Every educated person knows about the heroic defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. However, not everyone is aware that at the same time, in the north, in the Baltic Sea, Russian sailors bravely defended another maritime fortress against significantly superior forces of the Anglo-French coalition. There were about 3,000 Russians, while the allies numbered 32,000. The enemy's superiority in artillery was overwhelming, but the Russian warriors steadfastly held their ground.

This fortress was called Bomarsund and was located in the Åland Islands, which became Russian in 1809. By the beginning of the war, the Russians had built casemates and towers on the islands of Åland and Prästö, and a garrison town called Skarpans emerged within.

When Britain and France declared war on Russia, an allied squadron, mainly consisting of steamships, entered the Baltic Sea. Russian ships, mostly sailing vessels, found themselves blocked in Kronstadt.

At the end of July 1854, 25 modern English ships approached Bomarsund. The defense was commanded by General Yakov Andreyevich Bodisko. The Russians managed to evacuate the civilian population, burned the town of Skarpans, and destroyed the outbuildings around the fortress.

After landing on the islands, the allies attempted to storm the fortress several times but soon abandoned this idea. There was no help coming for the Russian troops, so the British and French were in no hurry. They began an intensive bombardment of the fortress, firing 120,000 shells in a week.

By August 16, 1854, the Russian troops had lost a significant part of their artillery, some fortifications were destroyed, and the fortress of Bomarsund capitulated.

Russian losses amounted to 53 killed, and over 2,000 soldiers were taken prisoner. The allies lost 85 men. However, in the autumn of the same year, while they were demolishing the fortress, a cholera epidemic broke out in their camp, claiming 800 lives.