Photograph of the dry docks in Sevastopol before they were destroyed by the allied forces. The empty dry docks are in the foreground with the harbour and naval yard behind. At the centre of the yard there is a tall mast. Fort Nicholas can be seen beyond the harbour to the left. The Siege of Sevastopol lasted eleven months, with the allied British, French and Turkish forces eventually capturing the city on the 8th September 1855. In order to prevent the restoration of Sevastopol as a Russian stronghold the British destroyed the dry docks in January 1856 and Fort St Nicholas was destroyed by the French in February 1856.