Castles and fortifications in Russia
Derbent Fortress
Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Derbent, Russia
Korela Fortress
Korela Fortress, at the town of Priozersk, was founded by the Karelians who named the place Käkisalmi. It was first mentioned in a Novgorodian chronicle of 1143 as Korela. Indeed, archeological digs have revealed a layer belonging to the 12th century. Swedish chronicles first reported of the settlement of Keksholm in 1294. Until the 16th century, the fortress belonged to the Novgorod Republic, followed by Muscovy. No ...
Founded: 1143 |
Location:
Priozersk, Russia
Astrakhan Kremlin
For centuries, the Astrakhan Kremlin was inapproachable stronghold in the south-eastern border of the Russia. The first construction of the Kremlin began in 1587-1588 under the guidance of I.G. Vorodkov, a lector of Discharge Order. He laid the first wooden fortress with powerful solid walls and towers. The place of construction was chosen on the hill, known as “Rabbit” or “Zayachii” in Russian. During the reig ...
Founded: 1587 |
Location:
Astrakhan, Russia
Koporye Castle Ruins
Koporye contains some of the most impressive medieval ruins in Russia. The first wooden fortress on the coast of the Koporye Bay was built by the Teutonic Knights in 1240, only to be destroyed by Alexander Nevsky the next year. The second fortress was built in stone by Alexander's son Dmitry Alexandrovich in 1280. Enraged by the prince's independence, the Novgorodians razed the fortress two years later. Meanwhile the Swe ...
Founded: 1240-1297 |
Location:
Koporye, Russia
Trongzund Fort
The fortress of Trongzund (or Trångsund, lit. narrow strait) was built by the order of Peter the Great in the beginning of the 18th century after the Tsardom of Russia had captured the area from Sweden during the Great Northern War. In 1812, Trongzund was included by Alexander I into the newly created Grand Duchy of Finland.
Founded: c. 1710 |
Location:
Vysotsk, Russia
Wrangel Tower
Wrangel Tower is named after Field Marshal F. E. H. von Wrangel. He arrived in Königsberg in 1809 as commander of the privileged Cuirassier Regiment. Wrangel Tower was built in 1843 as part of a defensive bastion of the ring of Königsberg. Water tower is surrounded by a moat, thick brick walls and ceiling to within three meters. Within 30 years, in connection with the development of long-range artillery, the con ...
Founded: 1843 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Tobolsk Kremlin
The Tobolsk Kremlin was founded in 1587 when Moscow encouraged the construction of stone buildings in the city. In 1683-1686, masons sent from Moscow and Veliky Ustyug built the stone St. Sophia-Assumption Cathedral. Around the beginning of the 18th century the stone walls and the towers of the Kremlin were built, as well as a number of buildings that have not survived to our days, standing on a westward line from St. Sop ...
Founded: 1587 |
Location:
Tobolsk, Russia
King's Gate
The King"s Gate is one of the former six gates that were built during the 19th century around Kaliningrad. It was originally the Gumbinnen Gate, built in 1765 at the edge of the district Neue Sorge. In 1811 it was renamed the King"s Gate and was the terminus of the Königstraße boulevard. The gate was redesigned by Friedrich August Stüler in 1850. The west facade has three sandstone statues, made ...
Founded: 1765 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Smolensk Kremlin
Smolensk Kremlin was built between 1595 and 1602, during the reign of Tsars Fyodor I Ioannovich and Boris Godunov. The length of the walls is about 6.5 kilometres, of which less than the half was preserved. The fortifications were built under supervision of the architect Fyodor Kon. The Smolensk Kremlin is classified as an architectural monument protected at the federal level, and also has a great historical significance, ...
Founded: 1595-1602 |
Location:
Smolensk, Russia
Raatitorni
Raatitorni (The Council Tower) is the only remaining part of the medieval Vyborg city walls. After the wall was demolished it functioned as a bell tower of near church. The tower was damaged in Winter War, but restored later.
Founded: 1470s |
Location:
Vyborg, Russia
Bip Castle
The Bip Castle was constructed in 1795-1797 under the project of architect V. F. Brenna by the order of emperor Paul I. There were remains of old sweden fortification on the place of construction. This place is rather convenient for such kind of buildings. The Castle was included in the military register of fortresses of the Russian Empire and there was small garrison under command of commandant Arakcheev. The drawbridge ...
Founded: 1795-1797 |
Location:
Pauluskoi, Russia
Grolman Bastion
Grolman Bastion was part of the Königsberg fortification system. Named after General Karl Wilhelm von Grolman, it was finished in 1851. It was strengthened with casemates and caponniers inside its wall and consists of lesser Oberteich and Kupferteich Bastions. The Bastion was considerably damaged by Soviet Army in the World War II. There was a vegetable storehouse in the Bastion during the Soviet time. Nowadays this fort ...
Founded: 1851 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Kronstadt Fortress
Kronshtadt, also spelled Kronstadt, Cronstadt is a large fortress and St. Petersburg's main seaport. Traditionally, the seat of the Russian admiralty and the base of the Russian Baltic Fleet were located in Kronstadt guarding the approaches to Saint Petersburg. The historic centre of the city and its fortifications are part of the Saint Petersburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress was founded by Peter the Great, w ...
Founded: 1704 |
Location:
Kronstadt, Russia
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is one of few surviving city gates in Kaliningrad. It was built in the south-western part of Königsberg in 1657, with the strengthening of the city walls at the intersection with the road leading to the castle of Brandenburg (now the village of Ushakovo). Due to lack of funds a mere wooden gate was erected. Some hundred years later the gate was torn down and replaced by a brick structure by order of ...
Founded: 1657 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Astronomical Bastion
The so-called Astronomical Bastion was part of the Königsberg fortification system. It was built between 1855-1860. The name was inherited from the adjacent observatory built by F. Bessil in the 1813. After the construction of the railway station in the 1910, the part of the bastion was destroyed.
Founded: 1855-1860 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Gremyachaya Tower
Gremyachaya or Gremjatšaja Tower was a defensive keep built by Vasili III of Russia in 1525. The six-storey tower is 20m high and 15m wide.
Founded: 1525 |
Location:
Pskov, Russia
Fort Friedrichsburg Gate
Construction of the Fort Friedrichsburg or Feste Friedrichsburg began in 1657 during the Second Northern War by the order of Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia. The only remnant of the former fort is the Friedrichsburg Gate. The fort was built in place of a tollhouse on the southern shore of the Pregel River at the western edge of Königsberg. It was included within the new ring of Königsberg fortifications ...
Founded: 1657 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Pillau Fortress
The earliest fortifications in Pillau were made in 1550, when it was an important port of the Duchy of Prussia. During the Thirty Years" War, the Swedes occupied the harbour in the aftermath of their victory over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. King Gustavus Adolphus landed there with his reinforcements in May 1626. After the ceasefire of Altmark (1629) the Swedes retained Pillau and set out upgrading its fortifi ...
Founded: 1626 |
Location:
Baltiysky, Russia
Syzran Kremlin
The Syzran Kremlin construction began in 1683 by Tsar Peter the Great I. Spasskya Tower was first portal, but then its redesigned and built inside the church in the name of the Savior. The tower is only surviving part of original kremlin. There is also a Church of the Nativity (1717). Currently, there is a museum inside the tower.
Founded: 1683 |
Location:
Syzran, Russia
King Friedrich Wilhelm I Fort
The King Friedrich Wilhelm I Fort (Fort Nr. 3), originally known as Quednau, was the largest fort of Königsberg fortification system. The fort was situated at the top of a height and surrounded by dry ditch. There were embrasures for defensive fire. In time of Kongsberg Storm the Fort was of severe resistance. Garrison remains was captured on the 9th of April 1945. After the WWII there was the army division in the Fo ...
Founded: 1872-1884 |
Location:
Kaliningrad, Russia