Photograph of the military harbour at Sevastopol. In the foreground there are a number of dilapidated buildings surrounded by rubble. Behind is the harbour, surrounded by other damaged buildings. The Russian military barracks can be seen on a hill to the right and there is a temporary bridge or barrier across the breadth of the harbour. The Siege of Sevastopol lasted eleven months, with the allied British, French and Turkish forces eventually capturing the city on the 8th September 1855. The city was badly damaged during the siege and many buildings lay in ruins. In order to prevent the restoration of Sevastopol as a Russian stronghold the British destroyed the docks in January 1856.