Restoration of Sevastopol Siege Panorama Could Take Up to Three Years Following Ukrainian Drone Attack

The Siege of Sevastopol panorama, a historic Russian artwork damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on June 10, faces a lengthy restoration process that could require anywhere from four months to three years, according to museum officials. Mikhail Smorodkin, director of the Museum-Reserve of the Heroic Defense and Liberation of Sevastopol, announced that a special board of artists will be assembled to oversee the reconstruction effort. The wide timeline reflects uncertainty about the extent of the damage and draws on precedents from previous restoration projects.

The panorama sustained significant damage from the drone strike itself, and further harm occurred during fire extinguishing operations. Museum staff have so far examined 16 major fragments of the painting, with 13 of them containing narrative content depicting scenes from the siege. These fragments show episodes ranging from the defensive tower of Malakhov Kurgan to close combat at the Gervais battery, and include a depiction of Lieutenant General Stepan Alexandrovich Khrulev on horseback leading reserve forces. Additional fragments may still be recovered from debris.

Museum officials are drawing on historical experience to inform their restoration approach. Soviet artists restored a similar panorama after a 1942 fire, a project that required approximately three years and involved about 19 people. More recently, restoration of the Battle of Borodino panorama following fire damage took four months, providing a more optimistic benchmark. Yekaterina Malinovskaya, head of the museum's department on the Crimean War of 1853-1856, noted that work is ongoing to recover and assess all damaged fragments.