Building of Diorama Storm of Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944 in Sevastopol, Military history museum at Sapun Mountain in Sevastopol, Ukraine
The Building of Diorama Storm of Sapun Mountain on May 7, 1944 is a cylindrical structure built with pale Inkerman limestone on a hilltop overlooking the city. The upper floor wraps around a continuous painted scene that blends into real terrain elements arranged on the foreground platform.
Soviet forces retook this ridge in May 1944 after German units had held it for nearly two years. The building opened in 1959 to commemorate the final major fight in the liberation of Sevastopol.
The site takes its name from Sapun Mountain, which means "soap" in Tatar, referring to the slippery clay soil that covers the slopes. Visitors walk along a circular gallery where battlefield relics are mounted beneath the painted canvas, creating the sense of standing among soldiers during the assault.
The building sits on open ground at the city edge, so reaching the hill on foot or by car is straightforward. The indoor walk follows a raised platform from which you view both the painting and the surrounding countryside through large windows.
Artists embedded real soil, rocks, and vegetation into the foreground so the line between painting and room disappears. On sunny days, natural light enters through skylights and shifts the colors of the scene as the day passes.
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