Assault of Sapun Mountain museum in Sevastopol

The Assault of Sapun Mountain museum-diorama is dedicated to the battle for Sevastopol, when city was liberated from German troops on May 9, 1944. The liberation of Crimea became one of the most important stages of the war. The strategic importance of the peninsula in WWII was huge, so the battles for the city were very fierce. 

In 1942, Soviet troops defended Sevastopol for 8 months. The Germans concentrated a huge amount of artillery around the city. For the assault, the largest in history “Dora” cannon was delivered from Germany. It bombarded Sevastopol from the Bakhchisarai area. Its shells weighed 7 tons and could penetrate the concrete walls of the forts.  

In 1944, German troops were retreating on the entire Eastern Front. The generals reported to Hitler about the need to leave the Crimea, since the 17th army would be trapped on the peninsula. However, Hitler insisted that the defense of the Crimea is not only military, but also political importance. He said that if they lose Crimea, Turkey will stop supporting Germany and supplying chromium needed for the production of armored steel.  

Hitler declared Sevastopol a fortress city and demanded to defend it to the last cartridge. Goebbels said: "If the Russians defended Sevastopol in 1942 for 250 days, then we will defend it for 15 years."  

Sapun Mountain means Soap Mountain in Turkic. Once bentonite clay was mined on it, which was used to make soap. The mountain rises only 240 meters above sea level, but it stretches for 8 kilometers and is a natural barrier in the south of Sevastopol. The Germans dug 4 lines of trenches on Sapun Mountain and built over 60 reinforced concrete pillboxes. The floors of the dugouts for soldiers were also made of concrete. The concentration of artillery was also unprecedented. There have never been such a number of guns per kilometer of the front anywhere in the entire history of the WWII. The mountain seemed to them impregnable.   

On May 5, 1944, a general assault on the city began, and on May 7, a fierce battle on Sapun Mountain began. 14 thousand Russian soldiers died during the assault on Sapun Mountain, but the mountain was taken in just 2 days. On May 9, Russian troops installed artillery on it. The remnants of the German 17th army retreated to the ruins of Tauric Chersonesos, but were defeated or captured there. Thus, the Germans could not defend Sevastopol even for 1 week. 

The Assault of Sapun Mountain diorama was opened on November 4, 1959. It is the main war memorial dedicated to one of the most important battles of the WWII. On the first floor of the diorama there is a museum exposition dedicated to both stages of the Battle for Sevastopol.  The first stage – 250 days of defense of Sevastopol in 1942, the second stage - the liberation of Sevastopol in 1944. 

The height of the painting of the Assault on Sapun Mountain diorama is 5.5 meters in height and 25 meters in length. The painting was painted by the Grekov’s studio of battle artists. It depicts the decisive moment of the battle when the soldiers of the Russian 51st Seaside Army were able to break through all the fortifications of the Germans and climb the crest of the Sapun Mountain.