Sevastopol, the Museum of the Black Sea Fleet - the history of creation, interesting exhibits.

The Museum of the Black Sea Fleet is one of the mandatory points of the tourist program in the Crimea. It is filled with interesting exhibits telling the heroic history of the fleet throughout the difficult period for Russia - from the end of the 19th century to the present day.

History of the museum foundation

In 1869 a museum of the history of the Black Sea Fleet was opened. Sevastopol became a place of its location not by accident. For the museum was allocated not just a building, but the home of the general and military engineer EI Totleben, who, incidentally, was the initiator of the creation of the exhibition. Originally it was supposed to be a museum of Sevastopol defense. Its participants handed over their personal belongings, awards, trophies and documents for storage. To open, money was required, they were collected through local newspapers and societies. Soon, thanks to donations, it was possible to collect 12 thousand rubles - a sufficient amount for the organization of the exhibition.

A few months after its discovery, Emperor Alexander II granted the museum an estate of almost 2,000 dessiatins in the Tauride province. It brought income of 2.5 thousand rubles a year, which existed and developed the museum. The same money included a shelter, a school and artisan workshops, open at the museum.

Later, right in front of the original building, a new one was built, in a monumental classical style with massive cast-iron details, which still impress today. On the facade there is also a special sign - the cross and figures 349, according to the number of days of defense Sevastopol experienced.

The Museum of the Black Sea Fleet soon moved to a new building, simultaneously expanding its content. It has become not only a museum of a historical event, but has become a large collection of subjects telling about the history of the fleet.

During the Second World War, in connection with particularly fierce military actions in Sevastopol, the most valuable specimens were evacuated first to Baku, and then to Ulyanovsk, but after the war ended, everything returned to its places. True, the exhibits were exhibited temporarily in the art gallery, since the building of the military museum suffered from bombing and required reconstruction. However, the museum soon reopened its doors - already in peacetime.

The modern exposition (Sevastopol)

The Museum of the Black Sea Fleet today consists of 8 exhibition halls. 7 of them are in the main building, built in 1895. The exposition reflects the entire long history of the fleet, from the moment it was created to modernity. All the difficult years of Russian and Soviet history, the museum continued to scrupulously collect items that attest to the valor of the Russian army and navy. So, after the Great October Revolution, many military men from all over Russia handed over various documents and items. In the days of the Great Patriotic War, bloody documents and the personal belongings of fallen soldiers pierced with shells and bullets were carried directly to the museum of the Black Sea Fleet.

Sevastopol also has such interesting exhibits (and there are only 30 thousand of them), as personal items of commanders who led the defense. These are the legendary admirals VA Kornilov and PS Nakhimov (telescope, personal armchair, epaulettes), the founder of the museum, General Totleben (for example, the award-winning saber for bravery), there are also awards of the outstanding Admiral MP Lazarev. Many military trophies are stored here, for example, Turkish swords and even the sword of the Turkish commander-in-chief Osman Pasha, as well as the dagger of the German admiral. Most of the exposition consists of mock-ups of ships and weapons of different epochs - guns, mortars, daggers. A very interesting exhibition is devoted to navigation devices, where there are astrolabes, sextants, and telescopes. And a variety of uniforms, starting from the 19th century and ending with modern periods, is demonstrated by the Museum of the Black Sea Fleet.

Sevastopol often experienced difficult military times. The spirit and heroism of his defenders are also conveyed by the paintings - authentic masterpieces of the panorama painting by Franz Roubaud (for example, his grandiose panorama "The Defense of Sevastopol" 10 meters long), the seascape of Ivan Aivazovsky and drawings from the nature of V. Timma.

All exhibits are divided into thematic halls - there is a hall dedicated to the defenses of the city of Sevastopol. The Museum of the Black Sea Fleet also has halls illuminating the role of the fleet in the Great Patriotic War, where there are many German trophies, weapons, medals and various documents of that era.

But not only inside the museum has something to look at. Outside there are also several exhibits, for example, the bombomet of the beginning of the twentieth century, anchors, cannons, and the facade of the building is decorated with solid monumental sculptures depicting the protruding nose and rear stern of the ship.

It is noteworthy that the Military History Museum of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol is included in the catalog of similar museums of the world and is also a member of the ICOM, that is, the International Council of Museums.

Excursions and exhibits outside the main building

In the building of the former St. Michael Church in 1848, not far from the main building, there is the eighth hall of the permanent exposition of the museum - it tells about the life and development of the Russian fleet after the completion of the Great Patriotic War. Here, too, a large number of interesting exhibits - machine telegraphs, mines, torpedoes, documents and attributes of the fleet of Stalin's times, and much more.

Also, by prior arrangement for large groups, an excursion to the most real operating ship of the Black Sea Fleet can be organized.

Operating mode

In Sevastopol, the Museum of the Black Sea Fleet is open from 10 am to 17 pm, but the ticket office operates until 16 hours. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday. Please note that the last Friday of every month is a sanitary day, the museum is closed.

Price

The cost of visiting the exposition is quite small: an adult ticket costs 100 rubles, a child ticket costs 50 rubles. You will have to pay extra for photography, but only 60 rubles.

How to get there

Look for the right building right in the center of Sevastopol. The Museum of the Black Sea Fleet (its address: Lenin Street, 11) is not at all difficult to find. You can get there by any means of transport, through the center, for example on a trolleybus to the stop "House of Officers of the Fleet" or on route taxi number 16.