The Annen fortifications of Vyborg are located on the island of Tverdysh. They were built for preventive purposes - for defense in the event of an attack by the Swedes. The expansion did not happen, the military bastion today serves as a unique work of military architecture, which has never once tested its combat power.
History of creation
Annen fortifications are a complex of bastions, earthen ramparts, ditches, curtains, designed not to miss the enemy to Vyborg and able to withstand both a massive attack and a long military siege. The construction of buildings began under the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna. They are named after her, in addition, there are several more names of these structures: Kron-Sankt Anna, Annenkron, the fortress of St. Anne.
The history of the Annen fortifications in Vyborg began in 1710, when Tsar Peter I conquered the fortress from the Swedes. Being a strategically important military target, it remained desirable for the defeated side. At the time of transition under Russian rule, high-quality defense fortifications were located only on the part of Russia; in the Swedish direction, the fortress remained vulnerable. It was decided to fill the gap through the construction of a military complex on the north and north-west sides of Vyborg.
The Annen Fortifications project was developed by Major General de Coulomb. In 1731, under his leadership, construction work began. After his death, Field Marshal and Lieutenant General Count Christopher Minich continued the work. Over 2 thousand people took part in the work, about 200 carts were involved.
Terrible defense complex
If we look at the Annen fortifications on a map or from a bird's eye view, their outline will look like a crown, therefore one of the names was attached to them - “Crown of St. Anne” - immortalizing in this way the memory and deeds of Empress Anna, during the reign of which defensive constructions were completed facilities. The bastion complex included the main and auxiliary structures. 16 residential quarters, warehouses for guns and artillery, powder warehouses, a Zeichhaus, three shops, guardrooms, a forge, a stable and much more were built.
In the entire history of the Annen fortifications, they have never been used for their intended purpose, but they were constantly maintained in working condition. The premises were being repaired, restored, there was a military garrison. Often fires occurred on the territory, the largest one took place in 1793, after which the buildings were put in order, but already in 1865 the complex lost its strategic importance.
Description
The Annen fortifications stretched from the Vyborg Bay to the Zashchita Bay and consist of four powerful bastions connected by man-made curtains, earthen ramparts, ditches and fortress walls. The embankment reaches a height of 10 meters and a thickness of 3 meters. The basis of the bastions and curtains are carefully laid granite boulders. The length of the complex is about 1 kilometer.
Passage to the territory of the Annen fortifications was possible through the Friedrichsgam Gate, during construction, the road leading through this entrance went to the city of Friedrichsgam in Finland, now the city is called Hamina. The second gates - Ravelinnye - are not working now, on the one hand they are laid.
The last surge of attention to the defensive complex of Vyborg from the royal people occurred in 1910. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the capture of Vyborg by Peter the Great, an obelisk for the fallen soldiers and a monument to the tsar were erected in the fortress. In 1918, the Finns dumped him. The monument to Peter I was restored after the war, and the stele had to be re-made. A copy of the historical monument was installed only in 1994. In 2010, another monument appeared in Annenkron - Admiral F. Apraksin, in honor of the 300th anniversary of the conquest of the fortress.
Current state
Today, the Annen fortifications are a landmark of the Leningrad region and Vyborg, but there is no official museum here. The defense complex remained intact from the moment of construction, but time did some damage to it. As before, they enter Annenkron through the Friedrichsgam gate located on the main road of the complex. It is interesting to walk along it: firstly, the cobblestone pavement laid out during the construction of the fortress was preserved, and secondly, the building of the Guardhouse is located next to the entrance.
The Cordegardia is the only surviving historical model building of 1776 in the Leningrad Region, is an architectural monument. The first restoration was carried out in 1984. In 2013, the historic site was badly damaged by the fire, work on its restoration has not yet been carried out, and no measures have been taken to preserve the building.
According to the observations of local residents, little is done to preserve the fortifications, but the complex is maintained in relatively good condition. In 2016, the city authorities of Vyborg developed and adopted a concept for the restoration of architectural heritage, taking into account the fact that the city is a historical settlement. Funding for the implementation of the work is allocated from the federal and city budgets, but whether Annenkron is in the scope of the upcoming restoration is unknown.
Good intentions
In 2017, a press conference was held by the director of the museum of the Vyborg castle Vladimir Tsoi. During a conversation with reporters, they discussed the issue of whether the Annen fortifications in Vyborg will be restored. According to the official, the guardhouse building has been included in the restoration plans, where the Annenkrone Museum will be housed after restoration.
How the implementation of this project is progressing is still unknown, the Annensky fortifications are not included in the structure of the Vyborg Museum-Reserve, moreover, this object of cultural and architectural heritage is not a monument, according to existing documents.
Non-war shots
The fortress of St. Anne was never subjected to shelling, no shots were fired from its territory at the advancing enemy, but a gloomy story happened here. The Annen fortifications in 1918 became the site of the execution of innocent people. The executions were carried out by white Finns. For a long time, the tragedy was presented as the struggle of the Finnish government against Bolshevism, but the information collected indicates that the killings were carried out on an ethnic basis - they killed Russians.
On April 29, Mannerheim’s army captured Vyborg, many opponents of the Bolshevik revolution took to the streets to meet the White Finns as liberators. The reality was terrifying - all the Russians were grabbed on the streets of the city and led to execution. Nobody could avoid the fate, they took prisoners of high school, former officers of the tsarist army, officials, scientists - everyone they found.
The most massive shooting took place near the Friedrichsgam Gate at the Annen fortifications. The number of victims is estimated at 400 people, among them there were clergy, women, and children. Also victims were people accidentally mistaken for Russians. In Annenkron, Poles, Jews, Italians, Tatars died. The shooting took place on April 29-30, the invaders banned the funeral, permission for burial was given only on May 2. In other parts of the city, executions continued until June 16.
In memory of the dramatic event at the site of the mass grave, in which the remains of more than 1000 victims of repression rest, a monument was erected in Soviet times. It can be seen if you enter Vyborg along the Scandinavia highway. The place of executions near the Friedrichsham Gate on the Annensky fortifications, on the private initiative of the antiquities seeker V. Dudolaev, was marked with a cross in 2013. Now there is a stone memorial sign dedicated to the memory of all the innocent victims who died at the hands of Finnish rangers on April 29, 1918.
Reviews
Vyborg is a city where many tourists flock to explore local attractions. Some of them fall on the Annen fortifications. There are no excursions focused only on this object of historical military architecture. In most cases, visiting the defenses of the “Crown of St. Anne” is included in some other excursion, very little time is devoted to inspecting these unique fortifications.
Tourists note that it would be interesting to find out more about Annenkron, but the complex is in disrepair, like most of the historical monuments of Vyborg. In this assessment, all visitors to the city are united: urgently needed to take measures to save the heritage, now many believe that some of the buildings can not be saved.
On a note
Annensky fortifications are located not far from Vyborg Castle and Monrepos Park - two of the most favorite places for tourists. Today, knightly tournaments and festivals are often held on the territory of the Annenkron complex, organized by various clubs of reenactors, and city authorities organize festivities here. The complex is located at: Vyborg city, Tverdysh island.
Residents hope that these buildings will be carefully restored and included in the list of cultural and historical heritage.