83 sq. m. m.

On November 4, 1959, the first group of visitors came to the observation deck of the Diorama, consisting of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, participants in the assault on Sapun Mountain. Over the past 40 years, 24 million people have familiarized themselves with the picturesque canvas of the Diorama.
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In the lower hall of the Diorama, the exposition consists of the following main parts: "Defense of Sevastopol 1941-1942", "Liberation of the Crimea and Sevastopol in April-May 1944". In the upper hall there is a painting "Assault on Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944" and a subject plan in front of it. Before entering the upper hall - a small exhibition, dedicated to history creating a diorama.

Next to the Diorama, in the park, there is an obelisk of Glory, built in 1944. The names of the army and navy formations that participated in the liberation of the city are carved on the steles.

By 1970, the obelisk of Glory, built in November 1944, was reconstructed. On each of the 4 sides of the monument, two slabs of pink granite were installed, on which a list of 230 formations and separate units of the 4th Ukrainian Front and a number of other nationwide structures that took part in the liberation of Sevastopol was carved. The height of the obelisk is 28 meters, the authors of the reconstruction project are architects V.M. Artyukhov, V.K. Zacker.

On the 25th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, May 9, 1970, at the obelisk of Glory, the Eternal Flame was lit, delivered from the Malakhov Kurgan. Every five minutes, the melody "Sapun Mountain" by composer B.V. Bogolepov.

Together with the Monument of Glory to the Soldiers-Liberators and the Eternal Flame, the memorial walls framing the area around the monument from three sides, the Diorama forms a single architectural ensemble.

On Sapun Mountain there is an open exposition of samples of military equipment of the USSR and Germany during the Second World War. Memorial Complex is a branch of the Museum of Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol.
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At the foot of the Sapun Mountain, monuments were erected to the soldiers of the 32nd Guards and 77th rifle divisions, which on May 7, 1944 were the first to reach its summit.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War, a chapel-chapel of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious was erected on Sapun Mountain.
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