Crimean Military Park Opens With Historical Bang

A line of “Russian soldiers” fires a volley during a re-creation of a battle from the 1853-56 Crimean War.

The September 5 battle re-creation was part of the opening of a military theme park near Sevastopol, Crimea, called the Park of Living History, Fedyukhiny Heights. The hilltop site is reportedly named after a Russian commander who was stationed there during the Crimean War.

Crowds of spectators and an actor wait for the action to begin.

Work on the park began shortly after the Russian occupation and annexation of Crimea in 2014.
 

The park was funded partly by the Russian government. The Kremlin frequently spends public money on patriotic projects highlighting Russian military history.

An actor mimics a rock attack on French troops during the mock battle.

The Crimean War was fought between Russian forces on one side and Ottoman Turk, English, French, and Sardinians on the other over a complex web of geopolitics that unraveled as the Ottoman Empire continued its slow, inexorable decline.
 

Actors in Russian military uniforms during the Crimean War re-creation.

Reenactments of Soviet battles with the Nazis in Crimea as well as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan will also be held in the park.

Actors chat inside the full-scale replica of the fort built on the site.

Men enjoy a historically accurate lunch during the battle reenactment.
 
The website of the military-themed park says the aim is to "revive the 2,000-year history of Crimea" and create "a powerful cultural and educational center attracting Crimeans and tourists from all over Russia."