The whole history of St. Petersburg and the surrounding territories is associated with a special geographical location. Rulers, in order to prevent the seizure of these border Russian territories, created entire networks of fortifications and fortresses. Today, many of them are museums and are considered historical monuments.
Vyborg castle
Fortresses of the Leningrad region, as well as the first cities and monasteries built on its territory, are one of the oldest structures of the Russian state. They arose in the most lively places, where the water and trade routes connected Scandinavia and Europe with the East and the Mediterranean, the Christian and ancient worlds.
Fortresses of the Leningrad region, monasteries and other ancient buildings became distributors of the culture of the Slavic people, as well as conductors of the Christian religion on a vast territory.
A wonderful example of the Western European military direction in architecture is the Vyborg fortress, which is also called the castle. The history of this building is inextricably linked with the Swedes. It was them who, during the third crusade (1293), founded Vyborg.
Initially, the fortress played a defensive role. The Swedes hid behind its walls from the Novgorod troops trying to regain the occupied territory. For many centuries, the functions of the fortress changed. This structure served as the place where the royal residence was located, as well as the military headquarters. At one time, the fortress was the administrative center of the city, and the barracks of the Swedish crusaders, and a prison.
In 1918, the Vyborg Castle came under the jurisdiction of Finland and was completely reconstructed. Since 1944, this territory became part of the USSR. Already in 1964, the first steps were taken to create a museum of local lore in the fortress. Today Vyborg Castle is open to visitors. Here is a museum that offers guests an acquaintance with a dozen diverse compositions describing the history of this place.
On the territory of the fortress is the observation tower of St. Olav. From it you can admire the amazingly beautiful landscape. The tower overlooks the seaport and the Gulf of Finland, as well as the tops of trees growing in Monrepos Park.
Old Ladoga Fortress
This building is located one hundred twenty-five kilometers from St. Petersburg. The fortress near the village of Staraya Ladoga was laid on the border of the 9th-10th centuries. These were the times of the Prophetic Oleg. The construction was located at the place where Ladozhka flows into the Volkhov River, on a high bank. The original purpose of the fortress was to protect the prince, as well as his squad. A little later, it became one of those defenses that blocked the enemy’s path from the Baltic.
Today, on the territory of the Staroladozh Fortress, an archaeological and historical-architectural museum-reserve functions. There are two expositions for visitors. One of them is ethnographic, and the second is historical. The main exhibits are items found during archaeological excavations.
Koporye
To date, seven fortresses have remained in the Leningrad region. Only one of this list (Yam, located in Kingisepp) represents individual fragments of ramparts and carries a minimum of information about the past. Six others cause unquenchable interest among history buffs. One of these fortresses is Koporye.
It is located in the immediate vicinity of St. Petersburg. More than others, the Koporye fortress has preserved its medieval image to date, since it has not recently undergone dramatic alterations.
Corela
This fortress is located north of St. Petersburg, on the territory of the Karelian Isthmus. At this point, the northern arm of the Vuoksa River flows into Lake Ladoga. During the XIII-XIV centuries, Korela was the Russian border post, which was repeatedly attacked by the Swedes. Currently, the fortress is considered a monument that allows you to study in more detail the Old Russian military-defensive art. In this building, which is open to visitors, the spirit of adventure and antiquity has been preserved to this day. This became possible due to the fact that the fortress was not modernized or rebuilt for many years. Two museums have been opened on the territory of the former defensive post. In the first of them you can get acquainted with the general history of the fortress. The second museum is the Pugachev Tower, whose courtyard was put in order, despite the partial destruction of the external walls.
Ivangorod fortress
This building is a monument of Russian defensive architecture dating back to the XV-XVI centuries. The Ivangorod fortress was founded in 1492 on the Narva River to protect the Russian lands from raids by Western enemies. Over its five-century history, this defensive fortification was often the place where fierce battles took place. The fortress also suffered during the war with the fascist invaders. After the capture of Ivangorod by enemy troops on its territory, the Germans organized two concentration camps in which prisoners of war were kept. Retreating, the Nazis blew up most of the internal buildings, six corner towers, as well as many sections of the walls. Currently, most of the fortifications have been restored and restored.
"Nut"
Shlisselburg fortress is located on the shore of Lake Ladoga, at the very source of the Neva. This architectural monument of the first half of the 14th century is currently a museum.
According to its location on Orekhovy Island, the Shlisselburg Fortress also bears the second name - “Nut”.
Museum
Shlisselburg fortress is a complex architectural ensemble. Today it is open to visitors. The Oreshek fortress belongs to the Museum of the History of the City of St. Petersburg. Visitors are invited to familiarize themselves with the main historical stages of the Russian state of those periods when this defensive structure was involved in any way.
History
Shlisselburg fortress was built in 1323. The evidence of this is the mention in the annals of Novgorod. This document indicates that the grandson of Alexander Nevsky - Prince Yuri Danilovich - ordered the construction of a wooden defensive structure. Three decades later, a stone one appeared on the site of the former fortress. Its territory was significantly increased and began to make nine thousand square meters. The dimensions of the fortress walls also changed. In thickness they reached three meters. Three new rectangular towers appeared.
Initially, a posad was placed near the walls of the defensive structure. A three-meter channel separated it from the Nut. Somewhat later, the moat was covered with earth. After that, the posad was surrounded by a stone wall.
Perestroika, destruction and rebirth experienced the fortress throughout its history more than once. At the same time, the number of its towers was constantly increasing, and the wall thickness was increasing.
The Shlisselburg fortress already in the 16th century became the administrative center in which state officials and the higher clergy lived. On the banks of the Neva settled a simple population of Posad.
The fortress "Oreshek" (Shlisselburg fortress) in the period from 1617 to 1702 was in the power of the Swedes. At this time, she was renamed. She was called the Noteburg. Peter I conquered this defensive structure from the Swedes and returned it to its former name. In the fortress, a grandiose construction began again. Several towers, earthen bastions and prisons were erected. From 1826 to 1917, the Oreshek fortress (Shlisselburg fortress) was a place of confinement of the Decembrists and Narodnaya Volya. After the October Revolution, this building was turned into a museum.
War period
"Nut" played an important role in the years of defense of Leningrad. The Shlisselburg fortress made it possible for the “Road of Life” to exist, along which products were brought to the besieged city, and the population of the Northern capital was evacuated from it. Thanks to the heroism of the small number of soldiers who withstood the siege of the fortress, more than one hundred human lives were saved. During this period, "Nut" almost leveled.
In the postwar years, it was decided not to reconstruct the fortress, but to erect memorial complexes along the “Road of Life”.
Defensive structure. Modernity
Today they visit the fortress "Nut" excursions. On the territory of the former defensive structure, you can see the remains of its former greatness.
The Oreshek fortress, the map of which will tell tourists the desired route, on the plan looks like an irregular polygon. Moreover, the corners of this figure are stretched from west to east. Along the perimeter of the walls there are five powerful towers. One of them (Gate) is a quadrangular. The architecture of the remaining towers used a circular shape.
The Oreshek Fortress (Shlisselburg) is the place where a
memorial complex was opened in honor of the heroes of the Second World War
. The former citadel has museum exhibits. They are housed in the buildings of the New Prison and the Old Prison. The remains of the walls of the fortress, as well as the Flazhnaya and Vorotnaya, Nugalnaya and Korolevskaya, Golovkina and Svetlichnaya towers, have been preserved.
How to get to the fortress?
The quiet provincial town of Shlisselburg is easiest to reach by car. Then it is preferable to get to the fortress by boat. There is one more option. A motor ship runs from Petrokrepost station, one of the stopping points of which is the Shlisselburg fortress. How to get to the former defensive structure directly from St. Petersburg? Excursions are regularly held from the Northern capital to the Oreshek fortress. Travelers are delivered on high-speed comfortable motor ships Meteor.
Perhaps someone will be satisfied with the trip on the bus of route No. 575, which runs to Shlisselburg from the metro station "Ul. Dybenko ". Then a boat will help you get to the island.
If you decide to visit the fortress "Nut", the mode of operation should certainly be known. The museum on the territory of the former citadel opens in May and accepts excursions until the end of October. During this period, it is open daily. Opening hours - from 10 to 17.