History of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter and Paul Fortress, self-guided tour Peter and Paul Fortress how to get there

When planning a trip to St. Petersburg, you should definitely set aside a few hours to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, a kind of heart of the city. It is located on Zayachy Island, at the point where the Neva divides into three separate branches. The fortress was built more than three hundred years ago, by order of Emperor Peter I. Since then, new buildings have appeared here every few decades. Nowadays, it is difficult to understand this museum complex without a plan diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress, which clearly displays all its attractions. We will use this during our discussion.

Fortress layout

Looking at the diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress, you can see that the complex’s shape will almost repeat the outline of Hare Island. In the corners there are six of its bastions, interconnected by walls (they are called curtains).

In the eastern part of the fortress stands the front Peter's Gate. Their very name suggests that the first Russian emperor ordered them to be built.

The triangular ravelins protecting the fortress from the east and west were built much later, but fit harmoniously into the overall plan of the buildings.

It’s hard not to pay attention to the golden spire of the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, clearly visible in the center of the diagram. Without exaggeration, we can say that the cathedral is the center of the entire complex of the ancient fortress.

The heart of the legendary city

Back in 1703, Emperor Peter I, concerned about the safety of the state waging war with the Swedes, ordered the foundation of a new fortress on Hare Island. The history of the great city of St. Petersburg begins with this building. In that same year, a connecting island with a populated area was built.

At first it was not planned to build a fortress out of stone; it was difficult and expensive; construction was carried out from logs and earth. However, after several powerful floods of the Neva, part of the fragile earthen ramparts was destroyed.

Along with the fortress, the construction of the famous Peter and Paul Cathedral began, although at that time it was a small wooden church.

Immediately after the completion of the construction of the wooden fortress, it was decided to strengthen it in stone. Reconstruction began in 1706 from the northern part of the building, which was the most vulnerable in those days. In 1708, the first stone of the second Trubetskoy bastion was laid.

After the victory over the Swedes, the need for a fortified structure disappeared, but its construction and reorganization continued. And today, on the diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, you can see the buildings founded by Peter I.

Senate and prison

After the official transfer of the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the Senate began to work within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

In subsequent years, the Mint, the Commandant's House and many other buildings were built on government territory.

Unfortunately, back in 1715, the Peter and Paul Fortress began to be used as a prison for holding political prisoners. This sad story lasted for centuries. It was here that the disgraced Tsarevich Alexei, son of Peter I, died in captivity in 1718. The verdict on the Decembrists was announced in the Commandant's House. Among the numerous prisoners, A. N. Radishchev and N. A. Chernyshevsky are known.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Peter and Paul Fortress complex became accessible to visitors for the first time. Since then, the historical building has turned into a large museum complex, which would not take a whole day to explore.

Romanov family tomb

If you look at the diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress from above, a building with a high golden spire stands out. The building is considered the same age as its hometown. This is the famous Peter and Paul Cathedral, in which almost all Russian emperors have found peace since 1725.

When the reconstruction of the first wooden fortress began, changes also affected the church named after the famous apostles Peter and Paul, also built from logs. The beautiful cathedral fully met the ideas of Emperor Peter I about the splendor of the new Russian capital.

On the diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress, next to the majestic cathedral, one can see the building of the Grand Ducal Tomb, intended for the burial of uncrowned members of the Romanov family. The building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and before the start of the 1917 revolution.

Here it is worth paying attention to the incomparable mosaic icons of the Mother of God, made in Frolov’s workshop. And, of course, the majestic image of the Kazan Mother of God, located high on the facade of the building. It is believed that he has been protecting the city on the Neva since the time of its first emperor.

House for the glorious ship

There is another interesting attraction that always attracts tourists in the Peter and Paul Fortress. On the diagram of the fortress with captions, an unusual name stands out - Botny House. The very idea of ​​​​building a building to store a small wooden ship seems a little strange these days, but this idea of ​​Emperor Peter I paid off.

The boat itself is a small sailing and rowing vessel, on which young Peter made his first voyages on Lake Pereyaslavl. The Emperor believed that it was with him that the glorious history of the Russian fleet began.

In 1723, the boat was solemnly transported from Moscow to the Northern capital. And about forty years later, instead of a shed, a pavilion for its storage was built, called the Bot House.

Nowadays, the building hosts exhibitions dedicated to the history of St. Petersburg. Since 1931, the ship itself has become part of the exhibition of the Central Naval Museum, and its exact copy, albeit slightly smaller, is exhibited in the Boat House.

Walk along the walls of the fortress

On a clear sunny day, you should not spare a small amount for the entrance ticket and take a walk along the walls of the fortress. According to reviews from local residents, it offers the best panoramic view of the historical center of St. Petersburg and the majestic Neva.

Based on the schematic map of the Peter and Paul Fortress, it is possible to determine that this route runs from the Gosudarev to Naryshkin bastions. You will have to walk on wooden walkways, which also adds color.

Every day at exactly noon a shot is heard from a cannon located on the bastion of the fortress. Impressions guaranteed!

Da Vinci apparatus and space suits

The territory of the fortress is quite large, and there are several interesting exhibitions on it all the time.

For example, history buffs will be interested in the permanent exhibition “The Secrets of Da Vinci,” which presents models of many of the great master’s inventions. Children can't get enough of the life-size cannons and catapults. There is also a huge model of a tank covered in wood, armed with several guns. Guests of the exhibition disappear for a long time in a large mirrored room, where you can take very funny photographs.

And fans of modern technology should visit the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Inventions named after. V. P. Glushko, located in Ioannovsky ravelin. Based on the diagram, it will not be at all difficult to find it in the Peter and Paul Fortress. Here you can see models of the first artificial satellites and an exact replica of the ISS on a scale of 1:50.

Don't forget to take a photo next to the Comet lander, which flew into space in 1991. Now it is displayed in front of the museum entrance.

When visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress, you have the opportunity to buy a single ticket for five excursions. According to reviews, it is possible to get around them in only two days. Therefore, it is better to choose individual interesting exhibitions and spend more time there. And in good weather, you can sign up for a sightseeing tour “Northern Venice” and admire the wonderful views of the fortress from the Neva.

On the territory of the museum complex there are more than eighteen attractions, which are displayed on the diagram of the Peter and Paul Fortress. You can also walk along the walls of the structure, enjoy the sun’s rays on the pier and take pictures against the backdrop of the Petrovsky Gate, built more than three hundred years ago.

Description

The Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg is located at the mouth of the Neva River on Hare Island. It was founded by Emperor Peter I on May 27 (May 16, old style) 1703 at the very beginning of the Northern War (1700-1721). Initially, the first Russian outpost in the Baltic was called “St. Petersburg” and connected together a system of defensive structures (Nyenschanz, Noteburg, Kronslot), the main task of which was to block the Swedish fleet in the Gulf of Finland and at the mouth of the Neva River. But throughout its history, the fortress was never used for defensive purposes. It was destined to become the core of a new city - the rapidly developing capital of the Russian Empire - St. Petersburg.

The first fortress was built from earth, turf and wood according to the design of the French engineer Joseph Gaspard Lambert de Guerin. It is believed that the plan for fortifications was proposed by Tsar Peter Alekseevich himself. The fortress was built according to the latest in fortification art in accordance with the laws of the Western European bastion system. The outlines of Hare Island determined the shape of the fortress: an irregular hexagon with six protruding massive bastions named after the associates of Peter I (Gosudarev, Menshikov, Zotov, Naryshkin, Trubetskoy, Golovkin) and curtain walls connecting them (Petrovskaya, Nevskaya, Ekaterininskaya, Vasilievskaya, Nikolskaya, Kronverkskaya) . In the eastern part of Hare Island, outside the fortress walls, an earthen ravelin was erected - an additional defensive structure, and on Berezovy Island, to the north of the fortress, Kronverk was built.

The work was carried out at an “accelerating pace” - the earthen fortress was completed by October 1, 1703. 52 guns were installed on the Trubetskoy and Naryshkin bastions, 58 on the Gosudarev. Raising and lowering the flag on the Sovereign Bastion meant the beginning and end of the working day.

Working conditions for workers were appalling. According to the testimony of Chamberlain Berchholz, the workers “died like flies from cold and hunger.” Another eyewitness recorded that the earth was carried in the tails of clothes or on the shoulders in small bags. Work on the construction of a new city was equated to hard labor; deserters from the army were exiled here (Peter's decree of July 4, 1705), criminals, and special groups of workers from the provinces. Bases were created for the supply of food in Novgorod and Ladoga, but interruptions still occurred. To combat dysentery and scurvy, vodka infused with pine cones was used. Constant flooding also complicated the situation.

But the wood-earth fortress did not stand for long; just three years after its foundation, reconstruction began. The stone fortress is being built according to the design of the architect Domenico Trezzini. From 1706 to 1740, on the site of the earthworks, new curtains and bastions made of brick and stone were erected, which almost completely repeated the outlines of their wood-earth predecessors. Inside the fortress walls there were casemates for barracks and ammunition depots. In 1707, the Tsar ordered the construction of a front gate in the fortress. In 1708, work began on the construction of the Petrovsky Gate. They were designed by Domenico Trezzini, first wooden, then stone, they preserved the composition conceived by the architect. Peter's Gate is a striking example of Peter's Baroque.

In the 1731-1740s, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, on the western and eastern ends of the island according to the project of B.-Kh. von Minich, additional external fortifications were erected - Ioannovsky (on the site of the first earthen ravelin) and Alekseevsky ravelins. They received their name in honor of the father and grandfather of Empress Anna Ioannovna. Between the fortress walls and ravelins, ditches with drawbridges were built (filled up at the end of the 19th century).

During the reign of Empress Catherine II, work on the improvement of the Peter and Paul Fortress continued. By her highest order, in 1779 - 1786, the walls of the fortress facing the Neva were lined with granite. At the same time, the Neva Gate of the fortress and the Commandant's pier (architect N. A. Lvov) were ceremoniously decorated.

The main dominant feature of the fortress's architectural ensemble is the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The first wooden church was founded in the center of the fortress on July 12 (June 29, old style) 1703, the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. In its place, in 1712-1733, according to the design of D. Trezzini, the stone Peter and Paul Cathedral was built. Based on the name of the cathedral, the fortress also began to be called Peter and Paul Fortress.

During the 18th-19th centuries, buildings for various purposes were built on the territory of the fortress - the Commandant's and Engineer's houses, the guardhouse, the Boat House, the Artillery Workshop, the Mint, the prison of the Trubetskoy Bastion, the Treasury, the House of Stock Capital, the Weights and Measures Depot, the Major's Parade and the Outbuilding. -adjutant house, Grand Ducal tomb, Church house and others.
The Peter and Paul Fortress in Tsarist Russia had another purpose - a prison; it was also called the “Russian Bastille”. Since the beginning of the 18th century, it became a place of detention for especially important state criminals. Prisoners were housed in casemates of bastions and curtains and in specially constructed prison buildings.

The Peter and Paul Fortress was first opened to visitors under Emperor Alexander I at the beginning of the 20th century. The first excursions began to be held in the Peter and Paul Cathedral around the imperial necropolis in the 1900s.

After 1917, no construction was carried out on the territory of Hare Island. In 1924, the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Trubetskoy Bastion prison were transferred to the Museum of the Revolution. In 1954, the complex of buildings of the Peter and Paul Fortress became part of the State Museum of the History of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

Today, the Peter and Paul Fortress is part of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg; the museum’s funds are located here, permanent exhibitions are open, and temporary exhibitions are held.

Notable exhibits

• Carved gilded iconostasis and altar canopy

  A gift to the temple from Peter I and Catherine I. The iconostasis was created in Moscow according to the drawings of D. Trezzini by a group of master carvers under the leadership of I. P. Zarudny. Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Grand Ducal Tomb

Bird's eye view of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Peter and Paul Fortress is a unique monument of history and architecture of St. Petersburg. The main building of its architectural ensemble, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, is one of the symbols of the city.

The walls of the fortress were supposed to become a serious obstacle to external enemies - they were erected according to the latest state-of-the-art fortification of the early 18th century. But life decreed differently. The fortress acquired a cruel reputation as a prison for state criminals, where the authorities dealt with the internal enemy...

Peter and Paul Fortress: historical background

Construction of fortifications.

This is where the city on the Neva began. The founding date of St. Petersburg is considered to be May 27, 1703, when on the day of the Holy Trinity on Hare Island the first stone was laid in the foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress. According to the original plan, there was no talk of a city, much less a capital; it was necessary to protect the lands conquered from the Swedes.

Peter I was personally involved in the development of the plan for the citadel, as well as the choice of location for its construction, together with the engineer, Russian general of French origin J. G. Lambert.

Soldiers, captured Swedes, and serfs worked from dawn to dusk under the supervision of the king’s associates. The general leadership was carried out by a close friend of the emperor, A.D. Menshikov. Peter I settled nearby in a summer house and inspected the construction, circling the island by boat in the morning.

The fortress repeated the hexagonal shape of the island; at the tops of the corners there were bastions named after the curators, each of whom was responsible for “their” object: Menshikov, Trubetskoy, Golovkin, Naryshkin, Zotov, Gosudarev. The construction of the Sovereign Bastion was supervised by Tsarevich Alexei.

On October 1, 1703, the fortress was consecrated. By this time, the construction of earthen and wooden fortifications of a small wooden church in the name of the apostles Peter and Paul had been completed, guns were installed and a flag was raised on the Sovereign Bastion.

In 1706, the first architect of St. Petersburg, the Italian Domenico Trezzini, began the construction of stone structures using new principles for the construction of fortifications. The walls of the bastions, 12 meters high, reach 20 meters in thickness - they are formed by outer and inner layers of five-meter brickwork, between which crushed brick mixed with earth is poured.

The bastions are interconnected by curtains, in which casemates were equipped to accommodate soldiers and store weapons. The Ekaterininskaya curtain is solid, and the Nevskaya, Petrovskaya, Vasilyevskaya, Kronverkskaya and Nikolskaya curtains are equipped with gates of the same name. The elegant Petrovsky Gate was the main entrance. On the bastions they installed guns, fifty on each. For a sortie, in case of a siege, underground passages (sorties) and secret passages in the walls (patterns) were provided, which were laid with a single layer of brick and were known only to trusted officers.

Later, on the site of the wooden church, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was erected (1712-1732), which acquired the status of a cathedral and became the tomb of the House of Romanov. The foundation contains the holy relics of St. Andrew the First-Called. Behind the eastern wall of the cathedral is the Commandant's Cemetery. 18 commandants found peace here from 1720 to 1914.

The defensive system is closed by a crown-shaped earthen rampart - a crownwork.

Triangular fortifications from the sea (ravelins) were built in the 1730s during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, named after her father and grandfather, the western - Ioannovsky (in memory of Ivan Alekseevich, the elder brother and formal co-ruler of Peter I), and the eastern - Alekseevsky (in memory of the father of Peter I).

The date of completion of the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress is depicted on the Ioannovsky Gate - 1740.

Russian Bastille

After the final victory over the Swedes, the Peter and Paul Fortress lost its defensive function and soon found itself in the center of the city, which grew around it. In the fortress itself, the coastline of which was partially lined with granite, construction was carried out for various purposes; in the 18th–19th centuries, the Mint, the Artillery Workshop, the Commandant's and Engineer's Houses, the guardhouse, the Boat House appeared here...

I. G. Fokkerodt, who served for many years as secretary of the Prussian embassy in Russia, described the fortress in his notes: “... This fortress is quite strong and, due to its location, is impregnable, but they believe that... it cannot be of much use. Nowadays it serves as nothing more than a Bastille, where state prisoners are kept...”

And indeed, the bastions soon became a place of imprisonment for state criminals, and since the 19th century - the main political prison in Russia, where people were sent without trial by imperial order...

In the fortress, tortured by interrogations and tuberculosis, Princess Tarakanova, posing as the daughter of Elizabeth I and Razumovsky, will also die. Alexander Radishchev, the author of the book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow,” which greatly angered Empress Catherine II, will await his verdict here.

The leaders of the Decembrist uprising were hanged on the rampart of the crown. The memorial obelisk preserves their profiles and the words of the great Russian poet:

“Comrade, believe: she will rise

Star of captivating happiness,

Russia will wake up from its sleep,

And on the ruins of autocracy

They will write our names!

Here Fyodor Dostoevsky was sentenced to death along with other Petrashevites, but the execution was replaced by hard labor at the last moment. The events are reflected in the work “Notes from the House of the Dead.”

In the cell of the Alekseevsky ravelin, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, protesting against the illegal conduct of the investigation, went on a hunger strike, which lasted 9 days, and wrote the famous novel “What to do.”

Until 1917, one and a half thousand political prisoners passed through the cells of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison built in 1872.

The fortress garrison supported the Bolsheviks - it was its cannon that gave the signal to the cruiser Aurora in October 1917, and during the years of the “Red Terror” (1917-1921) mass executions were carried out here.

Peter and Paul Fortress at night - view from the Neva.

In 1925, the Leningrad Soviet decided to destroy the fortress, which by that time had become a museum, and build a stadium in its place. The decision was soon reversed, and the Gas Dynamics Laboratory was located in Ioannovsky Ravelin, which was the first rocket engine design bureau in the country and was located within its walls until 1933. Forty years later, a museum of cosmonautics and rocketry was opened in its place, which today bears the name of V.P. Glushko, the head of the development of systems that launch the Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz spacecraft into orbit.

Attractions and exposition

The Peter and Paul Fortress is part of. The excursion begins with an introduction to the history of the Nevsky region and an exhibition dedicated to the stages of construction of the fortress. Among the exhibits located in the Commandant's House are Russian and Swedish maps, models of fortifications, and a collection of tools found during excavations. Separate rooms are dedicated to the life of the population from 1703 to 1918.

Peter and Paul Cathedral

The sightseeing continues with the most beautiful building of the fortress - the Peter and Paul Cathedral. For 300 years until the construction of the Prince Alexander Nevsky residential complex in the historical Rybatskoye district in 2012, it remained the tallest building in the city. The height of the temple with a 40-meter spire, decorated with a weather vane in the form of a golden figure of an angel with a cross, is 122.5 meters.

Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The carved iconostasis inside the cathedral with the figures of the apostles in front of it amazes with its splendor and resembles a triumphal arch. This is not a coincidental similarity, but the idea of ​​Peter I to make the temple a monument in honor of the victories of Russian weapons and a place to store the keys to the captured cities, as well as the banners of the defeated Swedish and Turkish troops. The iconostasis was made in the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, delivered disassembled and assembled on site. All elements are made of wood and covered with gold: the frame is made of larch, linden is used for sculpture and decorative details.

The practice of reading sermons in Orthodox churches was first introduced in the times of Peter the Great, as evidenced by the pulpit installed in front of the altar. During the service, the emperor himself occupied the royal place at the right column, richly decorated with crimson velvet and symbols of power.

The slender elongated silhouette of the building, unusual for Orthodox churches, and its interior decoration attract visitors to the same extent as the tomb of the emperors, which was supplemented by the Grand Ducal Tomb built at the beginning of the 19th century, as well as the wonderfully restored Royal Apartments with miraculously surviving relics.

The premises located in the passage gallery to the tomb were intended for the imperial family to relax when visiting the cathedral and consisted of a reception room, a living room, a smoking room and a ladies' room. The exhibition is presented in two rooms, partially restored from the archives of the author of the project, architect L. N. Benois. Here you can see marble fireplaces, paintings with portraits of royalty and panoramic views of St. Petersburg. Of particular value are rare items: vestments of clergy, lectern cover, transcendental cross.

The exhibition “Three Centuries Above the City” will introduce tourists who climb the bell tower to the panorama of the fortress that opens from here and the mechanism of a rare carillon purchased in Holland for the tower’s chimes.

Peter and Paul Cathedral.

A street leads from the Cathedral to a small square, where tourists can expect to see an unusual sculpture of Peter I by Mikhail Shemyakin. The king is depicted sitting on a throne, and the proportions of the body are increased by one and a half times, and the natural size head seems small, which gives the figure a grotesque appearance. The face is based on an authentic wax mask made by B. K. Rastrelli. The author called the work “My Mystical Peter” and argued that the distortion of proportions corresponds to the canons of Orthodox icon painting.

Trubetskoy Bastion Prison

One of the most popular objects in the fortress is the Trubetskoy Bastion prison. The exhibition, dedicated to the history of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison, introduces visitors to the conditions of detention of prisoners, the peculiarities of the regime, and the fate of the prisoners. Alexander Ulyanov, Maxim Gorky, Leon Trotsky passed through its cells... The interiors have been restored, and models of guards and prisoners create an eerie prison atmosphere of different historical periods, from 1870 to 1917. Its last prisoners were participants in the Kronstadt uprising.

Only the exhibition “Streets of Time” in the Naryshkinsky Bastion and the Museum of Cosmonautics, located in Ioannovsky Ravelin, compete with it.

Naryshkin Bastion

Anyone can take a fascinating journey into the past of St. Petersburg by visiting the exhibition in the Naryshkinsky Bastion. The three-century-long exhibition “Street of Time” will first lead through the lands of Ingermanland on the Neva banks, then past the customs of Peter the Great and the chancellery from the buildings it will lead to the imperial capital of the 18th – 20th centuries. Looking through the windows of the “houses”, you can see how the appearance of the interiors and the townspeople themselves changed. Go to a sewing workshop and see the fashion of the 19th century, “visit” the dentist’s office, or plunge into the atmosphere of a communal apartment of the 20th century.

Space Museum

The museum, opened in the halls of the right facade of Ioannovsky Ravelin, is dedicated to the history of space exploration and the role of designers of St. Petersburg-Leningrad in the development of Russian cosmonautics and rocket technology. The unique developments of the employees of the Gas Dynamics Laboratory, which was located here in the 30s of the last century, are presented in the exhibition:

• smokeless powder rockets, which were used in the Katyusha;
• liquid rocket engines are the forerunners of spaceship engines;
• One of the most interesting exhibits was in space and returned to Earth in 1974 - this is the Soyuz-16 descent module.
• In front of the entrance to the museum stands the descent module of the Comet satellite, which also made a space voyage, but already in the 90s.

Porcelain exhibition

The exhibitions of porcelain and furniture collections dating back to the 18th–20th centuries located in the Petrovskaya Curtain are noteworthy.

The exhibition of products from European and Russian glass and porcelain factories brings together the best examples of decorative and applied art from Russia, England, Denmark, France, and Germany. Among the mass-produced items, the collection of propaganda porcelain is interesting. Particular attention of visitors is paid to memorial items that belonged to A. A. Akhmatova, O. F. Berggolts, D. S. Likhachev, as well as a collection of memorable gifts to Stalin, transferred from the Museum of the Revolution, and a collection of gifts to the city for anniversaries.

Furniture exhibition

The dialectic of furniture art is reflected in the exhibition located in the Nikolskaya curtain. The earliest examples include: a chair from the Peter the Great era, French chests of drawers, Russian caskets and a chest from the 18th century. Richly inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, bone, metal, and made from rare species of red, black, and rose wood, the furniture samples demonstrate different styles and allow you to imagine what the interiors of the Northern capital looked like over three centuries.

Exhibition of medieval weapons

A completely different type of art is represented by the exhibition located in Karetnik, a former stable that in the old days bore the pompous name “Services of the Commandant’s Department.” The exhibition of medieval instruments of torture takes us back centuries and has no direct relation either to the commandant services or to the fortress as a whole. The history goes back to the times of the Inquisition, when Pope Innocent IV in 1252 legalized the status of their use during inquests. They were carried out by secular authorities, as well as the execution of death sentences. Among a number of instruments of punishment, the chastity belt, which the organizers of the exhibition included in the same theme, looks very unexpected.

Exhibition “Historical Mosaic”

In the workshop, the exhibition “Historical Mosaic” presents the history of the Russian state in person. The rulers of Russia Ivan the Terrible and Catherine II, statesmen, famous prisoners of the fortress, revolutionaries, writers and other people make up its historical canvas. The inimitable atmosphere of an impressive immersion into the past, with all the twists and turns and unexpected turns, is created by 60 wax figures. Created by the masters of St. Petersburg, the characters look realistic, conveying not only external resemblance, but also character, mood, and emotions. Natural hair was used, hand-made eye prostheses were used, skin tones were corrected with theatrical makeup.

Other attractions

One of the oldest enterprises in the city, the Mint, transferred here from Moscow by decree of Peter I in 1724, continues to operate on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Mint.

Continuing the tradition of producing medal works, it is currently a leading manufacturer of award signs, orders and medals, as well as commemorative coins made of precious metals.

In the 60s of the 19th century, the Arsenal building, made in the style of medieval architecture, was built on the crownwork. Currently there is a museum here, the exhibition of which is located indoors and in the courtyard.

The interesting sculpture “The Bunny Saved from the Flood” is located near the Ioannovsky Bridge. There is a sign: if a thrown coin hits the base of the monument, big-eared Arseny will make his wish come true. The hare inherited the name from the Swedish name for the island of Yenisari.

No visitor will pass by the small building with a portico and a statue of "Navigation" on the roof, located to the left of the bell tower, because this is where the ticket office and gift shop are located. Many do not suspect that this is the Boat House, built specifically for the “Grandfather of the Russian Navy” - the boat of Peter I.

In addition to excursions, events, and operating museums in the Peter and Paul Fortress, today the traditions laid down from the day of its foundation have been revived:

• Every day from the Naryshkinsky bastion exactly at noon the shot of the “messenger” cannon is heard. According to the decree of Catherine II, the cannons of Peter and Paul Fortress, in addition to the midday shot, were supposed to signal an impending flood. On this occasion, Yuri Tynyanov wrote: “The guns of the Peter and Paul Fortress are the gun newspaper of St. Petersburg. They have long sighed every noon and every flood. This habit is so strong that when a flood begins, officials rush to change the clocks.”
• again the St. Andrew's flag flies over the Naryshkinsky bastion - an oblique cross on a red background with a white border. The tradition dates back to the era of Peter the Great. According to documents of those times: “This flag is placed at this fortress... for a seaside city.”

View of the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Neva side.

In addition, memorial services for deceased emperors have been held in the Peter and Paul Cathedral since 1990, and festive services have been held since 1999. Next to the crypt of Peter I in the Catherine's chapel, the remains of the last Emperor Nicholas II, his family and companions who shared their sad fate were buried in 1998. The latest burials include the reburial of the ashes of Empress Maria Feodorovna, transferred from Denmark in 2006.

Once upon a time, a brass band played on the territory of the fortress on weekends and holidays. Various entertainment events are held on the beach of the fortress today. In 2005, a grand piano was installed in the flag tower; famous pianists give concerts here.

During the warm season, on Saturdays in the Naryshkinsky Bastion you can observe the changing of the guard of honor, which is symbolic in nature. The parade ground and the removal of the flags of the Russian Federation and St. Petersburg are the most striking moments of the ceremony.

The day off, the same for all museums of Petropavlovka, is Wednesday. Entrance to the fortress territory is free and open from 9:30 to 20:00.

Panorama of the Peter and Paul Fortress

By pressing and holding down the left button, move the mouse in different directions: you can look around without moving. When you click on the black square in the upper right corner of the panorama window, you will be taken to full-screen viewing mode.

1. Panorama.

2. Panorama.

Peter and Paul Fortress: where it is and how to get there

The Peter and Paul Fortress is located in the central part of the Northern capital opposite the Winter Palace, at the address:

St. Petersburg, Hare Island, Peter and Paul Fortress, 3.

• from the nearest metro station "Gorkovskaya" walk along Alexander Park and Kronverkskaya embankment;
• trams 6 and 40 run from Sportivnaya station;
• from Petrogradskaya - bus 46, minibuses 46, 76, 183 and 223.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress was founded on May 27, 1703 for the defense of Russian territory. The fortress is located on Hare Island, the Ioannovsky Bridge connects the Ioannovsky Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress with the Petrograd Side. The Peter and Paul Fortress did not take part in the hostilities. The official name is St. Petersburg Fortress; in the period from 1914 to 1917, the fortress was called Petrograd. Currently, the fortress is part of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.

History of the fortress

One of the first images of the fortress on Hare Island (from the educational tables of the “Navigation School” in Moscow; compiled by Vasily Kipriyanov, 1705).

Since 1700, Russia has been at war with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. By the summer of 1703, Russia managed to recapture the lands at the mouth of the Neva, which had been conquered by Sweden back in the 17th century, and in order to gain a foothold and protect itself from attacks, it was necessary to create defensive structures. Peter I considered the captured fortress of Nyenskans to be insufficiently fortified and decided to build a new fortress in order to gain a permanent foothold in this territory; the place for the new fortress was chosen on the island, which the Finns called Yenisaari (Hare Island), and the Swedes called Lust-Eiland (Jolly Island), from the island the entrances to the branches of the Neva from the Gulf of Finland were perfectly visible. On May 27, 1703, Peter I founded a fortress on the island, which gave rise to the city of St. Petersburg. The city received its name in honor of the Apostle Peter. It is believed that the drawing of the first earthen fortress belongs to Peter I himself and the French engineer Joseph Lambert de Guerin. According to the plan, the fortress included: 6 bastions connected by curtains, 2 ravelins, and a crownwork. In 1703, Hare Island was connected to the Petrograd side by the Ioannovsky Bridge. In just four months, they managed to build defensive structures made of wood and earth. The Peter and Paul Fortress did not take part in the hostilities, but nevertheless was an important link in the defense of the Strait of Finland during the Northern War.

Plan of the location of structures on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The construction was supervised by Peter I's ally Menshikov A. The fortress was built with the help of soldiers, captured Swedes and peasants, a certain number of whom were called from each province. The construction of the wood-earth fortress was completed in October 1703. This event was celebrated both in Moscow and on the banks of the Neva. Initially, the fortress was called St. Petersburg, but another name was in use - Peter and Paul - after the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, located in the center of the fortress, which after 1917 became official. During the October Revolution, the fortress became the field headquarters of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, which led the uprising and the capture of the Winter Palace. In 1924, a Museum was opened in the fortress, and since 1993, the Peter and Paul Fortress has been declared a historical and cultural reserve. At different times, both fortifications and buildings for economic needs were built and modernized on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Most of the buildings are currently used as museum premises, but there are also buildings functioning for their intended purpose, such as the Mint.

Buildings on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The wooden Peter and Paul Cathedral was founded on June 29, 1703 on the day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and already on April 1, 1704 the cathedral was consecrated. On May 14, a festive service was held here in honor of the victory of Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetyev by Swedish ships on Lake Peipus. The stone Peter and Paul Cathedral was laid on May 30, 1712 according to the design of Trezzini D. and its construction lasted 20 years until 1732. Construction was carried out in such a way that the wooden church remained inside the stone cathedral under construction. The wooden church was dismantled and moved in 1719 to Gorodovoy Island, where it was placed on a stone foundation and renamed the Church of the Apostle Matthew. Later, this church was also rebuilt in stone and stood until the Great Patriotic War.

The construction of the cathedral, by order of Peter I, began with the bell tower, which was completed only in 1720. Construction began with the bell tower not by chance, but based on strategic considerations, since it could be used as an observation platform to detect enemy troops. A chiming clock was installed on the bell tower during the process of its construction, without waiting for completion, by order of Peter I himself. The clock began to play in August 1720. On the initiative of Peter I, an elevator could be installed in the bell tower, the idea of ​​which Peter saw from the court mechanic of the Saxon Elector Andreas Gärtner, but for unknown reasons the idea was never brought to life (some materials for the elevators had already been purchased).

The creation of the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral began in the winter of 1717, with the preparation of rafters. To work on the spire, on May 1, the Dutch master Herman van Boles was invited, who created a project for a 25-meter spire and has been implementing it for several years. In September 1718, an apple was lifted onto the spire. In May 1719, the Office of City Affairs concluded an agreement with the Riga master Zimers F., according to which he forged 887 sheets of red copper. In April 1721, an agreement was concluded with the Riga masters Steinbeis I.P. and Eberhard I.V. for the gilding of copper sheets, which was completed in November 1723. The cladding of the spire with sheets and the installation of the angel was completed in 1724. The height of the bell tower from the foundation to the top of the cross was 106 meters. After the cathedral was completed, it became the tallest building in St. Petersburg until 2012.

In May 1722 Trezzini D. was asked to install an angel on top of the bell tower. Trezzini made a drawing, according to which the figure was made by the peasant Menshoi I. and the silversmith Zadubsky L. But their work was considered to be of poor quality, so the angel was remade by Steinbes and Eberhard. That angel was different from the one that exists today. It was made in the form of a weather vane; the figure of an angel was held with both hands by the axis, in which the turning mechanisms were placed.

Copper figure of an angel (third), installed on the spire before 1858. Museum of History. Peter-Pavel's Fortress.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral became the object of using many solutions and approaches that had not been used before. Its architectural design was influenced by Western traditions. The walls are much less thick than those of traditional Russian churches, large windows, high narrow pillars (pylons), only one dome (instead of the usual five-domed structure). This cathedral became an example for all other churches until the mid-18th century. Further, by decree of the Synod, churches again began to be built with five domes. Painting inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral is also important from the point of view of the development of Russian art. Before this, the walls of temples were painted completely differently; only biblical scenes were allowed to be reproduced. Secular artistic ornaments are also used here. The painting of the temple walls belongs to Russian artists Vorobyov and Negrubov. The lampshades in the central nave were made by Pyotr Zybin.

After the death of Peter I in 1725, the coffin with his body was placed inside the unfinished cathedral, and awaited burial there for 6 years. Later, a coffin with the body of his wife Catherine was also placed nearby. In 1732, when the construction of the temple was completed, the bodies of Peter I and Catherine were buried near the southern wall in front of the altar. Initially, only marble slabs were installed at the burial site, without tombstones. The tombstones, made of white marble slabs, were erected in the 1760s. The tombstones of crowned heads have coats of arms at the corners. Two tombstones are unique; the burials of Alexander II and his wife Maria Alexandrovna are made of jasper and orlets. They are monolithic, each weighing about 5-6 tons.

Scheme of the iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is considered unique. The iconostasis is made in the form of a triumphal arch, symbolizing the victory of Russia in the Northern War. The iconostasis was made in Moscow in 1722-1726 in the workshop of Ivan Zarudny from oak and linden. The original drawing of the iconostasis belongs to D. Trezzini. More than 50 workers were involved in the production of the iconostasis, supervised by I. Zarudny. During production, small details were constantly being refined, so the authorship of the iconostasis is attributed to both architects D. Trezzini and I. Zarudny. The iconostasis was brought from Moscow disassembled disassembled in 1727, and then it was assembled in the cathedral itself and covered with gold. The icons for the iconostasis were created for another two years, under the leadership of Andrei Merkulyev. Some of these icons have survived to this day; their shapes are unusual. In the center of the iconostasis of the Peter and Paul Cathedral are the royal doors with sculptures of the apostles. In the 19th century, a marble base was built under the iconostasis to strengthen the structure and protect it from environmental influences; the wooden gates were replaced with new ones made of bronze, since the old ones had become very worn out. After there was no room left for burials in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, by 1908 a tomb was built next to the temple, connected to the cathedral by a corridor. In 1904-1906, a fence was installed in front of the western entrance, modeled on the fence of the Summer Garden. It was decided to bury only members of the imperial family in the tomb. Before the start of the First World War, they managed to move 8 burials from the right nave of the cathedral. In addition, 5 more great princes were buried here. In total, there were 30 crypts in the tomb.

Engraving by D. Gobbert based on a drawing by F. Clagens. Peter and Paul Cathedral. 1834

In 1732, Nicholas Proskop installed a pulpit on the left side of the central aisle. It is made of carved gilded wood. At the bottom of the pulpit there are paintings depicting the parable of the sower. Above are the figures of the apostles Peter and Paul, above them are the four evangelists. At the very top of the pulpit there is a figure of a dove, symbolizing the holy spirit. On the right side of the central aisle is the royal seat. It is also made of gilded carved wood and covered with velvet. There was never a chair here; the king did not sit down during services. The central nave is illuminated by crystal chandeliers from the late 18th century. Closer to the altar is the original, others were restored after the Great Patriotic War. Captured banners and keys to cities and fortresses taken in the wars with Sweden and Turkey were kept in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Now the original flags are in museums, and their copies are placed on the walls. The consecration of the completed Peter and Paul Cathedral took place on June 29, 1733. It acquired the status of a cathedral and remained so until the opening of the new St. Isaac's Cathedral in 1858. It became the largest building in St. Petersburg. The walls of the temple were painted blue, the pilasters and cornice were painted white, the roof, bell tower domes and altar dome were painted dark blue.

The appearance of the cathedral did not change until 1756, when on the night of April 29-30 the spire was struck by lightning and the burning spire fell causing great damage to the cathedral: the bell tower was completely destroyed, the roof was heavily damaged, the portico at the entrance was broken, and as a result of the fire The chimes melted. The iconostasis was saved from fire thanks to its collapsible design, which was taken advantage of by the soldiers of Prince Golitsin, who carried the iconostasis out of the cathedral in parts. On April 31, a decree was issued on the speedy restoration of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Builders were urgently gathered from all construction sites and quickly restored the roof of the cathedral. During the restoration, the shape of the roof was changed from a gable roof to a flatter one. It was decided to restore the bell tower in stone, which took 20 years. As the mass of the structure increased, piles were driven into the base of the bell tower. An additional wall appeared, resulting in additional rooms. Thus, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral there arose the Catherine's vestibule, a sacristy, and a separate space for the staircase to the bell tower. At the same time, volutes appeared on the second tier of the bell tower, the height of the spire was increased to 112 meters, and the shape of the dome drum was changed.

Under Catherine II, a special architectural competition was organized for the reconstruction of the cathedral. Several projects were submitted to the competition in which it was planned to change the appearance of the cathedral, but at the insistence of Catherine II, they began to restore it according to the original design of Trezzini D. The new spire grew from 112 meters to 117. The angel was made according to the original drawing. The new chimes were asked to be made by the Russian watchmaker Miller. The foreman agreed to do the work, but refused to give the necessary guarantees, as a result of which no contract was concluded with him. Then, as a result of the competition, the Dutch master Oort-Kras won, with whom an agreement was concluded, according to which the master’s fee was paid in two parts: the first part after the presentation of the mechanism, and the second part after the installation of the chimes on the bell tower. In the fall of 1760, the chimes were delivered to St. Petersburg. Oort-Kras was paid the promised first part of the fee, however, due to the fact that the bell tower had not yet been completed, the chimes were placed on a small temporary bell tower. Oort-Kras died before the completion of the construction of the new bell tower. The chimes were installed in the late 1770s.

Used figure of an angel (fourth) on the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The second version of the angel on the cathedral spire was destroyed during the hurricane of 1778. The figure was broken by a strong wind. The third angel was designed by Antonio Rinaldi. In Rinaldi’s project, the centers of gravity of the cross and the angel were combined, the figure now did not “fly” holding the cross with both hands, but seemed to be sitting on it. In addition, the angel ceased to function as a weather vane. It still rotated under the gusts of wind, but only to stabilize and reduce its windage.

At the end of the 1820s, a strong gust of wind tore off the wing of the angel placed on the spire. Restoration of the figure required the construction of scaffolding around the bell tower, which was very expensive, but a young roofer from the Yaroslavl province, Pyotr Telushkin, came to the aid of the authorities. He himself volunteered to climb the bell tower spire without scaffolding and repair the angel. Moreover, he left payment for his work open and left it on the conscience of the authorities. The discussion of this option for restoring the angel lasted for a year and a half, and as a result, in October 1830, the work was completed by Pyotr Telushkin. A large crowd gathered to see the work of the master, who uses only ropes with loops and a moving knot. The repairs lasted six weeks. For his work, the roofer received an award of 3,000 rubles and a silver medal “For Diligence” on the Anninskaya Ribbon.

In the middle of the 19th century, the need arose again for the restoration of the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. In the competition for the work, engineer Zhuravsky. The new spire was created in 1857-1858 in the Urals, at the Nivyansky plant. The spire was made of a metal frame covered with gilded copper sheets. The height of the spire was 47 meters, weight - 56 tons. Inside the spire there is a staircase at 2/3 of the height, then there is an exit to the outside; brackets lead to the end of the spire. The total height of the spire with the cross and the figure of an angel is 122.5 meters. The figure of an angel was replaced, which slightly changed its appearance, in which it remains today. At the same time, the chimes underwent reconstruction, a minute hand was added, and the chimes began to play one of two melodies - “How Glorious is Our Lord” and “God Save the Tsar”.

After the revolution of 1917, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was recognized as an architectural monument; the decoration of the cathedral was preserved. The cathedral was closed in 1919, and the valuables were removed. The City History Museum was opened in the cathedral building. War trophies were transferred to the Hermitage and other museums. The Grand Ducal tomb was plundered, marble tombstones were broken. For a long time there was a warehouse there. In the 1930s, workers put forward an initiative to replace the angel with a ruby ​​star, but the planned work was not completed due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. During the siege of Leningrad, the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral was painted over, and the angel was covered with burlap. In 1992, Vladimir Kirillovich, a member of the Romanov dynasty, was buried in the restored grand ducal tomb. The next burial in the Peter and Paul Cathedral took place in 1998, when the remains of Nicholas II and his family were transferred to the Catherine's Precinct. The last to be buried here was the wife of Emperor Alexander III. Her remains were brought here from Denmark.

Grand Ducal Tomb

The Grand Duke's tomb against the backdrop of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Grand Ducal Tomb was built in the period 1896-1908 according to the design of the architect D.I. Grimm. drawn up in 1896, the architects Tomishko A.O. (1896-1901), Benois L.N. (1901-1907), Stukolkin N.T (1907-1908) were responsible for the implementation and completion of construction in different years. Benoit L.N. interiors, a gallery connecting the Peter and Paul Cathedral with the tomb, and a fence in front of the Tsar's entrance were designed. The design of the tomb used Baroque and Renaissance motifs; the design of the tomb was based on the architecture of the already erected Peter and Paul Cathedral, and the tomb fit harmoniously into the overall architectural range. The Grand Ducal Tomb is one of the last buildings on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress of that time. When decorating the interiors, Serdobol granite, Italian white marble and Labradorite were used. On the facades there are three mosaics with icons of the Mother of God: Iverskaya, Kazan and Feodorovskaya, which are associated with the history of the House of Romanov. The mosaics were created in the workshop of V.A. Frolov. and installed in 1907. In the period from 1906 to 1908, a chapel was built in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.

Grand Duke's burial vault. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Initially, the tomb was intended for the burial of uncrowned members of the imperial family (for those who had the title of Grand Duke and Princess), but, in addition, members of the Beauharnais family, who had the title of Dukes of Leuchtenberg and His Serene Highness Princes of Romanov, could also be buried in the tomb. The tomb is designed for 60 burials. Between 1908 and 1915, 13 burials of members of the imperial family were made. In 1992, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich was buried in the tomb, and in 1995, his parents, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich and his wife Grand Duchess, were reburied in the tomb Victoria Fedorovna.

Since 1994, the grand ducal tomb has been under the jurisdiction of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.

Complex of the St. Petersburg Mint

The main building of the Mint. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Mint was transferred from Moscow to St. Petersburg by decree of Peter in 1724 and is one of the oldest industrial enterprises in the city; its founding date is December 12, 1724. The stamp on SPB coins appeared 175 years later in 1899. Initially, the mint building was located in the curtain between the Naryshkin and Trubetskoy bastions. In March 1800, the design of a new mint building based on the design of Porto A was approved. In June of the same year, construction of the main building began, which was completed in 1806. The length of the main facade is 157 meters. The main building is topped with a low triangular pediment. The side wings end in round towers covered with domes. The originality and expressiveness of the composition of the facade, the skillful solution of the plan allow us to classify the building of the Mint as one of the best buildings of Russian industrial architecture in Russia during the period of late classicism. Gradually, new extensions and buildings began to appear next to the main building, thus the area of ​​the mint gradually increased. In the 40s of the 19th century, additional provision stores, laboratories for separating gold from silver, a stamp forge, an administrative wing and workshops for medal processing and toolmaking were built. Construction of new buildings ended in 1844. In parallel with this, from 1810 to 1841, the territory of the mint was surrounded by a fence on the northern and western sides; on the eastern side, the fence was erected after 1917. After the revolution of 1917, the Chief Officer's House and the Major's House were annexed to the territory of the Mint.

The Mint minted coins not only for the Russian Empire and its successors, but also for foreign countries: Dutch ducats, Turkish piastres. Coins were also minted for other Russian mints. In addition to minting coins, medal work was also carried out at the Coin Factory. Also in the mid-18th century, a laboratory for the separation of precious metals was founded on the territory of the factory.

In August 1941, in connection with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War, the main part of the Mint's equipment was evacuated to Krasnokamsk and located in the premises of the Goznak paper mill. In connection with the blockade of Leningrad and the entry of many workers and employees of the Mint into the militia, only about forty qualified workers were sent to the newly created Krasnokamsk Mint, who put it into operation in October. The Krasnokamsk Mint, in terms of its production capacity, did not satisfy the increased need for orders and medals, and there were no opportunities for its expansion. Therefore, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR instructed the People's Commissariat of Finance of the USSR to create a Mint in Moscow, which was allocated production premises on the territory of the Moscow Printing Factory.

Currently, the St. Petersburg Mint, the oldest enterprise of the famous Russian association Goznak, is considered a leading manufacturer of awards, orders and medals, commemorative coins made of precious metals, badges, and memorial signs. Along with government orders, the company carries out work on orders from individuals and companies. Its products are distinguished by a high level of artistic design, impeccable quality of coinage, and invariably enjoy recognition and steady demand both in Russia and abroad.

Letter coin symbol - SPB, SPM, SPMD, SP, SM, L, LMD.

Guardhouse

Guardhouse. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The guardhouse was built in 1748-1749 and was a one-story building with an open gallery on the main facade; the building replaced the old dilapidated wooden guardhouse. The guardhouse was intended to contain officers and lower ranks who were under arrest. In 1908, the building was rebuilt, a second floor was added, and instead of an arcade, four columns placed in pairs were used. The restructuring was carried out according to the plan of Asmus V.F. (presumably).

From 1970 to the present, the building houses the directorate of the St. Petersburg State Museum of History.

Bot house

Botny house. Peter and Paul Fortress.

A copy of the boat of Peter I in the Boat House. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The boat house is made in the style of early classicism and baroque; the house is a shelter for the boat of Peter I. The house is located next to the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Construction and finishing work of the Botny House lasted from 1762 to 1766, according to the design of Vista A.F. The decorative decorations above the windows, cornices, the shapes and curves of the roof, the shapes of the platforms and pedestals under the statue on the roof, the combination of different styles during construction are an outstanding work of its time. The boat of Peter I was located on the territory of the house from 1767 to 1931; later it was moved to the Naval Museum, where it is now located. For the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy, a small copy of the boat on a scale of 1 to 10 was placed in the house. During the Great Patriotic War, the house was badly damaged and in the 1950s it was restored according to the surviving drawings.

Initially, there was a wooden statue on a pedestal on the roof of the house, but in 1826 it was replaced by a stone figure of Naiad, designed by sculptor N.A. Tokarev. In 1891, this statue was replaced by a terracotta statue of a woman with an oar by sculptor D.I. Jensen.

Engineering house

Engineering building. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The engineering house was built according to the design of N.I. Muravyov. in 1748-1749. Initially, the buildings of the building formed a quadrangular courtyard with two gates, but in 1886 the gates facing the main alley were built up and both buildings were brought under one roof.

At various points in time, the building housed a drawing workshop, an archive of files of the Engineering Department, and living quarters for employees of the Engineering Department. Nowadays, the building of the Engineering House houses exhibitions of the State Museum of History of St. Petersburg.

Cavalier of Anna Ioanovna

Cavalier of Anna Ioanovna. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Cavalier of Anna Ioanovna. Building plan. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Anna Ioanovna's Cavalier was originally an auxiliary structure inside the bastion for the purpose of additional protection of Kronverk with artillery fire, at the same time the Cavalier would be used to organize defense when the enemy penetrated into the territory of the fortress itself. The Cavalier was built in 1731 -1733 according to the design of Minich B.Kh. The cavalier was surrounded on three sides by a ditch, which was filled in in 1812. In 1795-1796, the cavalier was connected to the left flank of the Golovkin bastion, in order to raise the guns, using a two-span arched bridge. The Cavalier was rebuilt in 1836-1837, the decor of the facade was changed, which became decorated in the style of late classicism, the brick parapet was removed, and a pitched iron roof was built. In 1837, the Artillery Workshop was located in the Cavalier. Since 1961, it has been under the jurisdiction of the State Enterprise “St. Petersburg Mint”.

Treasury Department

Treasury. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Treasury building was built in 1837-1838 according to the design of I.I. Galberg with the purpose of housing the Main Treasury and storing finished products of the Mint, and also included the building of the Secret Chancellery and the Treasury of residual and staff amounts. Since 1862, the building housed the administration of the St. Petersburg Engineering and Artillery Districts. Since 1868, the building was adapted by the Mint for administrative and residential premises. In 1900, the buildings of the boiler room, laundry and garrison workshops, designed according to the design of Asmus V.F., were added to the building. Currently, the building is under the jurisdiction of the State Museum of History of St. Petersburg.

Carriage maker

Karetnik. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The carriage house was built in 1846 according to Batorsky’s design, the official name is “Service of the Commandant’s Department”, in everyday life it is simply “Karetnik”. The building was a one-story building in the style of late classicism, with a gateway located in the western part of the facade. The building included two carriage barns, a stable with six stalls, a covered courtyard with a manure pit and an icehouse. Geographically, the carriage house is located between the Commandant's House and the Naryshkin Bastion. Since 1994, the building has been under the jurisdiction of the State Museum of History of St. Petersburg.

Commandant's house

Commandant's house. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Commandant's house. Inner courtyard. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The commandant's house was built in 1743-1746 according to the design of H. de Marin. In 1747-1748, a separate U-shaped stone one-story service outbuilding was erected on the western side of the commandant's house. In 1750, the commandant's building and the outbuilding were combined, resulting in a rectangular courtyard. The facade of the commandant's house is decorated in the Baroque style. The building is located between the Naryshkin Bastion and the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Initially, on the site of this building there was a wooden commandant's house built in 1704. In 1874 and 1892, the service outbuildings were built with a second floor, on which the residential and front quarters of the garrison commandant were located, as well as the house church in the name of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the first floor and on the outbuilding territory there was a kitchen, laundry, servants' rooms, office, stable. In honor of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 2003, a glass roof was erected over the courtyard. In the 19th century, investigations and trials in the case of the Decembrists, Petrashevites, and Narodniks took place in the commandant’s apartment. On October 25-26, 1917, the field headquarters of the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee operated in the building. Currently, the Commandant's House houses a permanent exhibition of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg on the history of the city.

Kronverk

Plan of the crownwork and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Construction of the crownwork began in 1705. Kronverk was a fortified polygon with earthen ramparts in front of it, separated from the Peter and Paul Fortress by a moat with water, now called the Kronver Canal. The crownwork was used to protect the fortress from land; to monitor the approaches to the fortress, trees were cut down to create an open space. Kronverk of the Peter and Paul Fortress

Entrance to the crownwork. Peter and Paul Fortress.

In the middle of the 18th century, the crownwork was rebuilt anew on a stone foundation. The remaining wooden fortifications were converted into half-bastions and bastions, and work was also carried out to expand and strengthen the canal. In the 60s of the 19th century, the stone building of the Arsenal was built on the construction site according to the design of P.I. Tomansky, on the territory of the Alexander Park, which was laid out shortly before. The building was made in the forms of medieval architecture, with brick-lined walls and Gothic motifs in the interior decoration. Banners, medals, orders, standards and weapons were stored in the building.

Inner courtyard of the crownwork. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Since 1872, the Arsenal was repurposed into the Artillery Museum, which included in its exhibitions everything that was in the Arsenal's warehouses. Halls and galleries are used to display exhibits. During the Great Patriotic War, the museum building was used to repair tank equipment. After the end of the war, the building was reconstructed and the number of exhibits increased. The reconstruction work was led by architects K. D. Khalturina, I. N. Benois, and D. I. Smetannikova. Since the 60s, the Artillery Museum has been merged with the Central Historical Military Engineering Museum, and a new department on the history of the Signal Corps was opened.

Currently, the museum is called the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps; it houses more than 200 thousand exhibits from different military eras of Russia. Exhibits and displays are located both inside the building and in the courtyard: self-propelled guns, tanks, armored vehicles.

Trubetskoy Bastion Prison

Courtyard of the Trubetskoy Bastion Prison. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Plan of the Trubetskoy Bastion Prison. Peter and Paul Fortress. 1-27, 29-35 - cells, 28 - punishment cell, I - guard room, II - reception room, III - prison kitchen, IV - security service room, V, VI - storage rooms, VII - prison bathhouse, VIII - courtyard, place for prisoners to walk.

The Trubetskoy Bastion prison was built in 1870-1872 according to the design of K.P. Andreev. and Pasypkina M.A. The building is a two-story pentagonal building, erected on the site of the demolished internal walls of the Trubetskoy Bastion. The prison was intended for political prisoners. Initially, the building housed 73 solitary cells, but in 1878 their number was reduced to 69. Political prisoners held in this prison were completely isolated both from the outside world and from the rest of the prisoners, a ban was imposed on books, dates, smoking, correspondence. Such difficult conditions of detention of prisoners sometimes led to mental illness. The prison was guarded by the only Observation Team in the country, to which a team of gendarmes was later added.

In 1872-1917, more than one and a half thousand people were prisoners of the prison. In the 1870-1880s, the populist revolutionaries P. A. Kropotkin, G. A. Lopatin, V. N. Figner, A. I. Zhelyabov, N. A. Morozov, A. I. Ulyanov, M. F. Vetrova and many others, in the 1890s - 1900s - Socialist Revolutionaries B.V. Savinkov, E.K. Breshko-Breshkovskaya, S.V. Balmashev, V.M. Chernov, members of the Union of Struggle for Liberation working class and RSDLP (N. E. Bauman, A. S. Shapovalov, P. N. Lepeshinsky, M. A. Olminsky), Konoplyannikova, Zinaida Vasilievna; during the revolution of 1905-1907 - the writer M. Gorky and other members of the deputation who protested against the shooting of the demonstration on January 9, 1905; members of the St. Petersburg Council of Workers' Deputies L. D. Trotsky, A. L. Parvus.

In 1879, there was a riot on the prison grounds due to the refusal to supply tobacco to one of the prisoners. The prisoners made demands to improve their lives; the demands were not met by the prison administration, and the prisoners were beaten by soldiers. After this, the prisoners went on a hunger strike that lasted several days, as a result of which their demands were partially satisfied.

During the February Revolution of 1917, former ministers, heads of the political police and other persons were imprisoned in the Trubetskoy Bastion prison, the investigation of whose cases was conducted by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the Provisional Government. During the October Revolution of 1917, members of the Provisional Government were imprisoned, then participants in the cadets' speech on October 29. In November 1917, the leaders of the banned cadet party P. D. Dolgorukov, A. I. Shingarev and F. F. Kokoshkin became prisoners of the prison. The prison cells were turned into general ones, solitary confinement was applied only to individual prisoners.

The prison was officially closed in March 1918. But the prison functioned until 1921. In 1919, four Grand Dukes were in custody: Nikolai Mikhailovich, Georgiy Mikhailovich, Dmitry Konstantinovich and Pavel Alexandrovich, who were later shot.

The prison became a museum in 1924.

Gates

Vasilyevsky Gate

Vasilievsky Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Vasilievsky Gate was first mentioned in 1729; the gate received its name because it is located on the Vasilievskaya curtain, directed towards Vasilievsky Island. In 1792-1794, according to the project of De Rancourt F.O. The western façade of the gate was complemented by a classicist portico, a portico with two pairs of pilasters of the Tuscan order and a triangular front with the monogram of Catherine II, the brickwork of the gate was plastered, and the cornice, belts and bases of the pilasters, the keystone and the plinth were made of limestone. The archivolt was decorated with a keystone. As a result of the work, the width of the gate arch remained the same, but its height increased. The portico was dismantled in 1872-1874 as a result of work to expand the gates and was restored only in 1952-1953 according to the design of A.A. Kedrinsky. In the mid-19th century, the “treasury of the coin office” was kept above the Vasilyevsky Gate.

John's Gate

John's Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

John's Gate was built in 1739-1740. according to the project of Minikh B.Kh. supervised the work by De Marin H.. The inscription “1740” is placed on the gate, indicating the date of completion of the construction of the stone fortress - these gates were the last object of reconstruction of the Peter and Paul Fortress in stone. The tympanum of the gate contains a cartouche, which is crowned with the Russian imperial crown and surrounded by military attributes - banners, halberds, drums. When designing the eastern facade of the Ioannovsky Gate, the experience of decorative processing of the lower tier of the Petrovsky Gate was used. Somewhat later, a similar composition was used in the construction of the Neva Gate. The restoration of the gate was carried out in the 1960s under the leadership of Benoit I.N. and Rotacha A.L.

Kronverk Gate

Kronverk Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Until the 1730s, the Kronverk Gate was called the First Kronerk Gate. The gate was erected during the construction of the Kronverk curtain of the fortress. In 1791-1792, the gate was redone and increased in width and height by the artel of the peasant Stepanov Ya. In 1826, a major repair was carried out over the gate. In 1829, the northern arch of the gate was designed in the form of an archivolt. In 1836, a wooden bridge was erected next to the gate, connecting the Peter and Paul Fortress with the crown glacis.

Neva Gate

Neva Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Neva Gate was built in wood in 1714-1716, and a wooden pier was built along with the gate. In the early 1720s, the gate was rebuilt in stone under the direction of D. Trezzini. In 1731-1732, another rebuilding was carried out. This project has been preserved in the modern appearance of the gate on the side facing the Peter and Paul Cathedral: a four-meter arch with a keystone flanked by pilasters and topped with a triangular pediment. The pediment is decorated with a relief composition depicting a shield, banner and military armor. In 1746, another reconstruction of the gate was carried out and it was faced with Pudost stone. In 1762-1767, a project for a new granite pier to replace the wooden one was developed by N. Muravyov and D. Smolyaninov. This project was implemented in 1777, under the leadership of R.T. Tomilov. a ceremonial three-arched granite pier with parapets, ice cutters and a platform with three staircases leading to the water was built. In 1780, the architect N. Lvov completed a new design for the gate, which was built in 1784-1787 and has survived to this day. The height of the new gate was 12 m, width - 12.2 m. They are placed on a plinth one meter high. To the right and left of the arch are twin columns of the Tuscan order with diamond rustication, supporting a triangular pediment. The base, columns and pediment are made of polished silver-white Serdobol granite. The pediment is decorated with a relief image of an anchor with crossed palm branches and a fluttering ribbon (unknown sculptor based on a drawing by Lvov, alabaster). At the edges of the pediment there are two bombs with flames. The gate is located in the southern part of the wall and creates a unique panorama of the Neva and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Prisoners were taken out through the Neva Gate for execution or life imprisonment in Shlisselburg.

The Neva Gate was a silent witness to the terrible pages of Russian history. Through them, prisoners were taken out of the fortress to be sent to execution or life imprisonment in Shlisselburg.

Nikolsky Gate

Nikolsky Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Nikolsky Gate was built in 1729 according to the design of the architects Minich B.H. and Trezzini D. The gate served as the main entrance to the fortress from the north-west. Initially, the gate was called the Second Kronverk Gate. In 1792-1793, according to the design of the architect De Rancroix F.O. On both sides of the gate, four-column porticoes were installed: the southern portico at the end had a stepped attic with decorative bombs along its edges, the northern portico was crowned with a triangular pediment. In 1874, the gate was rebuilt and expanded, according to the design of A.A. Carboniere. After all the work, the height of the gate became 5.25 m, width 6.3 m. In 1966, the gate was overhauled according to the design of Benois I.N.

Petrovsky Gate

Peter's Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Peter's Gate, made of wood, was built in 1708 and was rebuilt in stone according to the design of Trezzini D. in 1716-1717. The gate arch is topped with an attic with a semicircular arched pediment, decorated with a wooden carved panel “The Overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter” by sculptor Kondrat Osner. Regarding the panel, there are two versions: according to one of them, the panel was moved from the wooden gate, according to the second version, the panel was made specifically for the stone gate. The panel symbolizes the victory of Russia in the Northern War. On the pediment of the attic there is a high relief depicting the God of Hosts blessing the God of Hosts. The niches contain statues created by the French sculptor N. Pinault: in the left niche of the gate there is a statue of Athena in the image of Polyada, the patroness of the city. She is wearing long clothes - peplos. In her hand is a snake - a symbol of wisdom. In the right niche there is a statue of Athena in the image of Pallas, a victorious warrior. In 1720, a Russian coat of arms was installed above the arch in the form of a double-headed eagle, cast from lead by master Vassu F. In 1723, the artist A. Zakharov and the gilder I. Uvarov painted the eagle black and the crowns, scepter, orb and some parts of the shield were gilded. The sculptural group of the gate included seven more statues, but these statues have not survived to this day. During the Great Patriotic War, the gates were damaged and their reconstruction took place only in 1951 under the leadership of architects A.A. Kedrinsky and A.L. Rotach

Bastions

The bastions are located clockwise according to the time they were laid.

Sovereign Bastion

Sovereign Bastion. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Sovereign's Bastion from the inside. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Sovereign's bastion was founded on May 16, 1703 on Hare Island. Peter I personally supervised the construction process, which is why the bastion got its name. The work was supervised by V.A. Kirshtenstein. according to the project of Lambert J.G. (presumably) with the personal participation of Peter I. The Sovereign bastion is one of two bastions located on the eastern side of the Peter and Paul Fortress, facing the Neva. The Sovereign's Bastion is connected by the Neva Curtain with the Naryshkin Bastion and the Petrovskaya Curtain with Menshikov. On the eastern side, the bastion is covered by the Ioannovsky ravelin. In October 1703, after the construction of the earthen ramparts was completed, the fortress Keizer flag was raised on the bastion. In 1704, the first lighthouse in the city was lit. In 1717-1732, according to the design of Trezzini D. and Burchard Christoph von Minich, the bastion was rebuilt in stone. Inside the bastion there were two-tiered combat casemates, which were converted into single-tiered ones in the mid-19th century. Under the bastions there was a terna. In 1752, a ramp was added to the bastion. In 1782-1784, the Nevsky facade of the Sovereign Bastion was lined with granite blocks. From 1726 to 1766, the boat of Peter I was kept on the territory of the Sovereign Bastion. In the 1920s, these premises were occupied by the services of the Leningrad Military District. During the Great Patriotic War, direction finders were installed on the bastion to detect enemy aircraft approaching the city. In 1954, the Sovereign Bastion became part of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. In 1999-2003, the turn and the walkway “for the passage of sentries” from the Gosudarev Spit to the Naryshkin Bastion were recreated. On May 27, 2003, a memorial sign “Tercentenary of St. Petersburg” was unveiled on the Sovereign Bastion.

Naryshkin Bastion

View of the Naryshkin Bastion and the Neva Gate. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Naryshkin Bastion. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Naryshkin Bastion was built in 1725-1728 under the leadership of D. Trezzini and B. Minich. K.A. Naryshkin supervised the construction process, which is why the bastion got its name (as in the case of the Sovereign Bastion). In the side (for frontal fire) and front walls there were two-tier casemates, which were rebuilt into single-tier ones in the mid-19th century. From that moment on, they were adapted for production and used as warehouses for the Mint. In 1780, the Nevsky facade was lined with granite blocks. In 1731, the Flag Tower was installed on the Naryshkin Bastion, on which the flag was raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset. This tradition was interrupted during the USSR, but was resumed in the 1990s, however, now the flag is constantly on the mast. Every day at noon a cannon shot is fired from the Naryshkin Bastion. Currently, the Naryshkin Bastion is part of the St. Petersburg State Museum of History.

Trubetskoy Bastion

Trubetskoy Bastion. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Trubetskoy bastion in a tree was erected in 1703 under the leadership of engineer V. A. Kirshtenstein according to the design of Lambert de Guerin (presumably) with the personal participation of Peter I. Prince Trubetskoy Yu. Yu. supervised the construction, thanks to which the bastion received its name (as and in the case of the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions). On May 13, 1708, Peter I himself was present at the laying of the stone Trubetskoy bastion. The construction of the stone bastion was carried out according to the design of Trezzini D. and was completed in 1709. The Trubetskoy bastion became the first bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the left front and flanks, two-tier casemates and a postern were built - a tunnel for safe communication between the casemates. The right front of the bastion was continued with an orillion - a ledge protecting its right flank, and under the cover of the orillion there was a sortia - a secret exit for landing attacks. In 1711, the Keizer flag and the standard on holidays were moved to the Trubetskoy Bastion from the Sovereign Bastion (they rose above the bastion until 1732). The first prison quarters of the Peter and Paul Fortress were organized on the territory of the Trubetskoy Bastion. Since 1724, the Mint has been located in the bastion. It was originally equipped with a signal cannon for the midday shot. In 1779-1785, according to the project of Tomilov R.R. and under the leadership of F.V. Bauer, the outer walls were lined with granite slabs. In 1869-1870, the Valgang wall in the Trubetskoy Bastion was dismantled, and a two-story pentagonal prison building was erected in the vacant space.

Zotov Bastion

Zotov Bastion. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Zotov Bastion on Google maps. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Zotov bastion in the tree was built in 1703. And in 1707-1709, the right part of the Zotovo Bastion was rebuilt in stone. The rest of the bastion was rebuilt in stone in 1727 - 1729, the work was supervised by D. Trezzini and B.H. Minich. In 1752, a ramp was added to the Zotovy Bastion for raising guns and ammunition; the ramp was designed by V. Sipyatin. In 1832-1834, the walls of the bastion were re-faced according to the design of Opperman I. As in the case of other bastions, two-story casemates in 1840-1860 were rebuilt into one-story ones. In the 18th century, the casemates of the Zotov Bastion were used as prison premises. In addition, it housed the services of the Garrison and Secret Chancelleries, the workshops and forge of the fortress Engineering team, the archive of the Main Treasury, the archive of the Provision Expedition, and then an artillery warehouse.

Golovkin Bastion

Golovkin Bastion on Google maps. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Golovkin bastion was built in wood in 1703, the bastion was rebuilt in stone in two stages in 1707-1709 (the right part of the bastion) and 1730-1731 (the left part of the bastion). Like the other bastions of the fortress, it is, in plan, , a pentagonal structure with two front walls - fronts and two side - flanks, designed for conducting frontal and flanking fire. The bastion received its name, like the rest of the listed bastions, after the associate of Peter I, who controlled the construction of the bastion - G.I. Golovkin. After the final restructuring under the leadership of Minikh B.Kh, during the time of Anna Ioannovna, the bastion was renamed the Anna Ioannovna Bastion (the original name was returned to it by the Bolsheviks). Three powder magazines were located in the fronts of the Golovkin bastion. In the flanks there were two-tier defensive casemates, which in the 19th century were rebuilt into single-tier ones (as in the other bastions), at the same time the walls were faced with new brick. In 1752, according to Sipyatin's design, a ramp was added to the bastion. In the left Orleon there was a sortie - access to the Kronver Strait. As in many bastions, there were cells for holding prisoners. Camoras (cells) in the fronts and under the ramp at the end of the 18th century - the first half of the 19th century served as solitary cells for holding prisoners. A cavalier was built in the gorge of the bastion in 1731-1733. Since 1920, the Golovkin Bastion, like the other bastions, was under the jurisdiction of the NKVD. Currently, the Mint services are located in the bastion.

Menshikov Bastion

Menshikov Bastion. Peter and Paul Fortress. Photo from the 1970s

The Menshikov Bastion was founded on May 16, 1703 and became the second bastion founded in the Peter and Paul Fortress and is one of two bastions on the eastern side. The bastion received its name, like other bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress, after the associate of Peter I, who controlled the construction process. The first St. Petersburg pharmacy was located on the territory of the Menshikov Bastion. On May 30, 1706, the reconstruction of the entire fortress in stone began, and already in 1706-1708 the left side of the Menshikov Bastion was rebuilt. The final reconstruction of the bastion in stone ended in 1729, when the bastion already bore the name of Peter II (the bastion was renamed back by the Bolsheviks after 1917 (the exact date is not known, but in 1920 all bastions already had their initial names)). In 1828, the walls of the bastions were lined with new brick, in 1837-1860 the two-tier casemates were rebuilt into single-tier ones (which was done with all the bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress) at the same time, iron roofs were made. At various times, the bastion housed the services of the Secret Chancellery, the Mint (left flank) and the workshops and forge of the fortress engineering team; in the 19th century, the premises were adapted to accommodate the Complete Battalion and the lower ranks of the artillery depot team, as well as to house the 2nd company of St. -Petersburg artillery garrison. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bastion also housed the kitchen and dining room of the commandant's clerks.

Ravelins

Alekseevsky ravelin

Botardo of the Alekseevsky ravelin. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Alekseevsky ravelin. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Alekseevsky Ravelin was considered the most important prison of the Russian Empire, the heart of the Peter and Paul Fortress - the “Russian Bastille”. The Alekseevsky ravelin was built in 1733-1740 according to the design of B. X. Minich. The ravelin was intended to cover the Vasilievskaya curtain and the gate located there. Alekseevsky ravelin got its name in honor of Peter the Great's father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The Alekseevsky ravelin was separated from the main part of the fortress by a moat filled with water, filled in at the end of the 19th century. Window and door openings were only in the ravelin walls. In 1787, the counter-guard of the Alekseevsky ravelin, facing the Neva, was lined with granite slabs. Almost from the very beginning, the ravelin was used to house political prisoners. The first wooden building for prisoners was built in Ravelin in 1769. In 1797, the wooden prison was destroyed and in its place, according to the design of Paton P. Yu., the “Secret House of the Alekseevsky Ravelin” was erected, a secret prison for the Russian emperors. The prisoners who ended up there were viewed primarily as personal enemies of the Russian Tsar. A court verdict was not required for imprisonment in the Alekseevsky Ravelin. To be placed in a fortress or to be released from it, just one royal word was enough. Prisoners were always brought to the ravelin at night. Once in the secret house, the prisoner lost his first and last name. All his connections with the outside world were cut off. Meetings and correspondence with prisoners were allowed only with special royal permission. Alekseevsky ravelin served as a prison until 1893, at which time the fortifications of the ravelin were dismantled to accommodate the buildings of the archives of the War Ministry. In the 1730s, along the coastline, the main shaft designed by Minich B.Kh. was connected to the ravelins by a system of botardos, which served as dams to maintain the required water level in the ditches and canal of the fortress and prevent the penetration of enemy ships from outside. The walls of the botardo (the above-water part of the lintel) were originally made of cut slab stone; the underwater part of each dam consisted of two semicircular water gates. In 1787, round turrets on the two southern botards were lined with granite, and the wooden palisades of the botard were replaced with cast iron. The botardo turrets on the north side were covered with a flank slab in 1794. In 1862-1865, the wooden palisades of the botards were replaced with cast iron ones.

Ioannovsky ravelin

Botardo of Ioannovsky ravelin. Peter and Paul Fortress.

Ioannovsky Gate and Ioannovsky Ravelin (from the outside). Peter and Paul Fortress.

Ioannovsky Ravelin was built in 1704 in wood, but initially the ravelin did not have its own name and was nameless; it received its name in 1740, when it was rebuilt in stone (perestroika began in 1731). The ravelin was named in honor of the brother of Peter I - Ivan Alekseevich. Ravelin was separated from the fortress by a moat with water, which was filled in at the end of the 19th century (like the moat of the Alekseevsky ravelin). There were window and door openings only in the ravelin walls. In 1787, the counter-guard of the ravelin, facing the Neva, was lined with granite. In 1829, the walls of the rest of the ravelin were faced with new brick. In 1894, on the left side of the ravelin, a one-story building was built for the emergency reserve of the Izhora reserve battalion; this building was rebuilt for the Gas Dynamics Laboratory in 1932-1933. In 1908-1909, a separate house was erected on the right side for apartments for the commander and senior officers of the machine gun company of the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment; this house was converted into the Austeria restaurant in the 1960s. Currently, the Ioannovsky Ravelin houses the Museum's ticket office, as well as the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Science.

Curtains

Vasilievskaya curtain

Vasilyevskaya Curtain. Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Vasilievskaya Curtain received its name due to the fact that it faces Vasilievsky Island. The Vasilievskaya Curtain was built in wood in 1703 and already in 1709-1710 it was rebuilt in stone under the leadership of D. Trezzini. In 1834, the walls of the curtain were re-faced with new brick. In the second half of the 19th century, the curtain wall was rebuilt and became one-story. In 1870-1872, several of the outer casemates of the curtain were dismantled, this is due to the fact that the construction of the Trubetskoy Bastion Prison was underway and free space was needed. On the left side of the curtain there were premises given to the Mint; in the 18th century, on the right side of the premises they were given over to the services of the commandant's department; in the 19th century, on the right side there were archives of the State Treasury, the Commandant's Department and the Audit Department of the Ministry of War, together with the archives of the artillery department. At this time, the premises of the curtain are given to the Mint and the workshops of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg are also located there.

Catherine's Curtain

The Peter and Paul Fortress is one of the oldest military engineering structures in St. Petersburg. With its construction, in fact, the birth of the city began. It is listed as a branch of the history museum and is located on the banks of the Neva, on Hare Island. Its construction began in 1703 at the suggestion of Peter I and was carried out under the leadership of Prince Alexander Menshikov.

History of the Peter and Paul Fortress

This fortification “grew up” to protect Russian lands from the Swedes in the Northern War, which took place in the 8th century and lasted 21 years. Even before the end of the 19th century, numerous buildings were erected here: a church, in which a tomb was later built, bastions, curtains, etc. At one time, real weapons were located here. The height of the walls is 12 m and the thickness is about 3 m.

In 1706, there was a serious flood in St. Petersburg, and since most of the fortifications were wooden, they were simply washed away. The authors of the project had to restore everything again, but using stone. These works were completed only after the death of Peter I.

In 1870-1872 The Peter and Paul Fortress was converted into a prison in which numerous prisoners were serving their sentences, among whom were the heir to the Russian throne, Tsarevich Alexei, Bestuzhev, Radishchev, Tyutchev, General Fonvizin, Shchedrin and others. In 1925, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which appeared in place of the old wooden church of St. Peter and Paul, received the status of a museum. Despite this, services were resumed only in 1999.

Brief description of the objects of the museum complex

Its name speaks for itself - it used to house the chambers of officials of the fortress Engineering Department and a drawing workshop. This small house consists of only one floor and is painted orange, so it can be seen from afar. Inside there is an exhibition hall with an ancient exhibition.

It received its name in honor of the fact that in one of the halls the boot of Peter I is kept. It was built in the Baroque and Classicism styles with a roof in the shape of a semi-arch, which is crowned with a female statue created by the architect and sculptor David Jensen. There is also a souvenir shop where you can buy magnets, plates and other things with the image of the fortress.

There is an interesting exhibition “History of St. Petersburg”, within which you can find ancient dresses worn on mannequins, photographs of the city, paintings, various sculptures and interior items from the 18th-19th centuries.

Bastions. There are 5 of them in total, the youngest of them is Gosudarev. In 1728, the Naryshkin Bastion was opened on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress, where to this day there is a cannon, from which, without missing a day, one shot is fired at midnight. The remaining bastions - Menshikov, Golovkin, Zotov and Trubetskoy - at one time were a prison for imprisoning prisoners, a kitchen for clerks of the commandant's department and a barracks. Some of them are faced with brick, while others are faced with tiles.

Curtains. The most famous of them is Nevskaya, built according to the design of Domenico Trezzini. Here, two-story casemates from the times of tsarist rule have been recreated with high precision. The Nevsky Gate adjoins it. The complex also includes Vasilyevskaya, Ekaterininskaya, Nikolskaya and Petrovskaya curtains. Once upon a time, combined battalions were located here, and now numerous exhibitions are held.

– coins were minted here for Russia, Turkey, the Netherlands and other countries. Today this building houses a factory for the production of various medals, awards and orders.

– this is where members of the royal family rest – Alexander II and his wife, the princess of the House of Hesse and the Russian Empress, Maria Alexandrovna. Of particular interest is the iconostasis, designed in the form of a festive arch. In the center of it there are gates with sculptures of the great apostles. They say that the height of the spire is as much as 122 m. In 1998, the remains of members of the family of Nicholas II and the emperor himself were transferred to the tomb. This ensemble is completed by a bell tower; the largest collection of bells in the world is stored here. They are located in a tower decorated with gilding, a large clock and a sculpture of an angel.

Gates. The most famous of them, Nevsky, meet guests between Naryshkin and the Sovereign Bastion and were built in the style of classicism. They are interesting for their massive light columns, imitating Roman ones. Once upon a time, unfortunate prisoners were sent to execution through them. There are also Vasilyevsky, Kronverksky, Nikolsky and Petrovsky gates.

Ravelins. In the Alekseevsky ravelin, during the tsarist regime, there was a dungeon where political prisoners were imprisoned. In Ioannovsky there is a museum of cosmonautics and rocket technology named after V.P. Glushko and its ticket office.

In one of the courtyards of the Peter and Paul Fortress towers monument to Peter I on a pedestal, surrounded by a fence.

Secrets and myths of this mystical place

The most famous secret of the Peter and Paul Fortress is that at midnight the ghost of the deceased Peter I fires a shot from one of the bastions. They also say that all the graves in the tomb are empty. There is another ominous rumor that once upon a time a certain ghost liked to wander the corridors of the fortress. Presumably, it was a digger who died during the construction of this structure. It is known that he fell from a great height directly into the strait. The mysterious figure stopped appearing only after one of the eyewitnesses crossed the ghost and waved it away with the Bible.

The superstitious will also be interested to know that there have been cases of toothache subsiding when touching the tombstone of Paul I, which is considered sacred. The last, and most unusual, legend says that completely different people are buried in the graves of Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and members of his family.

• Opening hours: every day, except the 3rd day of the week, from 11.00 to 18.00. Entrance to the territory is possible all week from 9 am to 20 pm.
• Location address: St. Petersburg, Hare Island, Peter and Paul Fortress, 3.
• Transport – near the Peter and Paul Fortress there are buses No. 183, 76 and No. 223, tram No. 6 and No. 40. The station is nearby. metro station "Gorkovskaya".
• You can get behind the walls of the fortress for free, but to enter the Peter and Paul Cathedral, adults will need to pay 350 rubles, and students and schoolchildren - 150 rubles. less. There is a 40% discount for pensioners. A ticket to the remaining buildings costs approximately 150 rubles. for adults, 90 rub. – for students and students and 100 rubles. - for pensioners. The cheapest option would be to climb the bell tower.

No matter how beautiful and interesting the photos of the Peter and Paul Fortress are on the Internet, it will be much more interesting to look at it live during a tour! It is not for nothing that this building in St. Petersburg received the status of a museum, and every year receives thousands of enthusiastic visitors.

 

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