The Panorama “ Defence of Sevastopol 1854-1855” is the well-known work of the battle art and the monumental memorial to heroic defenders of Sevastopol in the Crimean (Eastern) War 1853-1856. This war between Russia and the coalition of such states as Great Britain, France, Turkey, Sardinia was the result of political and economical battle for the sphere of influence in Europe, on the Middle East. The war was finished by the defeat of Russia. But 349 days defence of Sevastopol, the main naval Black Sea fortress, delighted its courage and firmness throughout the world. The feats of valour of defenders are immortalized in the numerous monuments. The best of them is the Panorama. It was created by the 50th anniversary of the defence.   Franz Alekseevich Roubaud   (1856-1928), the outstanding battle-painter and the founder of Russian panoramic art is the author of the panorama.

The Panorama was being created since 1901 until 1904 in Munich. The painters K.Frosh, L.Shenkhen, O.Merte and 20 students of Bavaria Academy of Arts were assisting the author in the creation of the canvas and object ground. By the project of military engineer lieutenant colonel F. -O.Enberg and architect V.Feldman the works were carried out for the construction of the building for the panorama on Historical Boulevard in Sevastopol. The panorama’s canvas is 14m x 115m, the area of the life-size plan is about 1,000 sq.m. On May 14/27, 1905 the panorama was opened, it was exhibited in St.Petersburg in 1909-1911.

On June, 25 1942 during the bombardment some bombs hit the building of the panorama and it caught on fire. Thanks to the defenders of the city, 86 parts of canvas were saved. The destroyer leader “Tashkent” carried these fragments to Novorossiysk; the terminal of transportation was Novosibirsk. After World War ΙΙ it was decided to restore the panorama. The academicians and experienced restorers analyzed the state of the fragments and decided to restore them for creation a new canvas.

The academician Vasiliy Nikolayevich Yakovlev (1893-1953), professor Pavel Petrovich Sokolov-Skalya (1899-1961) and 17 Moscow painters recreated the panorama since 1951 until 1954. By the project of Sevastopol architect V.P.Petropavlovskiy (1918-2000) the building was restored and supplied with modern equipment.

On October 16, 1954 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of heroic defence (1854-1855), the panorama was opened. About 36 million people got to know it within half a century after its second birth.

The panorama tells about one of the 349 days of Sevastopol defence – on June 6/18, 1855, when the defenders repelled the assault of the fortifications of the Korabelnaya Quarter and Malakhov Mound.