Kronstadt (from the German Krone - "crown", Stadt - "city"), located on the island of Kotlin, was created as a defensive fortress under construction in St. Petersburg.
A Brief History of Kronstadt by Date
1704 - 1720 The Crown Castle was built, solemnly consecrated on May 7 in the presence of Peter I. In the summer, Kronshlot adequately repulsed the Swedish squadron, and 15 years later, a harbor was added to it, which turned it into a pentagonal fort. After 2 years, Peter the Great ordered the construction of the first dry dock in Russia.
1722 - 1799 During this period, construction began on the Citadel fort, the Bypass Canal, the Rusk Factory, and the emblem of the city was approved. The Dock Admiralty was created, and a steam engine brought from Scotland was installed.
1803 - 1817 During these 14 years in the history of Kronstadt, many significant events took place: the construction of the first water supply system, the opening of the steamship line to St. Petersburg with regular passenger flights, the sending of the first round-the-world expedition of the Neva and Nadezhda sloops, and the consecration of the church, during which For 53 years, Saint John of Kronstadt held divine services.
1819 - 1834 The discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors, the beginning of the construction of a complex of customs buildings, the Marine Arsenal, Gostiny Dvor, the test of a submarine and a severe destructive flood.
1836 - 1839 A laboratory for the production of anti-bubonic plague preparations was consecrated, and Russia's first successful heart operation was performed.
1840 - 1847 A regular measurement of the water level begins, and a factory for the construction of steam vessels is created.
1854 - 1857 An interesting period in the history of the city of Kronstadt: during the Crimean War, the siege of the fortress by the Anglo-French squadron begins. After several unsuccessful attempts, the assault ceased, and minefields created by B.S. Jacobi was nicknamed by foreign sailors "infernal machines."
1864 - 1866 The world's first icebreaker was built and a submarine tested.
1872 - 1896 In the city, they built the Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, established the first telephone connection in Russia, Popov invented a radio and an X-ray machine.
1905 - 1984 Completion of the construction of the main sea temple of the country and forts "Ino", "Red Hill", "Reef", "Gray Horse". Also during this period, an important event took place in the history of the city of Kronstadt: residents played an important role in the crushing of tsarist Russia. During the Second World War more than 300 bombs were dropped.
1999 - 2013 During this period, the restoration of several cathedrals and the opening of an underwater tunnel began.
Pages of History: The Emergence of Kronstadt
In 1702, the Swedish sailors who settled on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, saw boats with Russian soldiers, fled in panic. And the food boiler remaining in their place as a result gained the glory of a trophy.
The following year, when the Swedish squadron went to winter, Peter 1 ordered the depth of the bay to be measured. It turned out that the passage to the Neva lay through a narrow strait in the south of the island. Then the king decided to build a fortress in the shallow waters. Thus, he ensured the inaccessibility of the defensive structure. By the way, her model was made by Peter 1 himself.
On the shore of the bay, soldiers made logs from logs. Then they were filled with stones, the robes fell to the bottom under their own weight and became the foundation for the construction of a 9-coal three-story tower.
On May 7, Peter 1 headed for the island of Kotlin to a new fortress, by which no ship could sail unhindered. It was then that the building was called Kronshlot, and the celebration lasted 3 days.
Over time, on the island and the forts adjacent to it, according to the king's plan, a whole system of fortifications was organized for defense. Initially, one harbor was built for warships, and after the Battle of Poltava, three more were built for the merchant fleet: Lesnoy, Merchant and Middle.
For the repair of ships, the creation of an additional dock and canal was required, so the architect invited the king to build a giant lighthouse at the entrance. But the matter was limited only to laying the foundation. The construction was already completed during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna.
The canal in honor of Peter the Great was opened in the summer of 1752. The launch of the action of the lock mechanisms was made by the Empress herself. In honor of this event, a medal was soon issued with the inscription: "Performing the tasks of her father."
At the end of the history of the creation of Kronstadt, it is worth noting that the king was right. The fortress that surrounded the whole city was a defense for him on each side, so "they slept peacefully in St. Petersburg."
Main attraction: Naval Cathedral
At first glance, the building resembles the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Light walls and golden domes give the Naval Cathedral lightness and elegance. The interior space is striking in its rich decoration and spaciousness, and on the floor, made of multi-colored marble, you can see the images of marine life and birds.
After the war, a club opened here, the scene of which was located on the site of the altar. But the cathedral restored in 2002 began to accept parishioners again.
Monument to the boiler
In 1730, Anna Ioannovna approved the coat of arms. The sea, Kotlin island and the bowler were depicted on the right side, and the fortress wall and the lighthouse on the left.
Walking around the city, you can see an unusual monument - a boiler. According to the plan of the historian Sergei Lebedev, they decided to install it in the very center of Bezymyanny Lane - after all, it was with him that the history of Kronstadt began.
Inspecting an unusual attraction, city guests throw coins into the boiler and make one wish - that peace and comfort reigned at home.
Lighthouse
An interesting attraction of Kronstadt, which can be reached on the pier along the Merchant harbor. Many tourists believe that a light and romantic-looking structure is a lighthouse. But in the navigational charts it says: "The rear target sign of the Kronstadt raid."
The building erected in 1898 was restored in 1914. The lighthouse, although reserve, but working. Therefore, with the onset of darkness, tourists and newlyweds like to be photographed against its background.
Italian palace
One of the main attractions associated with the history of Kronstadt. The magnificent building was erected in honor of the associate of Peter I and the first governor of the city - Alexander Menshikov.
Throughout history, the building has been rebuilt several times. They finished the 4th floor, which was called the "navigational tower." But the biggest change in the Italian palace occurred in the middle of the 19th century - after the repair work was carried out, there was no trace of the style of Peter's baroque.
Interesting Facts
In May 1854, 125 mines of Jacobi were installed between the forts of Emperor Alexander I and Paul I. In June, the Anglo-French squadron was forced to retreat after two of their ships were blown up by mines.
One of the engineers at the Kronstadt fortifications was Leonid Kapitsa, the father of Peter Kapitsa, a Nobel laureate.
In the late 90s, the Fort Dance festival was held at two forts. But after 9 years due to protests by local residents and for security reasons (the event was attended by up to 20,000 people), the festival was canceled.
Our days
The history of Kronstadt has developed so that the city with a population of 43 thousand people has become the administrative district of the Northern capital of Russia. Every year events are held for its improvement and transformation: memorials, new monuments are opened, restoration work is underway. The shrines were also changed: the chapel of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, the Vladimir and the Sea Cathedrals were restored.
The administration is putting a lot of effort into turning clean and well-maintained Kronstadt into an international historical and cultural center for tourism, sports, yachting, business and a major ship repair complex in the future.