A diorama entitled "Assault on the Sapun Mountains May 7, 1944" is a branch of the National Museum of Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol. It is located 12 km from the central part of the city.
How does Diorama (Sevastopol) work? How to get to her?
The facility is located on Sapun Mountain. You can get to the monument by bus from the Malakhov Kurgan. Schedule: daily from 9:00 to 17:00, except Monday. The cash desk is open until 16:30. Between July and August, when thousands of tourists travel to Sevastopol, Diorama, the photo of which is presented in the article, works seven days a week from 9:00 to 17:30. You can buy a ticket at the box office until 17:00.
Historical Events
1941-1942 - the time when the heroic defense of Sevastopol took place . The city was liberated in May 1944. Fierce battles unfolded on Sapun Mountain. Until now, this place keeps the historical landscape of those events. Even today, traces of trenches and trenches dug by soldiers, long-term defensive points, deep craters from bombs and shells, covered with fresh green grass, are clearly distinguished here. Numerous monuments and obelisks that are part of the Memorial complex of national significance dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War found their refuge on Sapun Mountain. The first monuments in honor of the liberators of Sevastopol were erected here by military architects and builders in the spring of 1944. At the request of veterans, a picturesque monument - a diorama, was created for the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the city from Nazi invaders. The defense of Sevastopol is an indicator of the courage and courage of Soviet soldiers. The memory of this will remain in Russian history forever.
Creating a composition
The responsible task for writing the painting was received by the Moscow studio of military artists named after M.B. Grekov. Executive work began in 1958 with the P.T. Maltseva, which also included N.S. Prisekin and G.I. Marchenko. To create a realistic work of art, masters of fine art met with participants in the battles on Sapun Mountain, carefully studied the events of those times, made numerous sketches, sketches and sketches of the area. To create a figurative canvas measuring 5.5 x 25.2 m and a front subject plan with a total area of 83 square meters. m. artists took 7 months.
The diorama (Sevastopol) was inaugurated on November 4, 1959. It was the first composition of such a large size that Soviet masters of fine art had ever worked on before. Its authors sought to convey with maximum completeness the realism of the events described. For this, the figures of people were painted in natural human height, and the front subject plan was composed of genuine equipment, uniforms, weapons, parts of engineering structures collected from the battlefield. The diorama depicts the exploits of real soldiers who participated in the defense of Sevastopol. To convey their portrait resemblance, the artists used documentary photographs in their work. They were also posed by sitters with a similar appearance or even the heroes of the war who died out.
Memorial Complex
The diorama (Sevastopol) is located in the building at the very top of the Sapun Mountain, exactly where the events described by it took place. From the balcony, located on the outside of the building, visitors can already see a familiar view of the area, captured by artists on the canvas. On the ground floor, before acquaintance with the picturesque composition, a unique museum exposition entitled "Sevastopol during the Second World War" is presented to the eyes of visitors.
Near the building you can see another important component of the memorial complex. Here visitors will see an open exposition of military equipment that participated in real battles. The diorama (Sevastopol) is surrounded by tanks, naval and field artillery, anti-aircraft and self-propelled guns, as well as the famous Katyusha guards mortars. The dominant feature of the Sapun-Gora memorial complex is the Obelisk of Glory of 28 meters high, at the foot of which since 1970 the Eternal Flame has been continuously burning .
Painting "Defense of Sevastopol"
In the war and post-war times, many works were created in honor of the victory over fascism, perpetuating the memory of the dead soldiers. Diorama (Sevastopol) is one of the largest memorial complexes dedicated to the events of 1941-1945. Many artists also depicted fragments of that terrible war on their canvases.
The outstanding painter Alexander Aleksandrovich Deineka wrote: "Great art is born as a result of a great natural feeling, and this can be not only joy, but also anger." It is precisely these feelings — deep hatred and anger towards the enemy — that his paintings “Defense of Sevastopol” and “On the Outskirts of Moscow” painted during the Second World War breathe. This is the exact opposite of his early work, inspired by enthusiasm, solemn joy for the success of Soviet technological progress, faith in a healthy mind in a healthy body and a complete sense of the world. "Defense of Sevastopol" - the famous work of A.A. Deineki painted in Moscow in 1942. Currently, the canvas is presented in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
Historical information
Based on historical data, we can assume that in the picture A.A. Deineka depicts the events of Sevastopol in the autumn of 1941, because it was in that year, from October 30 to November 21, that the Nazis carried out the first assault on the city. At first, the battles were fought on the long-distance approaches to Sevastopol, and on November 2, an attack on the defensive fortress began. And since there were no more ground forces in the city, the Black Sea Fleet marines, separate units using fire support of the ships, took over the defense of Sevastopol. Coastal batteries also took part in the battle.
Pictured Events
During the Great Patriotic German Army 3 attempts were made to take Sevastopol. The last battle for this city ended on July 9, 1942. And despite the fact that the picture depicted by A.A. Deineka, is not really reliable, hundreds of such battles unfolded on the embankment of Sevastopol. The author managed to convey the soldier's heroism, depicting on the canvas the great feat of the Marines, who sacrificed their own lives to protect the city.
Description
Creating the canvas "Defense of Sevastopol", the artist seems to tell the audience a sad, cruel story. In it, he describes the battle unfolding on the embankment, in which Soviet sailors obscure the approach to the city by an enemy detachment. In the distance you can see the ruins of once standing houses, fire is burning all around. In the foreground of the picture is a wounded sailor throwing a bunch of grenades. His face is determined and fearless, his arms are sharply extended to the sides, his legs are widely spaced. The sailor's pose represents all inaccessibility, selflessness and willingness to stop the enemy at any cost.
To give the picture realism, A.A. Deineka depicted the central figure of a soldier with a shift to the left corner, leaving room for the flight of grenades. A sailor full of greatness makes the last desperate throw, giving the whole composition energy and drama. To convey the menace and pressure of impending enemy troops, the author uses a special technique - sticking out blade bayonets from rifles.
It is no coincidence that the artist depicts a lying fascist at the feet of a soldier disproportionately small compared to the main character of the picture. Thus, Deineka speaks of the weakness and helplessness of the enemy in the face of the Soviet army. The painting "Defense of Sevastopol" is not just a reproduction of an episode of hostilities, but, first of all, a symbolic image of a clash of Soviet heroes in snow-white clothes with a dark, almost faceless mass of invaders. The Deineka’s canvas, like the work of many other artists, perpetuated the memory of the heroes of the Second World War, who took part in fierce battles and gave their lives for the freedom of their country.