The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. Besides the ancient fortifications, the fortress includes the Peter and Paul Cathedral, built in the early XVIII century.
Above the banks of the Neva delta stands the impregnable bastion of the Ss. Peter and Paul Fortress. Despite being designed in a warlike character, it has an architecturally oblique strength and elegance. It is one of St. Petersburg’s first buildings, and with its harmony and distinct form it presents a distinct form in the appearance of the city. However, the history of this wonderful architectural monument has not been peaceful or serene, and all the events that have taken place around it since its beginning are full of drama, mystique and riddles.
The fortress was founded on the 3rd. of May 1703 by the Emperor Peter the Great, with the purpose of guarding the banks of the Neva from invasion by the Swedes. The structure was put in place with great difficulty on a swamp, and many employed in the process died and were buried on the spot. The mighty citadel was erected on the bones of people, under Swedish gunfire. In 1706, construction of the fortress was begun in stone. Within the territory of the fortress were built the St.Peter and Paul cathedral, the Commandant’s House, the Engineer’s House, the Small Boathouse, the Coin House and other significant buildings.
But the historical aspects relate not only to war, for here was established a terrible Russian prison especially for political prisoners. Not one of its inmates managed to escape. It was here that the Emperor himself cruelly tortured to death his own son Alexei, fearfully ended in the casemate many naive and romantic dreamers, attempting to oppose the Emperor and Russia.
The fortress was founded on the 3rd. of May 1703 by the Emperor Peter the Great, with the purpose of guarding the banks of the Neva from invasion by the Swedes. The structure was put in place with great difficulty on a swamp, and many employed in the process died and were buried on the spot. The mighty citadel was erected on the bones of people, under Swedish gunfire. In 1706, construction of the fortress was begun in stone. Within the territory of the fortress were built the St.Peter and Paul cathedral, the Commandant’s House, the Engineer’s House, the Small Boathouse, the Coin House and other significant buildings.
But the historical aspects relate not only to war, for here was established a terrible Russian prison especially for political prisoners. Not one of its inmates managed to escape. It was here that the Emperor himself cruelly tortured to death his own son Alexei, fearfully ended in the casemate many naive and romantic dreamers, attempting to oppose the Emperor and Russia.