Shlisselburg fortress “Oreshek. Fortress Oreshek (2)
I am very delighted with this suburb, now I will advise everyone to go here first of all. This is close enough, by the way. About 40 km from St. Petersburg. From public transport, there seems to be a bus to Shlisselburg from metro station Dybenko.
You need to get to the fortress itself by boat. The cost is around 250 rubles round trip for regular adults. Children's/pension benefits are a little cheaper.
The pier is not difficult to find, but it is not entirely trivial either.
You enter the city by main road, it is important to keep track of the main road at intersections, you need to turn left onto the bridge in one place, and not go straight along the canal. Arrive at the square near the church
There are actually two churches in the photo. Destroyed Cathedral of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God, but it has been active since 91. And the wooden church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
At first we drove past and went somewhere far away in private sector, there are some canals along Ladoga, original and unlike ordinary cities. As I later realized, we were a little short of reaching the city beach.
So, park with guns
There's also Lenin standing there, looking like a naval general. Photo of netuti
Having passed through the square, we go out to the pier.
View of the city from the pier
Shlisselburg, who doesn’t know, is located on the place where the Neva flows from Ladoga. The town is tiny (population 15 thousand). Until 1992 it was called Petrokrepost. The railway station seems to still be called that way. In Soviet times, it was apparently an industrial town, the remains of which are still visible today: factory buildings, pipes, shipyards.
We approached the pier, and the boat was already leaving, they were just waiting for us. There is no photo of it, but it’s similar to how the tour guides go along the Neva. We didn't get any seats at the top, only downstairs.
Filmed from a boat: Shlisselburg boys dive into the Neva
The boat takes about 10 minutes to travel, and then half the time it accelerates, half the time it docks.
You also need to buy tickets to the fortress, somehow inexpensive, either 100 or 50 rubles, discounts. The ticket price includes a tour. We had to wait about 25 minutes before we went to the fortress. The gate tower is square, the entrance to the fortress is at 90 degrees, I listened to the audio tour, it seems to be typical for our fortresses. It seems to be the same in Koporye, now it’s not clear how to check, it seems to have been closed to tourists.
Walking around the fortress
We went through other passages to Ladoga
Ladoga Sea. You know, yes, that Ladoga is the largest freshwater lake in Europe? "Lake Great Nevo"
Then it was time for the excursion and we returned to the gate tower. I won’t tell you the whole excursion, I recommend that you visit it yourself.
Briefly about the fortress: founded in 1323, from 1612 to 1702 it belonged to the Swedes. name from Walnut Island. This is essentially the third fortress on this site, the first was wooden, the second was smaller, some remains of it. But these walls in the photo, of course, are not from the 14th century, but later. I won't tell you the date.
restored piece
Here is a plan of the fortress for clarity
Former barracks, not yet reconstructed
Excavations in the Oreshek fortress were carried out by a detachment of the Leningrad archaeological expedition of the Leningrad Archaeological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences under the leadership of A. N. Kirpichnikov in 1968-1970 and then continued in 1971-75. Archaeologists have explored about 2000 square meters. m. cultural layer, the remains of the Novgorod stone fortress of 1352 were discovered, the remains of the town wall of 1410 were discovered and partially explored, and the date of construction of the fortress of the Moscow era was clarified - the beginning of the 16th century
here it is - the old fortress
there's a stone standing nearby
In the center of the fortress there is a memorial - Monument to the defenders of the fortress during the Great Patriotic War in a ruined temple.
I was very impressed by the memorial, as you can tell from the number of photos. Made very powerfully. After all, in the Great Patriotic fights there were very strong fights here.
In 1941-1943. for 500 days, a small garrison of soldiers of the 1st division of the NKVD troops and sailors of the 409th naval battery of the Baltic Fleet defended the fortress from German troops who failed to cross to the right bank of the Neva, close the ring of the blockade of Leningrad and cut off the road to life
The excursion then went to the prison, but I couldn’t listen with the children, I just took a little photo. Shlisselburg Fortress after all, it was the main political prison and executions were carried out here. For example, A. Ulyanova.
The excursion to the fortress consumed a lot of time, my husband stayed with them, while the children and I moved to the citadel - a fortress within a fortress.
Citadel Courtyard
We also came here ahead of the excursion, to calmly take a look while no one was there
And after passing through the prison, we find ourselves in another courtyard and there
dungeon!!!
This is the Swedish tower, the only one built by them. This is how it starts with the dungeon. Royal Tower.
Don’t think that it’s as bright there as in the photo, nooo.
We went out near the royal tower again to Ladoga
to the pier we walked along the outside of the fortress, along the walls. There's a lot of interesting stuff there too
Neva (left) and Ladoga (right)
We boarded the boat and set sail. And there's someone on the right
monument to Peter on the pier
Founded by the Novgorodians, it belonged to the Moscow principality, managed to be under the rule of the Swedes, but then returned to its origins (from 1702 it again began to belong to Russia). What the walls of this fortress did not see, what kind of people they did not hide and “execute”.
Milestones of history
The fortress was founded by Yuri Danilovich (grandson of Alexander Nevsky) on an island called Orekhovy in 1323. The island received its name because of the numerous thickets of hazel (hazel) throughout its territory. Over time, a city was built under the protection of the fortress, which was named Schlisserburg. In the same year, an agreement on “eternal peace” was concluded with the Swedes. From here begins the centuries-old history of the fortress.
When the Novgorod Republic began to belong to the Moscow Principality, the fortress was radically rebuilt and fortified. The Swedes tried to take it several times, but in vain. The fortress had a very important strategic location - a major trade route to the Gulf of Finland passed through it, so whoever owned the citadel had the opportunity to control this route.
For almost 300 years, Oreshek belonged to Rus' and served as an outpost on the Swedish border, but in 1612 the Swedes managed to take the fortress, and then by starvation (the siege lasted almost 9 months). Of the 1,300 people who stood on the defensive, only 100 survived - weakened, hungry, but not broken in spirit.
It was then that Oreshek became Noteburg (literal translation - Nut City). There is a legend that the remaining defenders walled up an icon of Kazan in one of the fortress walls. Mother of God- it was a symbol of faith that sooner or later this land would return to Russian control.
And so it happened - in 1702 the fortress was recaptured by Peter I. The assault lasted almost 13 hours. Despite the fact that the Swedes had an advantage in military strength and Peter the Great gave the command to retreat, Prince Golitsyn disobeyed him and, at the cost of numerous losses, the fortress was taken.
From that moment on, the name was changed to Shlisserburg, which meant “key city” (the symbol of the fortress was the key, which is installed on the Sovereign Tower to this day). From that moment on, the road to the mouth of the Neva and the construction of the great St. Petersburg was open.
At the end of the 18th century. The strategic importance of the fortress was lost, and it turned into a political prison, where especially dangerous criminals and dissidents were kept in custody, and in the 19th and 20th centuries. was completely turned into a convict prison.
The walls of the fortress “remember” such personalities as Maria Alekseevna (sister of Peter I) and Evdokia Lopukhina (his first wife); John VI Antonovich; Ivan Pushchin, brothers Bestuzhev and Kuchelbecker; Alexander Ulyanov (brother of V. Lenin) and many others.
The fortress played a special significance during the Second World War, when for almost two years (500 days) soldiers of the NKVD troops and the Baltic Fleet defended Shlisselburg from the Nazis, covering the so-called “Road of Life” along which people were transported from besieged Leningrad.
Architectural features Oreshek fortress
The size of the island on which the fortress is located is relatively small - only 200 * 300 meters. It was originally built from earth and wood. In 1349 there was a fire that destroyed literally all the buildings. After this, it was decided to replace stone walls (up to 6 m high, more than 350 m long) and 3 not very high rectangular towers.
A complete reconstruction of the fortress was carried out in 1478, when it came into the possession of the Moscow principality. New fortifications were erected right at the very edge of the water, which made it impossible for the enemy to land on the shore and use battering guns.
In 1555, one of the Swedish chroniclers wrote that it was impossible to get to the fortress due to the strong current of the river in that place and powerful fortifications.
In its shape, the citadel resembles an elongated polygon, the walls of which connect 7 towers along the perimeter: Flagnaya and Golovkina, Golovina (or Naugolnaya), Menshikovaya and Gosudareva (originally Vorotnaya), Bezymyannaya (formerly Podvalnaya) and Korolevskaya.
6 towers were round, height up to 16 m, width - up to 4.5 m, Gosudareva - square. There were 3 more citadel towers: Melnichnaya, Chasovaya (or Bell) and Svetlichnaya. Only 6 of the 10 towers have survived to this day.
The Sovereign's Tower is one of the most interesting buildings of the fortress. The entrance to it was located in such a way that it was impossible to use a ram, but at the same time the defenders could easily fire at their opponents.
After the complete reconstruction of the fortress, the total length of the walls was more than 700 m, and the height increased to 12 m. The thickness of the base was increased to 4.5 m.
Now the territory of the fortress is a historical and cultural monument open to the public. On its territory there is a mass grave of fallen defenders since the time of its capture by Peter I. Many buildings have been destroyed, reflecting the echoes of many military battles, especially during the Second World War, when the fortress was shelled almost end-to-end, but was not surrendered to the Nazis. It is impossible not to visit it while being near its buildings.
Shlisselburg was founded in 1323, the name comes from it. Schlüsselburg - "key city". It gained city status in 1780. Located on the left bank of the Neva near Lake Ladoga, 24 km east of St. Petersburg, 5 km north of Kirovsk. The main highlight is the "Oreshek" fortress :)
So, having crossed the Ladoga Bridge over the Neva, I arrived in Shlisselburg.
Having parked on Cathedral Square, the first thing I saw was the temple complex. From left to right: Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (1770), Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1764) and Kazan Chapel (1864).
The cathedral was closed in 1935 and was active during the war in 1941 - 1944. Again transferred to the diocese and restored since 1991. During the war, the building was badly damaged: the roof of the cathedral and the spire of the bell tower were completely destroyed.
From Cathedral Square, along the Staraya Ladoga Canal, there is a boulevard that opens with a bust of S. M. Kirov :)
Actually the Staraya Ladoga Canal itself.
Bucket of the Staraya Ladoga Canal, structures in the distance - the ruins of the locks.
Monument to Count S.L. Raguzinsky.
Famous public figure and Peter's advisor participated in the preparation Battle of Poltava– he called on the Balkan peoples to help Russia in the war with Turkey. Established relations with China. And St. Petersburg is grateful to Savva Raguzinsky for the statues Summer Garden. It was through his efforts, in particular, that the sculpture of the Tauride Venus was delivered to the city.
It was in Shlisselburg that the first meeting of the Russian Emperor Peter the Great and his future adviser, Savva Vladislavich-Raguzinsky, took place.
An Admiralty anchor from Peter's time is installed on the shore. Raised from the bottom of the Neva River near the city of Shlisselberg. Installed on October 13, 2005.
In 1957, a monument to Peter the Great was erected at the entrance to the Petrovsky (Staroladozhsky) Canal. This is the first monument erected to a monastic person under Soviet rule.
And this is a joke from local river workers.
The geometric center of Shlisselburg: the intersection of the Staraya Ladoga and Malonevsky canals. The city is small, only 12 thousand people.
The main goal of the trip is the Oreshek fortress.
Shlisselburg Fortress is a unique architectural and historical monument XIV-XX centuries.
The fortress was founded by the Novgorod prince Yuri Danilovich, the grandson of Alexander Nevsky, in 1323 on Orekhovoy Island (hence the name) at the source of the Neva, and served as an outpost on the border with Sweden.
As part of the Novgorod Land (1323-1468):
In 1333, the city and the fortress were handed over to the Lithuanian prince Narimunt, who installed his son Alexander here. At the same time, Oreshek became the capital of the appanage Orekhovetsky principality. In 1348, Oreshek was taken by the Swedes. In 1349, after the fortress was recaptured from the Swedes, governor Jacob Khotov was imprisoned here. Stone walls were built in 1352. In 1384, Narimunt's son Patrikey Narimuntovich was invited to Novgorod and was received with great honors and received the city of Orekhov, the Korelsky town (Korelu), and also Luskoye (the village of Luzhskoye).
As part of the Moscow Principality (1468-1612):
In the 15th century, after the subordination of the Novgorod Republic to the Moscow Principality, the fortress was completely rebuilt and became the first multi-tower structure in the north of Rus'. During the Russian-Swedish wars, it was repeatedly attacked by Sweden. One of these attacks was the assault on Oreshk in 1582, the failure of which led to the conclusion of peace in Livonian War. Later, until 1612, the fortress town of Oreshek was the center of the Orekhovsky district in the Vodskaya Pyatina of the Novgorod land.
As part of Sweden (1612-1702):
In September 1611, Swedish troops under the leadership of Delagardie besieged the fortress, and after a nine-month siege, in May 1612 the fortress was starved out. Of the 1,300 defenders of the fortress, about 100 people remained alive, dying of hunger, but never surrendering. The Swedes named the fortress Noteburg (Walnut City). According to legend, the defenders of the fortress walled up the icon of the Kazan Mother of God into the wall in the hope that it would help return their land to the Russians.
As part of Russia (since 1702):
During Northern War Russian army under the command of Boris Sheremetev, on September 27, 1702, besieged the fortress. On October 11, after a long bombardment, Russian troops launched an assault that lasted 13 hours and won. Peter I personally took part in the siege as a bombardier-captain. “It is true that this nut was very cruel, but, thank God, it was happily chewed up... Our artillery very miraculously corrected its work,” Peter I wrote then to the Duma clerk Andrei Vinius. In honor of this event, a medal was cast with the inscription: “Was with the enemy for 90 years.” At the same time, the fortress was renamed Shlisselburg - “key city”.
With the construction of Kronstadt in 1703, the fortress lost its military significance and was converted into a political prison.
Unfortunately, the tent of the Golovina Tower burned down in the summer of 2010, according to the official version - from a lightning strike. So the view is not the same due to renovation work.
Let's catch a boat and go!
The Oreshek fortress got its name from the name of Orekhovoy Island, on which it was founded in 1323 by Prince Yuri Danilovich, the grandson of Alexander Nevsky.
The Sovereign (Gate) Tower is the main entrance to the fortress.
If you look closely, the tower is crowned with a key: Shlisselburg in German is Schlüsselburg - “key city”. The key to passage along the Neva due to its strategic location.
Looking ahead, the question is: try to guess what was in the place of this apple tree. Test your intuition or clairvoyance :)
The answer will follow in chronological order.
First, I took a tour of the entire fortress, came out with reverse side and after that he began photographic documentation. I can’t perceive the guide and take photos at the same time :)
On the other side there is still the Neva, and here is Lake Ladoga.
The gap in the wall shows masonry from different times.
View from the shore of the island to the Royal Tower. Built at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 14th century. In 1686 - 1697 it was rebuilt according to the design of the Swedish fortifier Erik Dahlberg.
Stones and water: view of the Koshkinsky fairway.
We continue to walk around the fortress along the perimeter: Menshikov and Sovereign bastions. To the right is the Neva, its right sleeve. In the distance is the Sovereign's Tower.
Texture.
Water gate - former exit internal channel to the Neva. From them you can estimate the height of the cultural layer - how much soil has grown over the centuries.
You can get inside the Oreshek fortress by crossing the drawbridge over the moat.
The bridge lifting mechanism is fully consistent with its ancient counterpart.
This design of the Gate Tower is not simple: if the guests were unwanted, the gratings on the water and the exit fell down and then the conversation would continue. It seems that those who found themselves in the trap were accommodating :)
Atmosphere to make you agreeable :)
Having entered the fortress, we immediately climb to the right, along the stairs to the fortress walls.
From the top there is an excellent view of the ruins of prison building No. 4. Yes, after Oreshek lost its military significance, the fortress began to be used as a prison. But first things first.
Since 1907, Oreshek served as the central convict prison. As part of the reconstruction, the 4th building was completed by 1911, the ruins of which you see in the photo. This is the largest building of the fortress, where 21 general and 27 solitary cells were built.
Decadence. Complete, if converted to black and white.
Ruins of prison building No. 4. More information about the prison below.
Bridge lifting mechanism. Everything is like old times.
Fortress walls.
Loophole window.
The door to the cell where the deposed Emperor John VI Antonovich was imprisoned.
He languished in complete solitude and gradually went crazy. In 1764, already during the reign of Catherine the Great, they tried to free him. However, the operation ended in failure, the emperor was killed, and the organizer of the conspiracy, Mirovich, was executed.
Memorial complex in the Baptist Cathedral.
To his right: two anti-tank guns M-42, two ZIS-3 divisional guns, 21-K semi-automatic gun.
The stone cathedral was built in 1776 - 1779 according to the design of A.F. Vista. Rebuilt in 1826 - 1831 by architect A.E. Staubert. The cathedral was closed in 1917 and was heavily damaged during the Great Patriotic War. Now it is in ruins.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Oreshek fortress was subjected to brutal attacks by the fascist army. From September 8, 1941 to January 18, 1943, a small garrison heroically held the defense of Oreshok for 500 days.
Despite the small number of our troops and very harsh conditions, the fortress was never taken. Thanks to the heroic defense of the Shlisselburg fortress, the fascist invaders did not manage to close the ring of the blockade of Leningrad, and it was thanks to “Oreshok” that the famous “Road of Life” existed, along which winter time It was possible to deliver food across the ice of Lake Ladoga to the besieged northern capital.
The memorial plaque immortalizes the oath of the defenders of the Oreshek fortress: “We, the fighters of the Oreshek fortress, swear to defend it to the last. None of us will leave it under any circumstances. We leave the island: for a while - sick and wounded, forever - dead. We will stand here to the end,” as well as the names of the 24 people who died and the defenders of the fortress were buried here.
On May 9, 1985, in the dilapidated Cathedral of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist was opened memorial Complex defenders of the fortress. A decision was made not to restore the ruins, but to preserve their mangled appearance as a visual reminder of the horrors of war.
As I already wrote, with the construction of Kronstadt, the fortress lost its military significance and became a political prison. The first famous prisoner of the fortress was the sister of Peter I Maria Alekseevna (1718-1721), and in 1725 Evdokia Lopukhina, his first wife, was imprisoned here. Emperor Ivan VI was kept in the fortress and in 1764 was killed by guards while trying to free him.
In 1798, the “Secret House” was built, of which many Decembrists became prisoners in 1826.
Since 1907, Oreshek served as a central convict prison (convict central). Reconstruction of old and construction of new buildings has begun. By 1911, the 4th building was completed - the largest building of the fortress, where 21 general and 27 solitary cells were installed. The fortress held many famous political criminals (especially populists and Socialist Revolutionaries) and terrorists, as well as many Poles.
We move on - the ruins of prison building No. 1.
Initially, the building was erected as barracks for the soldiers of Peter I according to the design of 1715. Heavily destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.
The prisoners called this building “The Menagerie”: the wall of the building facing the fortress wall was blank, without windows, common cells were located along this wall on the 1st and 2nd floors, from the corridor, the windows of which overlooked the fortress yard, the cells were separated by a metal grate from the floor to the ceiling.
In the 19th century, a second prison building, the New Prison, was built on the territory of the Shlisselburg Fortress. For the People's Will.
Inside the building, at each cell there is a stand with information about the prisoner.
The conditions of detention in the New Prison were appalling. They were prohibited from absolutely any activity; for many, the sight of a cramped prison cell, devoid of even furniture, was the last thing in their lives.
The inner courtyard of the citadel, you can see the gray building of the secret house - the Old Prison.
Initially, prisoners of the Oreshek fortress were kept in damp and cold basements. However, in 1798, a separate building was built for the prison - the Secret House (designed by architect Paton). It became a place of imprisonment for political prisoners - Decembrists, Narodnaya Volya members and pretenders to the throne.
Mikhail Bakunin, Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, Ivan Pushchin, the Bestuzhev brothers, and many other famous historical figures spent years of their lives in the small cells of this prison.
This is the apple tree I talked about at the very beginning. She was planted at the place where many people were executed, including Alexander Ulyanov, Lenin’s brother, who attempted to assassinate Alexander III.
Now, in the light of the spring Sun, everything looks harmless and even cute, but right in this place 9 political prisoners were hanged:
Pakhomiy Andreyushkin 8.V.1887
Vasily Generalov 8.V.1887
Vasily Osipanov 8.V.1887
Alexander Ulyanov 8.V.1887
Peter Shevyrev 8.V.1887
Ippolit Myshkin 26.I.1885
Egor Minakov 21.IX.1884
Nikolai Rogachev 10.X.1884
Alexander Stromberg 10.X.1884
Looking again at the wall near the Flag Tower...
We left the Oreshek fortress on a boat together with all the museum staff - it turned out that I was the very last visitor left :)
This is the ancient and sad story of Oreshok.
The entire history of St. Petersburg and surrounding areas is connected with a special geographical location. In order to prevent these border Russian territories from being captured, the rulers created entire networks of fortifications and fortresses. Today, many of them are museums and are considered historical monuments.
Vyborg Castle
Fortresses as well as the first cities and monasteries built on its territory are some of the ancient buildings Russian state. They arose in the busiest places, where water and trade routes connected Scandinavia and Europe with the East and the Mediterranean, the Christian and ancient worlds.
Fortresses Leningrad region, monasteries and other ancient buildings became disseminators of culture Slavic people, as well as conductors of the religion of Christianity over a vast territory.
A remarkable example of the Western European military trend in architecture is the Vyborg Fortress, which is also called a castle. The history of this building is inextricably linked with the Swedes. It was they who founded Vyborg during the third crusade (1293).
Initially the fortress played a defensive role. The Swedes took refuge behind its walls from the Novgorod troops trying to regain the captured territory. Over the centuries, the functions of the fortress changed. This structure served as the site of the royal residence as well as the military headquarters. At one time, the fortress was the administrative center of the city, a barracks for the Swedish crusaders, and a prison.
In 1918 it 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 began to be taken to create a local history museum. Today, Vyborg Castle is open to visitors. There is a museum here that offers guests an acquaintance with a dozen different compositions describing the history of this place.
On the territory of the fortress there is an observation tower of St. Olaf. From here you can admire the amazingly beautiful landscape. The tower offers views of sea port and the Gulf of Finland, as well as on the tops of trees growing in Mon Repos Park.
Staraya Ladoga Fortress
This building is located one hundred twenty-five kilometers from St. Petersburg. The fortress near the village of Staraya Ladoga was founded on the border of the 9th-10th centuries. These were the times of Prophetic Oleg. The structure was located in the place where Ladozhka flows into the high bank. The original purpose of the fortress was to protect the prince and his squad. Somewhat later, it became one of those defensive structures that blocked the enemy’s path from the Baltic.
Today, on the territory of the Staraya Ladoga Fortress there is an archaeological and historical-architectural museum-reserve. There are two expositions for visitors. One of them is ethnographic, and the second is historical. The main exhibits of the exhibitions are objects found during archaeological excavations.
Koporye
To date, seven fortresses have survived on the territory of the Leningrad region. Only one of this list (Yam, located in Kingisepp) represents separate fragments of shafts and carries a minimum of information about the past. Six others are of undying interest to history buffs. One of these fortresses is Koporye.
It is located in close proximity to St. Petersburg. More than others, the Koporye fortress has retained its medieval image to this day, since it was not subjected to Lately radical changes.
Korela
This fortress is located north of St. Petersburg, on the territory of the Karelian Isthmus. At this point, the northern branch flows into the During the 13th-14th centuries, Korela was a Russian border post, which was repeatedly attacked by the Swedes. Currently, the fortress is considered a monument that allows one to study ancient Russian military and defensive art in more detail. 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 familiarize yourself with general history fortresses The second museum is the Pugachev Tower, the courtyard of which has been 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 15th-16th centuries. was founded in 1492 on the Narva River to protect Russian lands from attacks by Western enemies. Over its five-century history, this defensive fortification has often been the site of fierce battles. The fortress was also damaged during the war with fascist invaders. After the capture of Ivangorod by enemy troops, the Germans set up two concentration camps on its territory in which they held prisoners of war. 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"
The Shlisselburg Fortress is located on the shores of Lake Ladoga, at the very sources of the Neva. This architectural monument of the first half of the 14th century is currently a museum.
Due to its location on Orekhovy Island, the Shlisselburg Fortress also has a second name - “Oreshek”.
Museum
The 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 Russian state those periods when this defensive structure was in any way involved.
Story
The Shlisselburg fortress was built in 1323. Evidence of this is the mention in the chronicles of Novgorod. This document indicates that the grandson of Alexander Nevsky - the prince - ordered the construction of a wooden defensive structure. Three decades later, a stone fortress appeared on the site of the former fortress. Its territory was significantly increased and became nine thousand square meters. The dimensions of the fortress walls also changed. They reached three meters in thickness. Three new rectangular towers appeared.
Initially, a settlement was located near the walls of the defensive structure. A three-meter canal separated it from Oreshok. Somewhat later, the ditch was filled with earth. After this, the settlement was surrounded by a stone wall.
The fortress has experienced perestroika, destruction and revival more than once throughout its history. At the same time, the number of its towers constantly increased, and the thickness of the walls increased.
The Shlisselburg fortress already in the 16th century became an administrative center in which government officials and the highest clergy lived. The simple population of the settlement settled on the banks of the Neva.
The Oreshek fortress (Shlisselburg fortress) was in the hands of the Swedes from 1617 to 1702. At this time it was renamed. They called her Noteburgskaya. Peter I recaptured this defensive structure from the Swedes and returned it to its former name. Grandiose construction began again in the fortress. Several towers, earthen bastions and prisons were erected. From 1826 to 1917, the Oreshek fortress (Shlisselburg Fortress) was a place of imprisonment for Decembrists and Narodnaya Volya. After the October Revolution, this building was turned into a museum.
War period
"Oreshek" played a lot important role during the years of the defense of Leningrad. The Shlisselburg fortress provided the possibility of the existence of the “Road of Life”, along which food was transported to the besieged city, and the population was evacuated from it Northern capital. Thanks to the heroism of a small number of soldiers who withstood the siege of the fortress, more than one hundred were saved human lives. During this period, “Oreshek” was practically razed to the ground.
IN post-war years It was decided not to reconstruct the fortress, but to erect memorial complexes along the “Road of Life”.
Defensive structure. Modernity
Today we visit the Oreshek fortress on 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 right route, looks like an irregular polygon on the plan. Moreover, the corners of this figure are extended from west to east. Along the perimeter of the walls there are five powerful towers. One of them (Gate) is quadrangular. The architecture of the remaining towers uses a circular shape.
The Oreshek fortress (Shlisselburg) is a place where museum exhibitions were opened in honor of the heroes of the Second World War. On the territory of the former citadel there are museum exhibitions. They are located in the New Prison and Old Prison buildings. The remains of the fortress walls have been preserved, as well as the Flagnaya and Vorotnaya, Naugolnaya and Royal, Golovkin and Svetlichnaya towers.
How to get to the fortress?
The easiest way to get to the quiet provincial town of Shlisselburg is by car. Then it is preferable to get to the fortress by boat. There is another option. A motor ship runs from the 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 transported on high-speed, comfortable Meteor ships.
Perhaps someone will be happy with a trip on bus route No. 575, which runs to Shlisselburg from the Ul. Dybenko." Then a boat will help you get to the island.
If you decide to visit the Oreshek fortress, you should definitely know the operating hours. The museum on the territory of the former citadel opens in May and welcomes tourists until the end of October. During this period it is open daily. Opening hours - from 10 to 17.
