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The Panorama of the Defence of Sevastopol is the most interesting museum object of the large memorial complex dedicated to the heroic defence of this city from the Allied forces in 1854-55 during the Crimean War. Despite the fact that it was created more than a hundred years ago - it is a bright and spectacular museum that impresses with its realism.

Defence of Sevastopol

The Allied siege of Sevastopol with numerous attempts to storm it lasted 349 days. During this time, many military feats were performed, which are still preserved in the memory of people. Fortitude of the defenders of the city was unparalleled. The defence was led by Admirals V. Kornilov and P. Nakhimov.

The main battles were fought over the dominating height of Malakhov barrow. On 6 June 1855, one of the most vivid episodes of the assault took place, when the Russian army managed to repel the attack of the enemy, who was more than twice its number and better armed - it is this episode that the museum's exposition is dedicated to.

Sevastopol fell only after the fortifications of Malakhov Kurgan was almost completely destroyed - it happened in the early autumn of 1855.

Franz Roubaud and the creation of the panorama

Franz Alexeyevich Roubaud came from a French family that once settled in Russia. He studied painting in Odessa and then in Munich. Roubaud immediately began his career as a battle painter. In the last third of the 19th century it was a popular genre: there was a public demand for huge monumental canvases, which with photographic accuracy conveyed the course of historical events and allowed the viewer to be present at them. The first paintings of the young battalist were devoted to the events of the war with Persia 1804-1813, then he wrote many paintings of the Caucasian wars for the Tiflis Museum "Temple of Glory".

In the early 20th century, Roubaud received an order for a grandiose canvas dedicated to the defence of Sevastopol. In 1905, the 50th anniversary of this event was celebrated. It was conceived memorial complex on the Malakhov barrow. The new painting was to be the jewel of this complex.

Having received the order, F. Roubaud went to Sevastopol, to study the places of events that he was to depict. He made numerous sketches, communicated with the still living participants of the events. Some scenes for him were specially staged dressed in the appropriate uniforms of local residents. For this was allocated several platoons of soldiers. In total, Roubaud made several dozen sketches and sketches. A year after the beginning of work on the painting, the artist presented its sketch. The subject was chosen heroic day of 6 June 1855. The sketch was executed in ink on eleven-metre paper tape and exhibited in the Winter Palace. It was approved personally by Nicholas II. The main work on the canvas was carried out already in Munich during the next three years.

A special pavilion was built near Munich. A huge and sturdy canvas for the painting was woven at the Dutch factory Mommen. Of course, the artist did not work alone - the work on such paintings in general is always done collectively. Rubo was assisted by artists Karl Frosch, L. Schönchen, Oscar Merte, as well as several Bavarian students from the Academy of Fine Arts. The pavilion was thirty-six metres in diameter. The canvas was stretched on sturdy iron rings, and rails were arranged around the perimeter on which the work platforms could be moved.

Transporting the painting to the place where it was to be located was not easy either. It was carried on two railway platforms, wound on a fifteen-metre shaft, and another whole carriage was occupied not by the pictorial but by the subject parts of the panorama. All this together weighed more than ten tonnes.

Already after the installation of the painting the commission sent from St. Petersburg had ideological questions to the author. For example, the painting depicted Admiral P. Nakhimov. Nakhimov, but did not depict the commander-in-chief. Russian troops were then commanded by M. Gorchakov. Despite the fact that on the day of the attack on Malakhov Kurgan on 6 June M. Gorchakov was not in this place - it was demanded to portray him. Negotiations on the acceptance of the painting were held with several commissions, and in the end it was still accepted - the fourth commission in May 1905. The painting hung quietly until 1909, and then it wished to see Nicholas II. The canvas was brought to St. Petersburg. Again there was a question about P. Nakhimov. The fact is that despite the fact that P. Nakhimov was a hero of the defence, he allowed himself to criticize the decisions of the commander-in-chief, differed in his willful character, spoke quite sharply - and therefore was not suitable for the key characters in the picture. In the end, the figure of the Admiral still closed the cloud of smoke. The painting returned to Sevastopol in an edited form.

Saving the Panorama during the war

In the 1920s it turned out that the Panorama required restoration. It was taken care of by a former student of Franz Roubaud - the artist M. B. Grekov. B. Grekov. Roubaud himself was still alive, but he had already moved to Germany in 1912, and himself to restore his painting did not want to return to the USSR. M. B. Grekov carried out the restoration in 1926. During the restoration of the painting was returned to its original appearance and the figure of Nakhimov was restored.

In 1941-42. Sevastopol again became the scene of fierce military operations. Malakhov Kurgan was subjected to continuous bombardment and almost all the objects of the memorial complex of 1905 were destroyed. The question of evacuation of the huge painting arose, and the evacuation had to be as careful as possible, because for forty years and the best Dutch canvas weathered, and the colours, despite restoration, began to crumble. While they were looking for ways to remove the canvas from the besieged city, a bomb hit the Panorama building and the painting caught fire. Several Red Navy officers heroically carried out those fragments of the Panorama that they managed to save from the fire. A total of 86 fragments were saved. The next night they sailed away on the destroyer "Tashkent" to evacuation - it was the last ship to leave the city under continuous German bombardment.

In the post-war years a huge amount of work was done to recreate the painting. In the original form of the painting was impossible to restore - too many fragments were lost. A whole group of artists-restorers was organised, led by Academician V. N. Yakovlev. It included N. Kotov, V. Korzhevsky, N. Solomin, and others. They again had to turn to military consultants, to restore the lost parts. A detailed plan of all the buildings of Malakhov Kurgan for the day of the summer assault was created, all the old photographs of both the Panorama itself and just the city, taken after the surrender of the city, were lifted. Consultations were carried out by I. S. Isakov and A. N. Kuzmin. The non-pictorial, volumetric plan was lost completely - it had to be recreated. Initially it was made of clay, so it was dusty and polluted. On the basis of glue and gypsum, a new fireproof material was created.

It took more than a tonne of glue and paint to prime the huge new canvas alone. The young artists were not bound by ideological pressure, so they added a number of new domestic episodes to the painting, dedicated to ordinary soldiers. The new Panorama was inaugurated in October 1954.

Building of the Panorama

The building itself was built in 1901-1904 on the site of the former 4th bastion. It is a round structure in neoclassicism style, with wide staircases on the sides. Special niches are made in the walls for busts of heroes of the defence. It was built according to the project of F.-O. Enberg and is unique - it is the first building of this kind in Russia. F.-O. Enberg, a military engineer, also took part in the design of the Monument to the sunken ships in Grafskaya Bay.

The building was restored in the post-war years according to the project of architect V.P. Petropavlovsky. It was slightly remodelled - for example, a basement was added to it. While the panorama was previously cold, air-conditioning systems were installed, and the walls and roof were built with insulation. The building was completed by 1954, but it was not fully decorated. The recreated busts of defence heroes did not appear here until 1974.

Nowadays

The museum is not exhausted by the Panorama itself with a viewing platform. Here you can see drawings and sketches by the artist F. Roubaud. A separate exposition is devoted to the process of restoration of the great canvas in the Soviet years, there are many exhibits dedicated to the Crimean War.

In front of the building of the Panorama is Historical Park. It contains several 19th century guns in recreated concrete fortifications, as well as a small exhibition of anchors. The park is decorated with several monuments. There is a monument to the author of "Sevastopol Stories" Leo Tolstoy - he served on the 4th bastion, there is a monument to engineer E. Totleben. Totleben, the author of all the fortifications of Sevastopol. A separate memorial sign is dedicated to all the soldiers who defended the 4th bastion.

The park now has attractions - for example, observation wheel, from the height of which you can photograph the round building of the Panorama.

Franz Roubaud's granddaughter lives in Germany. She also became an artist and wrote forewords to several museum editions of her grandfather's works.

On a side note:

  • Location: Sevastopol, Historical Boulevard, 1.

  • How to get there: Trolleybuses No. 1, 3, 4, 7, 9 to Ushakova Square; No. 12, 13, 17, 20 to Ushakova Square/University. Shuttle taxis and buses: No. 2a, 12, 17, 20, 22, 25, 26, 94, 95, 105, 120. On the route from the city centre - stops Ushakov Square, University; to the city centre - stop Panorama.

  • Official website: http://sevmuseum.ru

  • Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00, day off - Monday.

  • Ticket price: adults - 200 rubles, schoolchildren - 100 rubles.