Pillau Citadel

In the 17th century , as a result of the Prussian- Swedish war, the settlement was occupied by the Swedish army. On July 6, 1626, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden landed at Pillau from the sea and entered the city. The city was captured in three hours.

The Swedes laid one of the main attractions of the city - a star-shaped pentagonal fortress (citadel, fort), preserved to this day.

Built in the XVII century by order of the Swedish king Gustav-Adolf II . The construction began in 1626. This date is often considered the founding date of Pillau.

In 1635 , after the conclusion of a truce with Prussia, this fort (then still unfinished) was redeemed by the inhabitants of the city for 10 thousand thalers , and a year later Brandenburg troops entered Pillau. After the Swedes handed over the unfinished fort to the Prussian authorities, the construction of the fort began at a rapid pace. It was completely built by 1670, but the modernization was carried out for another three centuries.

The fort is a pentagon with sides of 80 meters, where there is a bastion in every corner, each of which has its own name: Albrecht, Prussia, König, Königen, Kronprinz. A wide ditch is dug around the fortress, along which from the outside there are five ravelins : Ludwig, Storhnes, Falvinkel, Kronwerk and Schinken-Shanz. The fortress has always performed military functions. Also located here weapons arsenal.

In Soviet times, the citadel was closed to civilians, but in 1999 a branch of the Baltic Fleet Museum was opened here.

Fort Pillau.

source: Dr. Webca’s book translated by L. V. Goryunova, E. V. Nagimova and edited by Vyacheslav Kalinichev.

Construction of the fort began in 1632 by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf. She was almost the right five-ray shape. Construction was led by a construction engineer from Holland, Mathias Wentz. After the truce in Stumsdorf (1635), according to which the Swedes were to leave the territory of East Prussia, Kurfürst Georg Wilhelm bought an unfinished fortress from the Swedes for 10,000 thalers. To pay this debt, all the householders of Pillau were taxed - 3 guilders per year. In the winter of 1637/38, the fort garrison created a critical situation with the provision of food for the soldiers.

It came to the point that the soldiers decided to independently seize a foreign ship and thereby somehow ease their fate. Then Kurfyurst Georg Wilhelm ordered the garrison content and set the tax amount - 2 marks, and from the peasants 1/2 shaffel of grain. On the map of the fortress of 1638 you can see the house of the governor, church, stables and residential barracks. By 1647, the ravelins Faulvinkel and Kronverk were completed and enclosed with stone walls, the other three ravelins were fortified with earth mounds. The artillery of this time consisted of 45 different guns and 3 mortars. In 1658, construction began on radelina "Ludwig". In 1670 the construction of the fortress was completely completed. The necessary material for stone fortifications was partially taken either at Balga Fortress or bought from the Swedes. From 1701, quarries were founded around Balgi and Lochstedt Castle.

Since after cutting down all coastal landings in 1657,

obstructed the observation of the approach of enemy ships from the sea, the city was constantly threatened by flying sands from 1670 began to intensively plant trees and shrubs. By the beginning of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), part of the fortifications was completely covered with sand.

In 1770, King Frederick II ordered that the Pillau no longer be considered a fortress city. In 1777, the guns from the fortress were taken to Kolberg and Graudenz, and the artillery regiment was transferred to Königsberg. The houses in the courtyard of the fortress were either sold or leased. There are 100 soldiers left to guard the arrested. By 1790, about 500 civilians lived in the fortress buildings.

In 1788, one battalion returned to Pillau to carry out garrison service, and on May 30, 1789, King Frederick William II ordered the revival of the fortress and the preparation of appropriate documents on the cost of restoration work, although it would be more correct to call this restoration a new construction. In 1790, General of the Infantry, Vihard Joachim von Möllendorf, led the recovery work. He was replaced by Major Paul von Contzenbach (from Switzerland, he died in Pillau in 1799) from 179, who served as the Chief Brigadier of the Fortress of Prussia and Pomerania. After him, von Laurence continued in the same rank of work. At the same time, work was carried out to strengthen the dunes in order to stop their movement. By the beginning of the 20th century, the fort, although it was restored, was considerably obsolete militarily. Barracks were built within the walls of the fort. During the First World War, Fort Pillau was only fifth in importance. April 1, 1921 he was transferred to the navy.

The fort has five bastions: Ludwig (Albrecht), Prussia, König (king), Königin (queen), Kurprinz (Kronprinz) (crown prince) and five ravelins: Ludwig, Storhnest, Faulvinkel, Kronwerk, Shinkenschants. There were three gates in the fortress: Haupttor (main gate), Faulvinkeltor, Plantalentor.

In 1688, the Main Gate was renewed - three sculptures were installed there: the middle one - the god of war Mars and the sides of the electors Georg Wilhelm and Friedrich Wilhelm. In 1690, according to the project of architect Kirschkopf, an equestrian statue of the “Great Elector” was installed at the Main Gate, which, however, soon partially collapsed under the influence of wind and rain. In 1730, a viewing tower was completed above the Main Gate. The statue of Mars was moved to a new place - in Faulwinkeltor. Popular rumors believed that it was a sculpture of the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf, who was looking from here to his native Sweden. In 1707, a coyghouse was built to store weapons and property in the fortress according to a project by the main director of the East Prussia Construction Authority, Ludwig Schaltheiss Von Unfried (1678-1753), which stood for two centuries until 1916. In recent years, it was located in the city local history museum. Constructed in 1730, the main guardhouse and “Pawn house” for prisoners were demolished in 1888, and the provision store, built in 1731, collapsed in 1738. The governor’s house (1657) was demolished, and in 1739 it was built commandant's office.