Ravelin is ... Famous Russian ravelins

Ravelin is one of the elements of the so-called bastion system of fortifications that arose in the era of the New Time (XVII-XIX century). What is ravelin? What is the meaning of this term? And what function does it perform in fortifications?

Elements of the bastion system of fortifications

With the rapid development of artillery in the XVI century, the appearance and constant improvement of bastion systems of fortifications is associated. Medieval fortifications and castles could no longer fully confront new weapons. The walls of the fortresses simply could not withstand their powerful shelling. Thus, the walls began to be built lower, paying the main attention to their thickness. High towers were soon replaced by bastions, which eventually became larger and more thoughtful in terms of shape.

There are several elements (types) of the bastion system of fortifications. It:

• Bastions;
• Curtains;
• Ravelins;
• Reduites;
• Citadel.

What is ravelin? And what role does he play in fortification? This will be discussed in more detail later.

Ravelin is ...

This term has a Latin (ravelere) or Italian (ravellino) origin. The meaning of the word "ravelin" (the stress is correctly placed on the last syllable) - "separate" or "cut off". That's how it can be translated from Latin.

Ravelin is, above all, an architectural term that is widely used in military affairs. This is an additional fortification, located between two adjacent bastions and in front of the fortress's moat. In plan, it has, as a rule, the shape of a triangle.

More often than not, Ravelin has the appearance of a powerful stone perimeter with casemates for placing shooters and artillery pieces. Moreover, the height of this perimeter should be 1-1.5 meters below the walls of the main fortress. In fortification ravelins are called upon to perform several important functions. They:

• Cover the central fortress walls from direct artillery fire;
• Deterring attacks by enemy troops;
• Used to concentrate the warriors before the counterattacks.

Ravelins were widely used in Europe for almost four centuries (from the XVI to the XIX). Many of them have survived to our days, in particular, and in the territory of Russia.

Famous Russian ravelins

Perhaps the most striking examples of ravelins on the territory of modern Russia were built in St. Petersburg - Alekseevsky and Ioannovsky. They were named after the next of kin of Peter the Great: respectively, in honor of the father and in honor of the brother of the sovereign. One of them (Ioannovsky) can be inspected within the Peter and Paul Fortress today.

Alekseevsky Ravelin at the end of the XIX century, alas, was destroyed. It is curious that he performed the functions of not only a defensive structure, but also a fortress prison. It included many Decembrists and opponents of the tsarist regime. The prison in Alekseevsky ravelin lasted until 1884.

Another well-known ravelin is in Sevastopol. This powerful fortification was built in 1840 to protect the city bay from attacks by enemy ships from the sea. The so-called Constantine battery of Sevastopol played its important role twice in history: during the Crimean (1854-1855) and World War II.

Conclusion

Ravelin is an auxiliary construction of a defensive fort that has been widely used since the middle of the 17th century. The main tasks for this facility are two: to deter enemy attacks and defend the walls of the fortress from the fire of enemy artillery.