Balaklava is one of the most amazing tourist sites in Ukraine. Except that you can’t call it a city. Ancient Balaklava, which was founded by Scythian kings and which is older than a good half of the settlements of Ukraine, its urban status was deprived because of the evil will of Stalin. Today, the former Scythian city, Greek colony and Turkish «nest rich in fish» is just one of the districts of Sevastopol. At the same time, historical treasures of mainly battle genre are collected here no less than in the Dresden Armory. Almost all local attractions are picturesquely placed along both shores of the Balaklava Bay.
One of the most curious historical monuments of Balaklava is the so-called «Barrel of Death». This is an element of coastal fortification. Such fortification objects are erected for the defense of ports, on strategic parts of the coast — in the straits, on the channels, at sea bases and on disputed islands. Coastal fortifications are designed to protect against potential attacks from the sea. They are supposed to include not only fortress towers and positions, but also several lines of barriers, warehouses and underground shelters. Some of the most famous are the coastal fortifications erected on Malta, on the island of Helgoland, in Kiel and Gdansk’s Westerplatte, attacked by the Germans on September 1, 1939
Balaklava’s fortified landmark is not one bit inferior to Europe’s famed coastal forts. Guests of the area, vacationing on Serebrjanyj beach, will immediately see a creepy metal structure hanging over their heads. It’s the barrel of death. It served as an observation point. Its diameter is 1.8 meters. It’s 2 meters high. It has slits for observing the enemy and loopholes from which you can fire. The tower is located at a height of 360 meters. From it you can perfectly view the entrance to Balaklava Bay, the sea opposite Cape Aya and Cape Kaya-Basha. The «barrel of death» received its ominous name during the Civil War. It is known for sure that Red Commissars were shot in it. But this does not mean that their colleagues did not shoot their opponents here. In any case, at the level of an adult’s head, numerous bullet marks have been preserved in the barrel.
«The barrel of death» is only the head, the «periscope», the visible part of a giant fort built into the rock. This fortification appeared on the shores of Balaklava in the XIX century. British troops who came to «support» the Turkish fleet in the Crimean War started building it. In total, the Allies erected 2 coastal fortifications — forts «South» and «North» Balaklava. During World War II, the Soviet troops improved the fortifications left by the former enemy. Engineer Polyansky was in charge of construction works. Our «barrel of death» belongs to the «Southern Fort» complex of structures.
In addition to the «armored barrel» type observation post, the system includes a concrete casemate, a two meter high moat, ladders and niches with loopholes. The total area of the structure is equal to 3 km², length — 2 km. The British built the fort as if they were going to stay in Crimea forever. Therefore, its concrete surfaces are finished under the «wild stone», and the lids of ventilation shafts (there were such!) were covered with bronze grids with vignettes. Unfortunately, most of them have been torn out by marauders today. The mines themselves still have galvanized pipes, which still do not show a single trace of corrosion.
This attraction of Balaklava was used after the war as a testing ground for aerial bombs. A little later, a warehouse for storing ammunition and explosives belonging to the Balaklava ore mining company was placed here. Despite the «efforts» of the Soviet military to bomb and destroy the former English fort, it still surprises tourists with the power and thoroughness of the construction, as well as its adaptability to the needs of the soldiers. In addition, despite its sad fame, it is from the «barrel of death» that guests get the best views of the coastline of the Balaklava district.