Today we'll visit one of the rarely visited places which is situated not that far from Saint-Petersburg. It's Schlisselburg fortress, also known as "Oreshek ("Nut")" because it's located at Orekhovy(Nut) island in the place where Ladozhskoye lake (Ladoga) flows into Neva-river (if one may say so :)
An hour and a half by suburban train (to the station Petrokrepost), several minutes walking and here we are, standing on the lake shore. It's interesting that weather was miserable until this moment (cloudy and heavy raining), but all of a sudden clouds has moved given place for the sun and a blue sky.
Island itself is perfectly seen from the shore (fortress occupies the whole of it).
Such, frankly saying, heavy loaded boats are floating by :)
We'll be satisfied with the cutter though, which goes regularly from the shore to the island. The last one was going at 5 P.M. - lucky again.
In about ten minutes we moored to the island. Cutter floated further in order to come back to pick us in 15 minutes. This fact explains some superficiality of the album - no time to go inside and climb the wall.. Very likely, some day it will be done.
One of the towers (apparently, Royal one) and a weather-vane on its top.
It's interesting, what can the picture mean?
Gate tower with a weather-vane in the form of a key ("Schlisselburg" is "Key-town" in german)
There are several burial places with crosses in front of the wall.
That's how fortress looks from inside.
Destroyed building in the center is cathedral
Difficult to say what it is. Maybe - one of the prisons, destroyed in the war.
Gate tower again, foreshortened differently.
Fortress has a very interesting history.
It was built (originally) in 1323 by Alexander Nevsky grandson. After the fire 30 years later it was rebuilt in stone. In the end of XV century it was rebuilt almost entirely. There were 7 towers (3 remain).
Owing to its location, fortress prevented swedes coming into Ladoga, what apparently worried them allot - it was conquered in 1611 (including a large territory) on the forth attempt and was renamed into Noteburg.
In 1702 fortress was set free by russian forces with Peter the I as the head.
In 1798 prison was established in the fortress (decembrists were imprisoned here, as well as members of the "Narodnaya Volya"). Lenin's brother - A.I. Ulianov - was put to death here.
Museum had been situated in the fortress since 1917
During the Great Patriotic war garrison of the fortress did not allow germans to fulfill blockade circle. Monument was established, ruins of the cathedral in the center of the square are reserved knowingly, in the honor of this very feat.
Museum has been here again since 1966.
That's almost all, actually. Cutter is supposed to come soon, several behindhand visitors like us have already gathered at the pier..
Boat of ours is obviously battle-tried :-)
Petrokrepost station.
It's new but stylized a la older times.
Historical steam-engine is by it. I'm quoting a sign on its shaggy side :)
"In 1943 this steam-engine has delivered first train to the
Mainland"
I'm thinking of gradually finishing with summer. One more album, perhaps..
