The Eastern or Crimean War of 1853-1856, unleashed by the Russian Empire to realize its geopolitical dreams, showed the catastrophic civilizational, economic, military, and technological inferiority of the “gendarme of Europe” and ended in its defeat. A vivid symbol of this was the fall of the “city of Russian glory,” Sevastopol, in September 1855.

In November 1853, the Russian fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral P. Nakhimov, destroyed the entire Turkish fleet in Sinop Bay. This successful start to the military campaign paved the way for the coveted capture of Constantinople, the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles, and the Russian fleet’s entry into the Mediterranean. It seemed that this Russo-Turkish war would soon end with another defeat for the Ottoman forces. However, the entry of Istanbul’s Allies, Great Britain and France, into the war altered the course of events. These nations recognized that the continued rise of the “gendarme of Europe” at the expense of the weakened Ottoman Empire’s European territories would threaten the future of Euro-Atlantic civilization, negating all of St. Petersburg’s initial military successes.

The technological superiority of the European powers in weaponry, logistics, and military organization became key to their eventual victory in the Eastern, or Crimean, War. The coalition of Great Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire set their sights on Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. On September 14, 1854, the Allies landed near Yevpatoriia. Just days later, on September 20, they defeated the Russian forces at the Battle of Alma, driving them back to Bakhchysarai. The Battle of Alma was the first major confrontation of the Crimean War.

By the way, the French commemorated the victorious battle by naming the Pont de l’Alma in Paris, and the British named Alma a small settlement in North Otago and a river in the Marlborough area (both in New Zealand). In the province of New Brunswick, Canada, the parish of Alma around the village of Alma was named in 1856 in honor of the recent Battle of Alma. Alma, Nova Scotia, Alma, Ontario, and Alma, Quebec are also named after the battle. The minor planet №390 Alma and a class of French battleships are named after the battle.

The 67,000-strong Allied army, under the command of F.-J. Somerset (Lord Raglan) and Marshal A.-J. de Saint-Arnaud, supported by a fleet of 34 battleships and 55 frigates, approached Sevastopol but did not launch an immediate assault. After encircling the city, the Allies positioned themselves to its south. On September 25, 1854, Sevastopol was declared under siege. The defense of the city, with Malakhov Kurgan as a key stronghold, was organized by the Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral V. Kornilov, along with Vice Admiral P. Nakhimov, Rear Admiral V. Istomin, and military engineer E. Totleben. The Russian defense line stretched for 7 kilometers, featuring eight bastions armed with heavy artillery and a system of trenches and dugouts. On October 17, 1854, the Allied Command initiated the first bombardment of Sevastopol from both sea and land. During the artillery duels, both sides suffered losses. Prince Menshikov’s attempt to divert the enemy by launching an offensive against French-British positions from the rear achieved partial success near Balaklava. However, this was undermined by the Russian defeat in the Battle of Inkerman on November 5, 1854. By the middle of the following year, 1855, the Allies had launched several major bombardments of Sevastopol. As of May 1855, the Allies concentrated a 175,000-strong group (joined by the Kingdom of the Sardinians) against the 85,000-strong Russian army. On June 7, 1855, the Allies launched an offensive on the front lines of Sevastopol, which ended in victory. However, a subsequent assault on Sevastopol on June 18 was repelled by the Russians, with heavy losses for the Allies; the defeat hastened the death of the British commander, Lord Raglan, who contracted cholera during the campaign. The Battle of the Black River on August 16 was the last attempt by Russian troops to lift the blockade of Sevastopol, which ended in their defeat and the actual end of active hostilities in the war. After another prolonged (about 20 days) bombardment of the city by the Allies, the Russian command realized the futility of resistance and began to prepare the evacuation of the city. On September 5, the Allies began the sixth bombardment, firing about 150,000 shells from 307 guns and destroying most of Sevastopol’s fortifications. On September 8, 1855, the last assault on Sevastopol began, involving about 60 thousand people. The Russian army managed to repel the British attack, but the French captured Malakhov Kurgan the same day. After the Russian army retreated to the northern shore of Sevastopol Bay, Sevastopol ceased to resist the British and French troops, ending its 11-month defense.

During the siege of Sevastopol, the Allies suffered more than 70,000 casualties, including those killed and wounded (excluding losses due to disease), while the Russian army lost over 100,000 troops. The heavy losses at Sevastopol forced the Allies to halt further offensive operations. Under the terms of the 1856 Paris Peace Treaty, Sevastopol was returned to the Russian Empire in exchange for the Turkish fortress of Kars in Transcaucasia, which the Russians had captured.

Regarding the statement “Sevastopol is a city of Russian glory,” it is important to note that regiments formed in Ukraine—such as the Volyn, Zhytomyr, Odesa, and Podillia regiments—participated in the Crimean campaign and the defense of Sevastopol. Additionally, people from Volyn served in the Selenginsky, Yakutsky, Okhotsk, and Kamchatka regiments, which came to Crimea from the Lutsk and Rivne regions. Many soldiers from Poltava and Kharkiv served in the Yeletsky, Sevsky, Bryansk, and Orel regiments. According to contemporary researchers, up to 50% of the Russian army consisted of soldiers, sailors, and officers of Ukrainian origin, with Ukrainian sailors making up approximately 70% of the Black Sea Fleet. Many Ukrainian soldiers and sailors distinguished themselves through heroic acts, including D. Horlenko, I. Danylenko, I. Demchenko, F. Zaika, and P. Kishka. Furthermore, the Ukrainian provinces bore the brunt of supplying the Russian army with fuel and food. At the same time, peasants in the border regions were forced to maintain round-the-clock border patrols.