Kronstadt Fortress

The Kronstadt Fortress on Kotlin Island includes a complex of mortar batteries in the western part, built in the late 19th - early 20th century by engineers N. V. Baranov, V. A. Kukharsky, and L. P. Kapitsa. In 1824, a catastrophic flood almost completely destroyed the fortifications and swept away the armaments, while many soldiers died at their posts. The western part of the city was protected by an escarpment wall, partially replaced by defensive barracks built in 1826–1829 and reconstructed in the early 20th century. When stone construction began, convict labor was used to deepen the harbor.