The Celebration of the Centenary Anniversary of the First Defense of Sevastopol

Abstract

This article analyzes the main reasons for holding an all-Union holiday in 1954 in honor of the centennial anniversary of the first defense of Sevastopol. The main forms of this holiday in Sevastopol and elsewhere are discussed, as well as the special political component of this holiday adopted soon after the transfer of the Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. The author analyzes a large amount of materials from the central and local periodicals dedicated to the holiday and reveals a number of images of Sevastopol, which was supposed to gain a foothold in the historical memory of Soviet citizens after this holiday. The dominant images of Sevastopol in this holiday were a city-fortress, a city reborn from ruins, and a city of military glory. The author notes the important role of representatives of the creative intelligentsia in preparing and holding the holiday, which provided a special emotional character. The article notes that a key source of information about the holiday for the majority of the Soviet population was central newspapers, which devoted a variety of materials to this event. The holiday contributed to the integration of the cultural and historical space of the post-war Soviet Union. The experience of its implementation was used for future all-Union commemorative events of historical orientation.