Totleben (fort)

The construction of the fort began in 1896 during the reconstruction of the Kronstadt fortress. The reconstruction was based on the construction of two bulk islands to accommodate large artillery forts with concrete casemates and shell cellars. Forts received the names "A" and "B". Fort “A” was located on the shallows 4 kilometers west of Sestroretsk and 10 kilometers from the island of Kotlin . The depths ranged from 2 to 4 meters. Fort B was planned 7 kilometers southwest of Fort A and 4 kilometers from Kotlin Island. The depths reached 4-5 meters. The northern fairway going to the capital passed between the forts. Fort B was decided not to build for reasons of economy: the construction of new forts cost the treasury 13.5 million gold rubles (Totleben - 6.5 million, Obruchev - 7 million) ^[1] .

Survey work in the construction area of ​​the forts was completed in 1896, and direct construction began in January 1897, and was scheduled to be completed in 1903.

By 1903, only the construction of bulk islands and harbors was completed, and the construction of artillery batteries and placement of guns on forts continued until 1913, when the forts were transferred to the head of the fortress artillery. The long construction of forts was associated with a qualitative change in artillery, which the designers could not have foreseen in 1895, when the forts were laid down.

Fort A in 1910 was renamed Fort Totleben in honor of the outstanding Russian military engineer E.I. Totleben , who took part in the construction of the Kronstadt fortress.

Fort Totleben has the appearance of the letter “C” with its face to the west. It consists of three frontal and two short flank facets with a total length of 700 meters and a width of 50 meters. The back was a military street. The fort team consisted of 700 people.

Construction History

1896 - procurement of materials and drafting.

1897, January 27 - approval of the project by Emperor Nicholas II .

1897 , February 3 - the first ryazh went under the water. Before the spring ice drift, it was necessary to install all the marshes under the wall of the embankment and the gorge breakwater. By summer, premises for workers and the construction administration were installed on the site of the future harbor. The designer of the fort, captain of the Engineering Department A. A. Shishkin, was also the main producer of the work. ^[2]

1897, March - all robes are set.

1898 - a ridge contour was formed around the entire perimeter of the fort, piles were clogged, round under the pier and the escarp wall of the fort and tongue-and-groove for securing the crib.

1898, November 4 - storm, flood: much of what was built was destroyed.

The beginning of the 20th century is the filling of soil into the body of the island.

1901 - a narrow, long island was formed, rising 2.7 meters above the ordinar. A working town and a concrete plant were placed on the island. We started laying the foundations of the batteries.

1903 - built the front wall of the fort on a pile foundation, from concrete blocks.

1903-1908 - concreting of fort batteries.

1909 - the construction of the fort itself was completed and the installation of guns began.

1910 - Fort modernization taking into account the experience of military operations in the defense of Port Arthur. Mortar batteries were rebuilt on the new “high” machines of R. A. Durlyacher to give a higher elevation angle.

1915 - built rangefinder pavilions for the new horizontal base rangefinders Launitsa. Wells were installed for the Shukkert projectors with a mirror diameter of 1.5 - 2 m. There were six 100- hp diesel generators at the fort . , desalination and water purification system, water supply, sewerage, bakery, bathhouse, warehouses, glacier, pharmacy, barracks for 800 people, church, cinema, telegraph, telephone exchange with indicator cables, outbuildings and a separate building for officers. Firing range reached 18 km.

During the First World War, the fort remained in the rear. In the events of 1917, he did not take active actions.

After the Great October Socialist Revolution, the fort was renamed Pervomaysky.

1923 - rearmament using 203-mm towers of the cruiser "Rurik". Range of fire increased to 20 km.

1930s - overhaul, construction of machine gun caponiers. The artillery of the fort took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 , supporting the advance of the troops on the Karelian Isthmus.

During the Second World War - supported by fire the 23rd army, defending Sestroretsk. At the fort, machine-gun pillboxes were built. The fort fired at enemy troops from Beloostrov to Terijoki. The garrison of the fort participated in the reflection of the Finnish landing on Sestroretsk. In June 1944 he participated in artillery preparation on the eve of the decisive offensive of the Soviet troops.

1950-1954 - the last repair and modernization. Change of electrical equipment, construction of a chemical protection shelter, repair of facades, waterproofing of arches.

1955 - artillery was removed in ammunition, the garrison was disbanded.

1957 - Order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy to remove the fort from all types of accounting.

1958 - the military left the fort.

1960-1963 - dismantling of metal structures by Vtorchermet.

1985 - the fort was transferred to the balance of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Council.

1988 - the fort was handed over to the “Spetstrans” management under the special technical fleet parking lots, a recreation center and the restoration of the monument.

Since 1990 - is included in the UNESCO list.

In 1992, the fort came under the jurisdiction of the Kronstadt administration.

Since 1999, the fort has been hosting a support post of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies. Visiting the fort is allowed subject to availability of documents; by agreement with the head of the North-West regional search and rescue squad of the Ministry of Emergencies or as part of an organized excursion group.

In the XXI century - put up for sale.

Since 2010 - the fort is open to the public.

For more than 20 years, before the events in 2008, Vladimir Tkachenko looked after the fort. He called himself a freelance commandant. Vladimir cleaned out and arranged the fort, arranged an improvised museum of history there. Exhibits gathered at the fort for a long time.

In 2008, vandals came to the fort across the ice and staged a large pogrom. They broke open locks, knocked out all the glass in the living quarters, burned mattresses, clothes, books, flattened kerosene lamps, painted walls. The museum also got it, it was looted, and some exhibits were irretrievably destroyed.

Now, as a result of the pogrom, control is also strengthened by the search and rescue unit “Bereg”, as well as a voluntary search and rescue unit. Here, their teachings are held.

The Kronstadt Volunteer Marine Rescue Service regional public organization organizes and conducts annual youth training camps for voluntary marine rescuers at Fort Totleben. The main tasks of the training are to prepare and teach young people rescue skills on the water, self-rescue and survival at sea, elements of high-altitude training, inculcation of skills in the organization of a tent camp and the arrangement of everyday life, patriotic education of youth by acquaintance with a monument of architecture and history, case mats of Fort Totleben, instilling youth with marine skills, developing will and ability to overcome difficulties, distracting young people from drugs and alcoholic beverages, instilling a love of healthy lifestyles. The participants in the training camp are mainly Kronstadt youth, 25 students. The instructor staff of 11 people consists of instructors RPO "Voluntary marine rescue service" Kronstadt ", rescue instructors of St. Petersburg State Public Institution" Search and Rescue Service of St. Petersburg ", TsentroSPAS EMERCOM of Russia. The events include demonstrations by public rescuers, the Extreme Training Volunteer Rescue Association cynological group, and diving groups of the Search and Rescue Service of St. Petersburg. At the same time, a group of radio amateurs of St. Petersburg is working at the fort and organizes long-distance communication with radio amateurs around the world.

The approach is dangerous even to boats and small vessels. Be vigilant, numerous shallows of sharp stones, discarded iron, cables, etc. A visit to the fort is allowed only by agreement with the head of the North-West regional search and rescue squad of the Ministry of Emergencies or with the public search and rescue squad (see above). An independent approach without knowledge is simply life threatening.

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  View of Fort Totleben from the highway to Terioki (Zelenogorsk)

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  Fort Totleben pier

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  Bucket of Fort Totleben

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  Fort Totleben from the sea

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  Bastions

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  View of the coast of Sestroretsk

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  bastions

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  Harbor

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  Main portico

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  Cargo marina

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  Fort Banner

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  Bastions

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  Battle side

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  Monument to the dead

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  Totleben from the east

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• Fort Obruchev

• Tkachenko V.F. Key to the North Gate. St. Petersburg, "Galea Print", 1999