Sapun Mountain and diorama "Assault on Sapun Mountain"

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

On Sapun Mountain on the outskirts of Sevastopol is one of the most important memorial complexes of the Second World War period. It is dedicated to the memory of the Soviet soldiers who accomplished the feat in May 1944 during the offensive operation to liberate the city. There is a beautiful park here, samples of large military equipment are exhibited, an obelisk of memory and an eternal flame are installed, the church of St. George the Victorious operates, there is an alley of heroes with memorial plaques. For the convenience of visitors, recreation areas are equipped, there is a free toilet, souvenirs, drinks and fast food are sold. And every day at 12 o'clock a unique action takes place here – the motors of military equipment are started, and if you are close to it, you will feel the vibration from its power almost with your skin.

There is also a diorama museum "Storming of Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944", the basis of the exposition of which is a panoramic painting on canvas measuring 25.5 by 5.5 meters and an area of a subject (full-scale) plan of 83 square meters. It depicts the climax of the battle, which shows in great detail the storming of the mountain by the soldiers of the Red army. Its inspection is carried out with excursion service (included in the ticket price), during which it is interesting and with feeling to tell about the events in the picture. In addition to the diorama, on the ground floor of the museum there is a small exhibition of weapons and military equipment from the battlefield. In 2021 and 2022, a global reconstruction was carried out at the memorial complex, and now this place has become even more attractive. We advise you to visit it if possible during your vacation. However, given the remoteness from the center, with all due respect to the significance of the place and the heroism of the heroes, they would not include it in the mandatory program of tourist stay in Sevastopol. In addition, the cost of visiting the diorama has increased significantly and, in our opinion, does not correspond to the content of the museum.

A little bit about the mountain itself

The name of this place "Sapun Mountain" was given by local hunters shortly before the Crimean War and comes from the word "sapet" (snuffle) because of the difficulties of hiking up its slopes. Although its height is actually small, only 240 meters, it is a very important strategic place, which was key both during the Crimean War and in the fierce battles of the Great Patriotic War. The fact is that it has the shape of a ridge or ridge stretching for almost 7 kilometers. It protects the city from the southeast, forming a kind of natural wall. However, do not worry, you will not have to "sniff" to climb to a height of 240 meters, since the highway leads directly to the complex.

We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Sevastopol with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites:

• 📷 Search for excursions in Sevastopol on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for excursions in Sevastopol on Tripster.ru