Sevastopol, a significant strategic maritime hub on the Black Sea, has a history filled with tragic events related to wars. One such event is immortalized in the Monument to the Sunken Ships.

During the Crimean War, as the English, French, and Turkish fleets approached Sevastopol, Prince Alexander Menshikov ordered part of the ships to be sunk at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay, using the oldest vessels of the fleet.

There is also a version that the decision to sink the fleet was made by Vice Admiral Kornilov and his assistant Vice Admiral Nakhimov.

Despite disagreements about who exactly made this important decision, it turned out to be a brilliant way out of a difficult situation. The plan was simple: part of the sailing ships of the Black Sea fleet were sunk in such a way that their masts protruded from the water. Enemy ships, entering the bay, would collide with the masts, puncturing their hulls, and becoming easy targets for coastal batteries.

The modern symbol of Sevastopol was erected in 1905 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the city's first defense. The Monument to the Sunken Ships is an artificial cliff made of granite, topped with a seven-meter Corinthian column with a bronze double-headed eagle. In the eagle's beak is a laurel-oak wreath with an anchor. A plaque is affixed to the pedestal in memory of the ships sunk in 1854 and 1855 to block the entrance to the bay.

The architectural solution of the monument proved successful: it survived the strong earthquake of 1927 and the explosion of a bottom mine during World War II. Restoration of the monument began only in 1951, as military actions had damaged part of the sculpture and its pedestal.