The city is one of the numerous Russian settlements, with a small size having a very eventful history, which walks along Kronstadt will open to anyone who wishes. It is not so easy to give Kronstadt any specific territorial definition: it is called either a city, or a suburb of St. Petersburg, or one of the parts of the northern capital.
Attractions of Kronstadt on the map
Foundation of Kronstadt
The history of its origin is also not entirely usual: the fortress, which became the core of Kronstadt, was erected on the island of Kotlin, which at that time was officially considered the territory of Sweden. In the winter of 1703-704, when the Swedes on their ships left the frozen waters of the island for warm ports, Peter I gave the order to start building a fort on its territory.
Construction was carried out at an accelerated pace under the personal leadership of the tsar, and was successfully completed precisely on time, a phenomenon that is quite rare for the Russian mentality. The Swedish fleet, which returned in the spring, was forced to accept the existence of a Russian defensive structure on its island. After the victory of the Russians in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, the question of the ownership of the island was decided in favor of Russia. Kronstadt carried its defensive service until the end of the 19th century, when technical innovations in artillery science made its walls too unreliable for this purpose.
The city's attractions
Among the sights of this city, in addition to the fortress itself, one can name:
- Naval Nikolsky Cathedral - was erected in 1913. Its dome is visible from all points of the island and is a landmark when approaching it from the sea.
- The Italian palace of Peter's favorite - Alexander Menshikov. After Menshikov's exile, the od became the property of the state. Alternately, it housed first the Admiralty Collegium, then the Naval Cadet Corps and the Naval Engineering School.
- The monument to the founder of Kronstadt - Peter I - was erected in the Petrovsky Park of Kronstadt by decree of Emperor Nicholas I. Here for the first time the tsar is depicted standing in full growth. He looks towards the sea, as if watching the ships passing by. Peter is dressed in a caftan that he was wearing on the day of the Battle of Poltava, which marked the beginning of the strengthening of Russia in the Baltic. The date of the battle is stamped at the bottom: 1709.
- Monument to F. F. Bellingshausen, the great Russian navigator, known in world history as the discoverer of Antarctica.
- Monument to the naval commander, oceanographer and polar explorer S. O. Makarov, installed in 1913, is made in a very original manner: the admiral seems to be walking, overcoming the force of the wind, the flaps of his greatcoat flutter, and the frozen crest of the sea wave splashes at his feet.
Almost all memorable places of Kronstadt are somehow connected with the maritime theme, which is not surprising for a city with a similar biography. It will be interesting to visit it for everyone who cares about the history of the Russian fleet.
