BALAKLAVA BATTLE

George Page
Micha Jelisavcic
John Sloan

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Brief description:

This page describes the best route for a visit to study the town and battle and serves as an index to the photographs we have taken there. Please go to Battle for a description of the battle and to Balaklava for a Russian version of the battle.. A visit to Balaklava naturally starts in the quaint seaport village. Formerly the narrow fiord was packed with submarines. Now dozens of small fishing boats line the quay. One building has hardly changed over the years since 1854. This is the church that was used by British troops during the Great Eastern War. Now it is being renovated by Orthodox priests. Another edifice hardly changed since the earlier war is the ruin of Chembalo, the Genoese fortress that guarded the harbor entrance. For views of the ruins of this fortress please go to Chembalo.To view text and illustrations of the fine Panorama Museum in Sevastopol please go to museum. For William Simpson's paintings of the Crimean War please go to Simpson.

Leaving the narrow entrance to Balaklava town one passes the ridge on which the 93^rd Regiment - formed their famous "thin Red Line". But the area is now occupied by housing and trees. One has to move to the right, east, to get a clear view over the ground. Where an industrial road passes next to the railroad spur there is an unobstructed view of both Canrobert's hill to the east and Sapun Gor to the west as well as the intervening ground. Back tracking a short distance one returns to the main road from Balaklava onto the Causeway heights. A roundabout but short drive brings one to the other side of Canrobert's Hill. From here the Russians struck early in the morning and despite fierce resistance from the Turkish garrison soon seized the hill. The area is covered by vineyard, but remains of the redoubt are still visible on top of the hill.

The present road passes along the crest of the Causeway Heights or just below it along the southern side. One can walk through vineyards to reach the crest where the British redoubts 2 -3 - and 4 were positioned. Along the way it is readily possible to pick up the stray uniform button from the French camps that occupied the ridge later in the war. Also one finds shrapnel and other remains from World War II. From the ridge one sees the North Valley in which the Charge of the Light Brigade is laid out as in an amphitheater, with the Fedokhine hills opposite. The main road northeast passes behind the location of the Russian horse artillery battery and cavalry.

The battle of Tcherniya River took place around the bridge across that river. But the modern bridge has been moved from the location of 1854.

Returning along the causeway one realizes just how high the ridge of Sapun Gor is. Arriving at the top, where there now is a museum and impressive diorama showing the Russian assault in 1944, one can stand where Lord Raglan and his staff observed the battle. One appreciates that the steepness of this bluff as described in accounts of Captain Nolan's ride down are not exaggerated. Also one can see that from this elevation the Causeway Height appears to be no height at all. An observer here could easily overlook the fact that the Causeway ridge obscures the field of vision for individuals in either the North or South valleys.

List of illustrations:

Photos currently on line have the blue color showing they are linked. Copies of the photos are available as prints or as high quality digital files on disks. Eventually we will have the entire Crimean War on a CD-ROM. For information about these or about visits to Balaklava and Sevastopol please go to the Xenophon web site and email us. For travel and accomodations throughout Ukraine we recommend the UKRINTOUR company in Kyiv.

	Photo number	Description
		View from near Kadikoi toward Sapun Gor
		Canrobert Hill, seen from east where Russians attacked
		From Kadikoi toward Canrobert's hill
		Hills east of Balaklava battlefield
		Canrobert Hill seen from east
		View from Sapun Gor into north valley
		A closer view of Canrobert's hill from the east - the direction from which the Russians attacked - a corner of the Kadikoi - Balaklava area is visible to the left and part of the Sapun gor ridge is visible to the right.
		A view from behind the Russian artillery line
		View from causeway into north valley east end
		Another view of Canrobert's hill with more of Sapun gor ridge visible
		From behind Russian gun line toward Sapun Gor
		From causeway into north valley west end, where "charge" started
		We are visiting a British monument to the Heavy Brigade on the south slope of the Causeway Height. It is in the midst of grape vineyards and not easy to find.
		View into east end of north valley
		View toward Russian guns and Sapun Gor
		From causeway toward Sapun Gor
		Sapun Gor from behind Russian gun position
		View from on the Causeway ridge looking north -
		Light Brigade charge in valley
		From Russian end of valley toward Sapun
		On causeway, shows Light Brigade charge
		Monument at Tcherniya
		We are looking at this Russian monument at the Tcherniya river.
		Close up of monument
		Church in Balaklava
		Church in Balaklava
		Toward Balaklava town
		North valley
		Toward Sapun Gor in North Valley
		Makenzie heights in distance from near Balaklava
		Micha and George with our guide are following a path through grape vines along the Causeway Height.
		George is discussing the battle of Balaklava with a local lady who is tending her cows on the Causeway Height - see Sapun Gor in background.
		Causeway toward Canrobert Hill
		Balaklava harbor
		View of Balaklava harbor from the hill near the Black Sea entrance. There is one submarine remaining. The underground submarine base was under the hill on the left side of the photo.
		Another view of Balaklava harbor showing the east side with large drydock now gone.
		Telephoto view of the far end of Balaklava harbor as seen from the entrance on Black Sea.
		View of Balaklava harbor from the eastern ridge looking north
		Balaklava harbor closer view
		View of Balaklava harbor from above the town.
		Another view of Balaklava harbor from the Black Sea end.
		View across the entrance channel of Balaklava harbor from east to west. This sheltered harbor must have been hard to find during ancient times.
		Balaklava harbor at dock side
		View within the Balaklava harbor - the submarine was there during our first visit, but not during the later one.
		From Sapun Gor into north valley
		Entrance to Balaklava harbor
		Balaklava harbor
		Kids swiming in Balaklava harbor
		Closer view of Balaklava harbor when submarines were still present
		Blaklava harbor, curve in entrance between open sea and harbor
		Balaklava harbor - view from ridge near the sea looking north through the narrow harbor - note the submarine is gone
		View from east of Canrobert's hill with the hill in left foreground and theSapun Gor ridge in horizon with Raglan's OP where the modern museum is located - the Causway height is in the center between the south (on left) and north (on right) vallies, but one can see that the 'height' is barely a low ridge.
		View from near Kadikoi looking north - it is not possible today to stand on exact spot where the Highlanders were located as it now is full of buildings
		North valley toward Fedoukine hills
		Sapun Gor from causeway
		Illustration of Balaklava harbor
		Canrobert Hill from near Kadikoi, early morning
		View of Canrobert's Hill from Kadikoi - Russians captured this at beginning of the battle and held it.
		View into the North Valley from the Causway height
		General view from Kadikoi toward the north valley in distance on left

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