Description of the attraction
At an altitude of over 300 meters above sea level, there are the ruins of a very old fort. This fort belonged to the system of southern forts that covered Sevastopol. Locals call this building the "Barrel of Death".
The fort was built in the 19th century at a time when for the first time the British allied forces began to build fortifications in the cities located near Balaklava. With the advent of the 20th century, a chain of built fortifications was included in the 12th section of the entire Sevastopol fortress. This section consisted of five reinforced concrete structures that were attached to the rock and connected to each other by a moat. The length of the section reached two kilometers. All these structures were sent to protect Balaklava from the eastern side. Before the Second World War, this section was renovated and improved under the guidance of engineer Polyansky.
The quality of the fort is also striking. If you look inside the ventilation shafts, you will see riveted pipes covered with zinc, after a certain time they did not corrode and lie like new. The massive walls that make up the old forts keep many secrets of combat battles.
In the fortification system, there is the most interesting of all the fortifications, an object called the "Barrel of Death". Its appearance is similar to that of a metal barrel. This structure itself is suspended from a rock that hangs over an abyss. The "barrel of death" on the inside has slots in order to conduct observation and open fire when required.
From the very beginning, there were two "barrels" that had a purpose - to watch the enemy and his shelling. One of these "barrels" fell into the abyss. In the opinion of the residents of Balaklava, in such "barrels" the executions of red commissars took place, and after the execution the bodies were thrown down. Since then, these structures have been christened with such an ominous name. Later, the Germans also threw the captive defenders of our Motherland into the abyss. This legend has confirmation, as there were traces of bullets from fascist invaders on the inside of this "barrel of death".
