Fortress Novodvinskaya: photo, how to get

In the north of our country there are no fortresses of bastion type, except for one building. It is partially preserved to the present day. This is the fortress of Novodvinsk. For those who do not believe in it, there are shooting maps of this area from the satellite. The construction on them can be considered. The stones of these ruins have seen many historical events, battles and glorious victories. To learn more about the fortress of Novodvinsk, you need to come on an excursion. How to get to the monument of history, what it is and what it looks like now - about this further.

General information

Novodvinsk fortress in the city of Arkhangelsk was erected under Peter I. It has long served as a pride of Russian soldiers. Foreign warriors were afraid before her. Here fierce battles were fought. In the photo you can see that today the building was partially preserved.

On the bank of the river Malaya Dvinka, Peter I ordered to build a fortress. It was the year 1700. This decision of the king was due to the fact that he understood perfectly well that there is only one city from which the Swedes can attack the Russian land. It is a large port city of Arkhangelsk.

Here, the first shipyard was built and the Admiralty was created. According to the sovereign, the Novodvinsk fortress was to be completely inaccessible. It was a strategic point of deterring the enemy.

The Novodvinsk fortress of the early 18th century, evidenced by research in the field of its history and archeology, could hold at that time more than 1,000 soldiers.

Construction of the bastion

Novodvinsk fortress, a photo of which is presented below, was designed and built by the architect G. Reza. He chose the best place for construction works about. Linsky Priluk. In the spring of 1701 the construction of a bastion was started.

The process progressed quickly. For a month, the foundation for construction was prepared. In June of the same year, the workers laid the foundation of the building. The Swedish troops tried to prevent it, made attempts to attack the port. But the Russian army pulled a large number of guns.

From Orletsy, for the erection of a bastion building on barges, a white stone was delivered from a tree. The local monasteries also helped in the process. In 1702, the tsar personally supervised the construction.

Almost all the works were completed by 1705. Then in the fortress there were walls, watchtowers. By the order of Peter, 108 guns were delivered to the fortress. And by 1711, all the defenses and fortifications had been finally completed. In 1731 the fortress was ranked among the defensive structures of Russia.

The uniqueness of the Novodvinsk fortress

In the future, the fortress fulfilled its purpose in full. This was the first structure of this type in the northern part of Russia. The Novodvinsk fortress (Arkhangelsk) corresponded in its characteristics to the Dutch style. Before it, there have never been such bastions in this part of the country.

Similar structures are found in such countries as Holland, America, as well as in the former colonies of these states. They have their own distinctive features. The same features are in the Arkhangelsk building.

The fortress is constructed in the form of a square. It has 4 bastions. This is the Flag, the Sea, the Grave and the Slingshot military buildings. It should also be noted that the length of the walls at that time was 300 m and the height 5 m. The thickness of the fortifications reached 2.5-3.5 m in different places. Each bastion was 120 m apart .

The structure of the bastion inside

Novodvinsk fortress of the XVIII century, whose history and archeology are of interest to researchers so far, had its own internal structure. Having reached the Novodvinsk fortress in Arkhangelsk, the traveler could get in through three gates: the Dvina, the Summer, the Ravelin. Earlier they were skilfully decorated.

If necessary, you could leave the fortress through underground passages. There were about 10 of them, but today there is very little of them left.

The military lived in the buildings on the territory constantly. The barracks were lined up near the Dvina and Summer Gates. There was a church in the bastion of Peter and Paul. It was consecrated during the construction in 1702. So according to all the norms and canons of that time, Novodvinskaya's fortress should have been called Petropavlovskaya. In honor of the church name. But the residents of the bastion dubbed it Novodvinskaya. After a while, the church itself began to be called the same way.

The outer side of the fortress

Outside the fortress a wide ditch was excavated. It was filled with water. Its width was at that time 28-30 meters. It was a good defense, which possessed the Novodvinsk fortress. How to get inside such a fortified structure? It's complicated. That is why the enemy was afraid of Russian soldiers inside these walls.

The height of countercrack and escarpent walls of the moat from the stone reached 3 m. They were also lined with plates of white limestone, which were fastened with metal staples. From the river the moat was separated by walls of more than 4 m in height. They were a continuation of the stone quay and were called batardo.

In the northern of them, there was a sluice through which water entered the moat. Behind this water fortification, a hidden path was set up, and a palisade was made. Here was located the shaft of the glacis.

Siege of the Novodvinsk fortress in the days of the Crimean War

In the years of the Crimean War (1854-1856) was the last siege of the Novodvinsk fortress. This was the last time it was used for its intended purpose. In January 1863 the bastion was deprived of its strategic status in connection with the disbandment of the military fleet in the city.

Novodvinsk fortress (Arkhangelsk) was given in 1864 to the diocese of the city. It was decided to organize a women's school. However, such a venture was soon abandoned. This decision was connected with the beginning of the construction of a railway between Vologda and Arkhangelsk. To equip the stations, a considerable amount of stone was required. In this regard, the clergy sold part of the fortress walls for construction needs.

Once a majestic fortress was turned into a banal building material.

The fate of the fortress

In 1898, the fortress walls were assessed. The Archangel governor banned the sale of the building in the form of building materials. So the monument of history survived, although it was severely destroyed by that time.

In the early 20th century a team of historians, archaeologists-restorers and researchers began to actively study the presented monument. In 1913, after their work, the fortress was included in the list of sights of Russia.

In the pre-war years, a children's colony was built here. It contained juvenile offenders. During the Second World War, production of water combat equipment was established here. The works were performed by former prisoners of the children's colony.

In 1990, a group of scientists began to work on the restoration of the ruins of a once glorious and fearsome fortress.

How to get to the Novodvinsk fortress?

In 19 km from the city there is Novodvinsk fortress (Arkhangelsk). How to get to the place where there are ruins now, guides know. First you need to get to the island of Brevnik. From Arkhangelsk, passengers are transported only by water. Depending on the place of the crossing, it will be necessary to pass from 5 to 12 km by land through small towns. From Brevnik to Linsky Priluk can be reached by a small bridge.

You can get here with an excursion. In this case, you have to wait until the group is typed. The approximate cost is about 1000 rubles. This price is explained by ferrying a ferry, which is quite expensive.

It is difficult to reach Novodvinsk fortress independently, but it is possible. By water transport, then by train or by bus (it is very rare). You can even try to walk. But the road is not close, so it will be quite tiring.

What does the fortress look like today?

The Novodvinsk fortress, tours of which are quite rare, today looks like picturesque ruins. Its walls are under the protection of the state. A small restoration work is carried out to ensure that the building does not collapse completely.

At the moment, only the Slingshot bastion and the front wall of the facade have been restored. There is an observation deck, knocked down from a tree. On it there are shields with plans of the battles held here.

Here now there is a commandant's house where the team of restorers lives. It is necessary to move cautiously along the shaft, since there is a possibility of collapse. Now here are still dilapidated buildings, like an officer's house, a powder cellar. Earlier at the moat was the burial of soldiers.

Restorers created a small open-air museum, which is a small table with instructions for important events for the life of the bastion.

Fortress Novodvinskaya is now a valuable historical monument. People from all over Russia come here. Of course, this is not a huge, luxurious palace, but it has its own uniqueness. After all, for 300 years the building has never been rebuilt. You can easily touch the history of past times in this ancient bastion.