Schedule of operation of 35 batteries. Almost a photographer

When I was a kid, there wasn't as much home entertainment as today's teenagers. Three television channels, a stack of repeatedly listened to records and books. Computers seemed like something out of science fiction. Internet, smartphones, wi-fi - at that time no one knew such words. Therefore, my peers and I tried to stay at home as little as possible.

Of course, we played football, basketball, four-square, rushed around construction sites, and in the summer we spent most of our free time at sea. But the battle sites were of particular interest. We knew where we could find small black and large yellow “semidyrs” or “svistuls” (a type of artillery gunpowder: “semidyrs” look like cigarette filters with seven holes, “svistuli” resemble long pasta), where we found whole cartridges, and where You may even stumble upon the remains of weapons.

The 35th battery was considered a special place. Especially for the boys of the nearby areas - Cossack and Kamyshovaya bays. There were legends about her. They said that the battery casemates consisted of three tiers going underground. The third tier is partially flooded with water and for some reason the remains of German soldiers are found on it. That it has access to the sea in the form of a canal through which submarines can enter the rock. And that, supposedly, even one of the submarines is still there.

Naturally, all these rumors attracted boys like a magnet, and I was no exception. Moreover, there was something to do besides exploring underground passages. The entire area around the battery was crisscrossed with trenches. Casings, bullets, whole cartridges, shell fragments - there was an abundance of this stuff there, I don’t want to collect it. One teenager from a parallel class even boasted that he had dug up the skeleton of a German in a uniform with orders in one of the trenches.

But the most interesting thing, after all, was exploring the underground casemates with a flashlight in hand. We explored all available rooms around the second gun turret. They examined a partially blocked passage leading to the first tower, where unexploded shells lay crushed by concrete debris. We went down the vertical 20-meter shaft of the left command and rangefinder point and along underground corridors went out to the sea. Sometimes, we were chased by soldiers from nearby military units. But we still returned.

Defensive structures at Cape Chersonesos (not to be confused with the ancient city of Chersonesus, these are different places) began to be built more than a century ago. In 1910, the General Staff of the Russian Empire decided to build two powerful large-caliber armored turret batteries to protect Sevastopol from the sea. One is on the northern flank, near the mouth of the Belbek River (30th battery), the other is on the southern flank, in the area of ​​​​Cape Chersonesus.

Work began in 1913 and continued until 1917, until the revolution broke out, and was resumed only in 1925. During this period, the “Chersonese” battery was No. 25. Over the next four years, the battery was completely completed and went into operation in the fall of 1929. She changed her serial number twice more, first to No. 8, then to No. 35.

The 35th coastal battery was a powerful fortification with a formidable fighting force. It consisted of two double-gun turrets that fired 305 mm projectiles weighing 471 kilograms. The battery could fire in a 360-degree range. The firing range of the battery's guns was 42 kilometers, allowing one to keep a huge area under fire - as far as Bakhchisarai in the north, and to Simeiz in the south. The towers were located in concrete gun blocks, connected by an underground gallery. The thickness of the outer walls of the blocks reached four meters. In addition, the battery casemates had quarters for personnel, a galley, a medical department with an operating room and an infirmary, power and lighting stations, a pump room and other auxiliary rooms. The battery was designed for a long stay of 350 people.

Two command and rangefinder posts (main and reserve), located at a distance of 450 and 200 meters, controlled the battery fire. They were connected to the gun block of the second tower with the help of turnae carved into the rock at a depth of 20 meters.

The guns of the 35th battery entered the battle on November 7, 1941, firing 46 high-explosive shells at units of the German 132nd Infantry Division in the area of ​​the Mekenzia farm. In total, during the repulsion of the first and second assaults on Sevastopol, the battery's guns fired almost 500 shots, causing serious damage to the enemy.

The intensity of the fire led to complete wear of the guns of the first turret by the beginning of December 1941, and on December 17, during loading, the left gun in the second turret exploded, as a result of which 35 people were killed, and the turret itself received serious damage. Spare gun barrels, hidden there from German air raids, were lifted from the bottom of Cossack Bay, and pulled to the battery by two tractors on carts along laid rails. It is difficult to imagine how, in combat conditions, using jacks and hoists (without a crane), they replaced multi-ton barrels and restored the damaged tower. But, on January 20, 1942, the first tower fired several shells at the enemy battery, and on April 3, the 35th battery became fully operational, striking the headquarters and German fortifications in the area of ​​the village of Mamashai.

By continuous bombing and shelling from heavy guns, German troops tried to suppress the battery fire. So, for example, on June 10 alone, the 35th battery was attacked by twelve bombers and several fighters, one of which was shot down by machine-gun fire. In addition, two 600 mm caliber “Karl” mortars and the famous 800 mm caliber “Dora” cannon, which fired seven-ton shells, were delivered to Crimea specifically to combat coastal batteries. German army commander Manstein later wrote that “never in World War II did the Germans achieve such massive use of artillery as in the attack on the most impregnable fortress in the world, Sevastopol.” Before the third assault on Sevastopol, from June 2 to June 7 alone, 45 thousand air bombs were dropped on the city’s defenders and 126 thousand large-caliber shells were fired.

Before the start of the third and final assault (June 7, 1942), only three guns remained in service on the 35th battery; a large crack appeared in the left gun of the first turret; it was unsafe to use it for firing. However, Battery No. 35 continued to conduct massive fire, firing more than 200 shells from June 7 to June 11 alone. During June 18-19, the battery's guns destroyed one tank, eight guns and an infantry battalion; 23rd - 4 tanks were knocked out, scattered and destroyed up to two infantry regiments; from 23 to 27 - they silenced the enemy battery and destroyed two enemy platoons.

On the night of June 29, the Military Council of the Sevastopol Defense Region, headed by Vice Admiral F.S., arrived at the 35th battery. Oktyabrsky. On the evening of the 30th, the last meeting of the Military Councils of the Fleet and the Maritime Army took place, the result of which was the decision to evacuate the entire command staff. The battery commander, Captain A. Ya. Leshchenko, was ordered to cover the evacuation and blow up the guns after the ammunition was used up. By this time, battery No. 35 actually remained the last line of defense of besieged Sevastopol. On July 1, 1942, the guns of the thirty-fifth fired at the enemy for the last time, firing the remaining 50 practical shells (steel blanks used for firing training) at German tanks and 6 shrapnel shells at enemy infantry. On the night of July 2, the 35th battery was blown up. However, some of the battery casemates survived, and the defenders of Sevastopol continued to fight in them for another 10 days.

Meanwhile, thousands of military personnel and city residents gathered in the area of ​​​​Cape Chersonesos. With virtually no ammunition, food or drinking water, no command that hastily left for the Caucasus, and, as it turned out later, no hope of evacuation, they fought to the end during the most tragic days of the city’s defense. How many were there? It is difficult to give an exact number; different sources give different figures. It can definitely be said that we are talking about tens of thousands, of which only about three thousand people were evacuated in those days. The rest died or were captured. But back in 1942, official documents did not contain these terrible statistics. These people, who heroically defended Sevastopol, were crossed out from the list of the living and were not included in the list of the dead.

And only decades later the names and fates of the last defenders of Sevastopol became known. To date, the electronic database of the 35th Battery museum complex contains information about more than 75 thousand people who participated in the defense of the city. Of these, almost 40 thousand names are placed in the Pantheon of Memory - these are the names of those who fought in the very last days of the defense of Sevastopol. The database is publicly available, using this link you can find out information about the person you are interested in. The search work continues, and if your relative took part in the defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942, and he is not in the database, please report him by contacting the museum staff by email eev(dog)35bb.org.

After the liberation of Sevastopol, battery No. 35 was not restored. Despite the fact that in 1963 the territory of the battery was taken under state protection, no measures were taken to preserve this object. Time passed, the battery casemates were destroyed. Metal hunters and “black diggers”, as well as the construction of cottages and mini-hotels in the immediate vicinity, caused irreparable damage to this historical site. But, thanks to the caring residents of Sevastopol, in 2007 the construction of the Museum Historical and Memorial Complex to the heroic defenders of Sevastopol “35th Coastal Battery” began.

We visited the complex in the spring of 2014, two years after its construction was completed. Unfortunately, it was already about five o’clock in the evening, so we didn’t have time for a tour of the battery casemates. And they were only able to independently examine the external exhibition of the museum complex.

Our route started from the administrative building. Nearby is a collection of military equipment and a map of the museum.

After passing through the memorial arch, we found ourselves at Star Square, which is used for various ceremonies and rituals.

On the left side stands the Pantheon of Memory. It contains plaques with the names of the last defenders of the city, those who defended the city to the end after the evacuation of the command of the Sevastopol Defense Region.

On the right side of the square, a small alley leads to the main entrance to the casemates of the 35th battery.

There is also an emergency exit; as boys we used it to escape from the military chasing us.

Next to the first gun block is a cast-iron relief map of the defensive structures of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. You can consider the coastline, tower batteries, pillboxes, bunkers and other fortifications.

For the convenience of visitors, an improvised sign has been made.

Museum workers take safety very seriously. The concrete blocks in which the gun turrets were located are surrounded by a protective fence, which, however, does not prevent us from carefully examining all the internal parts: the guides along which the gun rotated, the pipes for feeding the shells and the shells themselves.

A similar fence stretches from the southwestern side of the entire museum complex along a more than twenty-meter cliff. In some places, the role of a fence is played by fragments of a parapet with memorial plaques of formations and units that defended Sevastopol.

From the observation deck on the edge of the cliff you can see a rock in the sea with a rusty pile - these are the remains of a pier where ships and submarines moored during the evacuation.

Not far from the cliff, a small chapel was erected in the name of St. Archangel Michael. During its construction, the remains of six fighters were discovered; they rest there.

200 meters southwest of the battery casemates there is a left reserve command and rangefinder post (KPD). During my school years, through his mine, my friends and I went down to a wild beach, which could only be reached by sea or along a steep cliff. The right main efficiency factor is located outside the museum territory.

In the background is the left command and rangefinder post

From the observation deck, a paved path led us to a mass grave where soldiers who died on December 17, 1941 in an explosion in the second gun turret are buried. The monument at the grave was built in Soviet times.

On the territory of the complex there are samples of military equipment from the Second World War. The exhibition is not very large yet, but is constantly being updated.

GAZ-55 and Emka

GAZ-55 is a Soviet ambulance bus-van, produced during 1938 -1945.

GAZ-M-1 (“Emka”) is a Soviet passenger car produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant from 1936 to 1943

We spent about an hour and a half on the museum grounds. This time was enough to slowly walk around the entire complex and carefully examine everything.

A small park on the territory of the museum complex is a resting place for those who are tired

We will definitely return and take one of three excursion routes through the casemates of the 35th battery. We hope that by then the ban on photography inside will be lifted and we will have the opportunity to show another photo report about this historical place.

Information for travelers:

A visit to the museum complex “35th Coastal Battery” and excursion services are free.

Working hours:

Independent inspection of the external exhibition is possible from 8-00 to 20-00.

Tours run every 20-30 minutes.

From May to October: the first excursion starts at 10-00, the last one at 18-00, closed on Monday.

From November to April: the first excursion starts at 10-00, the last one at 16-00, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

If the group contains from 10 to 30 people, you can order excursion support in advance by calling: + 7 978 860 87 59

How to get there:

GPS coordinates: 44°33’33.59’’N, 33°24’26.97’’E.

If you are traveling around Crimea by personal car (car rental in Crimea), then it is best to enter the city through the Yalta ring, proceed to the 5-km Balaklava highway, then along the Kamyshovskoe highway to the turn to Cossack Bay, turning and passing several railway crossings you will see the sign “Museum “35th Coastal Battery”. This is the shortest and most convenient route.

If you use public transport:

From the railway station or bus station - by bus or minibuses No. 4, 109, 110, 112 to the "Central Market" stop, where change to bus No. 105 or "minibus" No. 77 and get to the "35th Coastal Museum" stop battery". Or take trolleybus No. 1, 3, 7, 9, bus or minibus No. 71 to the stop “pl. Lazarev." Walk 200 meters to the “Central Market” stop and take bus No. 105 or minibus No. 77 to the desired stop “Museum “35th Coastal Battery”.

From 5 km of Balaklava Highway or from General Ostryakov Avenue by bus No. 105.

From Gagarinsky district (Streletskaya Bay, Letchiki, Kamyshovaya Bay) - by bus No. 105 or minibus No. 77.

The 35th coastal battery is the last line of defense of Sevastopol

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German soldiers in battle in the area of ​​the 35th battery of Sevastopol. The Germans were never able to suppress our batteries either with artillery fire or with the help of aviation. On July 1, 1942, the 35th battery fired its last 6 direct-fire shells at the advancing enemy infantry, and on the night of July 2, the battery commander, Captain Leshchenko, organized the explosion of the battery

At the beginning of the war, the defense of Sevastopol consisted of two armored 12-inch batteries, dozens of gun positions, and many well-built defensive structures. Back in 1912, under the leadership of engineer Cui, pits for the towers were dug, but due to the revolution and the Civil War in Russia, construction was stopped. In the thirties, the project was remembered and, with the help of military engineers Sokolov and Vystavkin, the construction was successfully completed. According to eyewitnesses, the volume of concrete work performed exceeded similar work during the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station. Battery number 35 was located near Cape Chersonesos, and battery number 30 was located near the village of Lyubimovka. The main part of the 35th battery is two gigantic reinforced concrete masses with gun turrets. The first block housed ammunition depots, service premises and barracks, and inside the second block there was a post for controlling and adjusting fire and a power station. Armored command posts were created not far from the blocks. All rooms were connected by underground passages. In case of emergency, there were two emergency exits to the sea. The basis of the armament of the 35th battery was two 305-mm turret installations of two guns. Each shell weighed more than 450 kg, and the firing range exceeded 40 km. The towers could rotate 360 ​​degrees, conducting all-round fire. Initially, the 30th and 35th batteries were built to protect the city from the sea, but soon they had to become the center of defense from land.

G.A. Alexander and E.K. Solovyov

On October 30, 1941, fascist troops tried to immediately capture Sevastopol, but they were suddenly struck by a blow of unprecedented power. The 30th battery under the command of Georgy Alexander, together with the forces of the Primorsky Army, repelled the assault. However, the Nazis occupied all approaches to the city. On December 17, 1941, after a powerful artillery barrage, the second assault attempt took place. Five divisions went on the attack. The main task was to destroy the 30th battery. But their efforts were in vain. And finally, on the morning at 5 o’clock on June 7, after stunning fire from enemy artillery and mortars, and bombardment of the city from the air, fascist troops began an offensive across the entire width of the front. Manstein wrote:

“In general, in the Second World War, the Germans never achieved such a massive use of artillery as in the attack on Sevastopol.”

Self-propelled mortars "Karl" and the monstrous 420-mm stationary howitzer "Dora" were specially delivered here. But Russian troops fiercely repelled attack after attack. Over the next four days, the Germans lost about 20 thousand people. The turning point occurred on June 17, when the 30th battery was surrounded. She shot all the shells, and the survivors of the war retreated to the tower array. The fighting moved into the interior of the battery, the Germans poisoned the defenders with gas, there was no water or food. On June 20 and 21, both towers were blown up. Many died a terrible death, the rest, like battery commander Alexander, were captured by the Nazis and perished in camps. After this Manstein wrote:

“Despite these hard-won successes, there were still no signs of weakening the enemy’s will to resist, and the strength of our troops was noticeably diminishing.”

German super-heavy gun "Dora" (caliber 800 mm, weight 1350 tons) in a position near Bakhchisarai. The gun was used during the assault on Sevastopol to destroy defensive fortifications, but due to the remoteness (minimum firing range - 25 km) of the position from the targets, the fire was ineffective. With 44 shots of seven-ton shells, only one successful hit was recorded, which caused an explosion of an ammunition depot on the northern shore of Severnaya Bay, located at a depth of 27 m.

On July 24, the defense of Sevastopol came to an end. With bloody battles, our troops and city residents fled to the cape, to the 35th coastal battery. The sailors fought in black pea coats and vests. Recklessly brave and daring, they struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. The Nazis tightened the ring, pushing the city’s defenders towards the sea. There was nowhere to retreat there. Every square meter of the Chersonesos peninsula was abundantly watered with blood. Despite the huge losses, Manstein decided to continue the offensive with infantry and tanks with the support of aviation and artillery. The 35th battery constantly fired at enemy positions, being subjected to increased bombing and shelling in response. As a result of a direct hit on June 23, the first tower was destroyed. When the shells ran out, the battery continued to fire cannonballs, and then grapeshot.

On the 35th BB

35BB, horizontal guidance post

At 22:00 on June 29, the Military Council moves to the 35th coastal battery to a reserve command post. The command of the Coastal Defense of the Fleet and the Primorsky Army is also moving there. At night the troops are regrouped. By this time, only names remained of many battalions and regiments. Aviation was completely destroyed, and a marine battalion was created from the air force. On June 30, Vice Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky sends a report to the People's Commissar of the Navy about the impossibility of holding Sevastopol. The letter contains a convincing request to evacuate the entire headquarters. On the night of July 1, the command staff of the military forces was shamefully taken out by flying planes, leaving more than 80 thousand people to certain death! Of these, about four thousand managed to escape in recent days using various methods. For further defense of the city, General P.G. was left behind. Novikova. The general had one task - to fight to the end, and then try to escape to the mountains.

After Sevastopol was surrendered on July 1, at night at 0:36 a.m., on the personal order of P.G. Novikov's depth charges blew up the ammunition cellars and the first tower of the 35th battery. At 2:31 a.m. the second tower was blown up. But for more than ten days, with the last of their strength, tens of thousands of people defended the approaches to it. The Germans burned them with flamethrowers, threw grenades at them and gassed them. The strength of the defenders decreased every hour. There was no water, ammunition, hope. Medical Lieutenant V.I. Luchinkina writes in her diary:

“It was already July 5 or 6. After another attempt to break through to the partisans, we decided to bury our party and Komsomol cards. There were five of us. It was decided that each of us would shoot himself to avoid being captured. I didn’t hear the shots because of the shell shock.”

Aircraft mechanic V.N. Focuses:

“We tried to break through to the partisans, but there were no weapons.

We went under the rocks near the airfield. There were many wounded, groans, screams, a huge mass of people. The ships were waiting, but then we realized that we had been left to the mercy of fate. Hunger tormented me terribly, but especially thirst. They drank sea water and diluted it with sugar.”

And here is a note from an unknown hero:

“During the battles on July 1, almost half of the personnel were out of action. We were exhausted, we had no food, no fresh water, we drank sea water, and even that was difficult to get during the day on the line of fire. We took up defensive positions again. Without sleep, without food, they shot the last bullets, and yet all day on July 3 they held back the enemy’s onslaught. The ships were waiting at night, but they did not come.”

After the exhausted soldiers were captured on the surface, the fighting continued in the battery casemates, where the most desperate brave men gathered who did not want to surrender to the Nazis.

After the end of the war, the 30th battery was rebuilt. She was armed, and she is among the active military units of Russia. The 35th battery was much more destroyed. In the 90s, the territory of the battery began to be built up with private houses, cottages, and hotels. But the caring residents of Sevastopol did not allow building on bones. Now, on the site of the 35th battery, a memorial complex has been created, in which all work was carried out only through public donations. On the territory of the complex there is a pantheon in which all the currently known names of the city’s defenders are carved.

German soldiers on the destroyed tower No. 2 (western) of the 30th coastal battery of Sevastopol.

From the first days of the defense of Sevastopol (from November 1, 1941), the 30th battery under the command of Captain G. Alexander fired at units of the German 11th Army, Colonel General Manstein, advancing on the main fleet base. On June 26, 1942, the Germans broke into the tower block and captured 40 of its last defenders, all of them were wounded and exhausted from hunger and thirst.

After the end of the war the battery was restored. Now this object is part of the coastal forces of the Black Sea Fleet

Destroyed turret gun mount No. 1 of the 35th coastal battery of Sevastopol

IT companies in Belarus are increasingly mentioned in serious world news. Mid-August was no exception: interesting news spread around specialized resources about photography and IT. Google is completing a deal with AIMatter (Belarus), which is creating neural network technologies for digital image processing.

AIMatter themselves told the media about this. The transaction amount and terms were not disclosed.

What kind of technology is this and what will it give to modern photographers and selfie lovers? AIMatter has created a technology that allows you to select a person in a photo and replace the background. Fast, easy and absolutely realistic. You may have already come across an application from these creators called Fabby. It changed the hair color in the photo: girls could try on a new shade before going to the hairdresser or just “for fun.” Guys weren’t shy about using it either, so the app quickly gained popularity on the Internet.

The basis of the technology is the use of neural networks. In this, Belarusians compete with Vladislav Urazov, an IT specialist from the Ukrainian Odessa: he created a similar technology that is applicable in both photography and video.

It seems that very soon Google users will be able to forget about Photoshop: all basic image editing functions will be available in the Google Universe. Replacing photos will allow you to quickly create collages, postcards, illustrations, including fakes.

In the near future, media readers will have to trust their eyes less and less and use primary sources. After all, journalists know how to make mountains out of molehills using a couple of dubious photos.

As for serious sources without any deception and fakes: on
ibc-tender.ru
You will be provided with tender support services in Crimea and Moscow.

8.3.17

Taking pictures of yourself has become a daily practice. And powerful cameras on smartphones allow you to take simply amazing pictures. No, maybe you won’t get a professional photo, but you won’t be ashamed to post it on Instagram later. Although how else to do it and where.

20.12.16

Photographing children is an interesting and challenging activity. In order for the pictures to turn out successful, you need to take into account a number of factors that distinguish a children's photo session from an adult one.

The beauty of children for a photographer is their naturalness. You won't get a good baby photo if you force your child to pose in positions that are not natural for him and to smile when he doesn't want to. Instead, it is better to photograph children at play, when they express genuine emotions, take spontaneous poses and show characteristic gestures.

28.8.16

Every photographer, when choosing a subject to shoot, is faced with a very difficult decision: what to choose, what location to choose, in what mode to shoot, etc. And a car, as a subject of photography, opens up a very wide range of possibilities for experimentation for every photographer. Shooting a car in motion or not, photographing the interior or elements of external equipment and much, much more. How to take photographs correctly so that anyone who gets their hands on your shots will have a desire to immediately purchase this or that car.

So, first we need a good and high-quality digital camera. Of course, you can take a photo with a regular point-and-shoot camera, but will it be just as effective and cool? A wide-angle lens for close-up photography, a tripod, an external flash and a polarizing filter are, perhaps, the minimum that a good photographer will need. Even Andrei Pasha, information about him, agrees with this opinion.

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Every professional or amateur photographer gets inspiration and pleasure when looking at photographs of cities at night.

Lights from the windows of large buildings or from car headlights, barely lit night streets or bright central areas of a metropolis - this is only the small part that a photograph taken in the dark can reveal to us. How to take photographs correctly? Let's figure it out together.

So, the first important rule: choose a place in advance. This will allow you to prepare before the shooting itself and estimate the locations. Make sure that at night this or that object looks even cooler than during the day.
Second: use a tripod. Because photographing at night requires a fairly long shutter speed, about 30-40 seconds. Agree, it will be difficult to hold the camera motionless in your hands for half a minute.

The third rule partially concerns the second. Motion Blur photos – have you heard of them? Photos with “motion blur” always catch your eye. And, in fact, it’s not so difficult: just take 10 seconds to photograph a road with heavy traffic. Voila! And car lights will turn into spectacular arrows of the night city.
Another important point is the time for shooting. Special photographs are taken at dusk. When the sky has not yet completely plunged into the night haze, and the lights of the evening city are already burning with all their might. It is this point that many people pay attention to when sharing secrets on their blog. By the way, about blogs. If you have time, take a look at Andrei Viktorovich Pasha for information about him - there is a lot of useful and interesting things there.
Of course, you can still go on and on about what and how is more important in night photography, but there is one most important and basic rule: take inspiration and a good mood with you! And then everything will be wonderful.

The Crimean peninsula has experienced many wars, but the most heroic moments of its history are associated with Sevastopol. The Hero City boasts numerous museums that reveal details of the city’s defense during the Second World War and the Crimean conflict. One of these museums is 35 battery (Sevastopol), thanks to which amazing pages of the past unfold before tourists. “The Thirty-fifth Battery,” if you open any Crimean guidebook, is listed as a mandatory item on the cultural program.

There are many incredible rumors circulating among the local population related to the last line of Sevastopol defense. Rumor has it that the casemates consist of three underground tiers, the last of which is partially flooded and probably has access to the sea. Another legend claims that Soviet submarines could enter the underground channel, and one of them even stood in a secret cave hangar. Children love to talk about the skeletons found in the catacombs with the remains of German uniforms, orders and rusted weapons.

Now on the territory of the complex there is a museum, which is freely visited by everyone, but you need to look for the attraction at Cape Chersonese, just south of Cossack Bay. The distance between the bay coast and the museum complex does not exceed 150 meters. If you came to Sevastopol for the 35th battery, the address of the facility is: Alley of Defenders of the 35th BB, building 7. GPS coordinates of the complex: 44°33′32″N (44.55897), 33°24′22″E (33.406168). Here are the nearest landmarks:

• Blue Bay beach;
• Airfield History Museum;
• Pantheon of Memory;
• Memorial Arch;
• Art-dacha.

History of the museum

At the very beginning of the Second World War, the Sevastopol defense did not make much of an impression. Armored batteries with 12-inch guns were installed on the coast, and in some places there were well-planned fortifications (dozens of manned positions). The pits for the towers were dug back in 1912, but the Civil War suspended large-scale construction. The project was successfully completed in the 1930s under the leadership of engineers Vystavkin and Sokolov. Here are some interesting facts about the 35th battery in Sevastopol, the history of which we outline here:

1. Eyewitnesses assured that the scope of concrete work many times exceeded the efforts invested by the Soviet authorities in the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station.
2. The basis of the structure was a pair of reinforced concrete masses equipped with fortified gun turrets.
3. The first block became a haven for warehouses (ammunition was stored there), barracks and service sections.
4. The power station and correction post were moved to the second block.
5. The underground halls were connected through long corridors, and the complex was also equipped with emergency exits through which one could get to the sea.
6. The basis of the weapons were turret installations with 305-mm cannons, and the weight of the shells exceeded 450 kilograms. The destruction range was about 40 kilometers.
7. All-round fire was ensured by turning the towers 360 degrees.

The gun mounts experienced their baptism of fire in the fall of 1941, when the Nazis decided to capture Sevastopol in a lightning-fast attack. Suddenly, a powerful blow fell upon the Germans, for which they were not prepared, as a result of which the attack floundered. The second attempt to destroy the batteries took place in December after a massive artillery barrage (the main efforts of the Germans were concentrated on the 30th battery). Five enemy divisions were unable to cope with the fortifications during the day, but in the morning a large-scale offensive began along the entire front, accompanied by bombing, mortar and artillery fire. The Germans brought the stationary howitzer "Dora" and self-propelled mortars "Karl" to the theater of operations, but were again defeated.

In the summer of 1942, a turning point came - the Soviet defenders ran out of ammunition. In June, the 30th battery was surrounded by invaders, after which local battles began to boil on the outskirts of the city. At the end of June 35, the battery in Sevastopol, photos of which are presented here, began to receive retreating citizens and exhausted Soviet soldiers. Hitler's ring was shrinking, enemy artillery, tanks and planes fell on Chersonesos. After the defenders ran out of shells, the heroes began using buckshot and ancient cannonballs.

The defense, which began so heroically, ended in disgrace. Staff officers, hiding in the premises of the reserve command post, sent a report, the meaning of which boiled down to the impossibility of further defense of Sevastopol. Representatives of the headquarters requested an urgent evacuation, and soon planes arrived to pick up the authorities. Thus, about 80,000 defenders of Sevastopol and ordinary citizens were left to the mercy of fate. The ammunition magazines were destroyed by depth charges.

Post-war period

For some reason, it was the 35th coastal battery of Sevastopol that suffered the most destruction - it could not be restored for a long time. Unlike the "thirty", which was reconstructed immediately after the end of the war. In the 60s, the casemates of the fortification site became a haven for the 723rd coastal battery. In 1963, the landmark lost its military status, and the Sevastopol City Council began thinking about preserving its historical heritage. The territory of the complex was formally protected by government agencies, but no one took real measures for reconstruction.

The walls of the attraction were gradually destroyed, and household waste and construction debris accumulated on the territory. The casemates were also polluted - local residents used them as a dump. The next misuse of the facility dates back to 1988 - one of the command posts was given over to a seismological laboratory that belonged to Simferopol State University. Before the collapse of the USSR, the following events related to the future museum took place:

• Citizens' interest in classified pages of history has increased;
• teams of researchers appeared to study the territory of the complex;
• On July 3, meetings of veterans began to be organized in the complex;
• authoritative historians studied archival documents related to the defense of Sevastopol.

How the historical and memorial complex 35 coastal battery was created

Irreparable damage to the memorial complex was caused by “black diggers” and enterprising Sevastopol residents who made a living in metal mining. Mini-hotels and private cottages were built nearby, and all construction waste was transported to casemates. The museum “35 Battery in Sevastopol” might not have opened, but in 2003 a special commission organized by the city administration took up the problem. The commission published an appeal in the newspaper to protect the public domain, and soon concerned citizens appeared who decided to restore the complex.

In 2006, an official decision was made to create a historical and memorial complex on the basis of the catacombs, dedicated to the defenders of the city. Soon, the authorities developed a regulatory framework that made it possible to take the site under protection and begin restoration activities. An important point: not only the museum complex, but also the entire territory adjacent to it is recognized as a historical and cultural heritage. From this moment on, the “35 Battery” complex in Sevastopol, the work schedule of which you will see below, was able to protect itself from the “Phoenix” dacha cooperative. Land use boundaries have shifted, and hotels have ceased to be built in close proximity to historical and cultural heritage.

The formation of the exhibition and improvement of the museum premises began in 2007. Funding was provided through donations; no government funds were spent on the museum. We list the main sponsors who agreed to participate in the project:

1. Group of companies "Tavrida-Electric".
2. CJSC "Sevastopol Stroyproekt"
3. Private entrepreneurs.

Why is it worth visiting the 35 Battery Museum?

The complex is a huge memorial space entirely dedicated to the soldiers and sailors who defended Sevastopol during the Second World War. There are no analogues to this structure in the world. Having crossed the threshold of the memorial, you are immersed in the atmosphere of the epic confrontation that unfolded between the German occupiers and the domestic armored turret battery. The ensemble is based on an artillery platform and deep casemates built during the tsarist era. Here are the key locations and interesting objects of the museum:

• Wall of Glory;
• Pantheon;
• Soviet-style stationary guns;
• Chapel of the Archangel Michael;
• granite necropolis;
• obelisk with the names of the fallen.

The importance of Sevastopol as a strategic site is best understood in the depths of the memorial complexes. Museum exhibits are selected in such a way as to reveal to travelers as much as possible the details of the long-standing confrontation. Everywhere there are maps, weapons, miraculously preserved documentation, personal belongings of soldiers. The exhibits are distributed over several tiers of the structure, so be patient - you will have to walk a lot. The types of activities practiced by museum employees are also very diverse:

• excursions;
• screenings of documentaries;
• organization of commemorative events;
• thematic exhibitions;
• joint projects with other museums and archival institutions;
• lectures for schoolchildren.

The complex's staff accepts group and individual requests for excursions from city guests. An interesting detail: there are three excursion routes in total, the logic of each of them is built in accordance with the internal structure of the complex. Therefore, when you arrive in Sevastopol for the “35th battery”, you need to take into account the work schedule, but at the same time do not forget about the nuances of the excursion program. The routes simulate the retreat vectors of the defenders into the bowels of the structure. Therefore, in one day it is possible to go through the first and second or first and third routes, but nothing else.

Please note: the third route is not recommended for children under 13 years of age. The reason lies in the fact that museum visitors face a long descent, and the “immersion depth” is 25 meters. The rooms have musty air, the excursion is accompanied by a gloomy story about death - all this (in total) can negatively affect the child’s psyche. There are known cases of panic attacks occurring in children after sightseeing. In general, “35 Battery” can hardly be called a children’s facility, so it’s better to visit the complex on your own (or plan your excursion route wisely).

Practical information

The minimum size of a tour group is five people, so we recommend visiting the complex with friends, having agreed in advance that you will go down into the depths. The thematic tour lasts an hour, with guides showing guests the Pantheon. But the operating hours depend on the season. The layout is as follows:

1. Tourist season (May-October). The museum is closed on Monday, tickets are issued at 9.45. The territory is accessible to visitors from eight in the morning to eight in the evening, but excursions are held between 10.00 and 18.00. The interval between excursions does not exceed 20 minutes.
2. Low season (November-April). There are two days off - Monday and Tuesday. Excursion programs end at 16.00. You can visit the complex between 9.00-18.00. The interval between excursions increases to 30 minutes.

So, you have decided to visit the “35 battery” in Sevastopol, how to get to the site without incident? The easiest way is to use public transport heading towards the 35th Battery stop. To do this, you will need to take a minibus (numbers 7, 77 and 11) or bus No. 105. Then go south along the asphalt path - it will lead you to the mass grave and the main entrance to the memorial ensemble.

If you decide to go to Sevastopol by car and are coming from the South Coast, you will certainly find yourself within the Yalta Ring. Drive along the Balaklavskoye Highway for five kilometers, turn onto Kamyshovoye Highway, after which you will turn in the direction of Cossack Bay. From the Simferopol Mainline you need to move through the triumphal arch, the railway station and Kamyshovaya Bay. Have a nice trip!